kajnrig Posted October 13, 2015 Posted October 13, 2015 Hi, all - Long-time hobbyist and first-time MW poster. I've been contemplating my next bulk order from HLJ and while some kits are a lock (1/100 Frame Arms kits, Hasegawa's new 1/72 Super VF-25F/S, and a November-release 1/100 Gundam Barbatos), the rest of the order is a tossup between - HGUC Palace Athene - HGUC Gabthley - HG R-Gyagya - HG Lightning Zeta OR - 1/48 Hasegawa YF-19 - 1/48 YF-19 photo-etch parts I really like the 19, and I've been itching to work on A) a 19, and B) a modern 1/48 fighter kit (the only other kit of that scale was a Revell reissue of an old 70s/80s Monogram F-14D). If any of you have worked on this kit before (with or without the metal detail parts), what were your impressions of it? My concern stems from my general lack of experience with scale aircraft as well as my lack of an airbrush. (I suppose I could always get a spray can, but I'm not sure if Tamiya et al have prefabbed cans in the right tan color. And hand-painting such large expanses of plastic seems like it'll create more problems than solve them.) But anyway. Like I said, anyone have experience with this (or the Bandai HGs, I suppose) kit that they could share with me to help with a purchasing decision? Thanks! Quote
electric indigo Posted October 14, 2015 Posted October 14, 2015 Hi kajnrig, nice to see you over here. My advice: Save the HGs and the 19 for later and get an airbrush I've been using a single-action Badger 350 for all my work - available for around 40$, and it will change your modeling life forever... Quote
kajnrig Posted October 14, 2015 Author Posted October 14, 2015 Nice to see you too, electric indigo. I honestly hadn't thought about that, but you may be right... Wouldn't I also need to invest in an air compressor + regulator? (Also a spray booth? Then again I'd be mostly spraying water-based acrylics.) I did some research way back when (early days on Hobbyfanatics) on airbrushing equipment, but it's all sort of faded now. Basic requirements for an airbrushing setup: - airbrush - compressor (- regulator) (- spray booth) Looking at single- and double-action brushes, I'm seeing that most single-action brushes still have ways of adjusting paint density/flow. In what scenarios would you need the on-the-fly paint flow adjustment that double-action airbrushes provide? But the more I think on it, the more of a good idea it seems. I'll have to think on this some more. Thanks for the suggestion. Quote
Darth Mingus Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 General coverage, a single action would be fine. If you want to do detail work with the airbrush, then you need double action. The DB Action is usually used when doing fine lines for pre-shading or complex camo patterns and weathering. Airbrushes and compressors are pretty cheap on eBay these days (saw double action ones for 18 USD). But be careful what you buy. A lot of them can be trouble. I have used a single action AB for years, hooked up to my home improvement compressor without issue. I recently picked up a DB Badger AB at Michaels with one of their 50% off coupons. If you want to be build 1/48 aircraft, there are very large surfaces to deal with so an AB is a must. I managed to find a 1/48 VF-19 Lightnings recently and I had the photo etch kit from a few years ago so that is is on my massive backlog. Quote
kajnrig Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 Yeah, I decided to go ahead and get myself a decent beginner's AB. As it turns out, my brother also has a Testor's compressor that he used only a few times and hasn't touched since, so I'll be adopting that. I haven't checked it yet for regulators/moisture traps/other bells and whistles, but so long as it doesn't die the moment I plug it in, it should fit my needs just fine. Any advice on a spray booth setup? Like I said, I'll mostly be spraying water-based acrylics, so fumes aren't a major concern (though I do have some enamels and spray cans that I'll decant), but I'm doing all this in my bedroom, so my first inclination is to open up a window, set a fan blowing outward, jerry-rig a filter setup, and start spraying. My second inclination is to spray outside. My third inclination is to move my entire workshop to the wood-working shed. I may or may not invest in gas filtration masks. Quote
NZEOD Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) (- spray booth) Looking at single- and double-action brushes, I'm seeing that most single-action brushes still have ways of adjusting paint density/flow. In what scenarios would you need the on-the-fly paint flow adjustment that double-action airbrushes provide? Fading... blending. Its easier with a double action BUT it can be done with a single by controlling the distance from the item to be sprayed and the amount of product flow to begin with. I have a Badger Double for doing all my Operational Weapon and Kit camoing (I get crap for how well they look in the desert or jungle) and an Alclad II Single Action for modelling You can make your own booth out of Card boxing and PC Fans. For a filter you can use Fishtank filter Elements and Plumping PVC drain pipe connectors for the outlet and filter holder. You can buy the Filter material in bulk sheets for cheaper than the precut filter elements in most good pet stores. For fans use the $10 120mm PC chassis fans running as exhaust (sucking out through the filter) and mount it in the bottom of the booth . PVC Fittings like above can be used to make a filter element holder and mount to the fan or fans and booth. PC Fans run on 5V so any old repurposed 1A plus wall charger for a Cell phone or even a USB power supply will run it. USB to 3 and 4 pin fan adaptor cable Shower ceiling fan piping is good for the exhaust pipe as you can run it out your bedroom window then pack it away like a slinky when you are done. Pretty straight forward and fun project for you. Edited October 15, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
MechTech Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Welcome Kajnrig! Yeah, NZEOD is right! I built something similar using three PC fans. You can get them in household current too. I used that and triple walled cardboard going into my dryer vent when the dryer wasn't on it. It worked great for glue and airbrushing - nothing high volume like spray cans. - MT Quote
kajnrig Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) Hm... It seems simple enough, in theory anyway. I have a bunch of wood/cardboard I can use for the walls/floor of the booth as well as for filter material (cut into inch-long strips, stack them, tape/glue them together = makeshift coarse filter). I have some window fans I can use in lieu of PC fans that would go in the back of the booth. And possibly duct/piping as well, which I'd affix to the exhaust via duct-tape + cardboard...? How much airflow should I be aiming for? It seems some people use industrial-grade exhaust fans, others use room fans, PC fans, etc. Is the point just to get air flowing to minimize the accumulation of fumes? Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm looking forward to tackling this project this weekend. EDIT: A second question: Searching online, what search terms would work best for finding filter material? If I'm just looking for cotton/polyester/wool sheets, what stores would have that kind of material? Edited October 15, 2015 by kajnrig Quote
Darth Mingus Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 I used a 20-inch box fan facing away from you that I built a box around. I pair it with standard, replacable air furnance filters to capture overspray. Definitely get a good mask. even with acrylics, you don't want to breath in the fumes. Quote
electric indigo Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 No need to bomb the room with paint. When I paint small parts like Gundam limbs, a 30 x 40 cm sheet of paper is sufficient to avoid getting paint on my desktop. So there is, IMO, no need for an industrial grade fan, especially if you stick to acrylics. Quote
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