Help: what equipment for customization job of 1/48

[Godzilla]

Ok,

I was looking at hobby town deciding on what color of paints best fit, etc... Now I am kind in a quandry here. Yes me being the degree engineer I am perplexed on what equipment to use... airbrush, spray, regular old brush. Now when I painted some of my models waaaaaayyyyy back when, boy did I suck. and I had no idea if I should get primer, etc. I reading some books they have at the store, etc trying to get pointers. I mean I just want to get the smooth painting like I have sen on the customs but I know I always manage to screw that up. I like tohave some pointers.

[Neova]

Get the following for Yamato 1/48 or any toy customizing:

1. Easy Off Oven Cleaner to remove paint

2. Pair of heavy duty dishwashing gloves to clean off the above and to wash the valkyrie before any painting

3. Dishwashing detergent to clean the Valkyrie before painting

4. Sand paper in grits 600, 800 ,1000, 1200 to clean up mold errors and smooth out parts

5. Epoxy to fill in seams you want to fix EG the heads. You probably DO NOT want to seal up the legs and arms in case something breaks.

If you want to paint small parts, eg the arrows on the head, buy a brush, paint, xacto knife, modeling tape (not the cheap stuff) to mask and paint those areas.

To paint bigger parts eg stripes, you can use a cheap aerosol spray system like testors, but thin and test your paints BEFORE you paint the Valkyrie. Or you can use spray cans.

To paint he WHOLE Valkyrie, use an airbrush BUT, practice first. Paint a cheap model kit, an old shoe or something. Seriously. Try to paint a rock and keep the paint even. You can up your airbrush skills by knowing when to and not paint certain areas to achieve the effects that you want.

Oh yeh, use enamels if possible to paint your Valkyrie. It will stand up better. I have an knockoff VF-19 here that I'm testing with and the enamels are tough! Acrylic paint, while easier to paint, will require a few clear coats to hold up well.

You will also need other things like tools, clips to hold parts and etc... but thats the bulk of it. A respirator and a SPRAY BOOTH is highly recommended when you spray paint. We don't want you keeling over as you're about to finish off that custom Minmay Guard masterpiece.

Most of the info I posted was summarized from what I've gathered on this forum. Custom parts? Thats another story...

Good luck!

Edited March 2, 2004 by Neova

[Godzilla]

Now that was what I was looking for! Thanks Neova.

[Jung]

I'll add to the list.

-Mini Files + steal brush - I use these a lot, great for sanding especially difficult to reach areas, use the steal brush to clean the files.

-Future floor polish(acrylic) - great/cheap gloss clear coat. Spray this through your air brush unthinned, glossy clear coat before applying decals. Dip your canopy, or other clear parts, to make it super clear. I've also added food colouring for painting clear parts (ex. visors, lights etc.). Add tamiya acrylic flat base (9:1, Future: flat base) for a semi-gloss finish.

-Decal setting and solvent/softing solution - used for waterslide decals, setting solution helps adhesion. The solvent/softing solution will soft the decals, this allows it to capture conform to the shape of curves and details (ex. panel lines) underneath. If you're planning on the MG custom, you definitely need to use some softening solution. I'm using testors brand (only brand available at my local hobby shop), but I hear Microset and Microsol are best.

-liquid mask - makes life easier to mask curves but you can live without it.