Author Topic: Any model builders around?  (Read 415 times)

Offline 1701E

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Any model builders around?
« on: December 31, 2009, 08:07:13 PM »
I'm sure there are, kind of looking for Tips, and pics of course...always fun to see what people can do. :D

Trying to find the best ways of painting.  Such as what to use to cover a painted area without using tape that peels the paint off?  Wondering since my hands are shaky and always over-paint the painted areas.  Also, what is the best distance at which to Air-brush Paint (Think that's the name) a model?  And one last one, how would one go about painting a model multiple colors, like a tank that has camo?

I have done quite a few models, but only recently have I gotten into doing them accurately, and in the recent cases historically accurate.  This is my first mostly finished attempt at doing with a lot of detail....I say mostly finished because I haven't done the mirrors yet:

Bloody engine took forever to finish:


As seen, I over-lap some paints, cursed shaky hands:


And my first attempt at Air-Brush painting a body...went a little overboard accidentally:


Finished Engine:



Actually had to have a picture open on my laptop for the interior painting, they had it labeled on the instructions as all 1 color. :)
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Offline Blooz

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2009, 09:26:12 PM »
Discover weathering?

Show vehicles are a pain to paint as you've noticed. I do combat vehicles (mostly tanks) and can hide all that pesky fancy paint job under gobs of mud brown, dark grey grease and orange brown rust.

Here's a "real" vehicle to model and paint! Piece o' cake!

White 9
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Offline Strip

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2009, 09:54:13 PM »
Steps to painting Blooz style...

1. Spray model with green or brown, even both...

2. Throw in mud...

3. Let dry over night and enjoy...

Strip

Offline 1701E

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2009, 10:00:21 PM »
Well that's better than my style of using almost an entire can of Model Spray Paint on one part just cause it has some white left. :)

Also, gonna sound stupid I'm sure, but what is Weathering?
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Offline TheBug

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 10:19:11 PM »
These are two good sites for tips and help with modeling, I really like the first one, it's more geared towards aircraft modeling but has info on weathering.  Lot's of info on the internet to help out. <S> good luck.

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/

http://www.hyperscale.com/
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Offline jimson

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2010, 10:47:23 AM »
Colored chalk rubbed on a painted finish produces a weathered look.

Offline maddafinga

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2010, 11:21:09 AM »


Trying to find the best ways of painting.  Such as what to use to cover a painted area without using tape that peels the paint off?  Wondering since my hands are shaky and always over-paint the painted areas.  Also, what is the best distance at which to Air-brush Paint (Think that's the name) a model?  And one last one, how would one go about painting a model multiple colors, like a tank that has camo?

Do you have an airbrush?  What kind of an airbrush, because that makes a difference, also what sort of an air supply are you using for it?  The type of airbrush you're using and how much pressure and how thin  your paint is, and what you're using to thin it with all make a difference as to how far away your airbrush should be from what you're painting. 

For most small parts and things like an engine, you can brush paint and they come out just as well if not even better.  There is some technique involved there as well though.  Airbrushes are better for larger areas.  As far as tape peeling the paint off, if you use enamels that won't happen.  However, you can use silly putty to mask stuff and a product made for sticking posters and whatnot to walls without nails called Blu Tack works well also, neither will pull off paint.  You can also take index cards and make masks out of them and either hold them yourself or use small blobs of blu tack to hold them on the model but slightly away from the surface, that will get you a soft line instead of a sharp line on cammo and whatnot.  I've also used silly putty for masking cammo out very successfully. 

For a multi color cammo job you want to plan it all out first, then paint the lightest color all over.  Mask the areas you want to keep light, then paint your next darkest color, then mask that and paint the darkest color last.  It's hard to paint a light color over a darker color, but easy the other way around. 

The brand of paint that you use makes a difference. 

You can use Future floor wax, even with a brush over your finished paint job to give it a very nice, smooth and flat high gloss coat.  Even if you're doing something that will be flat in the end, you'll want to Future it before you decal, that way the decals will go on without slivering and the edges of them will sort of disappear into the Future to boot.  When you're done with that, then you can flat coat the model and the result is much much better.  Basically, since you'll be gloss and flat coating all  your models as you finish them, you don't have to worry about whether or not a color is flat or gloss, only if it's the right color.  With that said, flats are easier to paint with.

If you pour some Future wax into a cup you can then dip your clear parts into it and then let them dry being careful not to get puddling.  I like to set them on a paper towel so that the excess Future gets wicked away without the paper towel touching anything but the edges of the clear part.  This will fill in and eliminate scratches in the clear parts and make them appear much much much thinner and more clear and glasslike.

There are decal softening solutions to make the carrier semi dissolve and conform to curves and into panel lines and the such, SolvaSet and MicroSol and MicroSet.  They're pretty much indispensable for decaling. 

When you're done painting and have put on your gloss coat, you can use a thin wash of a dark color and put a wash coat over the whole thing, let that dry, then follow up with a very light drybrushing of lightened base color.  That will give details more depth and they'll appear much more realistic and less flat.  That makes a huge difference. 

There's a lot more but that's about it off the top of my head.  Those sites that TheBug posted are excellent ones, also let me add this one, it's got absolute tons of tips, from very beginners all the way to advanced.  Check out the Future tutorial, and the seam filling and Mr.Surfacer parts.  http://www.swannysmodels.com/ .
Also check out Finescale Modeler's website,  http://www.finescale.com/ .
madda
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Offline SirFrancis

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2010, 01:44:04 PM »
great work 1701E  :aok

don´t want to highjack this thread, but can anybody give me good advice how to use Future? Or a link?

Regards
SF
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Offline 1701E

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2010, 02:19:34 PM »
great work 1701E  :aok

Thanks. :)


"Do you have an airbrush?  What kind of an airbrush"

Yes, I got it for X-mas...one link for it I can find... http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=TES9216&utm_source=froogle


"For most small parts and things like an engine, you can brush paint"

I did this for everything but the Green parts...had an abundance of Green Model spray paint.  I wouldn't really have the patience to spray every single part.


Thanks for the tips on Layered painting on tanks and such, so just use any weak tape to cover the areas?  I found out the hard way a while back scotch tape doesn't work. :uhoh
I'll definitely have to keep these tips and links provided from everyone saved.

Thanks again, now to get a new model! :D
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Offline maddafinga

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2010, 11:02:50 PM »
great work 1701E  :aok

don´t want to highjack this thread, but can anybody give me good advice how to use Future? Or a link?

Regards
SF

That link to Swanny's page that I posted has a fantastic Future tutorial, check it out.  In short, you can dip clear parts in it, airbrush it if you have a good quality airbrush or brush paint it as well.  It's self leveling, so brush strokes just level out and disappear as it dries.  I don't know that it's called Future in Europe however, in fact, checking Swanny's Future page he says, "In Germany you can find a substitue for this product under the name "Erdal Glänzer" or "Aldi Stodil"  I don't know if that will help you much.  You can order it in smaller bottles from model supply houses like greatmodels and such though, just look around a little on the internet and you'll be able to find it if you can't find it locally. 
madda
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Offline maddafinga

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2010, 11:14:42 PM »
Thanks. :)


Yes, I got it for X-mas...one link for it I can find... http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=TES9216&utm_source=froogle

Ok, not the best airbrush in the world, but it'll give you a good starting place.  You'd use one like that just like you'd use a can of spraypaint basically.  Paint from about a foot away and start and stop the spray away from the model.  Make an even speed and smooth pass across the entire surface you're looking to paint.  You're much much better off putting down a very light coat, just a mist coat, and letting it dry and then putting down a second coat the next day or so, until you have color buildup.  That way you won't get puddling or runs or orangepeel.  If you're going to be doing a lot of modeling, consider putting aside what money you can now and then and get an Iwata Revolution.  It's an excellent basic airbrush that's easy to use and clean and you can get really excellent results with it.  I think you can find them in the 60 dollar range from places like Dixieart.  You'll get much better results with something like that.  However, with some care you can get very good results with the rig that you're got, it's just a bit more work is all. 



Quote
Thanks for the tips on Layered painting on tanks and such, so just use any weak tape to cover the areas?  I found out the hard way a while back scotch tape doesn't work. :uhoh
I'll definitely have to keep these tips and links provided from everyone saved.

Thanks again, now to get a new model! :D

Scotch tape will work actually, but it takes a bit of preparation.  Basically, you want to take a strip and stick it to your hand or forehead to get the most agressive stickiness off of it, then put it where you want the mask to be, and take an instrument and burnish it down really well, especially along the paint line.  If you don't carefully burnish it all the way down you'll get bleeding.  If you're careful, you'll be ok.  I prefer to use either Tamiya's yellow tape or get 3m painter's tape, the blue stuff from Wal Mart though.  They're both lower tack and you can burnish the edges down better with them, in my opinion.  When you pull the tape off, remember to pull it over itself and not over or away from the paint you've laid down, that will make a difference withe the paint pulling away with the tape.  Also, using enamels won't give you that problem at all, though they are a bit more work to clean up. 

Good luck, and whatever you get, post it up so we can see your progress man. 

I can't even do any modeling right now as all my stuff burned up in an apartment fire and I don't have equipment or an area to work anymore.  I'll have to live vicariously through yours, keep building!

madda
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Offline SirFrancis

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2010, 03:02:45 AM »
That link to Swanny's page that I posted has a fantastic Future tutorial, check it out.  In short, you can dip clear parts in it, airbrush it if you have a good quality airbrush or brush paint it as well.  It's self leveling, so brush strokes just level out and disappear as it dries.  I don't know that it's called Future in Europe however, in fact, checking Swanny's Future page he says, "In Germany you can find a substitue for this product under the name "Erdal Glänzer" or "Aldi Stodil"  I don't know if that will help you much.  You can order it in smaller bottles from model supply houses like greatmodels and such though, just look around a little on the internet and you'll be able to find it if you can't find it locally. 


 :aok Thanks a lot!!! Well, I bought a bottle Future on my last trip to the US. But, you are right with Erdal Glänzer and this Aldi thing. Thanks again!

Regards
SF
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Offline 1701E

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2010, 11:03:25 AM »
Thanks for the help Madda. :)

The Airbrush you mentioned "Iwata Revolution", I googled it and it looks a bit like another one I have...I forgot I had it til today...

2007?  I need to set that...

I got this one a while back but the air ran out and I never even used it (think I left it "on"), but with this new set I got a can.  Would it be better or is it just that particular one that is good?

We should still have some of the Blue tape around, we used it a lot when painting the floor.  We have a stupidly big Wal-mart so I'll try to find Future wax, this model could take quite a while to make.
I'm going up to VA this week (just as soon as I get out of court ugh), they have a model shop so I think I'll pick something up there...gonna be like a whole new X-mas!  Now...what to get. :D
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Offline maddafinga

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Re: Any model builders around?
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2010, 11:29:00 AM »
That would be a much better airbrush than the one that you posted the link to earlier.  The Revolution would be better still, but you will find that you can do some much finer and better work with that airbrush you just posted.  You'll get much finer atomization and better control.   
What you can do for the air if you don't have a compressor or want to buy one is to get one of those 20 dollar air tanks from WalMart while you're there and one of those control valves to adjust the psi coming out of the tank.  Take the tank to your local gas station and fill it up with their compressed air there, as full as you can possibly get it.  Adjust your psi down to about 20 or so to paint with and paint from a few inches above the model.  Depending on how much pressure you can get in that tank, you can paint for a decent while on a charge.  If you look at the tip of that airbrush there, you should be able to adjust the width of your spray too, so you can do much finer work with it.  That other one you've got makes it more like a spray can, still better than brush painting, but not great.  With some practice, you should be able to do some good work with that one.  Remember, fine mist coats layered and then dried, let the color build up slowly and  you'll love the results.
madda
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