Tri-State Scale Modelers Tips How to Build an Inexpensive, Downdraft Filter for Airbrushing By Dave Monet Tri State Scale Modeler’s Tips 1. Fine Wire An excellent source for fine wire is the motors out of an electric HO race car. Also, discarded radio and other electronic appliances are gold mines. You can straighten the wire out by hanging several feet of it from the edge of a table and attaching a fishing sinker to the end. A good overnight hanging will do the trick. 2. Blu-Tack You are going to love this stuff. It is sort of like an adhesive gum that comes in 4x6 inch strips. It can be used in resin casting to hold the part secure in the mold box. It is also great for holding parts temporarily while airbrushing. It leaves no residue; sticks as long as you want it to, and after spraying paint on it, ball it up and use it again. 3. Sprue Nippers Ever spend big bucks for this handy tool? Radio Shack has these in stock at less than half the price you would normally pay. 4. Air Supply For a reasonable price you can purchase a 5 or 10 gallon air tank which will hold 120 psi. Sears is a good place to pick up a regulator. Purchase $5 worth of fittings and Teflon tape, and you are ready to go. Refill the tank at Sheets for free. Since no motor is involved, thus no noise, this setup is great for those late night painting sessions. 5. Future A clear coat of Future sprayed on a kit in preparation for decaling will develop hairline cracks if the paint is not cured. Allow sufficient time for the paint to dry before applying Future. To remove Future use diluted ammonia. 6. Cotton tipped sticks While these are mainly used in decal work and for polishing small areas, they are also handy for weathering when you are applying powdered pastel chalk to a surface. 7. Cyanoacrylate (super glue) Use of this type of glue is extremely popular, because it does not dissolve styrene. Never use this on or around clear plastic parts as it will cause fogging. 8. Accent Washing This technique darkens panel lines and depressions, giving the perception of depth. This will also better define the panel line and various parts. Artist’s oils, because of their small pigments are perfect for this. Color of burnt umber, lamp black, dark gray and raw umber give the best results. 9. “Post-It Notes” These low-tack pads can be used for masking small areas such as panels when applying a natural metal finish. Attach the notes in a block-like fashion around the panel to be sprayed. 10. Gap Filling When filling gaps it is best to run masking tape parallel to either side of the gap or seam within 2mm from the gap. This will prevent over-application of filler that can damage the plastic surface. 11. Para film M This translucent stretchable film clings without adhering. This is excellent for masking metallic and clear parts. 12. Parts Washing Always wash your plastic parts before assembling the kit. This removes the manufacturing oils and improves adhesion. Place each parts tree into a container of water with a couple of drops of dishwashing soap. Use a soft toothbrush to clean the parts, but be careful. Hang them to dry or you may want to speed the process by using a hair dryer on a low temperature. 13. Clear Parts When cutting clear parts it is best to lay masking tape on the part next to the cutting point to avoid accidental scratching or damage to the surface. 14. Airbrush Cleaning The “back flow” method is an excellent way to keep your airbrush clean. After painting pour brush cleaner or thinner into the paint cup. Spray through the airbrush into a cloth, then close off the air nozzle with the cloth, and depress the air valve plunger. Air will bubble in the paint cup and scrub off the residue in the airbrush. Remove the cloth and spray again. This works only on internal airbrushes. 15. Denature alcohol Testor Dullcote and Glosscote can be removed from plastic models by using denatured alcohol without risking damage to the painted surface. 16. Basswood Basswood is the best all-around wood for model building. This is especially true when the job calls for a lot of strip material in different sizes, or when the thickness of walls or other features would make construction in plastic awkward. Chock blocks, bridging timbers, and supplemental armor are good examples of the uses of wood in armor modeling. 17. Glass A twelve (12) inch ordinary window glass make a great surface for trimming thin paper, frisket paper, or thin plastic sheet. Tape the edges of the glass to prevent injury. 18. Use of Wire Solder Vehicles with external lights and electrical equipment need power cables. Many modern tanks, especially Russian armor, have a system of plumbing for the external fuel tanks. Wire solder is an excellent solution as it is easily bent and can be purchased in different sizes. Exhaust pipes can be made from resin-core solder. 19. Clamps Stationary stores stock a variety of paper clamps that can be useful to modelers. They come in various sizes and strengths. A good quality clamp will last forever and are handy for holding together wings and trailing edges while cementing airplanes. 20. Brass Parts Brass photo-etched parts are by their very nature not an adhesive surface to apply paint. To make the surface oil-free and to give it some “tooth”, dip the parts in denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner or mineral spirits. Let dry, then paint. 21. Nose Weights Aircraft with tricycle landing gear may not balance properly unless weight is added inside the nose. While the “wheelie” effect may be good for a drag racer, it needs to be fixed on an aircraft. Wheel weights from an auto store, lead shot, solder or fishing sinkers mixed with epoxy will do the job. Also nonhardening modeling clay can be used to hold the weights in place. 22. Trees When building a diorama, trees make a nice addition. Tree trunks and branches can be easily duplicated. Take a trip around your yard. When the ground is soft, small roots, shoots and saplings are easily removed. Bushy roots are best. Keep scale in mind as a 40 foot tree in 1/35th scale is only 14-15 inches high. 23. Airbrushes Using an airbrush is a good method of applying paint. With a little practice you can get professional results. Most of the problems with an airbrush come from cutting corners with cleaning. Cleaning the airbrush immediately after use is the best way to avoid problems. Always use a thinner recommended by the paint manufacturer. Flush the parts until the thinner comes out clear. 24. Figures While the quality of figures has improved dramatically in recent years, you still need to pay attention to the sleeve-wrist area. Limitations in molding force manufacturers to round off the ends of the sleeves at this location. Cut off the hands, square off the ends of the sleeves, hollow out the sleeves slightly and replace the hands for a more realistic appearance. 25. Scratch Remover Minor scratches on clear plastic parts can be concealed with a thin coating of Future brand floor wax. It can be wiped, brushed, or sprayed on. 26. Molded-On Detail Removal The best way to remove molded-on detail is with a coarse sanding disc on a motor tool. Next hand sand the area using progressively finer grades of sandpaper to remove scratches and to smooth the surface. New detail items scavenged from another kit or from an accessory pack can then be cemented into place. 27. Resin Sanding Resin is a very hard inert material, and extensive sawing, filing, or sanding is not an easy job. You may be tempted to use a power tool to speed up the operation, but remember this presents an obvious health risk. If you must power sand make sure you use a safety mask. Still, the safest method is the slow hand sanding method. Sorry! 28. Diorama Buildings When building a multistory urban building make each successive story slightly smaller than the one below it. Built to scale the buildings can become very large and will dwarf the scenes they are supposed to support. This technique works because we are use to looking at buildings from the street level where perspective makes the upper stories look smaller. 29. Decals Decal setting solution such as Solvaset snugs decals down tightly. Apply the Solvaset after the decal is in place and repeat the procedure several times until the decal is firmly set. After allowing a day or so for it to dry apply a clear coat of your choice to protect the finish. 30. Painting When a model requires several colors it is best to paint the lighter color first, and then mask for the darker color. This method improves the final appearance and in most cases requires less paint. 31. Paint Brushes When it comes to paint brushes you generally get what you pay for. The el-cheapo brushes are just that. A good art supply store is your best bet. Look for sable as they are the best quality. The use of enamel, acrylics and dry-brushing techniques are very hard on brushes so quality counts. Don’t forget that cleaning your investment immediately after use is extremely important. 31. Rubbermaid Spice Carousel Try using this kitchen carousel when spraying a model. You can set the carousel down on the table top and turn it instead of walking around the table, kicking up dust and lint. Remember that less movement while painting will create a better the finish. 32. Use Super Glue Cyanoacrylate (super glue) is great for gluing fine detail and gap filling. Most of this precious liquid is wasted with the drop and dip method. Placing a drop of super glue on a piece of waxed paper prevents it from curing. Thus a single drop will last the whole night. 33. Mirrors Using silver paint for mirrors never produce a satisfactory result. Use small pieces of aluminum foil, silver gift wrapping tape, or metallized Mylar for the best results. Tri State Scale Modeler’s Disasters (AKA, Murphy’s Law of Modeling) The nose art on your aircraft will be deemed too risqué by the contest committee. When viewed from the front the wings will line up with the tail, but when viewed from the rear they will not line up. You will step on and smash the part you didn’t realize you had dropped. The part that dry-fits perfectly doesn’t fit once glue is applied. You will discover the incorrect decal placement only after you have gloss/dull coated. Airbrushes only clog when you are almost finished painting. Your previously reliable method of removing paint will fail to work on your most expensive kit. The high-priced resin detail parts designed for you kit won’t fit. After spending hours installing lights in your model the heat from the bulbs will melt the kit. No matter how much time you spend on the suspension you will always have one wheel that refuses to touch the table. The unknown, unseen spot of glue on your finger will touch the part that is the hardest to replace. Only the last decal you put into water will disintegrate. That hard to find kit that you finally locate has two right wing halves. The research material that you need to complete your kit was in the box that you most recently threw out. You will spend hours detailing the cockpit only to find out that the interior is not visible once the canopy is installed. The more expensive the kit the more likely you will make a major mistake. If you run out of paint the paint rack will be stocked full of every color but the one you need. The smaller the part the greater the probability that it will end up on the floor. Glue will always hold a part to your hand quicker than the place it is intended 6 months after you pay a premium for the discontinued kit, it will be re-released below the original list price. Modelers with too much time on their hands will come up with dumb lists such as this.	IPMS Tri-State encourages our members and guests to patronize our sponsors and partners in the hobby: 117 East Baltimore Street Funkstown, MD 21734   Phone: (301) 739-6071 Artist Dave Monet, specializing in art and airbrush training for commercial art and hobby applications