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Tips and Disasters |
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The Tri State Scale
Modelers have benefited from a monthly newsletter since the club was formed in
January 1991. One of the most popular features
of our newsletter has been the “Modeling Tips” section. Over the years there have been some excellent
and/or funny tips. The following tips
have stood the test of time. Use them in
good health.
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.
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.
- 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.