New to modelling, need advice

[Guest]

On question of glues just to give a bit more detail on advice given.

The normal way of bonding plastic in model work is to use a solvent (or solvent glue). Not a glue in the sense that the glue drys to be part of the joint. You end up with the parts parts to be joined together softend by the solvent enough for the plastic parts to amalgamate into each other.

Two basic ways of doing this as has been mentioned.

The first to apply solvent to the parts to be joined together & then assemble the parts. Can be a bit messy & also it takes longer for the article to be handled. Also you have to be quick to put the parts together before the plastic begins to harden. The "glue" is called Poly cement Revell & Airfix market this product. Use to much solvent & the plastic will actually melt the plastic to much possibly distort. It then also takes an age for the plastic to cure.

Second is wicking (or capillary). The parts are first assembled clamped or taped together. After assembly of the parts to be joined the solvent is applied to the joint with a brush which is in the solvent glue cap. The glue which is very thin then wicks into the very tight joint & runs a distance along the joint. I use this method mostly & now, for instance, on two wing halves tape in four places then press the joints locally together with fingers & thumb & apply the solvent to the area pressed together ie I tack around the wing. Takes about 45 secs for the two pieces to gell together without pressure. After tacking I fill in between the tacks applying finger thumb pressure. This gives, with practice, a very accurate closed joint with a minimal amount of filling needed.

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This second method. Solvents. "Mr Hobby Mr Cement S" & "Tamiya Extra Thin". Mr Cement provides quicker times. Tamiya is slightly slower. warning make sure you do not get the stuff on the fingers as it will melt finger prints into the plastic. Also do not apply near to the taped joint as it will bond the tape to the plastic. This stuff can wick a long way along the joint.

Apologies for possibly blinding you with science at an early stage but starting out it is best to know different methods to avoid wasted expense.

Laurie

[Guest]

thats alright

im better off getting into good habits now while the models are cheap

im using revell contacta professional

not sure if that is glue or cement. i used it like ive glues my whole life which was to get to parts-add the "glue" to one part then put them together holding them with my hands as i waited for it bond

[Guest]

Having come late to this topic can I just raise a few points.....

Tamiya acrylic paints are formulated for airbrushing thats why it's difficult to brush paint.Tamiya and Gunze thinners by the way are IPA (ispropanol) plus flow enhancers. I would suggest the best paints for brushing are the latest Humbrol enamels,Humbrol changed the formulation earlier this year when production was brought back to the UK,therefore look for tins with made in theUK. Their earlier paint produced in China was terrible,but try a few types find what you prefer.

I think like paint,there isn’t a correct glue it's more a case of finding what you are comfortable with. As a starter glue I would suggest Revell Contacta as you are using,being slower drying it gives you time to adjust the parts. I would only suggest moving onto liquid glues after building a couple of kits.By the way with experience you can also use superglue.

For gluing canopies it's best to use a PVA or a two part epoxy (Araldite for example) these unlike plastic glues won't attack the clear parts,while superglue can cause the clear plastic parts to fog.The PVA joint will be weaker so handle with care.

If you do use a liquid glue be careful if you tape the parts together the glue can wick under the tape and along it's edges gluing the tape to the model,it's better to clamp or hold the parts together.

On choice of kits go for the subjects you are interested in,try and pick the newer kits such as the Airfix P-51D or Skyhawk both quite cheap and having good fit with decent decals.Above all enjoy the hobby.

All the best,

Malcolm

[Guest]

I was always an enamel fan for brushing and would only use Humbrol. That was until the Chinese stuff came out, then I switched to acrylics. Now I absolutely love Vallejo paints. Brilliant for brushing and spraying.

I had used Tamiya acrylics before and have mixed feelings about them. Some seem fine for brushing and others do not. They seem to skin very rapidly and give a lumpy effect. Also some of the pigmentation is not very strong, needing several coats just to get the colour even. I've not tried airbrushing Tamiya paints yet, and doubt I will. Trying to clean the brushes is bad enough.

Also the drying time for some of my Tamiya acrylics is very, very slow. I've had enamels dry faster.

I have some Xtracrylics which are good, but nothing, so far, compares to the quality of Vallejo.

[takeslousyphotos]

The 2 hobby stores closest to only stock Tamiya paint due to also selling remote controls. There is a much bigger store a little bit further away that has about 10 times more models, so I might go there on Saturday see what other paints/brushes/models they have. I might stick with tamiya for the time being just because of the ease to buy. Ill just need to practice my painting a lot more. Try some new brushes too. I can say though, apart from really struggling with small pieces due to my Neanderthal hands, I'm really enjoying modelling!

I find that Tamiya acrylics paint really well if a couple of drops of thinner are added ......... Get yourself a pippette from a chemist then just two or three drops mixed well will make all the difference.

Peter

[Guest]

This is more of a general comment concerning acrylic paint,one thing you can do to make the application of acrylic paint easier is to use an acrylic flow improver, as th ename implys it helps to improve the flow and levelling of the paint which in turn reduces brush marks it also slightly increases the paints drying time.Tamiya thinners actually contain a flow improver,even so when I use acrylic paint I will add a drop too the paint/thinner mix and I mean only a drop!I use Windsor and Newton acrylic flow improver other makes are available.If you want to give it a try,most art shops sell it.

Malcolm

[PaulTRose]

if you decide to do something like a bike or car there is a third paint option to air brush or hairy stick

buying an airbrush is a big cash outlay so just use an automotive paint in a rattlecan.....easy to use, easy to get good results,....ive done many cars/bikes where ive only used a brush for minor detail painting

in fact i cant remember the last time i airbrushed black or silver cos i always keep a few rattlecans of matt black or various silvers around, not worth getting the ab out

[Guest]

I find that Tamiya acrylics paint really well if a couple of drops of thinner are added ......... Get yourself a pippette from a chemist then just two or three drops mixed well will make all the difference.Peter

do i add the thinner to the whole bottle of paint or do i pour some out to use, then add the thinner to that?

btw nice avatar. didnt expect to see a Pinhead pic in a modelling forum, but a pleasant surprise !

[Guest]

This is more of a general comment concerning acrylic paint,one thing you can do to make the application of acrylic paint easier is to use an acrylic flow improver, as th ename implys it helps to improve the flow and levelling of the paint which in turn reduces brush marks it also slightly increases the paints drying time.Tamiya thinners actually contain a flow improver,even so when I use acrylic paint I will add a drop too the paint/thinner mix and I mean only a drop!I use Windsor and Newton acrylic flow improver other makes are available.If you want to give it a try,most art shops sell it.Malcolm

thanks for the tip Malcolm!!

ill see if we come across some art supply stores tomorrow when we are out shopping

[Guest]

if you decide to do something like a bike or car there is a third paint option to air brush or hairy stickbuying an airbrush is a big cash outlay so just use an automotive paint in a rattlecan.....easy to use, easy to get good results,....ive done many cars/bikes where ive only used a brush for minor detail painting

in fact i cant remember the last time i airbrushed black or silver cos i always keep a few rattlecans of matt black or various silvers around, not worth getting the ab out

my plan is to just brush paint for the time being, if i stick with the hobby enough & improve my skills after a while i will invest in an airbrush/compressor.

atm though its too expensive to justify especially the fact my partner and i are both full time students with 2 kids.

if after a while im still doing this regularly, i will get one.

having just bought a road bike & rc car with my tax return, i dont think id come out alive if my partner caught me buying an air brush hahahaha id be in the dog house for weeks

also, at the place we live now i barely have room to model how it is, literally no where to air brush or store the equipment. long term its on the list

[aaron]

Aaron add the thinner to the amount of paint your gonna use NOT to the bottle.I use nicotine gum packets for a palette, you can use any shallow container.

[Guest]

been busy the last few weeks but got stuck back into the King Tiger tank the last few days. Having lots of trouble with the tanks "wheels"/tracks. my glueing as pretty bad, was so hard to get them even, also they break off very easily when trying to put the caterpillar tracks on it.

Are dearer/other brand tanks just as hard with this part? or is it more cause its a 1/76 $10 kit combined with my lack of technique?

If most tanks are this difficult, ill skip them in the future, way too frustrating for me

[aaron]

Tracks can be a pain especially the rubner ones.I hold them out and give em a bit of a stretch trying not to snap them.If them break i ask swmbo to sew them together.Another way is to not glue the idle wheel and put the connected track on then put the idler on.They dont really get easier with expense just trial and error mate.

[Guest]

been busy the last few weeks but got stuck back into the King Tiger tank the last few days. Having lots of trouble with the tanks "wheels"/tracks. my glueing as pretty bad, was so hard to get them even, also they break off very easily when trying to put the caterpillar tracks on it.Are dearer/other brand tanks just as hard with this part? or is it more cause its a 1/76 $10 kit combined with my lack of technique?

If most tanks are this difficult, ill skip them in the future, way too frustrating for me

If making/joining the tracks is a problem, may I offer a solution! Why not look for an armored car, many of the manufacturers make 'em (Tamiya, Revell, Italeri etc), the biggest difference between the tanks and the armored car is the car has wheels. If you can get a hold of FineScale Modeler Magazine, they did an article about back to basics, where they built an armored car, out of the box and went through various steps, such as the basic modeling then painting and finally weathering.

As an aside, I got an Italeri Valentine tank in a sale at a local hobby store, great, except its 1/72 scale, its tiny. For military vehicles 1/32 or 1/35 is a good size. For aircraft, I prefer 1/48, big enough to see the detail, but small enough not to have to make an appointment with the bank manager!

If price is a consideration (which to the majority it is), apart from the usual suspects ie Ebay, occassionally, just occassionally you may get some in charity shops or second hand shops. So far I haven't found any, but if you look around the forum, they are out there, just not anywhere near me!