Any tips for the Airfix Saturn V or Revell Star Trek Voyager?

[Guest]

I got both of these for Christmas and am going to start making one soon. I know a lot of people deviate from the instruction for a better finish, so does anyone have any tips? Such as painting certain parts before sticking together etc. I'm not very good and have only built one model before, so special advanced techniques are a bit beyond me.

Thanks.

[Alan 45]

I've built voyager and it's a kit that leaves gaps so best not to paint any parts first because they will need filling

To get a good finish on the hull it's best to use a silk mate white with a little metallic , silver , aluminium etc not too much though as it will darken the white and you need a very light grey to get the effect of the real ship

[eddiesolo]

SATURN-V.

One of the main things to remember is not to weather the model too much, in fact non really. This just wouldn't happen, as Alan says better to dry fit the parts to make sure that no main parts are showing gaps-these will need to be filled and sanded before painting. The original was painted in white Titanium Dioxide, the white paint was to assist in temperature regulation while the black markings were added to aid in tracking. As for colour are you using a brush, airbrush or rattle-can. The latter is useful if you are not used to modelling to create a smother finish-for a first time modeller it may well be worth a try, handy if there are large pieces, colour wise-depends if you want to go for totally realism or 'near enough'. First time builders tend to go near enough with trying techniques.

Filler: I tend to use Humbrol Model Filler, pre mixed in a tube, just apply what you need to an area then sand or scrape away to achieve a smooth finish.

Sanding: There are sanding sticks of various grades that are bendable and cut into lengths to get into areas.

Paint: If you wish to go the rattle-can route then a good quality plastic primer is the way to go, once dry you can add the top coat. I don't know if you have used spray paint but the idea is not too hard to master-do not get too close to the model and then it is straight line spraying, off when not near the model-on just before the model and keep moving-off when you get past the model. Do not be tempted to go at it and finish in one go, do a coating, leave for ten to fifteen mins then do another coat, build up the layers gradually, please do this outside as it can be dangerous. You can use car paint, or enamel paints for spraying. For other parts make sure you use a good quality brush and mix your paint properly before use.

Preparation: Give your model a good clean with soapy warm water before you start painting or priming, this will get rid of any release agent still left on the plastic and help to get rid of dust etc.

Main points are to have fun and take your time and enjoy yourself. If you need any help then just pop a question on here, many folk far more knowledgeable than me will help you out.

VOYAGER:

Not made this kit so don't know the ins and outs of it but again rattle-can can be useful to achieve smooth overall finish and then you can highlight panels, section etc with various whites/greys etc. Use the above information in preparing your model.

Si

[Guest]

I planned to use a spray can for a base coat, as that's why I used before and it went okay. For the rest of it I have a spray gun which I've never used before so I'll have to look in to that. It's only a basic one, it uses cans of compressed gas instead of a proper compressor. My method is definitely to get it 'near enough'. I don't have the skill, experience of patience to pull off some of the techniques I see posted here to get a very realistic look.

Thanks!