1:350 USS Enterprise refit

[Guest]

I bought the 1:350 refit and my painting plan is: 1. Grey primer
2. White flat
3. Gloss coat
4. Decals
But than do u have to gloss coat over the decal or can I go with semi gloss over the decals right away?

[Dave Ward]

Levi,
I'd give the decals a gloss coat. This should give the final semi/satin finish the same overall base. Applying a semi gloss directly over the decals may give you a slightly different finish to the rest of the gloss area.
Dave

[Guest]

Thank you I will do that. Any recommendations at what paint I should use because I was planning on Tamiya but that is really expensive I I have to do the entire ship this way.

[Dave Ward]

Levi,
I only use acrylics, so, Vallejo, Hataka, AK, Mig - and for varnishes, I can recommend Humbrol Clear Gloss, or Vallejo Premium Gloss ( they both make pretty good Satin Varnishes, as well ).
Dave

[Guest]

Do you think I could do all of the paint with spray cans because the saucer is 41 cm in diameter and I don't think I can spray larg enough areas in time with my airbrush. But I'm afraid that spray cans will be to thick

[Dave Ward]

Levi,
never tried spraycans - I use my airbrush - recently did a 1/48 Mig- 25, which was over 40cm long, and 30cm wingspan, without any trouble[ATTACH]320923[/ATTACH][ATTACH]320924[/ATTACH]
Not the same as a saucer, but if you get the paint dilution right, should work
Dave

[Guest]

Any recommendations at what paint I should use because I was planning on Tamiya but that is really expensive

Tamiya paint is much cheaper if you buy it in 23 ml bottles instead of 10 ml. A quick check of a Dutch webshop that sells it says €3.25 for 10 ml or €4.25 for 23 ml — so 32.5 cents per millilitre vs. 18.5 cents. For comparison, this same shop sells Revell Aqua Color for €2.75 per 18 ml (15.3 cents/ml), and both Revell and Humbrol enamels for €1.95 for 14 ml (13.9 cents/ml). So yes, if you buy Tamiya paint in 10 ml it’s hugely more expensive than Revell or Humbrol, but if you get the larger pot, it costs only slightly more.

[Guest]

Tamiya paint is much cheaper if you buy it in 23 ml bottles instead of 10 ml. A quick check of a Dutch webshop that sells it says €3.25 for 10 ml or €4.25 for 23 ml — so 32.5 cents per millilitre vs. 18.5 cents.

Yeah but I will be using spray cans because this model is really big

[Guest]

Levi,
I'd give the decals a gloss coat. This should give the final semi/satin finish the same overall base. Applying a semi gloss directly over the decals may give you a slightly different finish to the rest of the gloss area.
Dave

Wait is it necessary or recommend to gloss over the decals because the decals cover 90% of the model and it would cost me less paint to seal them with semi clear. ( The color the schip needs to be )

[Guest]

Yeah but I will be using spray cans because this model is really big

And you want it to be simply plain white all over? Then buy a can of white primer from a car parts store. This will be cheaper than modelling paint, and will remove the need to first do grey primer and then white paint over that. You could then also use white gloss car paint over the white primer, rather than gloss varnish.

[Dave Ward]

If the decals cover 90% of the model, then I guess semi-gloss over everything won't create too many problems.
When I first read the title - I thought you meant the Tamiya 1/350 Aircraft Carrier! When I read 'saucer' I realised that you meant NCC 1701! ( Polar Lights, I guess? )
Dave

[Guest]

If the decals cover 90% of the model, then I guess semi-gloss over everything won't create too many problems.
When I first read the title - I thought you meant the Tamiya 1/350 Aircraft Carrier! When I read 'saucer' I realised that you meant NCC 1701! ( Polar Lights, I guess? )
Dave

Yes that's the one I'm a big Star trek fan and wanted this model for so long and I finally picked it up

[Guest]

I learned rather quickly, that you'd need at least a 0.4mm nozzle on an Airbrush to get sufficient coverage quickly enough. The folks at "Everything Airbrush" (aka The Spraygun Company) are a great bunch of very helpful and knowledgeable Chaps. Those Star Trek Models are worth the time , effort and the expense to do them properly.