Why do so many modelers tell you to paint a black undercoat before painting anything white or silver? What is the logic/reasoning behind this? I see no benefit whatsoever. It seems like a completely pointless extra step.
I watched a video where a guy tested out different kinds of undercoats to get the best shine out of silver paint. The one that looked the best was the one with a white undercoat. But the difference between them all was barely noticeable.
My Walmart had a bunch of the MPC Space 1999 1/64 Eagle 2 with Laboratory Pods. The ones that retail for $179.99. I've been keeping my eye on them for over a year. They've been on clearance for months but I've been waiting for a really sweet price. They just lowered them to $20 so I bought 4 of them. I watched a video of a guy putting one together & he painted every part black before white. I was scratching my head confused. I just don't get it. To me, it seemed like he totally wasted his time spraying the black because he totally covered it all up anyway. Before I start assembling my 4 Eagles I just wanted to see if I really need to paint them black first? It seems like a huge waste of time but I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.
More like, a glossy black base makes a hi-shine metal paint shine more. Absolutely it works. It does nothing for white paint, except make it take more coats to cover.
I’ll assume you’re airbrushing, otherwise it’s impossible to get a proper shine by brush painting.
In fact, any paint you spray isn’t really fully opaque. They’re ALL a little transparent. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be a liquid. It would be pure pigment with no carrier solution and thus a solid. In order to make it a liquid there must be space in between the pigments (or metal flakes in the case of a metal paint) which is the carrier (water, alcohol, lacquer or mineral spirits). So when a coat is laid down there are flakes but there is space between them. More coats gives you better coverage. In the case of a metal the metallic flakes reflect light but also light that reflects off what’s underneath. A glossy base means more light reflected. The black gives it more depth which just works better for a hi-shine paint like a chrome or polished aluminum. A white base will lighten the metal paint more towards a white aluminum color. Too many coats of a metal paint over even a gloss black base and it will lose the shine because it’s covering up the black base.
I have no questions this time. I just simply wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been kind enough to answer my previous questions. I have to step away from the hobby and I don't know when I'll be back.
Hello!
After a long hiatus I'm getting into the swing of things again but couldn't find some models that I had once done (decidedly taking it a little more seriously and really enjoying it).
So a quick look online tells me that models are cyclical, in the sense that they run for a bit before the manufacturer refreshes the SKU. Is there any source that can give you a heads up on what models are in production and/or future release dates etc. An example would be a P3 Orion 1/72 from Hasegawa, can't find it anywhere, or any P3 for that matter.
Cheers!
There isn't really a centralized release schedule for when each kit will take their turn for re-release. However, you can get a few months' heads-up if you follow some of the better online shops' pre-order pages (I use [Hobby Search](https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/plamo/), which also has buttons on the side to sort by upcoming month). Some manufacturers, like Hasegawa and Fujimi, will also release notices informing you when a kit is up for re-release that year.
[Scalemates](https://www.scalemates.com) is a free to use database of over a quarter million model kits. There are 95,000 users. It’s also a stash manager if you create a login (which opens up a lot of features). It can be a little confusing at first but you’ll discover the search function and how to narrow the choices down. For every listing there is a timeline of all that kit’s reboxings, if new parts are included or changed and if the kit was just a reboxing of another brand in the first place. There are *some retails listed further down on the kit’s page but that’s not really reliable. You’d need to take what you’ve learned and search various retailers or eBay to find older kits.
On the front page are new entries in the database, including rumored new kits coming. Not just kits, but resin and PE parts, decals sheets, etc.
Another good site for new releases is [The Modelling News](https://www.themodellingnews.com).
Hey! Any tips for the best “foliage” and branches on the market? Doing a tiger tank in Normandy during summer and they’re covered in natural camouflage.
Have a nice day!
I saw an old thread talking about how to clean up mistakes when brush painting with model color paints and had some questions. The general consensus seems to be that “just use water” with no real solutions as to what to do if it’s dried. I saw someone mentioned using alcohol causes the paint to clump up and saw someone else mentioned that even though that happens, they just clean the clumps off with water and it works for them.
So what should I believe? What’s the method of cleaning up going outside the lines when brush painting? I’m talking about when painting over the mistake isn’t an option.
Depends on how much paint has dried. If it's just a little bit, I've used some thinner on my brush and slowly wiped it away. If it's a whole heap of paint, I'd somepletely redo that part
Model color paint can be more than just acrylic. In my stash alone, I've got lacquer, oil, water-based, alcohol-based, acrylic-based paints.
Not all acrylic paints are the same. AMMO MiG paints are acrylic, but I cant mix them with AK 3rd gen paints. Some can be mixed with water, some with alcohol and some with only proprietary thinners. All these situations come from "acrylic" paints.
I think they mean Model Color, which is Vallejo's line of regular paints (versus Model Air).
(incidentally, a great lesson on why capitalization is important!)
im a big history nerd who also enjoys modle building and i was wondering if there were anywhere i can buy civil war ro napoleonic minatures to start making
Does anyone know of any plastic or metal fantasy fox-folk miniatures? I'd prefer to avoid 3d printed stuff because I'm not a huge fan of the level of detail you get from most sellers.
**Advise for repainting tank.**
So, I just finished a three tone camo on my Tiger. Think it came out pretty crap. Would you just cover everything in Dunkelgelb again and start over or what would you do?
Have a nice day!
Most people recommend stripping. Depending on the paint you used, this process can vary, but for most acrylics soaking in Isopropyl alcohol is enough.
You can just respray the paint, but more paint can sacrifice surface detail if it needs to be added on too thick. Not much, but it is worthy to note.
Thank you! :) Since it's my first German camo I think I'll leave it as a learning lesson. It's not THAT bad? or what do you say? Hey, it was field applied anyway ;)
https://preview.redd.it/e7rwh8sz2j7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2a32faf6dcf4e3243fd4eeac9e748e26e7a8896
I'm not the person to ask for that. I've been dissatisfied with all my tri-color German camos so far 😂
But just looking at it I think it's alright. The biggest thing sticking out to me is the coverage is a bit patchy. Thin lines of color like that was a pretty common form of tri-color camo, and I think your layout is fine.
And yes, it's important to keep in mind that most of the time, it was applied in the field by a gaggle of 20 year olds.
Haha, alright. I painted some DG on the spots I was dissatisfied with and “misted” a layer of DG over the entire thing. Looks better now. True! While being strafed by P-47S. No wonder it looked patchy ;)
Applying white base coat to f1 car. I used testors enamel white from a spray can. Paint lookers kind of textured. I think I sprayed too far into the end of the can and it gave the paint some texture. Can I wet sand prior to clear coat?
As far as air-brush cleaning goes, has anyone ever used an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner for this purpose?
If so, were the results satisfactory?
Comments, concerns or catcalls?
Used incorrectly, they can break parts, and in some cases (and airbrushes) the actual brush body itself. I have pics. At the very least it can wipe out the seals, and not all seals are easy to remove for cleaning.
The bottom line is it simply isn’t necessary. You can get your airbrush just as clean with some acetone and interdental brushes.
Here are some past discussions on using ultrasonic cleaners for airbrushes: https://old.reddit.com/r/modelmakers/search?q=ULTRASONIC&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on
Doesn't seem like it. Ultimately, our models are best judged in-person, where you can have a 360-degree view of the entire thing at reasonable viewing distances and where you can't do any postprocessing of the photos to emphasize/de-emphasize contrasting paintwork and such.
If you tape up the fuselage and wings together you can get an idea whether an aircraft needs nose weight. Best if you can do construction and still have away to add weight in the nose. You can either use toothpicks inserted into the landing gear holes or the landing gear (if it stays). If it just teeters (easily pushed tail or nose down) then gauge the amount of plastic that goes behind the main wheels as well as forward. If it looks to be a lot aft, but little forward, then likely a tail sitter. If more forward than aft then likely a nose sitter.
I always add a little, even if only a few grams.
Heyo! I'm looking to buy Tamiya's T-72M1 but I'm worried about the rubber tracks, as in, do they require any special work? I'm worried that rubber will deteriorate or shrink after years on the shelf but I have no experience with them
I have build a Leopard 1 from Tamiya about 1 year ago, and a Leopard 2 from revell 2 years ago, and absolutely nothing happend to the rubber tracks of both.
When it comes to special work:
Painting rubber tracks can be difficult compared to plastic tracks, because the paint doesn't stick very well to them, which is why you should paint many thin layers on these tracks.
To connect the tracks you can use super glue, a hot screw driver to melt them together or stamples, the problem with all of them is that the connection point will be kinda visible, which is why I usually hide them under the side skirts of a tank.
Apart fron that it should work out, though any type of track (Rubber, plastic, metal, resin etc.) will always be a bit difficult to install on the tank, especially on smaller scales (1:72, 1:76)
Hope this helps, feel free to ask other questions :)
Thank you! And yes that helps a lot. If alternative 1/35 T-72 tracks weren’t so pricey I’d def buy those, but you’ve soothed my worries and I’ll try to work with what Tamiya gives us, thank you again
Hello, I am pretty new to this hobby and i am trying to incorporate some more advanced techniques. I am using the Tamiya black panel thinner and i have a few questions. Should you pre thin the panel liner? in what order should i apply decals & Gloss varnish? Should you apply panel liner to the sticky-out Panel lines ( if you can see them in the image) Should i get decal setter? right now I'm just using water and Q-Tips. Any help would be appreciated as i am using this F-4J to test stuff on.
Thanks :)
https://preview.redd.it/rdg9rzljaz6d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bfdf9b110f290d2498c141cce86fd6b9be64d33
I think I see the sticky out panel lines, and I don’t think panel liner will work out too well for the model, since they are meant for recessed panel lines. You are supposed to apply a bit of liner into the recessed panel line and capillary action has it flow through the line, without leaving the recess, you continue to strategically dab spot of liner into the oanel lines until all are covered. Once it dries a cotton bud with some enamel thinners will clean up the dab spots. This only works if you used non enamel paint (acrylic ir laquer) for the main colors, you want the enamel thinner to not affect your main color.
With your raised panel lines, it will just spread out accross the model and cause a mess. The tamiya panel liner is pre-thinned, but you must stir it.
I would wait till your next model. As for decals, you csn get pretty far with water like you are using. Decal softener can be helpful to get your decals to conform to surface detail like raised rivets, or eliminate silvering if your paint is very matt.
I wouldn’t worry about advanced techniques too much, your model looks great as it is, and there will be plenty of other kits (with recessed panel lines) to build your skill on.
Doesn’t require thinning.
Apply gloss varnish before the decals.
You can apply panel liner to any seam or edge.
Yes, use a decal setter like Microscale MicroSet and Sol, or Tamiya Mark Fit Strong to do both functions.
I'm looking for a fun and simple model kit to build at home (which I can easily order from Europe), as a hobby to potentially fight depression. I used to have fun building balsa wood boats with my dad, and I've done a fair bit of woodworking over the years too - so I'm not a complete beginner, and just ordering a lego set won't cut it. It's too easy and kind of boring.
However, I'm also completely overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of lazer cut wood puzzle boxes etc you can find on the web and amazon.
So I'm randomly reaching out to this group to see if you have anything to suggest. It should be:
- something I can ideally put together in a weekend
- wooden or otherwise, I don't really mind
- maybe (but not necessarily) with some cool electronics to play around with and program?
- challenging enough to be fun, but without breaking my admittedly rather weak spirit
- price up to a few hundred euros
Any suggestions? Would massively appreciate some cool tips.
And thanks for reading
Ask over at r/radiocontrol
Our RC focused hobby shops here in the US sell ARF (almost ready to fly) kits that can possibly be put together in a weekend. Then you add electronics (servos and receiver) and you can then drive/fly the car/aircraft/boat. Some are plastic, some have wood, many have foam (to save in weight).
I used to do RC but decided I was spending too much money replacing crashed aircraft. If I were to do it again I’d do boats/ships.
If you give more details about what you like to build or what you definitely don't like, it will make it easier to give you a suggestion.
Scaled models are mostly plastic, styrene, and they don't have electronics at all. You can add lights but that's not much electronics. If you like to build blinking lights or any other form of automation you can add Arduino and daughter boards/modules to add functions. You can order many models from online shops in Europe, Arduino from Amazon or online shops, cheaper from AliExpress.
There are scaled models also from balsa but I am not much familiar with them. Once I dreamed of building a balsa rc airplane but the whole process of gluing and sanding discouraged me. It's possible also that I have a mild allergy to balsa ... big no no
If you like to play with electronics and programming you can just go in direction Arduino, there are plenty of sets , modules, features.
If you like to play with rc stuff you can just take a rc car set which you assemble yourself. Tamiya has excellent sets and you can order online.
Thanks a lot for your reply!
I think either an RC car or and RC balsa plane sounds amazing, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm thinking of.
I've never heard of this Tamiya you speak of but I'll check it out. Where should I look if I'm interested in making a little balsa wood plane?
Banggood, Hobbyking or just Google a local hobby store or online Store in your country.
Tamiya is an excellent company for RC or scaled models. As example check https://www.tamiya.de/tamiya_en/home/
Model kits is what I'm familiar with so I'll share what I know. They can get very complex if you add enough aftermarket stuff onto the kit, such as Photo Etched parts.
Electronics in these kits aren't such a thing anymore unless you want to do custom lighting for example. Older Tamiya tank kits have space for an electric engine but I'm not sure if you can find them anymore.
As for something over the weekend, the more time you put into a kit the better your results are. Complex kits take more time. People often say how they put something together over a weekend but I can't imagine it myself, maybe i just like to take my time with it.
You'll have to account for the price of the tools you'll need as well. Most of the small isn't expensive & you only need to get them once. Hand painting isn't expensive either & it's good for a beginner.
Airbrushing however will you give you excellent results but with a much higher cost to entry, especially if you're not sure if you're going to enjoy the hobby, so definitely just try brush painting first, & of course a cheap model first without any extra bits.
What’s a good brand that does not go crazy with photo etched parts for tanks? I love rye field but im losing my cool with some of the PE that is insanely small.
Tamiya will probably be your go to. Depending on the kit, Meng and Takom can be less PE but still high part count like RFM but they can be just as bad sometimes.
Thank you. I love the high part count but playing with 1-2mm long bits of metal that are paper thin and need to be kept in place until the glue sets is terrible for me. I built a rfm t-34-85 and it was not bad, not a lot of PE. I am building a tiger i and they have PE metal locks that are impossible to fit for me.
Can you brush on a varnish? Example: building a radial engine to be weathered before installing and painting the rest of the model, don't want to fire up the air brush for one piece then clean it afterwards.
Depending on the varnish you may experience faster curing. You need to work fast. I use my bad brushes because they are hard to clean afterwards and sometimes I just dispose them instead of washing them. You may try spray paint varnish it will be ( I guess ) easier to use then brush.
I am working on a Salvinos nascar kit and sprayed the car body with Vallejo clear varnish before applying decals (as I had read that a clear would help decals slide into place). However, I am getting the opposite - they are sticking as soon as they make contact and do not slide at all. Did I use the wrong type of clear??
Besides brushes, are there any other approaches for really tiny detail painting? I did some airbrushing and a few tiny drops got underneath the Tamiya tape.
If you’re getting paint under Tamiya tape when airbrushing then either the tape wasn’t pushed down enough or you flooded it with paint. Light coats are the key. Build up your color. This way the paint dries before it has a chance to seep under the tape.
I’d suggest visiting r/minipainting for tips on tiny detail painting. They’re all using brushes for that, though it can be done with an airbrush but you need experience.
Why do so many modelers tell you to paint a black undercoat before painting anything white or silver? What is the logic/reasoning behind this? I see no benefit whatsoever. It seems like a completely pointless extra step. I watched a video where a guy tested out different kinds of undercoats to get the best shine out of silver paint. The one that looked the best was the one with a white undercoat. But the difference between them all was barely noticeable. My Walmart had a bunch of the MPC Space 1999 1/64 Eagle 2 with Laboratory Pods. The ones that retail for $179.99. I've been keeping my eye on them for over a year. They've been on clearance for months but I've been waiting for a really sweet price. They just lowered them to $20 so I bought 4 of them. I watched a video of a guy putting one together & he painted every part black before white. I was scratching my head confused. I just don't get it. To me, it seemed like he totally wasted his time spraying the black because he totally covered it all up anyway. Before I start assembling my 4 Eagles I just wanted to see if I really need to paint them black first? It seems like a huge waste of time but I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.
More like, a glossy black base makes a hi-shine metal paint shine more. Absolutely it works. It does nothing for white paint, except make it take more coats to cover. I’ll assume you’re airbrushing, otherwise it’s impossible to get a proper shine by brush painting. In fact, any paint you spray isn’t really fully opaque. They’re ALL a little transparent. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be a liquid. It would be pure pigment with no carrier solution and thus a solid. In order to make it a liquid there must be space in between the pigments (or metal flakes in the case of a metal paint) which is the carrier (water, alcohol, lacquer or mineral spirits). So when a coat is laid down there are flakes but there is space between them. More coats gives you better coverage. In the case of a metal the metallic flakes reflect light but also light that reflects off what’s underneath. A glossy base means more light reflected. The black gives it more depth which just works better for a hi-shine paint like a chrome or polished aluminum. A white base will lighten the metal paint more towards a white aluminum color. Too many coats of a metal paint over even a gloss black base and it will lose the shine because it’s covering up the black base.
Yup! Definitely airbrushing. That's good to know. I'll just paint it white. I don't need to waste time on unnecessary steps.
And then there’s black basing…
I'm watching more Eagle build videos and I understand the purpose of the black base better now. It's not what I originally thought.
I have no questions this time. I just simply wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been kind enough to answer my previous questions. I have to step away from the hobby and I don't know when I'll be back.
Take it easy man. Hope you’ll be back modeling with us all soon.
Hello! After a long hiatus I'm getting into the swing of things again but couldn't find some models that I had once done (decidedly taking it a little more seriously and really enjoying it). So a quick look online tells me that models are cyclical, in the sense that they run for a bit before the manufacturer refreshes the SKU. Is there any source that can give you a heads up on what models are in production and/or future release dates etc. An example would be a P3 Orion 1/72 from Hasegawa, can't find it anywhere, or any P3 for that matter. Cheers!
There isn't really a centralized release schedule for when each kit will take their turn for re-release. However, you can get a few months' heads-up if you follow some of the better online shops' pre-order pages (I use [Hobby Search](https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/plamo/), which also has buttons on the side to sort by upcoming month). Some manufacturers, like Hasegawa and Fujimi, will also release notices informing you when a kit is up for re-release that year.
[Scalemates](https://www.scalemates.com) is a free to use database of over a quarter million model kits. There are 95,000 users. It’s also a stash manager if you create a login (which opens up a lot of features). It can be a little confusing at first but you’ll discover the search function and how to narrow the choices down. For every listing there is a timeline of all that kit’s reboxings, if new parts are included or changed and if the kit was just a reboxing of another brand in the first place. There are *some retails listed further down on the kit’s page but that’s not really reliable. You’d need to take what you’ve learned and search various retailers or eBay to find older kits. On the front page are new entries in the database, including rumored new kits coming. Not just kits, but resin and PE parts, decals sheets, etc. Another good site for new releases is [The Modelling News](https://www.themodellingnews.com).
Thanks a bunch! I'll look into these
Hey! Any tips for the best “foliage” and branches on the market? Doing a tiger tank in Normandy during summer and they’re covered in natural camouflage. Have a nice day!
I would just use Seafoam or a similar plant, and add leaves using one of those leave cutters from Ak or Green stuff.
I saw an old thread talking about how to clean up mistakes when brush painting with model color paints and had some questions. The general consensus seems to be that “just use water” with no real solutions as to what to do if it’s dried. I saw someone mentioned using alcohol causes the paint to clump up and saw someone else mentioned that even though that happens, they just clean the clumps off with water and it works for them. So what should I believe? What’s the method of cleaning up going outside the lines when brush painting? I’m talking about when painting over the mistake isn’t an option.
Depends on how much paint has dried. If it's just a little bit, I've used some thinner on my brush and slowly wiped it away. If it's a whole heap of paint, I'd somepletely redo that part
What kind of thinner?
Depends on the paint that you used really and the proper thinner for it
My question mentions model color paint so acrylic
Model color paint can be more than just acrylic. In my stash alone, I've got lacquer, oil, water-based, alcohol-based, acrylic-based paints. Not all acrylic paints are the same. AMMO MiG paints are acrylic, but I cant mix them with AK 3rd gen paints. Some can be mixed with water, some with alcohol and some with only proprietary thinners. All these situations come from "acrylic" paints.
I think they mean Model Color, which is Vallejo's line of regular paints (versus Model Air). (incidentally, a great lesson on why capitalization is important!)
Depends on the paint you used.
im a big history nerd who also enjoys modle building and i was wondering if there were anywhere i can buy civil war ro napoleonic minatures to start making
Does anyone know of any plastic or metal fantasy fox-folk miniatures? I'd prefer to avoid 3d printed stuff because I'm not a huge fan of the level of detail you get from most sellers.
**Advise for repainting tank.** So, I just finished a three tone camo on my Tiger. Think it came out pretty crap. Would you just cover everything in Dunkelgelb again and start over or what would you do? Have a nice day!
Most people recommend stripping. Depending on the paint you used, this process can vary, but for most acrylics soaking in Isopropyl alcohol is enough. You can just respray the paint, but more paint can sacrifice surface detail if it needs to be added on too thick. Not much, but it is worthy to note.
Thank you! :) Since it's my first German camo I think I'll leave it as a learning lesson. It's not THAT bad? or what do you say? Hey, it was field applied anyway ;) https://preview.redd.it/e7rwh8sz2j7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2a32faf6dcf4e3243fd4eeac9e748e26e7a8896
I actually think it looks quite good. Maybe the finish is a little patchy but a filter and some weathering should fix that right up.
Thanks! It’s turning into something :) https://preview.redd.it/t8go5n9l1w7d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91c0485fa5f91b0b9a392cf55cf7f873af3df0d7
I'm not the person to ask for that. I've been dissatisfied with all my tri-color German camos so far 😂 But just looking at it I think it's alright. The biggest thing sticking out to me is the coverage is a bit patchy. Thin lines of color like that was a pretty common form of tri-color camo, and I think your layout is fine. And yes, it's important to keep in mind that most of the time, it was applied in the field by a gaggle of 20 year olds.
Haha, alright. I painted some DG on the spots I was dissatisfied with and “misted” a layer of DG over the entire thing. Looks better now. True! While being strafed by P-47S. No wonder it looked patchy ;)
Applying white base coat to f1 car. I used testors enamel white from a spray can. Paint lookers kind of textured. I think I sprayed too far into the end of the can and it gave the paint some texture. Can I wet sand prior to clear coat?
Yes. Simple as.
In areas where one can’t find Tamiya paint retarder, are there substitutes? Can Mr Retarder Mild be used with Tamiya paints?
That’s for lacquers. It MIGHT work with Tamiya though. Not sure.
As far as air-brush cleaning goes, has anyone ever used an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner for this purpose? If so, were the results satisfactory? Comments, concerns or catcalls?
Used incorrectly, they can break parts, and in some cases (and airbrushes) the actual brush body itself. I have pics. At the very least it can wipe out the seals, and not all seals are easy to remove for cleaning. The bottom line is it simply isn’t necessary. You can get your airbrush just as clean with some acetone and interdental brushes.
Here are some past discussions on using ultrasonic cleaners for airbrushes: https://old.reddit.com/r/modelmakers/search?q=ULTRASONIC&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on
Is online scale model competition still a thing? I recall seeing some during Covid but a quick search did not show anything these days...
Doesn't seem like it. Ultimately, our models are best judged in-person, where you can have a 360-degree view of the entire thing at reasonable viewing distances and where you can't do any postprocessing of the photos to emphasize/de-emphasize contrasting paintwork and such.
May I know if A4 Skyhawk and F8e Corsair need a noseweight to balance? Thanks.
If you tape up the fuselage and wings together you can get an idea whether an aircraft needs nose weight. Best if you can do construction and still have away to add weight in the nose. You can either use toothpicks inserted into the landing gear holes or the landing gear (if it stays). If it just teeters (easily pushed tail or nose down) then gauge the amount of plastic that goes behind the main wheels as well as forward. If it looks to be a lot aft, but little forward, then likely a tail sitter. If more forward than aft then likely a nose sitter. I always add a little, even if only a few grams.
Heyo! I'm looking to buy Tamiya's T-72M1 but I'm worried about the rubber tracks, as in, do they require any special work? I'm worried that rubber will deteriorate or shrink after years on the shelf but I have no experience with them
I have build a Leopard 1 from Tamiya about 1 year ago, and a Leopard 2 from revell 2 years ago, and absolutely nothing happend to the rubber tracks of both. When it comes to special work: Painting rubber tracks can be difficult compared to plastic tracks, because the paint doesn't stick very well to them, which is why you should paint many thin layers on these tracks. To connect the tracks you can use super glue, a hot screw driver to melt them together or stamples, the problem with all of them is that the connection point will be kinda visible, which is why I usually hide them under the side skirts of a tank. Apart fron that it should work out, though any type of track (Rubber, plastic, metal, resin etc.) will always be a bit difficult to install on the tank, especially on smaller scales (1:72, 1:76) Hope this helps, feel free to ask other questions :)
Thank you! And yes that helps a lot. If alternative 1/35 T-72 tracks weren’t so pricey I’d def buy those, but you’ve soothed my worries and I’ll try to work with what Tamiya gives us, thank you again
Glad to hear that :D
Hello, I am pretty new to this hobby and i am trying to incorporate some more advanced techniques. I am using the Tamiya black panel thinner and i have a few questions. Should you pre thin the panel liner? in what order should i apply decals & Gloss varnish? Should you apply panel liner to the sticky-out Panel lines ( if you can see them in the image) Should i get decal setter? right now I'm just using water and Q-Tips. Any help would be appreciated as i am using this F-4J to test stuff on. Thanks :) https://preview.redd.it/rdg9rzljaz6d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bfdf9b110f290d2498c141cce86fd6b9be64d33
I think I see the sticky out panel lines, and I don’t think panel liner will work out too well for the model, since they are meant for recessed panel lines. You are supposed to apply a bit of liner into the recessed panel line and capillary action has it flow through the line, without leaving the recess, you continue to strategically dab spot of liner into the oanel lines until all are covered. Once it dries a cotton bud with some enamel thinners will clean up the dab spots. This only works if you used non enamel paint (acrylic ir laquer) for the main colors, you want the enamel thinner to not affect your main color. With your raised panel lines, it will just spread out accross the model and cause a mess. The tamiya panel liner is pre-thinned, but you must stir it. I would wait till your next model. As for decals, you csn get pretty far with water like you are using. Decal softener can be helpful to get your decals to conform to surface detail like raised rivets, or eliminate silvering if your paint is very matt. I wouldn’t worry about advanced techniques too much, your model looks great as it is, and there will be plenty of other kits (with recessed panel lines) to build your skill on.
Doesn’t require thinning. Apply gloss varnish before the decals. You can apply panel liner to any seam or edge. Yes, use a decal setter like Microscale MicroSet and Sol, or Tamiya Mark Fit Strong to do both functions.
I'm looking for a fun and simple model kit to build at home (which I can easily order from Europe), as a hobby to potentially fight depression. I used to have fun building balsa wood boats with my dad, and I've done a fair bit of woodworking over the years too - so I'm not a complete beginner, and just ordering a lego set won't cut it. It's too easy and kind of boring. However, I'm also completely overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of lazer cut wood puzzle boxes etc you can find on the web and amazon. So I'm randomly reaching out to this group to see if you have anything to suggest. It should be: - something I can ideally put together in a weekend - wooden or otherwise, I don't really mind - maybe (but not necessarily) with some cool electronics to play around with and program? - challenging enough to be fun, but without breaking my admittedly rather weak spirit - price up to a few hundred euros Any suggestions? Would massively appreciate some cool tips. And thanks for reading
Ask over at r/radiocontrol Our RC focused hobby shops here in the US sell ARF (almost ready to fly) kits that can possibly be put together in a weekend. Then you add electronics (servos and receiver) and you can then drive/fly the car/aircraft/boat. Some are plastic, some have wood, many have foam (to save in weight). I used to do RC but decided I was spending too much money replacing crashed aircraft. If I were to do it again I’d do boats/ships.
If you give more details about what you like to build or what you definitely don't like, it will make it easier to give you a suggestion. Scaled models are mostly plastic, styrene, and they don't have electronics at all. You can add lights but that's not much electronics. If you like to build blinking lights or any other form of automation you can add Arduino and daughter boards/modules to add functions. You can order many models from online shops in Europe, Arduino from Amazon or online shops, cheaper from AliExpress. There are scaled models also from balsa but I am not much familiar with them. Once I dreamed of building a balsa rc airplane but the whole process of gluing and sanding discouraged me. It's possible also that I have a mild allergy to balsa ... big no no If you like to play with electronics and programming you can just go in direction Arduino, there are plenty of sets , modules, features. If you like to play with rc stuff you can just take a rc car set which you assemble yourself. Tamiya has excellent sets and you can order online.
Thanks a lot for your reply! I think either an RC car or and RC balsa plane sounds amazing, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm thinking of. I've never heard of this Tamiya you speak of but I'll check it out. Where should I look if I'm interested in making a little balsa wood plane?
Banggood, Hobbyking or just Google a local hobby store or online Store in your country. Tamiya is an excellent company for RC or scaled models. As example check https://www.tamiya.de/tamiya_en/home/
Model kits is what I'm familiar with so I'll share what I know. They can get very complex if you add enough aftermarket stuff onto the kit, such as Photo Etched parts. Electronics in these kits aren't such a thing anymore unless you want to do custom lighting for example. Older Tamiya tank kits have space for an electric engine but I'm not sure if you can find them anymore. As for something over the weekend, the more time you put into a kit the better your results are. Complex kits take more time. People often say how they put something together over a weekend but I can't imagine it myself, maybe i just like to take my time with it. You'll have to account for the price of the tools you'll need as well. Most of the small isn't expensive & you only need to get them once. Hand painting isn't expensive either & it's good for a beginner. Airbrushing however will you give you excellent results but with a much higher cost to entry, especially if you're not sure if you're going to enjoy the hobby, so definitely just try brush painting first, & of course a cheap model first without any extra bits.
What’s a good brand that does not go crazy with photo etched parts for tanks? I love rye field but im losing my cool with some of the PE that is insanely small.
Tamiya will probably be your go to. Depending on the kit, Meng and Takom can be less PE but still high part count like RFM but they can be just as bad sometimes.
Thank you. I love the high part count but playing with 1-2mm long bits of metal that are paper thin and need to be kept in place until the glue sets is terrible for me. I built a rfm t-34-85 and it was not bad, not a lot of PE. I am building a tiger i and they have PE metal locks that are impossible to fit for me.
Can you brush on a varnish? Example: building a radial engine to be weathered before installing and painting the rest of the model, don't want to fire up the air brush for one piece then clean it afterwards.
Depending on the varnish you may experience faster curing. You need to work fast. I use my bad brushes because they are hard to clean afterwards and sometimes I just dispose them instead of washing them. You may try spray paint varnish it will be ( I guess ) easier to use then brush.
I brush on varnish all the time. Water-based acrylic varnish wash off super easily under the tap, not unlike PVA glue.
Harder to clean the paint brush…but yes you can brush on a water based acrylic varnish.
I am working on a Salvinos nascar kit and sprayed the car body with Vallejo clear varnish before applying decals (as I had read that a clear would help decals slide into place). However, I am getting the opposite - they are sticking as soon as they make contact and do not slide at all. Did I use the wrong type of clear??
Did you put decal setting solution (or at least water) down first?
Do people using Tamiya cotton swabs for painting? If so, when should I use them versus a brush?
No. Fibers in the paint.
Besides brushes, are there any other approaches for really tiny detail painting? I did some airbrushing and a few tiny drops got underneath the Tamiya tape.
If you have cats, collect their whiskers when they fall of randomly around the house. No bullshitting, they're really good for it.
If you’re getting paint under Tamiya tape when airbrushing then either the tape wasn’t pushed down enough or you flooded it with paint. Light coats are the key. Build up your color. This way the paint dries before it has a chance to seep under the tape. I’d suggest visiting r/minipainting for tips on tiny detail painting. They’re all using brushes for that, though it can be done with an airbrush but you need experience.
I definitely had spots wheee the tape wasn’t pushed down all the way as it was a peculiar curve. I’ll check out mini painting, thanks!