painting

[rjwood_uk]

i know most kits say "paint small parts before assembly" please do not follow this to the letter. yes some small parts are better being painted whilst still on the spru-trees but you have to plan your model.

it is always best to paint a model, after it has been assembled. that way, any gaps, fitting problems can be filled and sanded...etc without ruining your paint job. for the small parts you have to think...is this part going to be the same colour as the section of the plane is isnt going to be on? e.g. a pitot on a spitfire on the underside of the right wing is always going to be either black or "sky" (depending on what mk it is)...so whats the point of painting it whilst it is still on the tree if it is just going to be painted the same colour as the rest of the under-wing?

i hope this makes sense!

Richard

 

[wonwinglo]

I agree RJ,you have to be flexible about this,one approach is to compromise by pre-painting a section that would be difficult to get at,then scrape away where the joint is in order for a good joint to be made,then if filler is required the area can be carefully treated by filling and sanding,then it is a fairly simple task to touch in with the same colour,another way of doing this is to mask the joint area leaving a small gap either side,then simply fill and sand,finishing off by removing the masking and then after a further blending with wet and dry apply touch in paint.

Areas that have to be painted are internal parts such as cockpit,wheel wells,inside engine cowls,engine cylinders,inside jet pipes and intake areas,once dry just get some tissue paper that is damp and push into cockpits,wheel wells etc,undercarriages can be wrapped with dampened tissue which is simply moulded around the item with your fingers.

Another excellent mask is Blue-Tak,roll out a small portion under a pencil,apply a bit of talc to stop it sticking, and plug areas that do not require painting,you can also easily wrap it around small items that do not need painting the same colour as the airframe etc.

You sort of get into a personal pattern when doing masking and pre-painting,no two modellers work in the same fashion,but always watch and steal good ideas from others,the best compliment is to emulate.

 

[rjwood_uk]

the best compliment is to emulate.

lol thats a very nice way of putting it barry!!! very sefl re-ashuring there!

love it!

 

[Tailspin14]

This really is one part of modeling that still scares me. When to paint, when not to paint? I try planning them out, but it still is a bit unclear to me at times. Thanks for the input though.

 

[Nigel.D]

paint if you can off the kit (that only applies to add on bits not the main structure) and as Barry says damp tissue is one of the worlds best masking mediums !! Followed by tape blutac and of course copydex

 

[GEEDUBBYA]

Howdy guys,

Well, as a machinist/Maintenance guy for going on 25 yrs now, I have found that my eyesight is somewhat lacking due probably to all the welding I have done in my lifetime. Masking off areas so that I can paint smaller areas such as the framework on a canopy can be abit tedious for me, However, I have started dipping a Qtip in vaseline and applying a small coat of it to the areas NOT TO BE PAINTED. I then spray paint the framework and after the paint dries, I simply wipe off the vaseline leaving a clean clear canopy with crisp painted framework. The vaseline prevents the paint from sticking to areas coated.

I know this may seem like alot of work, but how many times have you masked off a canopy and trimmed the tape along the framework only to discover you weren't following the framework and you have a nice deep gouge in the "clear section" of the canopy? This does away with inadvertant cuts and scratches to the clear parts made by exacto type knives.

Now this should NOT be used on all parts of models, especially military models because of the resulting shine left by the vaseline. It should only be used on a canopy BEFORE it is attached to the model.

Just be sure to let the paint dry conpletely before attempting to remove the vaseline, if the paint is still wet, you may smear it on the clear part afterall.

This is just something I have done for sometime now and thought I would share, have a good evening,

Greg

PS: it works great if you are going to spray an entire aircraft with glosscote or dullcote too, simply apply vaseline to the clear parts, spray and then wipe off when dry.

 

[wonwinglo]

Useful tip that Greg,who would have thought of using vaseline to mask a models clear parts ? you really do learn something new here every day.

That is a real hot tip.

 

[Nigel.D]

Greg I use copydex it just peels off and leaves a beautiful clean edge with absolutely no residue

 

[GEEDUBBYA]

Howdy Nigel,

I am not sure what copydex is, but I have been looking for something that would dry as a peel off film, whatever it is, sounds like just what I have been looking for all these years.

Have a good day,

Greg

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Copydex is basically a liquid rubber solution. When sry it can be peeled off like a very thin skin.

Traditionally used for fabrics and carpets etc.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

This really is one part of modeling that still scares me. When to paint' date=' when not to paint? I try planning them out, but it still is a bit unclear to me at times. Thanks for the input though.[/quote']Bob this is one of those classic areas that you really can't make rules up for. You have to think through how you want to do things beforehand and then follow your plan.

Some things are better painted on the sprue, some things are better assembled first, it all depends on the particular model and how it is assembled.

Don't be afraid though of doing what you think best rather than what you think you should do.

If you have a specific scenario to deal with then ask and I'm sure there will be as many differrent ideas as there are answers and none of them will be wrong!!

 

[Nigel.D]

Greg if Copydex is not available in the States then send me your address and i will post some over for you

 

[Tailspin14]

Bob this is one of those classic areas that you really can't make rules up for. You have to think through how you want to do things beforehand and then follow your plan.Some things are better painted on the sprue, some things are better assembled first, it all depends on the particular model and how it is assembled.

Don't be afraid though of doing what you think best rather than what you think you should do.

If you have a specific scenario to deal with then ask and I'm sure there will be as many differrent ideas as there are answers and none of them will be wrong!!

Well first off, I bought an airbrush and compressor... I am scared of it and not used it beyond spraying water out of it. Very expensive and highly immobile water pistol if you ask me. So, for now, I am hand painting. I do have a P40 that I am working on that I would like to air brush but waiting for the build to be finished. My biggest dilema is not really knowing how to use putty properly to keep from really messing up my build. I have parts on my P40 that I am trying to work through so I don't get fed up enough to scrap it. If you get putty in the wrong place how do you get it off completely? Stuff like that. I am scanning the tutorials, but I haven't found the answer to that one yet. And as for painting, I know with a semi gloss coat you can dull down gloss paints. If you use a glossy coat, can you make flat finish seem glossy? Haven't tried it for myself yet, just curious.

Bob

P.S sorry if these are noob questions. Like I said, I am still going through the tutorial stuff.

 

[rjwood_uk]

most puttys can be removed with white spirit as long as they have not fully cured. just use a cotton wool bud (or q-tip the americans call them) and use that.

for the gloss effect. of course you can. it all depends on how glossy you want it. aircraft are not shiny, nor flat so you need to decide how you want it to look. modern jets look about right with a coat of future/johnsons but you could go for a full up gloss varnish if you want (make sure you get one that does not yellow!)

 

[alan2525]

You can always use masking fluid - the stuff watercolour artists use. It brushes on liquid and then dries out and can be peeled off. Much like copydex but easier to apply.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Even if things in real life are a full matt or gloss it rarely looks right to paint it as such on a model. A lot of finishes are in between the two so for those simply mix a tin of matt with a tin of gloss in the proportions you require for the finish you want.

When you are experimenting measure specific amounts into a tin, paint a surface and see how it looks when it dries.

I painted my coaster hull with a mixture of matt and gloss paints and varied the mix slightly as I went along. I will also be going over it again with differring ratios to produce differrent textures which is very typical of an old ships hull with many coats of paint applied over the years.

As for the airbrush, I know Nigel will cringe when I tell you that I have never really got into them either. I just can't be bothered with all the faffing around cleaning the dam thing. Not to mention the mess caused by the overspray and dust. I do use it every now and then and I know I am missing out on a whole world of techniques but I am managing to only use it very occassionally at the moment.

 

[Tailspin14]

Even if things in real life are a full matt or gloss it rarely looks right to paint it as such on a model. A lot of finishes are in between the two so for those simply mix a tin of matt with a tin of gloss in the proportions you require for the finish you want.When you are experimenting measure specific amounts into a tin, paint a surface and see how it looks when it dries.

I painted my coaster hull with a mixture of matt and gloss paints and varied the mix slightly as I went along. I will also be going over it again with differring ratios to produce differrent textures which is very typical of an old ships hull with many coats of paint applied over the years.

As for the airbrush, I know Nigel will cringe when I tell you that I have never really got into them either. I just can't be bothered with all the faffing around cleaning the dam thing. Not to mention the mess caused by the overspray and dust. I do use it every now and then and I know I am missing out on a whole world of techniques but I am managing to only use it very occassionally at the moment.

After reading this post, I checked our your gallery. I have looked at it before, but paid a lot more attention this time. I have officially decided to cut myself a break. Hehe. I have been expecting too much being this early getting back into modeling. One of my other projects is the USS Lionfish. I have just realized my first mistake and that was in putting the tower together early. It is a very basic model from looking at the instructions and the detail isn't anything superb. I would have loved to have given the tower some detail. All the pictures that I have found of the Lionfish have been very non-detailled. How much of what you do is imagination and how much is dead nuts on?

 

[wonwinglo]

I think that airbrushes are a very personal taste,some cannot live without them others like Richard find the hassle of cleaning a put off,I also know of people who cannot use them for respiratory reasons,one thing that has been noticed is that they appear more popular in the States,one such group that I contribute to are surprised when they see my hand painted creations.

Having said that I like the Halfords aerosol sprays with those fine diffusers,for basic broad colours like white etc you cannot beat them,their basic universal white primer is excellent as well,whilst not cheap they go a long way and you do not have to clean them either.

Everyone to his or her own again but as people point out,just because you own an airbrush it does not guarantee a good finish,you need to work hard to achievei it.

 

[Tailspin14]

I think that airbrushes are a very personal taste,some cannot live without them others like Richard find the hassle of cleaning a put off,I also know of people who cannot use them for respiratory reasons,one thing that has been noticed is that they appear more popular in the States,one such group that I contribute to are surprised when they see my hand painted creations.Having said that I like the Halfords aerosol sprays with those fine diffusers,for basic broad colours like white etc you cannot beat them,their basic universal white primer is excellent as well,whilst not cheap they go a long way and you do not have to clean them either.

Everyone to his or her own again but as people point out,just because you own an airbrush it does not guarantee a good finish,you need to work hard to achievei it.

I have heard that as well about airbrushes. I just want to be able to find my niche so to speak. I felt it was time to give it a shot and with one of the monster trucks I am building, I thought it would be a great finish. When I get the guts to paint it that is.....

 

[rjwood_uk]

buy a load of cheap crappy models and hack hack hack! spray gallor and youl get the hang of it!