Young member, old guy...something like that

[Stalker6Recon]

Hello all, just came across this site while trying to research one of the models that I am about to NOT win on ebay. Anyway, I used to build models a LONG LONG time ago, back when the planet was still young, and Revelle was considered a TOP builder (scary). Maybe they are again, but from the early days, I wandered into better quality makers (again, at that time) and have seen how far the world of modeling has become. I am shocked at all the extra's you can now find, from PE ( I worked with some early model PE, gave me more finger cuts than build satisfaction), decal replacement and resin replacement parts. Things have also become much improved in the paint area as well.

 

So, like the old salty dog that I am, I wanted to get back into it as a good hobby, that I have missed for a long time. I went ahead and bought a new airbrush (4 actually) and a compressor. I have also bought some paints, glue, even wet sanding paper. I ordered a bunch of kits online, and have about a dozen ready to go, but since it has been so long, I wanted to start with something easy. A DAP helicopter seemed perfect. All black, not a lot of parts, nice test bed. I of course have this vision of how I want it to turn out, and I just hope that what I see in my head, is a goal not too high. I envision the model needing only a little electric motor attached the the main rotors, and it will just fly away, shooting bad guys as it leaves the AO. I even went ahead and bought some resin upgrades, and a resin saw set, even though I have no clue how to use either. If you need to learn to swim, just have someone throw you in the deep end, right?

 

I hope that I get as much satisfaction from this endeavor, and not the amount of frustration I am dreading.

 

Anyone with a few quick tips for me, I would much appreciate it. One of the things that I am having concerns over, is how much pressure I should use in my airbrush, using tamiya water based paints? My airbrush is a paasche double action airbrush, if I can find a hose adapter to allow it to connect to my offbrand compressor. I did not know that they had a proprietary connection for these airbrushes, what a pain in the bottom.....

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Stalker ... welcome back to modeling. Welcome to Britmodeler .... im not so new to either. Any tips you need just ask in the forums. My advice is just build for yourself. The goal you should strive for is " can i still look at this model after its done and feel satisfied ? " Second tip i can offer is to try one new technique with each new model. Dont jump in and try it all the first time. Less chance of discouraging yourself, and losing interest. Remember this its a "Hobby" so dont get stressed out. Get up and walk away for a little while if it seems frustrating. When you're ready go back and ask "ok what can i do to make whatever stressed me out not happen again."

      And lower pressure seems to work better on the airbrush. My first was a D/A Paasche and they're good. Just practice, practice, and more practice is the best thing i can tell you. There are plenty of videos on youtube with learning tips and techniques try those with paper. Then find a cheap kit to just practice on plastic. I use some old scrap pile kits for this when it comes to new techniques. Hope all this helps.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Stalker6Recon]

18 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

 

     " And lower pressure seems to work better on the airbrush. My first was a D/A Paasche and they're good. Just practice, practice, and more practice is the best thing i can tell you. There are plenty of videos on youtube with learning tips and techniques try those with paper. Then find a cheap kit to just practice on plastic. I use some old scrap pile kits for this when it comes to new techniques. Hope all this helps.

Thanks for the tips, I hope that I can find the patience I once had (which was never much anyway) to enjoy this new adventure. It's not cleaning my M4 and getting my pack ready for a 3 day op, but it should still be fun. I did try out one of my airbrushes that came in the set with the compressor, and besides bubbling in the pot, it ran pretty good. I could not quite figure out what caused it to bubble, and it did run over the sides a few times. I just put less paint in to avoid those spills. I did watch some videos already, just to get a little idea of what to do, and I was shocked at how thin people would go with the paint, mostly running a 50/50 ratio of paint/thinner. I need to learn how to make my own thinner for the waterbased paints, they are hard to come by here in the Philippines, so I need to stretch out how their life if possible.

 

Speaking of life, I am sure that I can find this info if I query it on google, but maybe you can tell me. Is there a way to seal the bottle of paint, so that it doesn't go lumpy or dry out when not used right away or often? Thanks again, I will try to post my first build soon. The AH/MH-6 should be a lot of fun for me. Never rode one of those little birds, but I loved flying in Black Hawks, that is one hell of a ride. Probably like any other helicopter for ordinary flying, but when you get to fly "map of the earth" in combat mode, no roller coaster in the world, comes close!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

As for bubbling sounds like it might have had a small obstruction, and the air backed up. It can happen with double actions. Make a seperate jar of whatever mixed paint color you're using. Then you can keep adding to the cup. Less chance of spills. 

     As for keeping paints fresh and good, instead of lumpy or drying out. Well in a hot humid environment like the Philippines id say make sure the threads on your paint jars are clean. That way they close tight. Two I'd bag the jars in a sandwich baggie to make another layer of protection so the air doesn't get at them. Three id say a cool/dark place out of sunlight and high heat ? Maybe use a plastic tub and keep the jars cool and in the dark ? Just depends on how much space/money you wish to spend on that. Another option is to only purchase the paints you need for a current build. Dont buy 10-20-30 paints if you dont need them ? You will build your stash of colors fast enough. The two colors you should always have regardless are black & white. That way you can lighten or darken the other colors. And i seem to go through a disproportionate amount of those two colors so if you can get a larger bottle it might be more economical.