Beginner

[degsye39]

^ As sapper said the quick kits videos are great i would of been clueless without them on my return to the hobby! Also look at hamilkar barkas on youtube, His modelling heresy videos are excellent!

 

Im a strict enamel user myself i find humbrol to be idiot and rough git proof.. So they suit me down to a T

 

I find im learning a lot more ATM just doing quick builds and clearing the bench! Just have fun like others have said!

 

Cheers and all the best!

[Coutinho]

I have watched the Quick Kit videos and others, I have read through advice in the forum, but there is still one question looming in my mind.

 

Is it necessary to prime the small assembly parts? The wheels, props, nose cone, bombs etc? I feel like trying to prime them with a spray may cover detail. I understand the need to prime the large aircraft areas though, like fuselage and wings. 

 

I actually wouldn't even know the best way to prime such small components.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Coutinho

[Black Knight]

I recommend always using an undercoat/primer if using ordinary acrylic paints. Small parts can be primed whilst on the frame, or things like bombs can be done after assembly by attaching them to a cocktail stick - most/many bombs have locating holes in them for attaching to the model, shove a cocktail stick in that hole

Put primer on in a thin but even coat, it shouldn't block up any detail

A spray, whether a rattle can or spray-brush will only put on a thin coat of paint, unless you go heavy with it

[sapperastro]

Just remember the golden tip; poly cement will not stick painted parts together. So if you prime things on the sprue, you will need to first clear the contact areas of paint and then touch up any areas that were attached to the sprue afterwards.

 

As for myself, I rarely bother priming. Even when using acrylic paint, depending on the brand, you won't need primer for the paint to stick so long as you wash the kit plastic thoroughly first, and don't overthin the paint. Priming can help things along, true, but unless you are painting with Vallejo, or Lifecolour ie one of the weaker sticking paints, it isn't a dire necessity. It can help spot flaws in seams and so on. When I use Revell Aqua, Humbrol Acrylic, or Model Master Acrylic (the acrylic brands I usually use, they stick well to the plastic.

 

If you choose to use acrylics, my choice of thinner for the brands I brush with is winsor and newton flow improver. Excellent stuff. I use Revell Aqua, Humbrol Acrylic and Model Master Acrylic.

 

For Enamels, I try to use the branded thinners. I use Colourcoats whenever I can, with Humbrol and Tamiya enamel bringing up the rest of the colours needed.

 

I don't bother putting any paint on sprued parts unless it is easier and doesn't require a heap of touching up later.

[Coutinho]

I am using Vallejo Model Colour Acrylic at the moment with a brush, so I will use primer from a spray can.

 

I am a little lost on thinning this Vallejo paint. It feels as if it can be used straight from the bottle after a good time of shaking.  Adding water seemed to over thin it, if that makes sense?

Edited February 10, 2018 by Coutinho

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

@Coutinho Yes its fine straight from the bottle for brushing. It was designed for figure painting. I only thin Vallejo model color if im spraying through my airbrush. 

[Coutinho]

12 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

@Coutinho Yes its fine straight from the bottle for brushing. It was designed for figure painting. I only thin Vallejo model color if im spraying through my airbrush. 

Thanks mate.

 

I've read so much conflicting stuff. Some say to thin because it's too thick from the bottle, some say it isn't needed.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 minute ago, Coutinho said:

've read so much conflicting stuff. Some say to thin because it's too thick from the bottle, some say it isn't needed.

If i need to thin it at all i prefer isopropyl alcohol. I place a little Iso in the cap from a disposable water bottle ( these make great disposable paint cups ). Then i just dab the brush in the Isopropyl and then pick up some paint. The iso acts as a thinner and will help the paint dry as it evaporates fairly quick. 

[Coutinho]

Well...I've learnt something new, the hard way. While the white primer spray was easy to use on the props and main fuselage and wings, it was difficult for the smaller parts like the back wheel, wheel covers and landing gear. I felt that the amount of paint from a single spray was too much for these small parts.

 

I ended up with thick primer covering details...so I did my best to scrape it off and try again. What is the best way to prime these small parts?

[LotusArenco]

Thin light coats, a couple of (reasonably quick) passes from different directions for even coverage. If the primer is covering details you may have lingered on the part for slightly too long.

 

For priming smaller parts I usually go for sub-assemblies with various parts already glued together, or attached to various pegs, clips or sticks.

 

Here for example, I’ve kept most of the cockpit in smaller assemblies which I’ll keep separate during the priming/painting process.

 

Then join the sub-assemblies together later on once painted. You can scrape off any paint where you need to glue, or just let the glue melt through the paint and into the plastic.

 

Mart

[sapperastro]

Which small parts? Unless they are going to have a lot of physical contact, don't bother. While Vallejo comes off fairly easily from bare plastic, it still requires some small effort to remove. Just paint them and move on. Once they are clear coated they will be fine.

[Coutinho]

I've spray painted the top of the plane with gloss white pretty successfully, however stupid me didn't tape the bottom of the plane which is supposed to be a light blue. 

 

The gloss white did cover just a small part at the underside of the tail section, would I be able to simply paint over this gloss white? Or would the gloss stop the new paint from sticking well?

 

Thank you for all the help so far!

[Steve Noble]

On 17/01/2018 at 01:03, Coutinho said:

Turns out I can also get a hold of Humbrol acrylic paints, how are they with the brush? I've seen good things from research.

 

One last question. Let's say I apply paint that has a matt finish, I then spray a gloss varnish so I can place decals. Once the decals have been placed, can I spray on a matt varnish finish as a final coat to protect decals and sort of reduce the glossy shine? Is it possible to apply both a gloss and matt varnish on the same model?

 

The varnish sprays I would most likely use are the Humbrol acrylic gloss and matt spray paints.

 

Tape the white once dry and re-apply the blue. Yes use matt at the end to restore matt finish.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Steve Noble

[sapperastro]

And when you use those rattle can matt sprays, warm the can for ten minutes or so in warm water, and shake it well. When spraying, make sure you are at least 20cm away and just lightly mist the coats on with passes across one side, turn the aircraft to a different side, repeat, don't put too much on that you see it start to pool. Let it dry off for an hour or so before repeating the same thing. Don't try to finish it in one spraying session, or you will get a big white mess, and the rattlecan paint might melt your previous coat.

[Coutinho]

 

2 hours ago, sapperastro said:

And when you use those rattle can matt sprays, warm the can for ten minutes or so in warm water, and shake it well. When spraying, make sure you are at least 20cm away and just lightly mist the coats on with passes across one side, turn the aircraft to a different side, repeat, don't put too much on that you see it start to pool. Let it dry off for an hour or so before repeating the same thing. Don't try to finish it in one spraying session, or you will get a big white mess, and the rattlecan paint might melt your previous coat.

Admittedly, as this is my first ever time building a model of any sort, I have a lot to learn with the spray can.

 

I do believe that my first go at it has been largely successful, but there is one or two spots of slight pooling. What is the best way to remove this? A light sanding? Or must you live with it and move onto the next model with new knowledge?

 

There is also a small drop of paint that has run down the side due to this small pooling, it can also be sanded out?

 

Sorry I have so many questions!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

24 minutes ago, Coutinho said:

 

There is also a small drop of paint that has run down the side due to this small pooling, it can also be sanded out?

Yes use lighter grits above 400 with water and wet sand in a circular motion. Change the direction frquently when sanding in circles and you get less gouges/scrapes. By adding water to the process keeps dust down and reduces gouging more. This is my way of sanding to get the paint off. Then touch up if needed. 

 

Dennis

[Uncle Pete]

I'm only half a dozen models ahead of you and haven't even considered trying washes and weathering but I have found acrylics to be a bit of an ig-pay to brush.  They harden in the time it takes to get from the paint pot to the model.  I don't concern myself with paint odour since I have a little workshop and the quantities are so small it doesn't really bother anyone anyway and the small brushes and quantities also make the clean-up comparison a bit moot.  One of the handiest things you can have in your arsenal is blu-tak.  Keeps things in place while you faff with them, acts as a mask for uneven lines like camo and comes in useful when you want to pick up and manipulate a part the approximate size of a flea's bedpan.

[sapperastro]

Hence why I say; don't paint from the pot. You cannot control the consistency of the paint, and your paint pot is also drying up while it sits open. Take some out, thin it to whatever degree you want, and paint from that. Clean the lid area of your paint pot thoroughly and replace the lid.

 

I also still find enamels easier to brush, though some acrylics, with proper technique, can be very good.

[Giorgio N]

If you have problems in priming the small parts using a spray can, then you can use Vallejo's primer. This is available in several colours and sticks very well to plastic. It can be airbrushed but also applied with a paintbrush. It's a bit liquid out of the bottle but even so goes on well with the brush.