nheather

I’m no expert but this is what an acclaimed fantasy figure painter told me - good quality, sizes 1 and 2 and occasionally a 3. He recommended W&N No7 and the standard watercolour rather than the miniature range. And these were his reasons Good quality - because you want a brush that holds its shape Size 1 or 2 - a point is a point - a 0 or 00 or 000 does not have any finer point than a 1. What is more important is for the brush to hold a well of paint which keeps the tip wet and allows a good flow of paint without having to keep reloading Standard rather than miniature - again this is about the well. The miniature range has shorter bristles and therefore, a small well. Ideally you want a good well without getting paint near the ferrule. Cheers, Nigel

Amazing work. I love the way that the more you look at it, the closer you look, the more detail there is. Like the UAV and tow tractor. Cheers, Nigel

Nice job. PSC make some very nice wargaming models - I have about 4 sets to make up, including Universal Carriers with 6 pounders - but in 15mm. Not sure how some of the fine detail, like the wing mirrors, will survive the tabletop. Cheers, Nigel

Shame it isn't one of the VIIC's with an 8.8cm deck gun. Would have definitely caved in then. Cheers, Nigel

Only seen them in Russian Green, with or without whitewash. Personally, I think it needs, a white face, a big smile, a red nose and a spinning bow tie. Cheers, Nigel

Very nice - question though - would a civilian version retain the wehrmacht number plates? Cheers, Nigel

Just been asked to go to Sydney on a business trip for two weeks. Any military museums or model shops worth visiting. I won't have a car, so pretty much confined to the city centre. Cheers, Nigel

Wow, if it weren’t for the figures, I’d guess that was 1:48 or 1:35 - amazing work in 1:72. Cheers, Nigel

Not enough pictures in this thread 😀 Cheers, Nigel

Sorry, didn’t spot you were in SA, just assumed you were in the UK. Others have described when they were introduced, how to spot them and confirmed that they are interchangeable. To be honest it is not 100% clear how the needles have changed functionally. I’ve heard things like, made from harder metal, have a smoother finish, have a progressive taper, but I don’t think I have seen anything official from H&S. To be honest, unless you are an airbrushing god you probably wouldn’t be able to notice the difference. I mentioned it because if you are buying new and paying full price you may as well have a V2. If you are being palmed off with a V1 then you could mention about the V2 and ask for a discount to take the V1. When the needle eventually needs replacing, you will put a V2 then. Cheers, Nigel

Both would be good. Any chance you can get to a retailer where you can handle both - because my best advice would be tge one that feels more comfortable in your hand. I think I would prefer the Sparmax because having the webbing underneath suits my grip. The H&S is probably easier to strip down, clean and maintain because of the nozzle design. The H&S can be swapped between 0.2 and 0.4 so is more versatile. In fact if you can pay a little extra and get the 2in1 version that works out cheaper than upgrading later. One thing to be aware of - the H&S ultra and evolution do not come with paint cup lids - if you want them they are an extra purchase. Also when buying, especially second hand, be aware that H&S have recently redesigned the needles - allegedly a little better. So if buying new make sure you get a new version, or you are getting a nice discount for an old version. There is an H&S Evolution 2in1 for sale here - looks great value Cheers, Nigel

A while ago I decided I wanted a more ‘industrial and simple’ airbrush for primers and the like I first looked at the Chinese knock off market for a simple 0.5mm model. Couldn’t find any, they were either smaller or packed with whistles and bells and supplied with three nozzle/needle sets. Not quite what I wanted, but I bought one that was a copy of an Iwata HP and came with 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 needles, thinking I would just use the 0.5mm. Cost about £20 and it was dreadful. To be fair the 0.2 and 0.3 setups were okay but the 0.5 was leaking and splattering all over the place. The main culprit, I believe was poor o-rings, something I sort if proved after airbrush wax improved the situation. But I decided I couldn’t be bothered with the temperamental nature so got a refund - they didn’t want the brush back which shows how cheap these things really must be. So I decided that time is too precious to be faffing about so decided to splash out and spend £50 on a sparmax 125. Okay, over twice the price but the reassurance that it will work when you need it is worth it. Now I don’t want to totally bad mouth Chinese knock offs - my first dual action internal mix was a copy of an Iwata revolution. Works pretty well to be honest - not quite as good as an Iwata but not far off. The problem with the knock offs is the lack of quality control, you can get a good one, you can get a bad one, it is a lottery. So they have their place, and great for those strapped for cash, but for me, I decided the uncertainty wasn’t worth the money saved. There is an old adage - buy cheap, buy twice. Cheers, Nigel

+1 This is what I bought for priming. I looked at the Max 4 but the Badger primers I use recommend a minimum of a 0.5mm nozzle. Cheers, Nigel

When applying a tint, like translucent orange onto clear parts is it best to apply it on the inside or the outside. I’m assume it is best done on the inside but what is making me stop and think is that the parts I need to do are hemispheres and I’m wondering how easy it will be to spray and even coat on the inside. Cheers, Nigel

Hi, I have the kit and I has a ‘deluxe’ lighting set which includes ‘bussards’. Never made a sci-fi model before, nor added lighting to any kit. The building and electronics doesn’t bother me at all but I would appreciate any tips and advice you can offer before I start. For example, 1) the bussards, I know I need to paint the domes a translucent colour (orange I assume) andI have orange LEDs to fit to the disk. But what is the best colour to paint the disk and surrounding area to get the best effect - orange, black, something else? 2) should I paint the inside of the model to make the sides more opaque and less likely to bleed light. If so what colour is best to use? Cheers, Nigel

Hi, I do a lot of wargame modelling which mostly involves figures in 15mm, 20mm and 28mm. Mostly they are in white metal but there are some plastic. To get into some of the difficult places like crooks of arms, I use a set of the smallest needle files I could find. They are pretty good, no complaints about the size, just could do with a second set which was a little finer. The ones I have are quite fine but still leave visible scratches - would be nice to have something to polish them out. All my fine modelling sticks and paper is too big to access some of the more difficult areas. The files I have are about 80mm long, nice and small at the business end, bought at a model show, no branding - would just love to have a set with a finer grit. Cheers, Nigel

Thanks for the info - I question whether they were tradition pneumatic - thinking maybe they were solid or some sort of run-flat. Were they like modern run-flat with stiff walls or those with some sort of gel inside. Cheers, Nigel

These are the cheapest larger grade 316 bearings I have found https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHOLESALE-BEARING-BALL-GRADE-BEARINGS-316-STAINLESS-STEEL-6mm-7mm-8mm-9mm-10mm/372644904768?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160811114145%26meid%3D1bd68d6753a947779a141f38d41ab869%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D372644904768%26itm%3D372644904768&_trksid=p2045573.c100667.m2042 These are £6 for 100 off at 6mm or 7mm diameter. The Mig ones are cheaper and you will get them faster but they are smaller too. So fine if you are dealing with thinner paint or jars (like Tamiya) where there is more room for movement. But if you fancy some larger, heavier balls (ooh err) to deal with the thicker sediment and narrow bottle challenges of Vallejo Model Color or Game Color then these are the cheapest that I could find. Alternatively there are grade 316 nuts, which are cheaper still - I might give those a try as I feel the angular nature might deal with the thicker paint better. Cheers, Nigel

Yes Model Air would be fine (surprised it needs anything at all) much thinner than Game Color or Model Color. Cheers, Nigel

They are good value and I will probably buy some. My only concern from experience is that they may be too small/light for Vallejo Model Colol and Game Color. I currently use 1/4" (6.35mm) and sometimes it takes a lot of effort getting them moving in the sludge. Cheers, Nigel

Just tried to message a link to you but got an error saying that you can't receive messages. Not sure whether I'm allowed to post eBay links on this forum - do you know? Cheers, Nigel

Depends on the paint I guess. I mostly use Vallejo and I find it really clumps at the bottom. I have a nail varnish shaker but even that works better if there is a bearing in the bottle. If you are prepared to order from China on eBay you can get 100x 7mm 316 grade bearings for £6. So 6p each. The last I bought from the UK worked out at about 12p each. Cheers, Nigel

Excellent work, the only criticism I could make is that I would have thought the tyres should be flat. Well that’s what I notice when I see old vehickes abandoned. I’m assuming the quad had pneumatic tyres of course. But on the other hand I applaud it being out of the box, and that flat tyres would have been a challenge to far. It is refreshing to see great builds that don’t involve aftermarket costing 3x the price if the kit. Cheers, Nigel

I buy bearings from ebay. If you go for grade 316 or 316L then they won’t rust - it is marine grade, resistent to salt water and also used in the nuclear industry. No sign of rust after years. Cheers, Nigel

Never asked you to solve world hunger - that it something from your own imagination. Actually, I would love to use Colourcoats paints, but as you have pointed out yourself, as enamels are restricted goods for postal purposes you have to use expensive couriers which makes your products a lot less accessible. Otherwise I think I would have lots of them in my collection. Cheers, Nigel