dswoofie Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 OK, yet another of my dumb questions (I'm full of 'em), but here I go again! I'm about to start airbrushing my first aircraft (Gannet) and it has got me thinking about best ways to support the model for easy painting. The more I look at it, the more it perplexes me! So far I've only been messing about spraying on old kits and holding them in one hand and spraying smallish areas, obviously this is not a going to be a good idea when doing a full paint job! There's a fair amount of Sky to paint on the Gannet so what is the best way to support it to do it all in one go (or is that too optimistic?) Should I go for doing it in parts rather than the whole thing in one go? Any recommendations? What do all you experts out there use to support the model when spraying?? Pics please if possible to help out! Regards, Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Couple of options... if you've not put the prop on yet, just shove a stick up its nose & hold it that way. Stick one up the bum of a gas-passer Sometimes I don't bother, as there's usually enough Tamiya tape around to hold onto, and Acrylics dry so fast (and I paint so slowly) you can handle them gently pretty soon after. I sometimes wear a white inspection glove on my left hand for holding the model, so I don't get any finger oils on either the new paint, or the next bit I'm painting. It's the same glove I use to handle the aircraft when I'm decalling too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I use those bamboo skewers you can get at the supermarket. As Mike says, stuff it in a convenient hole, and spray. I have an old dried milk tin full of rice that I poke the skewer through the lid of while the model dries. Alternatively, hold it in a gloved hand if there is enough space on the kit to do it. The trick is, it has to be comfortable for you, and allow you to move the model around and put out to dry, using only one hand. Practice on an old model to figure out what works for you. HTH Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 OK yep, sounds like a plan. Just tried shoving something in the front of it and it'll just about hold it. There's not a lot of room in the hole and it's rather small. Have to have a better look tomorrow for a better/stronger fit. Might end up going back to the brushes for the Gannet until I've practiced a bit more. I don't want this one to turn into a But on the other hand , I have to start somewhere or I'll never do it! Surely there's not that much that could go wrong! Thanks Guys, Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 OK yep, sounds like a plan. Just tried shoving something in the front of it and it'll just about hold it. There's not a lot of room in the hole and it's rather small. Have to have a better look tomorrow for a better/stronger fit.Might end up going back to the brushes for the Gannet until I've practiced a bit more. I don't want this one to turn into a But on the other hand , I have to start somewhere or I'll never do it! Surely there's not that much that could go wrong! Thanks Guys, Karl. Oh, there's plenty that can go wrong! it's all about the learning process... hell, we all start somewhere... This was my first paint job with an airbrush (November 2006), and it was quite a fraught experience.... came out ok in the end though: Sorry, I'm lying... that was my second... THIS was my first: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary West Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Metal coat hangers can come in very useful too - you straighten one out, secure it somewhere and hang the kit (if there is somewhere suitable) on the hook. You can also bend the hanger so many ways that you can sit the kit on it as a stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 Ermmm, just a tad better than OK, me thinks!!! Look pretty damn good to me, hopefully I can get somewhere near! Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Ermmm, just a tad better than OK, me thinks!!! Look pretty damn good to me, hopefully I can get somewhere near! Karl. Me point is, that if I can do it to a reasonable standard first go around, it's not summit you should be worried about I did have one abortion before I did my first one, but that was more of my misunderstanding of the way a modern AB worked. I was still treating it like a spray gun. It would have been ok, but I got a bit of overspray on the yellow, and ruined it trying to get it off... that was me first try at this little bugger: There you go... you've seen all my finished models now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeEaton Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 You're to bloody hard on yourself Mike, that there's a nice little model. You'll be flogging yourself next for getting a speck of overspray on a canopy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 You're to bloody hard on yourself Mike, that there's a nice little model. You'll be flogging yourself next for getting a speck of overspray on a canopy... That's ANOTHER oone I bought after the disaster, to which I applied my new "skills"... the disaster was for the best anyway, cos the new one came out much better, even though it was much harder to build, cos the fuselage was warped to buggery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I mostly use my hands. Even on something like a Gannet, if you start by holding a wingtip, you can do the fuselage and tail, then the other wing, and the fuselage will be dryish by then to do the last wing. Or you can hold it in the canopy area. I don't like using sticks etc with larger models because I always seem to drop them! I use cocktail sticks stuck in the nose on 1/144's though. Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossieramm Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Without wanting to sound like a complete philistine, Mike, what is that last model ?? Oops to late. And I agree you are a bit hard on yourself, just a bit . David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Without wanting to sound like a complete philistine, Mike, what is that last model ?? Oops to late. And I agree you are a bit hard on yourself, just a bit .David. It's a Gloster E28/39 Pioneer... the testbed airframe for Frank Whittle's first jet engine. Now on display at the IWM in London, IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossieramm Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 It's a Gloster E28/39 Pioneer... the testbed airframe for Frank Whittle's first jet engine. Now on display at the IWM in London, IIRC. You wouldn't happen to know if there any kits of it in 1/48 ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 You wouldn't happen to know if there any kits of it in 1/48 ?? That IS in 1:48... Special Hobby, I think. £9.99 from Hannants... or maybe less from one of our vendors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennygman Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Like Gary, I use coat hangers, but what I do is cut them off either side of the 'elbow' so that what you have is a very thin pair of tongs, efffectively. The beauty of this is that they're both quite thin (for getting into any available hole - leave it!) and also quite springy, so they want to spring back into shape and grip the model from the inside. I've got one up the pipe of my Phantom at the moment, if I think of it I'll post a pic' tonight. For props I find a largish brush handle is good as because of the taper it can be inserted 'til you get a nice snug fit (I Said - LEAVE IT! ). If need be a bit of masking tape can be wrapped around the tool to aid things here. the only word of caution is to make sure not to use too much force and break apart a finished seam - go on ask me how I know Steve. PS Mike, that's a pretty fine looking Spitfire there. I also wanted to build the E28 but was put off by the critical mauling it got when it came out, do you have any views on the kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Pass me another gerbil, this one's split! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennygman Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Pass me another gerbil, this one's split! have you been hanging out with Richard Gere again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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