I never would have imagined how much repainting needs done after glueing..

[notflip]

I'm very new to modelling, still working on the cockpit of my first model (Revell Spitfire).

I honestly thought painting would be the hardest part, but as I start glueing using tamiya cement, I notice how the excess glue can rip of paint in other spots.. 

Any tips or tricks for a beginner? Thank you!

[JohnT]

Welcome to the frustrations of modelling and nice to see you on board too. Loads of the folk on here will give tips but the first thing to say is even if no one said anything at all you would find you just get better at it with practice. Just like sports I guess. 

 

Personally - and we all have our own way of doing things - I mostly try and glue before painting. With small parts and complex sub assemblies like cockpits which are impossible to get to later you do need to paint first. Touch up paint is almost inevitable, especially when you start out. 

 

The other thing I’d say is always resist the temptation to rush to the finished model. Dry fit parts first to see if there is going to be a problem. Same again after painting. And use just enough glue and not too much. What’s enough?  You will get the feel for that the more you do. 

 

Whats the next model planned after the Spitfire?

[notflip]

Thanks for the tips @JohnT, The next one I have is a Boeing, My sister bought it once, but never started.. So I'm going to build it for her.

I do see now that I painted a lot of small parts, that won't even be visible, I guess I'm going to spend some more time in the paint-and-glue planning phase for the next model.

[bhouse]

Another point is not to paint any areas that will actually be glued - for example, the location pin on a control column that fits into the hole in the cockpit floor, or the area on the cockpit floor that you'll glue a bulkhead to.

[Graham T]

As you advance from "beginner" to "master modeller" status like me (*cough, cough, splutter*), you will gradually develop your own processes using your skill & judgement to know what can be assembled or attached before painting.  I find undercarriages the most challenging.  These look far better if painted before assembly but with a complex subject on say a larger model, you need to provide a good deal of strength & this can best be supplied by assembling before any paint gets in the way of a good strong bond.  If you paint FIRST, you need to remove some pretty small areas of paint to allow the glue to do its work & this ruins all your hard work.  Sometimes its possible to use CA glue but even here, if applied over paint, the bond is only as strong as that between the paint & the plastic.  HTH

[dogsbody]

Are you using tube glue or liquid glue? That can make a difference and is a learning experience. Tube glue can ooze out around pre-painted parts and damage the paint. Liquid glue can be applied between two parts but can run into/onto other places if too much is used.  Like everything, it all comes down to experience and you have to do it yourself to learn. There are lots of folks here who will assist you with most thing model related, but you just have to get in there and mess it up yourself to actually learn.

 

 

 

Chris

[notflip]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

As you advance from "beginner" to "master modeller" status like me (*cough, cough, splutter*), you will gradually develop your own processes using your skill & judgement to know what can be assembled or attached before painting.  I find undercarriages the most challenging.  These look far better if painted before assembly but with a complex subject on say a larger model, you need to provide a good deal of strength & this can best be supplied by assembling before any paint gets in the way of a good strong bond.  If you paint FIRST, you need to remove some pretty small areas of paint to allow the glue to do its work & this ruins all your hard work.  Sometimes its possible to use CA glue but even here, if applied over paint, the bond is only as strong as that between the paint & the plastic.  HTH

Thanks, Since it's my first model I've been all over the place, I had days of glueing, days of painting, and days of both. As most people say here (and thank you people, I've learned a lot from you) it's down to trying, and not being afraid to do it. I guess on my second model I'll try to plan better and see which parts need glue first, and which ones need paint first.