Beginner questions! (I promise they are all well structured)

[tmachado]

Hello everyone,

 

Following my first set where I had no idea what I was doing - https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235133631-first-model-ever-172-hawker-typhoon-airfix/ - I've studied for the past weeks so I can learn with my mistakes, and I'm moving on to a 1:72 Spitfire and a 1:42 Bugatti (both from Airfix).

 

My questions are:

 

1) in both the car and aircraft, do you clear coat the inside/cockpit? And if so, do you apply matt or gloss? If not, how do you cover particularly the inside of the car (the cockpit or canopy are more easy to cover with masking tape), when applying gloss clear coat?

2) if I need to apply a wet sand to remove the orange peel effect, is that done before or after the gloss clear coat?

3) I saw some videos, and some people do initially some short, fast brushes to "break surface tension", while I don't see that in other tutorials (that slowly use flat brushes). I think that I don't need to worry about surface tension if I prime (bought Tamiyia Light Grey primer), and if so, I can just go with thinned brush slowly applied with a flat brush where applicable, is my understanding correct?

4) I know there's a whole lot of discussions on what to use to glue clear parts, right now I'm inclined to use simple PVA. Is there any advantage on using MicroKrystal or Revell Contacta Clear or Ammo Ultra Glue?

5) If I'm surface washing to the whole panels of a plane so I can create shadows/depth, does it make sense to additionally pin wash the panel lines or even apply panel accent liner? 

6) When does it make sense to scribe panels of 1:72 aircrafts?

 

Thank you so much.

 

[Casey]

10 hours ago, tmachado said:

Hello everyone,

 

Following my first set where I had no idea what I was doing - https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235133631-first-model-ever-172-hawker-typhoon-airfix/ - I've studied for the past weeks so I can learn with my mistakes, and I'm moving on to a 1:72 Spitfire and a 1:42 Bugatti (both from Airfix).

 

My questions are:

 

1) in both the car and aircraft, do you clear coat the inside/cockpit? And if so, do you apply matt or gloss? If not, how do you cover particularly the inside of the car (the cockpit or canopy are more easy to cover with masking tape), when applying gloss clear coat?

2) if I need to apply a wet sand to remove the orange peel effect, is that done before or after the gloss clear coat?

3) I saw some videos, and some people do initially some short, fast brushes to "break surface tension", while I don't see that in other tutorials (that slowly use flat brushes). I think that I don't need to worry about surface tension if I prime (bought Tamiyia Light Grey primer), and if so, I can just go with thinned brush slowly applied with a flat brush where applicable, is my understanding correct?

4) I know there's a whole lot of discussions on what to use to glue clear parts, right now I'm inclined to use simple PVA. Is there any advantage on using MicroKrystal or Revell Contacta Clear or Ammo Ultra Glue?

5) If I'm surface washing to the whole panels of a plane so I can create shadows/depth, does it make sense to additionally pin wash the panel lines or even apply panel accent liner? 

6) When does it make sense to scribe panels of 1:72 aircrafts?

 

Thank you so much.

 

I saw your first build and it was far ahead of my first build, which ended deposited in Mr. Trashcan by a very angry much younger me

 

Insides of cockpit on 1/72 I usually leave alone, it starts to make sense to do anything in some larger models. In 1:72 you wont see a thing. My main concern is to mask the cockpit, then spray it with an cockpit INTERIOR color (so you see the interior side when looking at the cockpit inside), then apply the outside camouflage on top of that.

 

1. Using gloss is good if you want to make the canopy more 'clear', there is a whole technique of dripping canopies in floor polishing product practiced by many ;). Matt is only useful if you want to make the matted glass, it is cool technique to do if you want to simulate dirt or mud but it's rather not a beginner thing.
2. If you have orange peel effect on some paint layer, then fix it before applying next layer. It is better to prevent or minimize it from happening though, if possible.
3. Breaking surface tension is kind of a mental shortcut (especially useful for using acrylics) - water based acrylics need to latch onto 'something' on model, or the surface tension will clump it on smooth surface. Easiest way is to leave a small thin layer of fast drying paint to create that, spray a mist layer first when using airbrush or use primer.
4. PVA is good, those others are similar products. As long as it works, it's good. It is all because normal glue will make make some matting discoloration on clear plastic, even if it is just vapor of it - which is quite likely when you glue cockpit.
5. That depends on your wash, and how much color contrast you want to do. You can use all figurine painting techniques there, including multiple shade washes to add depth and multiple highlights too. It's your model I sometimes skip that part in cockpits interiors, even in large models - nobody is going to see it, especially with closed canopy
6. Similar to 5. If you feel the model will look better, by all means do so. Or if you accidentally made the panel line disappear with furious sanding. Sometimes the reverse is needed - you might need a panel line removed that were made by mistake by vendor (Airfix 1:72 FW190, tail starboard side for example)

 

[tmachado]

Thank you so much for taking the time

2 hours ago, Casey said:

I saw your first build and it was far ahead of my first build, which ended deposited in Mr. Trashcan by a very angry much younger me

 

Insides of cockpit on 1/72 I usually leave alone, it starts to make sense to do anything in some larger models. In 1:72 you wont see a thing. My main concern is to mask the cockpit, then spray it with an cockpit INTERIOR color (so you see the interior side when looking at the cockpit inside), then apply the outside camouflage on top of that.

 

1. Using gloss is good if you want to make the canopy more 'clear', there is a whole technique of dripping canopies in floor polishing product practiced by many ;). Matt is only useful if you want to make the matted glass, it is cool technique to do if you want to simulate dirt or mud but it's rather not a beginner thing.
2. If you have orange peel effect on some paint layer, then fix it before applying next layer. It is better to prevent or minimize it from happening though, if possible.
3. Breaking surface tension is kind of a mental shortcut (especially useful for using acrylics) - water based acrylics need to latch onto 'something' on model, or the surface tension will clump it on smooth surface. Easiest way is to leave a small thin layer of fast drying paint to create that, spray a mist layer first when using airbrush or use primer.
4. PVA is good, those others are similar products. As long as it works, it's good. It is all because normal glue will make make some matting discoloration on clear plastic, even if it is just vapor of it - which is quite likely when you glue cockpit.
5. That depends on your wash, and how much color contrast you want to do. You can use all figurine painting techniques there, including multiple shade washes to add depth and multiple highlights too. It's your model I sometimes skip that part in cockpits interiors, even in large models - nobody is going to see it, especially with closed canopy
6. Similar to 5. If you feel the model will look better, by all means do so. Or if you accidentally made the panel line disappear with furious sanding. Sometimes the reverse is needed - you might need a panel line removed that were made by mistake by vendor (Airfix 1:72 FW190, tail starboard side for example)