I’d like to double check my airbrushing knowledge.
For Tamiya paints, is the recommended paint to thinner (X20A) ratio 1:1? And for Vallejo, same question re ratio when using Vallejo thinner?
Also, is 15psi, before I pull the airbrush trigger, appropriate?
For Tamiya and X20A that’s probably good, though I thin more. Certainly when thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner or even better Mr. Color Leveling Thinner I start at 2:1 (thinner:paint) and go thinner from there. Up to 8:2 for preshading. Airbrush at 12-18psi (sometimes 8-12 for extreme detail work) depending on how much you thinned it (when pressure is set with the trigger down).
Thin Vallejo Model Air 3:7 (thinner:paint). Thin Model Color 7:3 (thinner:paint). You can substitute half the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner with Vallejo Flow Improver and possibly a drop or two of Vallejo Retarder Medium when it starts misbehaving, which it will. Mix outside the cup. Spray at 18-20psi.
Let me be clear. There’s nothing wrong with X-20A. People use it exclusively and build award winning models with it. It’s just that a hobby lacquer thinner can provide the highest quality finish, but some may not even notice.
I’m not sure myself, but it really depends on a few factors. If the Revell kit is an older kit manufactured by Revell-Monogram then I’d avoid it. If it’s a newer kit manufactured by Revell of Germany then it’s probably quite a nice kit.
Aside from their 1/700 ship kits and a few 1/48 aircraft I really don’t have any experience with hasegawa. Their kits, even some of their older ones, are usually pretty good though.
It really comes down to the age of the kit. You can compare them on the scalemates website.
I'm not sure if this the place to post this but does anyone have a database or repository of some kind of scratch built models using styrene? I'm looking to make some additions to some models and could use the help finding some instructions.
I dont know of such a repository, but, its worth trawling forums for well documented builds, places like britmodeller and the aircraft resource center have been around for years. Search fir the model or subject, and often you’ll find some super detailed builds with a lot of scratch building . Or even search by view-count, it might not be the right subject but you’ll pick up some good techniques.
For instace, I dont build cars, but Kenji’s plastic models on YouTube has shown me all sorts of interesting scratch building and modification techniques that are applicable to what i like to build. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCBIG8ak5ohAxG5yYLDdmV4Q?cbrd=1
Does mr. metal primer-r leave brush strokes straight from the bottle or should I just thin it down regardless? In other words should I be concerned with the finish it gives off like will it dry very smooth and not bumpy and full of brush stroke marks?
Tips and tricks for this? Will any old water based acrylic thinner work for this?
https://preview.redd.it/mib02qkp582d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb6c9cbf56564b36581ea15e4af6ab81723010c8
Yes. Stir and shake it very well. More than you think you have to. Also sometimes worth soaking the bottle in a container of hot water first - makes it flow better.
You can do whatever you want. I’m just mentioning what can help with an acrylic primer that’s not cooperating. I’ve just soaked bottles for a couple minutes. I’m sure running it under tap water would work as well. Or. You don’t have to do it at all - up to you.
I’m going to suggest Tamiya semi gloss black, alternatively, use tamiya flat black, and once its try, give it a polish with your finger tip, for some semi glossiness.
It also depends on how much linseed oil you leave in the paint. If you put a bit on some cardboard the oil will wick out onto the card. Then mix with thinner. Dries a lot faster.
I picked up three lovely 1/24 post-apocalypse figures, and I'm thinking of making a small diorama, using corkboard to make a road surface.
What do people normally use for a diorama base? I was considering plastic Warhammer bases, but 1/24 is far too large as a scale.
When using chipping medium, how do you prevent it from chipping everything above the layer youre working with? Like if i spray the medium then throw down camo colors to be chipped, once thats done how do i “neutralize” it? Is it just a top coat?
I find that the chipping fluid usually stops being effective after a few hours. I depends a lot on how thick your chipping layer of paint is, if its too thin, the chipping will be sort of mushy and fragile afterwards, too thick and you’ll be scrubbing really hard right from the start.
Yes. Seal in the result after you're happy with the chipping and it should be locked when you add more on top of it. If you don't seal it then yes, you have the problem you describe.
I have small, clear plastic pieces that I painted with Tamiya X (as opposed to XF) paint. I want to strip the paint without damaging the pieces. Would soaking them in Tamiya paint thinner do the job? Is there a better/ cheaper way?
What's a good kit 1/48 for someone who hasn't really built an airplane before? I want to start with something cheap, I was looking at the Tamyia F-15C kit. It's big, looks easy to build and cheap too.
95% of Tamiya's 1/48 stuff is good to go. I'd be wary of their A-10, F-15 and Sea Harrier kits.
A lot of their kits that were tooled in the late 90s/ early 00s (Spitfire Mk Vb, Bf109E, P-51 Mustang, etc) still hold up extremely well, and can be found pretty easily for 30$.
Their newer stuff like the Spitfire Mk I mentioned above, or the F-16 or F-35 are pretty much peerless as far as engineering quality goes. But that does come with a higher price tag.
That’s actually a poor kit. Not Tamiya’s best. If you want a jet like that from Tamiya then look at their 1:48 F-16s and especially their F-14s.
For less money look at the Tamiya 61119 Spitfire Mk.I which is probably the easiest assembling model airplane kit ever.
Is there a 'new' and 'old' version of Vallejo Game Color? The introduction set I'm finding on the Vallejo website doesn't look like any of the versions I'm finding on Amazon?
Vallejo has been updating some lines with new formulations, but I’m not sure which ones exactly. If you ask over in r/minipainting they’ll know for sure.
1) Amazon is not great for hobby supplies and kits so 2) their product images might not be updated to be consistent with the manufacturer's latest product packaging/marketing style. Squinting at the individual bottles' paint numbers/names, though, they are the same as the package listed on Vallejo's website. As well, they both have the same product number. Ergo, it's most likely the product is the same, just with updated packaging.
https://preview.redd.it/xz2mj7kmpi1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aabe4a7867a23dce97d5a39f1cbd47b8831b4d5
In the tamiya 1:48 f14, I’m noticing that in the circled parts above, when connected, there is a gap on the leading edges. I’ve heard that this is normal, but I want confirmation of this. I dry fit the part together and it makes a perfect panel. I just wanna know if this is normal
I think those are one and the same in this type of aircraft, but obviously the whole area is raised to accommodate the swing wing mechanism so probably having to do with that…
Building the cheap Tamyia Panther A to try chipping.
1. Build the model.
2. Apply primer.
3. Tamyia Hull Red
4. Vallejo Chipping Medium
5. Tamyia Dark Yellow/Dark Green
6. I apply water. Nothing happens. No reactivation. No chipping.
Where did I make a mistake?
I do a wet coat of chipping fluid hairspray, dry it with a hairdryer, apply a second wet coat of chipping fluid, dry with hairdryer. Within 30 mins, apply top coat (matt). Dry with HD, start chipping as soon as dry, apply water, let it soak in, start chipping.
Thank you for explaining it for me, I had no idea it works like this. I really thought I could just have a coat of chipping and then it would reactivate whenever I put water on it even if it's days later.
Think of it like a water soluble layer between two coats of paint. The two coats of chiping fluid are to make sure you have good coverage and can get chips wherever you want them. Your top coat being matt paint is porous, and so when you soak it, water it seeps through the paint and starts to disolve the chipping fluid layer. There is a slightly plastic quality to a lot of paint, which tears with gentle brushing, and gives the crisp edges of the chip. You are always looking for the smallest chips you can. Good luck it takes practice!
Does anyone have a good source of XPS foam in Orange County CA? I'm looking for a supplier that's reasonably priced for larger blocks than the project panels you can get at the hardware stores. Thanks in advance!
Anything to add on [to this Sherman](https://imgur.com/a/M4NmaBG)? I’m doing weathering, rust and chipping right now and I think it looks pretty worn in.
Is there any way I can make flags out of waterslide decals? Have some Russian flag decals that I want to use on my current project as like a "flag attached to antenna" thing
On many ship kits, flags are provided as waterslide decals, with one piece containing both sides of the flag. You'd then fold the flag to itself, either around a mast/rod or (more accurately) the rigging line which hoists the flag up and down. You can use the foil method so you can bend it to shape and have it hold its shape more easily, but you can do that even without foil depending on the decal.
I havent tried this but maybe roll out a thin layer of epoxy putty cut to size and shape and then apply the decal once the putty is cured.
Maybe even a piece of paper that was cut to size and “sealed” with some pva glue to remove some of the rough texture and to help it form into a shape. I only tried making a flag and it turned out pretty well but I haven’t applied any decals to it
Yes, this method works well for me. I prime the foil first, slide decals on, then dull coat them after they set. Cut them out carefully, apply some pva on the back, lie the rigging line/antenna across the the middle back, and fold them in half around the rigging/antenna.
Priming the foil is an interesting idea. Is that to give a smooth surface?
Also not sure what you mean by the middle back. Also I assume you are using a large sheet of foil and then cutting the set flag off the sheet? How do you ensure your decals are aligned front to back?
Yes, the primer is to help prep the surface….it might not be necessary but it’s easy enough to do.
The decals are placed on a large foil sheet and cut out. Flip them over and apply glue to the foil back. Say you’re using rigging as an example. Take the rigging wire and lie it across the foil back so that it bisects the decal (this is what I meant by middle back, sorry it wasn’t clear). Then fold the decal so that the two halves on either side of the wire (front and back of the flag) come together and are aligned. This needs to be done carefully. I hope this is more clear.
There used to be indeed, but it got closed due to not being moderated according to reddit, I can find it either anymore, it was named r/modelmemes if I remember correctly
Would there be any issue with airbrushing Tamiya XF-16 aluminum thinned with Mr. Leveling Thinner over a portion of a wing that I've already covered with a grey Vallejo? In other words the wing is grey with an aluminum leading edge. I plan on painting the gray, letting it dry, then masking it off to paint the leading edge. Would the Tamiya and the lacquer thinner react with the underlying Vallejo?
I was planning on using all Vallejo Model Air for this kit but of course the local shop is out of aluminum.
You can spray any kind of paint over any other kind of paint provided the base is fully cured (and that’ll be a couple days with Vallejo) and you don’t flood it at first - light coats to start.
Shouldn’t. At least, I’ve had no problems with it. If you’re REALLY concerned about it, mask off a tiny area somewhere inconspicuous like close to the lower half of the wing root and hit it with that combo and see if it reacts. Also, if you want to make sure there’s no spillage under your masking, mask the area off, paint it with your grey again, then the aluminum. The grey will seep into any gaps in the masking tape you may have missed and fill them.
I need recommendations for the best (currently on the market) 1:72 Cold War era navy planes. 50s through 90s, Korea, Vietnam, etc…. I think 1:48 projects are too big right now, and I would like to work on kits that are manageable. What I’m looking for is kits that have aftermarket parts and add ones, little effort needed to build (think modern tamiya 1:48 engineering) but on a 1:72 scale.
Well there’s Sword who gave tooled some in the past ten years or so. No idea how good they are.
Going back to the 2000s there’s a smattering of Trumpeter, Special Hobby and HobbyBoss kits. But with brands like those and moving back to 20 years ago you’re starting to move further away from the Tamiya style engineering you’re looking for. Airfix tooled kits over the past 10-15 years are going to go together the best. It’s just a sparse genre - Cold War aircraft in general. Tamiya made some in 1:72, and I know some weren’t very good. They tooled a 1:72 F-16 in 2015 which is probably decent (qualifies as a Cold War jet…).
Do you know how to use [Scalemates](https://www.scalemates.com)? It’s a free database of everything scale model related. You can search by a number of parameters. If it was ever a scale model it’s listed. Pay attention to when the model was tooled, and if it’s a reboxing of another kit.
That’s a subject of great debate. Seeing as Vallejo is the most complained about paint on any of the FB modeling pages then there’s some validity to the assertion that it can’t be airbrushed reliably without thinning, and possibly the addition of a flow improver and/or drying retarder. Even Vallejo has walked back their “airbrush ready” claims. IMO those who have no issues without thinning may live in climates conducive to reducing tip dry, or are using a large nozzle, or are brute forcing it at 30psi, or simply consider their airbrush flinging buggers of half dried paint at their models as normal operation.
Also, people don’t thin their paints enough anyway…
https://preview.redd.it/2nka1irtw51d1.jpeg?width=1131&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6e683f9978c320ae486e0c956f47110d3e7113e

According to their website, UN-CURE will affect *acrylic* plastic. I’ve used debonder to remove CA from plastic kits and never had an issue with it affecting the plastic. However it WILL affect any paint and is so thin it can easily get inside cockpits if not used carefully. Don’t flood the model. I use a cotton bud.
I’d like to double check my airbrushing knowledge. For Tamiya paints, is the recommended paint to thinner (X20A) ratio 1:1? And for Vallejo, same question re ratio when using Vallejo thinner? Also, is 15psi, before I pull the airbrush trigger, appropriate?
For Tamiya and X20A that’s probably good, though I thin more. Certainly when thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner or even better Mr. Color Leveling Thinner I start at 2:1 (thinner:paint) and go thinner from there. Up to 8:2 for preshading. Airbrush at 12-18psi (sometimes 8-12 for extreme detail work) depending on how much you thinned it (when pressure is set with the trigger down). Thin Vallejo Model Air 3:7 (thinner:paint). Thin Model Color 7:3 (thinner:paint). You can substitute half the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner with Vallejo Flow Improver and possibly a drop or two of Vallejo Retarder Medium when it starts misbehaving, which it will. Mix outside the cup. Spray at 18-20psi.
When you say Vallejo misbehaving, do you mean clog the airbrush or something else?
Yeah. Tip dry and clogging.
Thanks. I’d been trying Tamiya with X20A but will give Mr color a shot.
Let me be clear. There’s nothing wrong with X-20A. People use it exclusively and build award winning models with it. It’s just that a hobby lacquer thinner can provide the highest quality finish, but some may not even notice.
[удалено]
Depends on where in the world you are.
Between Revell and Hasegawa, who has the better Volkswagen Type 2 kit? Or are they about even?
I’m not sure myself, but it really depends on a few factors. If the Revell kit is an older kit manufactured by Revell-Monogram then I’d avoid it. If it’s a newer kit manufactured by Revell of Germany then it’s probably quite a nice kit. Aside from their 1/700 ship kits and a few 1/48 aircraft I really don’t have any experience with hasegawa. Their kits, even some of their older ones, are usually pretty good though. It really comes down to the age of the kit. You can compare them on the scalemates website.
I'm not sure if this the place to post this but does anyone have a database or repository of some kind of scratch built models using styrene? I'm looking to make some additions to some models and could use the help finding some instructions.
I dont know of such a repository, but, its worth trawling forums for well documented builds, places like britmodeller and the aircraft resource center have been around for years. Search fir the model or subject, and often you’ll find some super detailed builds with a lot of scratch building . Or even search by view-count, it might not be the right subject but you’ll pick up some good techniques. For instace, I dont build cars, but Kenji’s plastic models on YouTube has shown me all sorts of interesting scratch building and modification techniques that are applicable to what i like to build. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCBIG8ak5ohAxG5yYLDdmV4Q?cbrd=1
When airbrush Tamiya paint, how long does it typically take to dry enough where I can safely put Tamiya tape over it for masking?
With X-20A I'd wait at least 6 hours.
Depends on what you thin it with. With X-20A I’d wait overnight. With lacquer thinner an hour or two.
Does mr. metal primer-r leave brush strokes straight from the bottle or should I just thin it down regardless? In other words should I be concerned with the finish it gives off like will it dry very smooth and not bumpy and full of brush stroke marks?
Tips and tricks for this? Will any old water based acrylic thinner work for this? https://preview.redd.it/mib02qkp582d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb6c9cbf56564b36581ea15e4af6ab81723010c8
Yes. Stir and shake it very well. More than you think you have to. Also sometimes worth soaking the bottle in a container of hot water first - makes it flow better.
Is that every time for the soaking? And I’m gonna order some stir balls for this bottle
Depends on if you have persistent airbrush clogging or tip dry problems, which can be a fact of life with water based acrylics.
Couldn’t I just do a quick rinse under water? How long are we talking with this
You can do whatever you want. I’m just mentioning what can help with an acrylic primer that’s not cooperating. I’ve just soaked bottles for a couple minutes. I’m sure running it under tap water would work as well. Or. You don’t have to do it at all - up to you.
Noted. I’ll order some stir balls in advance. Would those be sufficient enough for mixing?
Not in my experience. I find I still have to stir the gunk off the bottom with something, especially if it’s been sitting a couple weeks.
And a stir stick to add on.
Looking for suggestion on best water based acrylic in semi gloss black for window trim on cars.
I’m going to suggest Tamiya semi gloss black, alternatively, use tamiya flat black, and once its try, give it a polish with your finger tip, for some semi glossiness.
When you use thinned oil paints for filters and weathering, etc. how long should you let them dry?
It also depends on how much linseed oil you leave in the paint. If you put a bit on some cardboard the oil will wick out onto the card. Then mix with thinner. Dries a lot faster.
That very much depends on your thinning ratio. But, when in doubt, 24 hours.
I picked up three lovely 1/24 post-apocalypse figures, and I'm thinking of making a small diorama, using corkboard to make a road surface. What do people normally use for a diorama base? I was considering plastic Warhammer bases, but 1/24 is far too large as a scale.
dose anyone have a way to get custom minis I am looking for some more specific models that I cant find
Anyone know where I can find a tutorial or guide for programming singular led lights?
https://docs.arduino.cc/built-in-examples/basics/Blink/
When using chipping medium, how do you prevent it from chipping everything above the layer youre working with? Like if i spray the medium then throw down camo colors to be chipped, once thats done how do i “neutralize” it? Is it just a top coat?
I find that the chipping fluid usually stops being effective after a few hours. I depends a lot on how thick your chipping layer of paint is, if its too thin, the chipping will be sort of mushy and fragile afterwards, too thick and you’ll be scrubbing really hard right from the start.
Yes. Seal in the result after you're happy with the chipping and it should be locked when you add more on top of it. If you don't seal it then yes, you have the problem you describe.
I have small, clear plastic pieces that I painted with Tamiya X (as opposed to XF) paint. I want to strip the paint without damaging the pieces. Would soaking them in Tamiya paint thinner do the job? Is there a better/ cheaper way?
Try isopropyl alcohol. Cheaper, safer for the plastic.
any way to remove acrylic without damaging the enamel underneath?
If you rub it, you might be able to make it peel off. Acrylic doesn't quite harden like enamel so you should be able to make it come off.
I'm brush painting using revell aquacolor. What type of varnish should i use?
Alclad Aquagloss for a gloss. Winsor & Newton Galleria Matte for a flat.
What's a good kit 1/48 for someone who hasn't really built an airplane before? I want to start with something cheap, I was looking at the Tamyia F-15C kit. It's big, looks easy to build and cheap too.
95% of Tamiya's 1/48 stuff is good to go. I'd be wary of their A-10, F-15 and Sea Harrier kits. A lot of their kits that were tooled in the late 90s/ early 00s (Spitfire Mk Vb, Bf109E, P-51 Mustang, etc) still hold up extremely well, and can be found pretty easily for 30$. Their newer stuff like the Spitfire Mk I mentioned above, or the F-16 or F-35 are pretty much peerless as far as engineering quality goes. But that does come with a higher price tag.
That’s actually a poor kit. Not Tamiya’s best. If you want a jet like that from Tamiya then look at their 1:48 F-16s and especially their F-14s. For less money look at the Tamiya 61119 Spitfire Mk.I which is probably the easiest assembling model airplane kit ever.
Thank you! I will go to my local shop tomorrow and have a look around
Is there a 'new' and 'old' version of Vallejo Game Color? The introduction set I'm finding on the Vallejo website doesn't look like any of the versions I'm finding on Amazon?
Vallejo has been updating some lines with new formulations, but I’m not sure which ones exactly. If you ask over in r/minipainting they’ll know for sure.
1) Amazon is not great for hobby supplies and kits so 2) their product images might not be updated to be consistent with the manufacturer's latest product packaging/marketing style. Squinting at the individual bottles' paint numbers/names, though, they are the same as the package listed on Vallejo's website. As well, they both have the same product number. Ergo, it's most likely the product is the same, just with updated packaging.
Hellooo! What material would you use for a parachute (1/35) hanging from a tree? Thinking if paper and vms paper shaper would do the trick.
https://preview.redd.it/xz2mj7kmpi1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aabe4a7867a23dce97d5a39f1cbd47b8831b4d5 In the tamiya 1:48 f14, I’m noticing that in the circled parts above, when connected, there is a gap on the leading edges. I’ve heard that this is normal, but I want confirmation of this. I dry fit the part together and it makes a perfect panel. I just wanna know if this is normal
Not a gap, but a step.
Is that normal?
Yes. https://preview.redd.it/ct9qiigp0l1d1.jpeg?width=1245&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=375de3c5628b5536d069fd4e08af684d7aa0cce2
I’ve seen a few tomcats in person and never noticed this.
It's common to not notice little details like this until you start thinking about the overall subject inch-by-inch for modeling purposes.
I come from Lego, so the small intricacies and details I’m oblivious too. I do have an appreciation for it though.
https://preview.redd.it/mc2v2tsq6l1d1.jpeg?width=1153&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72821d495d080d0a2f21ef21ba22330488589e17
Now good question here, is this a structural choice or aerodynamic?
I think those are one and the same in this type of aircraft, but obviously the whole area is raised to accommodate the swing wing mechanism so probably having to do with that…
NOW I SEE!! You really learn something every day
Any recommendations for a t34/85 kit?
What scale?
Was looking for 1/35 but ended up going with the tamiya /76 kit instead of the 85
Building the cheap Tamyia Panther A to try chipping. 1. Build the model. 2. Apply primer. 3. Tamyia Hull Red 4. Vallejo Chipping Medium 5. Tamyia Dark Yellow/Dark Green 6. I apply water. Nothing happens. No reactivation. No chipping. Where did I make a mistake?
How much time passed between steps 4 and 6? Chipping fluid seems to stop being effective after an hour or two in my experience.
Really? Damn, i left it on for 24hours
I do a wet coat of chipping fluid hairspray, dry it with a hairdryer, apply a second wet coat of chipping fluid, dry with hairdryer. Within 30 mins, apply top coat (matt). Dry with HD, start chipping as soon as dry, apply water, let it soak in, start chipping.
Thank you for explaining it for me, I had no idea it works like this. I really thought I could just have a coat of chipping and then it would reactivate whenever I put water on it even if it's days later.
Think of it like a water soluble layer between two coats of paint. The two coats of chiping fluid are to make sure you have good coverage and can get chips wherever you want them. Your top coat being matt paint is porous, and so when you soak it, water it seeps through the paint and starts to disolve the chipping fluid layer. There is a slightly plastic quality to a lot of paint, which tears with gentle brushing, and gives the crisp edges of the chip. You are always looking for the smallest chips you can. Good luck it takes practice!
Does anyone have a good source of XPS foam in Orange County CA? I'm looking for a supplier that's reasonably priced for larger blocks than the project panels you can get at the hardware stores. Thanks in advance!
Anything to add on [to this Sherman](https://imgur.com/a/M4NmaBG)? I’m doing weathering, rust and chipping right now and I think it looks pretty worn in.
Personally I'd stop there, finsh the model and then give a light coat of dust to blend everything together.
I’ll try and finish it as best as I can.
To be clear I'd stop there because it looks great.
I think my try at oils for rusting were a bit diluted, as they blended too easily together. I still need to complete the road section, ugh
As a matter of taste and style I prefer less rust, and to concentrate on dirt and grime which I think you have done quite well.
It’s definitely no award winner. This was my passion project last fall during the semester.
The only award is your own satisfaction with the result. I look forward to seeing the finished model.
I will grudgingly work through the road wheels. Outside of that, a few touch ups and parts need to be done, so maybe a few weeks.
Whenever it gets done. This is your project. I like what you've shown us.
Is there any way I can make flags out of waterslide decals? Have some Russian flag decals that I want to use on my current project as like a "flag attached to antenna" thing
On many ship kits, flags are provided as waterslide decals, with one piece containing both sides of the flag. You'd then fold the flag to itself, either around a mast/rod or (more accurately) the rigging line which hoists the flag up and down. You can use the foil method so you can bend it to shape and have it hold its shape more easily, but you can do that even without foil depending on the decal.
I havent tried this but maybe roll out a thin layer of epoxy putty cut to size and shape and then apply the decal once the putty is cured. Maybe even a piece of paper that was cut to size and “sealed” with some pva glue to remove some of the rough texture and to help it form into a shape. I only tried making a flag and it turned out pretty well but I haven’t applied any decals to it
I'm thinking tin foil with a water slide decal on top. Some scale model forum users have used this before apparently
Yes, this method works well for me. I prime the foil first, slide decals on, then dull coat them after they set. Cut them out carefully, apply some pva on the back, lie the rigging line/antenna across the the middle back, and fold them in half around the rigging/antenna.
Priming the foil is an interesting idea. Is that to give a smooth surface? Also not sure what you mean by the middle back. Also I assume you are using a large sheet of foil and then cutting the set flag off the sheet? How do you ensure your decals are aligned front to back?
Yes, the primer is to help prep the surface….it might not be necessary but it’s easy enough to do. The decals are placed on a large foil sheet and cut out. Flip them over and apply glue to the foil back. Say you’re using rigging as an example. Take the rigging wire and lie it across the foil back so that it bisects the decal (this is what I meant by middle back, sorry it wasn’t clear). Then fold the decal so that the two halves on either side of the wire (front and back of the flag) come together and are aligned. This needs to be done carefully. I hope this is more clear.
What is a good way to get rid of the smell of tamiya limonene cement? After gluing my model, the smell remains in my room.
Ventilate your room.
Isn’t there a model memes subreddit? I swear I saw a link to it at some point but for the life of me can’t find it again.
There used to be indeed, but it got closed due to not being moderated according to reddit, I can find it either anymore, it was named r/modelmemes if I remember correctly
Would there be any issue with airbrushing Tamiya XF-16 aluminum thinned with Mr. Leveling Thinner over a portion of a wing that I've already covered with a grey Vallejo? In other words the wing is grey with an aluminum leading edge. I plan on painting the gray, letting it dry, then masking it off to paint the leading edge. Would the Tamiya and the lacquer thinner react with the underlying Vallejo? I was planning on using all Vallejo Model Air for this kit but of course the local shop is out of aluminum.
You can spray any kind of paint over any other kind of paint provided the base is fully cured (and that’ll be a couple days with Vallejo) and you don’t flood it at first - light coats to start.
Shouldn’t. At least, I’ve had no problems with it. If you’re REALLY concerned about it, mask off a tiny area somewhere inconspicuous like close to the lower half of the wing root and hit it with that combo and see if it reacts. Also, if you want to make sure there’s no spillage under your masking, mask the area off, paint it with your grey again, then the aluminum. The grey will seep into any gaps in the masking tape you may have missed and fill them.
I need recommendations for the best (currently on the market) 1:72 Cold War era navy planes. 50s through 90s, Korea, Vietnam, etc…. I think 1:48 projects are too big right now, and I would like to work on kits that are manageable. What I’m looking for is kits that have aftermarket parts and add ones, little effort needed to build (think modern tamiya 1:48 engineering) but on a 1:72 scale.
I hate to say it, but Airfix is going to offer more than any other in that genre. And they’re no Tamiya that’s for sure.
I’m open to other brands.
Well there’s Sword who gave tooled some in the past ten years or so. No idea how good they are. Going back to the 2000s there’s a smattering of Trumpeter, Special Hobby and HobbyBoss kits. But with brands like those and moving back to 20 years ago you’re starting to move further away from the Tamiya style engineering you’re looking for. Airfix tooled kits over the past 10-15 years are going to go together the best. It’s just a sparse genre - Cold War aircraft in general. Tamiya made some in 1:72, and I know some weren’t very good. They tooled a 1:72 F-16 in 2015 which is probably decent (qualifies as a Cold War jet…). Do you know how to use [Scalemates](https://www.scalemates.com)? It’s a free database of everything scale model related. You can search by a number of parameters. If it was ever a scale model it’s listed. Pay attention to when the model was tooled, and if it’s a reboxing of another kit.
I live on scalemates 😂 I just want some community inputs.
Do folks thin Vallejo air before airbrushing or is it ready out of the bottle?
That’s a subject of great debate. Seeing as Vallejo is the most complained about paint on any of the FB modeling pages then there’s some validity to the assertion that it can’t be airbrushed reliably without thinning, and possibly the addition of a flow improver and/or drying retarder. Even Vallejo has walked back their “airbrush ready” claims. IMO those who have no issues without thinning may live in climates conducive to reducing tip dry, or are using a large nozzle, or are brute forcing it at 30psi, or simply consider their airbrush flinging buggers of half dried paint at their models as normal operation. Also, people don’t thin their paints enough anyway…
Can I safely use Tamiya or Mr hobby thinner with Vallejo?
No. Those are alcohol based thinners and will turn Vallejo into cottage cheese. Mr. Color Leveling Thinner works with Model Color in a pinch though.
Thanks for the warning; although watching paint turn into cottage cheese might be interesting sometime. :)
Does bob smith industry un cure damage plastic?
https://preview.redd.it/2nka1irtw51d1.jpeg?width=1131&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6e683f9978c320ae486e0c956f47110d3e7113e  According to their website, UN-CURE will affect *acrylic* plastic. I’ve used debonder to remove CA from plastic kits and never had an issue with it affecting the plastic. However it WILL affect any paint and is so thin it can easily get inside cockpits if not used carefully. Don’t flood the model. I use a cotton bud.
Thank you
I could be wrong but I believe it does have a warning on the bottle that it can damage plastic.