[Closed] Talk to me about plastic models (Airfix etc)

Why did you give it a base coat of black? General rule is go lighter to darker, painting on black will always 'tint' the colours on top.

It's the only spray I had in lol.

It even had the paint with it...

Follow the paint chart, use decent paint and practice - like most things in life.

Traditionally, undercoat has always been neutral grey, or occasionally, white. Never black, especially when the base plastic is grey...

Don't paint it...hang it in the garden and airgun it to bits....the joy of modelling is in the making 8)

Think there's a few on here that are really into their modelling* with some stunning examples they've produced. Sure they'll be along soon

*keep it clean please!

harrier GR3 in green & grey. IIRC the undersurfaces were a paler shade of grey than the upper surfaces.

if you're spraying, you'll need bigger pots of paint than those little thimbles.

Don't add the undercarriage, it's a bugger to mask. same goes for brittle bits, leave them until after. If a modern military aircraft, the underwing pylons often get in the way of the decals, so if that's the case, leave those off for now as well.

mask off the cockpit canopy with Maskol & spray the whole thing with the palest shade of grey. Then mask off the demarcation between upper and lower surfaces with Tamiya masking tape - not the 2in wide decorator's masking, although you can use that on the undersides of the wings/stabiliser. spray the upper surface the next darkest shade of grey.
mask off the bits you want to keep in camouflage grey, again using Maskol - just paint it on using a cotton bud (it eats paintbrushes), in the camouflage pattern - and when the maskol is dry, spray the whole upper surface green. Allow plenty of drying time in between each coat. Peel off the maskol and masking tape to reveal the camouflage patterns.

next - the decals. .

I spray the whole kit with a coat of gloss, then when that's dry, apply the decals. Spray another coat of gloss, then a coat of matt if it's a military kit.
Remove the masking from the cockpit canopy and add the undercarriage & any other small breakables. Finito

here's one I did earlier; I did the camo pattern freehand:
[IMG] [/IMG]

my old man builds tons of models and says that Tamiya paint is the best and well worth the money

Sod the model! Dunlop Tortex plectrums? Show us your guitar(s) 🙂

the picks are there for scale 😉 my guitars are nowt to write home about, it's all in the name...

It's a MiG-21 in 1:48 scale, by Academy IIRC. I find 1:72 a bit fiddly for planes and 1:32 or bigger, too big.

I like AFVs in 1:48 and 1:35, cars in 1:24, bikes in 1:12

I made this the other day, it had been sitting in my son's room waiting for him to make but he's not shown any interest.

SE5a which is a boring name for a very nice bi-plane.

I sprayed it white first, gave a really nice base to paint on, but it was a fairly simple job really, only took a couple of hours.

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8353923429_db69f456b2_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8353923429_db69f456b2_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= [/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/10675959@N02/ ]nickgilling[/url], on Flickr

nice 🙂

OP, you may be able to clean off the paint you've applied so far so you can start again.

Good idea to wash the model before you start. You want it to be free of grease etc before you start painting. Use a sinkful of luke-warm water, a little washing up liquid and maybe an old toothbrush. Obviously best to do this before you've added any small fiddly bits, or applied any water based paint. Put the sink plug in obviously. Wash the model, rinse and leave it a day to air-dry, protected from dust if possible.

Before applying, mix the paint really well - ie until you start getting bored. And then mix it some more. Consider thinning the paint - those little pots you get in gift sets can be quite thick IME. Several thin coats always better than one heavy coat. And the little brushes you have there probably aren't the best, either - definitely invest in some more if you want to get more into the hobby.

Plenty of friendly modelling forums out there where you'll probably get better advice.

Cool. Loads of great advice guys thanks. It was only a tenner to buy that kit so I can just kinda...paint it I guess and IDK maybe fly it from the top floor of a London skyrise next time I'm visitng...

I understand that those paints are definitely not the best. I was kinda hoping some-one could suggest me a highly recommended brand for good even coats. Try and try again. I enjoy putting it all together I just want to make a really good job painting it. Thanks for all the advice.

Humbrol

Debenhams were/are doing a half metre long spitfire for £18 from £60 if that's your cup of tea!

Revell, Tamiya, Humbrol acrylics are all good. Humbrol paint codes are what Airfix use but there are colour conversion charts available.

I used to do these a lot as a kid and can't think for the life of me why you'd need to undercoat them!
The paints are designed to go on plastic and the models just sit on a shelf getting dusty, so the paint ain't going anywhere is it.

I always undercoat mine with a Halfords acrylic grey primer spray can.

If you're brush painting it I'd use Humbrol paint well thinned, it's better to do a couple of thin coats rather than one thick one. Tamiya paints are great for spraying but dry a bit too quickly for brush painting.

Just finished this one over the Christmas break, sorry not a military kit.

I have had this kit for a few years, but never had the time to build it, forgot how much fun they are to make, must be 35 years since I did the last one, made a few mistakes, but found the Tamiya acrylics paints great to use, no primer needed, dry quick.

Now I need to do the other two classic Mini's kits I have 😉

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8356576831_4152e2c13b_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8356576831_4152e2c13b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/scotiedog/8356576831/ ]7[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/scotiedog/ ]scotiedog[/url], on Flickr

Tamiya 1:24 Mini Cooper 1275S Rally Model Kit

always been fond of Tamiya acrylics, water soluble and brushes last longer (forever) as there's not the build up of crud you can get with enamels.

Can someone please explain the appeal of these things to grown men?*

* and yes, models do appeal to me - but the rational bit of my brain asks "why?"

[i]Can someone please explain the appeal of these things to grown men?*[/i]

I wondered that - but my father-in-law does them, he's in his 70s and he's a member of a modelling club.
I think it's whats known as a "Hobby". 🙂

(I used to dislike the building part, but I was awesome at painting the little details (about 35 years ago, when I could still see))

Use decent brushes - get them from an artist supply shop, the ones sold in model/hobby shops are generally very cheap and nasty. Decent brushed are not cheap but they will keep their shape, and not shed bristles. If you can afford sable brushes so much the better.

Traditionally, undercoat has always been neutral grey, or occasionally, white. Never black, especially when the base plastic is grey...

The other best "trick" for making a model look great in minimal time is highlighting by "drybrushing". Takes a bit of practice to get the technique but once you have it it's dead quick and gives excellent results. An undercoat, 2 layers of colour and one or two applications of drybrushing can give awesome results and really make a model look great compared to just flat colours.

I would recommend looking at some miniatures (warhammer, etc) painting websites/forums for tips and to look at examples of incredible painting. You can take models to the next level by incorporating dirt/rust/corrosion effects which are actually quite simple to do.

I'm in no rush to actually finish the job, it's just 'there' in it's place, being added to bit by bit and hence there is no rush, I'd like to do the job well. I shall maybe give up a bit on this one and just paint it green/grey freehand camo with a brush for now and purchase another kit before the end of the month to start in February...

I might even make a "Watch my progress through the year" series thing to see how I've progressed...perhaps on an actual modelling forum though...maybe...

In regards to the Mini, looks awesome! I like all types of models, not just military, but I just like jets and planes alot, so will probably do more some red arrows one time and other military planes.

Can anyone suggest me a website to buy some model kits? Is Airfix pretty well regarded or are there better ones?

Get yourself down to the local model shop (if one still exists), browse the shelves, rush home with kit in brown paper bag and spend rest of day making it. 🙂

I keep looking at getting a model to build, but always get put off when you see the list of 15 colours required that are going to cost £40 for a £10 model.
Probably not gonna do one very often, so hard to justify the cost.

I know most of the colours are for the details, but if I was to do one, I'd want to do it right.
What do most people do, just ignore the tiny dots of paint or pay for every colour?

Can someone please explain the appeal of these things to grown men?

Never trust a man that doesn't have a hobby. Hitler didn't have any hobbies, you know.

Tamiya are/were the best kits IMO.

I know most of the colours are for the details, but if I was to do one, I'd want to do it right.
What do most people do, just ignore the tiny dots of paint or pay for every colour?

To be honest, I like to get the colour right in the sense that, if it's a Ferrari, I'm gonna paint it red, because it should be red, not pink because I have lots of pink paint spare. I wouldn't spend time painting tiny (5mm?) areas that are only going to be noticed after someone's picked it up and been looking for a while. Of course things like the tyre of the Harrier I will paint black etc. You get the idea lol.

[i]rush home with kit in brown paper bag and spend rest of day making it. [/i]

Yeah, let the bloody kids starve! 🙂

Older airfix cats can be appalling. Newer ones in red boxes much better. Revell, Tamiya, Academy, Italeri, Hasegawa, Trumpeter all good.

I'll sort a link for online model shop when I get home, but you should be able to find Model Zone with a bit of googling.

I started making these lil kits (AMT / ERTL) when the Mrs went back to work on nights, and I had to stay home to look after the lil un's.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Kindga got carried away buying 70's and 80's Kits from the USA on Ebay and ended up buying a *"AT-AT-Ron" from Australia for 1000$Aus He's the BIG fella at the front (Stands about 18"-24" high!).

* a AT-AT-Ron is a "kit" in the loosest sense, a guy called Ron (don't know his surname) was a prop maker on the original films, and made a few "spare" casts from the original moulds when they finished filming, he then sold them on slowly over the years.... so this a "replica" in the truest sense of the word of a ACTUAL screen used AT-AT.

I think that's Pretty AWESOME 😀

Make lovely pets too...

john_drummer - Member

green & grey.

Nice. 😉

[url= http://www.scale-models.co.uk/forum.php ]Friendly scale modelling forum[/url]...

...they'll sort you out with everything you need - great online shop too (I'm not affiliated!).

Here's one I made earlier, happy modelling!

[img] [/img]

Nice Spit munkster!

"Can anyone suggest me a website to buy some model kits? Is Airfix pretty well regarded or are there better ones?"

+1 for munkster's link, I've used them loads of times. very quick delivery.

This is also a good shop with quick delivery http://www.hannants.co.uk/

Decide what model you want to build and then find out which company makes the best kit of it, they all have their good and bad kits.

adi66 - you don't hang about on here by any chance do you?

[url= http://www.therpf.com/ ]http://www.therpf.com/[/url]

If not there is some amazing work on here, some guys really get into making their AT-AT's as exact as possible (by exact I mean "as the model in the film" - I'm well aware they don't exist in real life)

That is a lovely spit.

Have been resisting the temptation to get a 1:48 Bf109F in desert colours 😳

I've just bought that Spit munkster lol. 1:48 Revell. Damn the standards have been set high...

How about a Typhoon....

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8358212831_8c1e10600d_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8358212831_8c1e10600d_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8358212831/ ]Typhoon[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

From this site...

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

[i]Can someone please explain the appeal of these things to grown men?*

* and yes, models do appeal to me - but the rational bit of my brain asks "why?"[/i]

It's like Harleys innit. 'If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand'

My Spitfire is actually by ICM (but indeed 1:48!) - wouldn't recommend the kit personally - bit of a swine to put together from a "fit" point of view.

I got some big 1/24 models for Christmas, apparently pretty hard to do well for a novice.

The Spitfire I got is an old moulding so loads of flash to cut off and sand. The Mosquito is awesome but will take me months to complete. Both Airfix and its cost me a fortune in paint etc ready to start painting as I go along.

Going to do the Spit first as a learner and get some practice on that.

Never trust a man that doesn't have a hobby. Hitler didn't have any hobbies, you know.

Never get nearly all the way to the end of an (admitted) very easy red arrows gnat, with the intention of making it perfectly to give to your son, then let the glue flow onto the clear plastic of the canopy and thus ruin the bloody thing.

Bitter does not cover it!

here we go:

http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/

I keep looking at getting a model to build, but always get put off when you see the list of 15 colours required that are going to cost £40 for a £10 model.

ah but a number of those are commonly used across many kits - for example matt black, anthracite, aluminium/silver, olive drab, sand, very pale grey, matt white, yellow if you do a number of piston engined aircraft, flesh if you do people - but in small amounts so you buy them once and they last forever...

or you could try something that's predominantly one colour, like a Red Arrows Hawk (or Gnat), F117 Nighthawk, Ferrari, modern jet fighter, WWII US Navy fighter, etc...

here's one that uses about 5 colours:
[IMG] [/IMG]

colours used on this one: gloss black (tank), flat aluminium (engine, brakes, fork lowers), semi-gloss black (frame), clear red (brake light), clear orange (indicators) and clear yellow (gold bits). Once you've bought the clear red, clear orange you'll probably never need to buy them again no matter how many bikes or cars you do

Can I also suggest Britmodeller.com as it's great for learning new stuff, tips, ideas or just inspiration.

If you want to see ridiculous dedication to one build look up the Medivac version of the HUEY in the aviation work in progress, he's been building that thing for years and is on about the 3rd engine scratch build (all previous versions I would have been very very pleased with if it was me building, but he found some fault and did the whole thing again!)

My stuff is run of the mill by comparison.

Badger

dannyh you can probabaly find a vacume formed canopy replacement - try hannants (www.hannants.co.uk)

Vac-form canopies are fiddly but much thinner so the cockpit detail can actually be seen.

Also dip your clear parts in klear/future floor varnish first (lakeland sell the stuff as "Quick Shine Floor Finish") it's basically clear acrylic varnish and gives clear parts a nice shine.... also if you get paint etc. on the part you can strip the part back to bare plastic by soaking it in "Fairy Powerspray" kitchen cleaner (this stuff strips paint of any kit without damaging the plastic - an old toothbrush is helpful).

Badger

this was a nightmare. I'm never ever ever doing anything else with rigging:
[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

My two most recently finished:

1/72 Fokker Triplane:
[img] [/img]

1/72 Me262A:
[img] [/img]

And this is the one I'm just finishing:
[img] [/img]

Do you all spray finish your models?

badger

thanks for the tips. Is that a Fokker Eindekker I see in progress?

I do the bulk by airbrush, but some of the finer detail cannot be done any other way than with a proper brush, 0, 00 or possible 000

Just finished the engine for my Spitfire quite pleased as a first attempt in about 30 years! Took me most of the day to paint, well dipping in and out of it, a few hours with letting it dry and faffing about.

[IMG] [/IMG]

WIP, Wingnutwings 1/32 Pfalz DXII

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

Love the Fokker! The 'wear' on the prop is very convincing. The 262's a beaut, too. Nice work. 😀

@spursn17 the wingnuts look really good. This spitfire is a nightmare ut its only for practice as I have a Mosquito and the mouldings 100 times better.

The Wingnutwings Pfalz is the best kit I've ever bought, really fine detail, fantastic instruction book, and Cartograph decal sheets (2 of them). I'll post update pics as I build it (slowly!).

If your Spit is the 1/24 one it dates from the early 1970's, it will still make into a nice model though.

I wish I had your Mossie if that's the new big one as it's supposed to be really good, do it justice, and post some pics as you make it.

I used to really admire the early works of francois verlinden, and tried to copy his style in my work, but found his later work in a lot of the tamiya catalogues were too airbrushed and and now only have a few pieces left.
I prefer brushed ti air brushed but I like that typhoon

Anyone remember Hasegawa Egg Planes?

Hasegawa yes; Egg Planes no

I built a 1:32 Hasegawa Me 109E in about 1978 - was a really nice quality kit. I tried to make an 'ink spot' brush for the camouflage by cutting down an ordinary brush and singing the end - as suggested in 'Airfix' magazine. Only their's was a sable brush and mine was synthetic 😳

Still got quite a nice paint result though - just not particularly accurate. The 109 is in my parent's loft somewhere - bit bashed where it fell off the ceiling...

[b]Update on the Pfalz DXII[/b]

Cockpit now finished with seat belts and ready to be glued to fuselage.
[IMG] [/IMG]

Cockpit fitted, engine test fitted but not glued, lower wing attached. Cockpit was a right git to get in, really tight!
[IMG] [/IMG]

I've been wondering how to represent the wood on the propeller with paint, so I made one out of wood instead! I bought a pack of veneer off of Ebay for £3.50, glued seven layers together then carved and sanded it.
[IMG] [/IMG]

Pingu, how's the Spit going?

😯

Bloody hell 😯