# How to get started?



## looney (Sep 9, 2010)

The last time I build me a model aircraft was about 25 years ago (I was 5 or 6) and then only out of the box no paint and with as much bombs rockets and guns on it. Now I want to do it a bit better, only I'm not sure I got patience for it. 

Therefore I don't want to buy a lot of tools/paint and stuff just the minimum of tools and paint.

What tools can you recommend and if possible are there any good toolsets available? 

My goal is to try a few 1:72 scale aircraft just to see if I like it as a hobby, I thinking of spending roughly 30-50 € on gear. Excluding paint and models.

tnx in advance


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## Crimea_River (Sep 9, 2010)

That should be plenty. I'd start with an X-Acto knife, a file, putty, various grades of sandpaper, CA or liquid glue, and some tweezers. Don't forget a couple of paint brushes, one for fine work and one for painting large areas. Cheap ones work OK so don't waste your money on artists' brushes.


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## looney (Sep 9, 2010)

Tought so.. 

Am gonna buy a cheap 10€ starter set, 1x tweezer, 1x knife, 1x file 1x sprue cutter.. I will ask more questions at a later date 

Bought me my 1st model also, a FW190 F8 1:72 I believe


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## javlin (Sep 9, 2010)

That should be more than enough cash and supplies.I always like Testors liquid cement it comes in a bottle w/brush and all you have to do is just touch the 2 pieces of plastic together and let the capillary action do the work for you.


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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2010)

I would probably check some of the old Group threads. I know I posted some pics of tools that O used and I believe others have done so. Just so you know, there are quite a few of us who took the loooonngg vacation between builds.


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## N4521U (Sep 9, 2010)

Here's some stuff I use, a minimum of equipment as well. Haunt the (2DS) "two dollar" shops for some of this stuff, or anything else you might see.

TOP PICTURE.
1. Itty bitty files, (2DS) 2. steel brush for cleaning files (2DS) 3. little clamps 4. long clamping tweezer 5. Revell liquid glue, has a tiny outlet and fuses the plastic 6. super glue, any kind (2DS) 7. Long brush, cut the bristles till they are kinda stiff (2DS) 8. Soft cutting baord (2DS) 9. synthetic brushes, come in set of 3-4 (2DS) 10. buffing boards, for girlies (2DS) 11. If you want to spend some more an Exacto saw.

BOTTOM
1. those chinese take away trays make eggggselent parts storage 2. Filler, comes in green or white, don't really know which is best 3. Mr Surfacer, this one is the 1200 thickness, is eggspensive so make sure you want it for filling itty bitty places 4. your spru cutters, exacto will work until you are sure your gonna have 10 models going at the same time like most of us 5. This is green tape available at automotive paint stores. great stuff, will not bleed and is tough enough to file or sand over and next to. paint edge as well 6. if you can find them cheep, they only drill plastic 7. glue tac, I use oit for holding small parts for painting and glueing to 8. is a block of non-hardening clay with a glue wire in a wooden handle I make. it's a very thin wire with a very small loop at the end stuck into the stick. the end of the handle is filed to a taper. I push that end into the clay, I put a drop of super glue into the dimple and fill the loop from there and apply the glue to the surface I want to glue. 10. Is a little block of stone. I glue tac the small parts to it to work on, glueing and painting..... a great extra

I hope I haven't confused you, just hope it helps. cheers, Bill


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## looney (Sep 10, 2010)

Was planning a trip to the DIY stored over here in The Netherlands. but the cheap stores are on my list now also 

tnx


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## Airframes (Sep 10, 2010)

Always check other outlets for tools, and some supplies. Modelling accessories and tools / equipment are in the same league as anything to do with weddings - the price doubles or trebles !
Earlier this afternoon, I was in my local model shop, and had a look for some new tweezers, as my old, straight-ended pair have gone a bit bent and worn. I found a nice pair, stamped with the name of a well-known, Japanese model manufacturer, priced at £5.75 !!! 
Ten minutes later, I bought a very similar pair at the Pharmacy across the road - for 75 pence !
Sprue cutters = wire snips = hardware store= 25% of the price of modelling tools. 
Modelling knives - forget all the brands, including the well-known (and good) type which has an 'X' in the name, and a round, or tubular handle. The modelling knofe is probably the single most important, and most used modelling tool. Get a surgical scalpel handle, from Swann Morton, and a pack of straight blades and one of curved. The total cost will be the same, and probably less, than the 'modelling' knives, and it will last a lifetime, with the blades being stronger, more resilient, and sharper. But, more importantly, the 'flat' handle is safer to use, offers more control, and is more comfortable - and it won't roll of the bench ! One of the ones I use I've had for about forty years, probably more.
Until about two years ago, my modelling tools consisted of the scalpels, some tweezers, an old 'tin' razor saw, wet and dry paper and nail filing boards, a drawing compass, and some other household bits and pieces. Oh, and a mini power drill, only used for a very few jobs. The paint brushes are from my art equipment, and the airbrush was hardly used, until I bought a newer, fine-line one, inexpensive, just over a year ago.


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## looney (Sep 11, 2010)

Bought me a set consisting of 1 knife, sprue cutter, file and tweezers at €8,- bought me some needle files (needed those for an DIY job anyway, louse door lock got a small bent piece, and similar stuff)

Biggest problem is paint.. I got this box Revell Germany - 1/72 Focke Wulf 190 F-8 with 3 small bits of paint and the likes (brown blue and green). But I need like 10 different colours. I'm 1st gonna see if I can get away with less colours (ie switch anthracite with normal black).

I looked at the sprues for like 3 hours this afternoon  damn tiny


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## Matt308 (Sep 11, 2010)

Dont worry about perfection. Get your basic gluing and painting techniques down first. More colors and advanced skills will follow.


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## VALENGO (Sep 11, 2010)

looney said:


> But I need like 10 different colours. I'm 1st gonna see if I can get away with less colours (ie switch anthracite with normal black).
> 
> I looked at the sprues for like 3 hours this afternoon  damn tiny



I always enjoyed mixing basic colors instead having lots of them. You must think that every single color in the universe is content in the five basic: black, white, yellow, red, blue. If your target is a not so expensive start, try with those five and a can of aluminium for bare metal.
And don´t let small pieces intimidate you, just add a magnifying glass and those pliers that women use for depilation to your tool set.
Good luck and welcome back to modeling world!


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## Airframes (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree about the paint. Although i have a fairly extensive range, I always have a stock of the basic colours. These are used not just on their own, but for mixing to achieve a desired shade, either a colour I don't have, or for adjusting an existing colour and so on.
As Matt quite rightly stated, get used to preparing the parts, then assembling, and then painting, before moving on to more 'ambitious' tasks.
A model can have all the PE parts in the world thrown at it it, or be painted with the most expensive, all- singing, gold-plated air brush, but if it's not properly prepared, before construction, by removing, for example, seams, burrs and filling gaps, all the above are a waste of time, effort and money.
And always remember, unless building for a living, for example for movie or museum work, modelling is a hobby, and should be relaxing and enjoyable. (said he, cursing as he kicks the living c**p out of a particular 1/48th scale jet attack aircraft !!!)


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## N4521U (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with the above. I turned 67 and am back in for the second time since I was 16. Last time I started back in again was about 12 years ago. A little old to be hired permanent, so I work on call in a sign shop, doing some work no one else is good at. So back into modeling I came. The first few small kits you just want to get used to preparation again. Try out a few tricky things as experiments, see how they work, or Don't. We learn more by our mistakes than by our triumphs. It's like, "what if I use this? What if I do this"? Working out how to handle small parts and stuff. I've got 9 other kits going before I started on my Defiant for the Group Build. Took that many small starts to get over the Big heebegeeges, but I am enjoying doing the kind of work and results I am getting. 

This site has been the best thing to come along for me, these guys give insight into great work. Enjoy mate, just enjoy!


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## looney (Sep 12, 2010)

Indeed, my goal is not a perfect model, just a model which fits well together and has a faint idea of a realistic paint job.. Heck I need to put on Decals some are like 1 mm squared ... No IDEA how Im goin to manage that, all I know is that it is great fu to try


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## looney (Sep 12, 2010)

What types of sanding paper should I have?


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## VALENGO (Sep 12, 2010)

looney said:


> Indeed, my goal is not a perfect model, just a model which fits well together and has a faint idea of a realistic paint job.. Heck I need to put on Decals some are like 1 mm squared ... No IDEA how Im goin to manage that, all I know is that it is great fun to try



Well, we have a major problem here...
First make all what goes inside the plane and you will never more can reach: cockpit and engine. Once these two are ready, don´t forget paint the inner walls of the fuselage and engine covers.
Second, bond all together and you are ready to start with the plane itself.
As you can see, the trick is create great groups of assembly instead think about the model as an horrifying bunch of little pieces.

Moreover, read many, many times the manual to see what pieces you will be unable to reach when the fuselage halves be glued and to be familiar with your model. Be sure that you understand every detail of the proccess of assembly.

To be continued... for me or other members.


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## N4521U (Sep 12, 2010)

Sand paper........... go to the hardware, get "wet dry paper". 1200 grit would be a place to start. You can use this under water, or just Lick the stuff if your working at the "bench". I use 1200 for finishing off filled areas. I wouldn't recommend buying one of Everything, once you have used 1200 you'll get a feel for what will work best for you. 

Attached is something I leaned from master builder years ago. He taught me to do this for Any mating surfaces. Wings, fuselage, bombs, rockets, Anything. This helps avoid huge seam filling.

Enjoy.
Bill


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## VALENGO (Sep 12, 2010)

If the link below works properly, it will take you on to the tutorials of hyperscale at youtube. Those guys know much about modeling.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvL0AC37NOw_


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## looney (Sep 13, 2010)

Tnx, haven't glued anything yet, I cut the parts for the cockpit without breaking any of the pieces... I'm happy.

Now deciding if it's worth trying to put a 2d decal on a 3d surface


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## VALENGO (Sep 13, 2010)

No, mate, the link goes not only to the glue tutorial, Hyperscale has whole a family of tuts. Follow the link to youtube and watch the thumbnails at the right of the screen.


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## looney (Sep 15, 2010)

I have checked the vids, still busy cleaning the sprues. And trying to decide what paint to buy.

I want to but revell waterpaints, I think these are easier to work with compared to oil based paints (correct?)

Is there a color chart on how to convert ( for excample) Revel 15 -> waterbased color?

Or an RLM color to the waterbased paint?


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## N4521U (Sep 15, 2010)

If you go to the "home" page on this site from the top blue navigation bar, then scroll down to the "modeling section" you will see all the categories within this site. you will find color reference charts in there, several. Plus all the other things you could possibly need. Good hunting.


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## Njaco (Sep 15, 2010)

Don't know if this will help but there are 2 things that I do:

1) I got myself a fishing tackle box a few years ago and that is what I use to keep my stuff in. Many compartments and the top has extra boxes that remove from the box. I don't have room for a bench or anything so I use this. And when I'm done I can just pack everything up and stow away. Makes the pre-wife happy.

2) Speaking of the pre-wife - I was able to get sveral items from here that work well for. Emory boards are great as sanding files and much cheaper than the metal ones. Politicians around here sometimes give them out for free at local fairs and carnivals so I always grab handfulls. The makeup sponges are great for painting, weathering or anything that involves liguid including cleaning. I have several different shapes that I use when making camo (I don't own an airbrush). Q-tips and small makeup brushes are also something that I get from her.

Hope this helps.


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## Loiner (Sep 15, 2010)

looney said:


> I have checked the vids, still busy cleaning the sprues. And trying to decide what paint to buy.
> 
> I want to but revell waterpaints, I think these are easier to work with compared to oil based paints (correct?)
> 
> ...



To me the modelling part comes easy, the tricky part of getting a good looking finished model is the painting skills.

In my opinion, I always like to use water based paints and avoid enamel (oil based) wherever possible, and the Revell Aqua range are about the best and nicest to use, the only better ones I think are the Warhammer paints for non-specific colours (black, metal, white, browns etc), but Tamiya do the widest range generally available.

The most critical part of basic modelling skills is getting a good overall paint finish, the best way is an airbrush, even a cheap one, but if you just want to stick to brushes for now I'd recommend a wide soft artist brush for main coat areas as well as finer brushes for all the details.


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## mikewint (Sep 15, 2010)

looney, by all means invest in an airbrush. it takes practice but the results are well worth it. i still use brushes on small parts and permanent markers for very fine detail. i use an Aztec from testors and a small compressor. it is an investment but there is nothing like a properly airbrushed finish. i also like testors master series paints or tamyia paint. kit directions will tell you what colors
i have also had many discussions with modelers about details which will never be seen, like a good deal of the cockpit. there are lots of details and some worry about the exact placement of the rudder pedals on am FW190, or the color of a fire extinguisher, etc. details that are buried when the kit is put together. i just spent a month putting together and painting the interior of a 1/48 B-29. now the fuselage halves go together and all that work is hidden


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## looney (Sep 16, 2010)

If I enjoy building this model it could very well mean I'm goin to buy an airbrush. Problem is space, I live in a appartment with no real hobby room (1 is my computer room) So I need to make/buy a spraybooth also. 

Most likely I'll build like 4-5 1:72 WW2 models.. and then decide what I'll goin to do.

My proposed learning curve:
1st model: 
- Make all pieces fit together in the way intended.
- Paint the model resembling boxart. (would be my 1st try)
- adding decals (would be my 1st try)

2nd model
- Gain further exprience with the tools
- Build on 1st model experiences.
- Try some drybrushing/weathering

etc etc

So i plan on slowly increasing my skills


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## Airframes (Sep 16, 2010)

Looks like a good plan, and the right way to go about things. Once you've got a few done, you might want to consider going up to 1/48th scale, given you have the space, as you may find things a little easier to handle, paint etc.
Of course, the bigger the scale, the more detail one is tempted to add, but that's for the future. Don't fall into the trap of wanting to try such things as scratch-building this, detailing that, weathering and so on - get the basics right, or at least to your satisfaction first. In other words, don't try to run before you can walk. 
Have a look at some of the other modelling threads, in the 'Start to finish' and 'Group Builds', and see and learn how modellers prepare the kit parts - sanding off seams and ejection pin marks, ensuring the burrs from the sprue attachment points are smoothed away etc etc.
It's all the little things which make the difference between a good model, and a collection of parts thrown together, even straight out of the box with no additions, and, above all, never be afraid to ask a question, how ever dumb it might seem to you.


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## mikewint (Sep 16, 2010)

looney, as to a spray booth, as long as you stick to acrylic paints fumes are not a problem. i use a medium sized cardboard box. once i'm done the box is where i store the airbrush, compressor, paints, tackle box, etc.


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## looney (Sep 16, 2010)

Tnx for all the info. Haven't been to a store for the paint yet. Slowly and very carefully cleaning the parts of the kit.. On several pieces the sprue was bigger than the part itself. But I still haven't broken any part WOHOOO


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## N4521U (Sep 16, 2010)

When you do when you do get an air brush. 
One simple thing you can do if you have a balcony, spraying acrylic paint.

Lay a chair on its back on a table, legs toward you. Wet an OLD bath towel, doesn't have to be dripping, just good and wet. Lay it over the legs to make three walls. Card board or paper on the table in the bottom of the three sided box. Spray your parts in the BOX. The wet towel will help attract the over spray, and will also help reduce any dust in the air. The typical auto spray booth is washed down with a water hose before painting, to reduce dust, the towel will do the same thing.

Happy modeling.


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## looney (Sep 17, 2010)

My balcony is about 1m x 1m (3ft by 3ft) but I could use it for spraying 

I run into some problems, the Pitot tube has some flash on it, same with the smaller pieces of the landing gear struts. How can I clean those, as the flash is almost as thick as the part itself.


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## N4521U (Sep 17, 2010)

Get yourself a small file set from the 2 dollar shops. For very small flashing it can be carefully scraped with the Exacto or scalpel blade.


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## Airframes (Sep 17, 2010)

Very thin parts, such as the pitot tube, are always difficult to clean up. It's best to lay this on the bench, keeping it flat and tight with a finger, and probably tape if possible. Then use a sharp scalpel blade to trim as close as possible, cleaning up with the file as Bill suggested, followed by an emery board, then fine wet and dry. Make sure you sit and position yourself in such a way that the part will fall into your lap when it goes 'ping' - as it probably will a few times - otherwise the 'Carpet Monster' gets a free snack !


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## looney (Sep 21, 2010)

I think I got the cleanup done now...
So I bought some revell acrylics, and started some test pieces. But I couldn't get a nice coverage... somehow it felt to thick. How runny should the paint be?? Like water or more like sirup?


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## mikewint (Sep 21, 2010)

in general, most recommend about like milk. use 2 or 3 thin coats rather than one thick
I also use a small wire cutter (electronic-type) and/or a small brad cutter to remove such flash or even a toenail clipper which has less curvature


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## Loiner (Sep 22, 2010)

Agreed, one of the best things I bought was a small sharp sprue cutter (like the one shown below), and it is now my most essential tool for almost anything, it cuts even the most fragile small parts off the sprue without breaking them, it's really sharp and cuts off flash and excess plastic effortlessly, so I only use a knife to slice off the last bits of excess plastic that the sprue cutter leaves, just to finish off.






As for paint, sounds like it needs thinning, like milk is a good discription, and paint more than one coat if required. For large areas, I would suggest a flat/wide brush. 

Although I agree with others above that when you get an airbrush you won't look back: a small compressor and a couple of sheets of cardboard or newspaper are all you need to spray, the airbrush is about the size of a pen so space shouldn't be a problem.


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## looney (Sep 23, 2010)

My knife came apart and the sprue cutter is to big, but does the job. So my next purchase is a real good knife, for now I bought a cheap hobby knife (break of kind). 

I am dryfitting the cockpit, seat doesn't fit, controlcolumn to small etc etc. Cleaned the wings and fuselage.

Didn't do anything this weekend, cause I went cycling with my dad. 150km around Amsterdam on sunday. My 1st trip longer than 60km... I was knackered, but at 26km/h I'm very happy.


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## mikewint (Sep 23, 2010)

don't know what is available in holland but here there is a company called XACTO. they make hobby and carving knives in 3 sizes from small to screwdriver size with heavy duty blades to match in 20 or so different sizes and shapes. i used the medium size and have never broken it or a blade. try a small wire cutter as would be used in fine electronic assembly. i like it better than the spruecutter. the blaes are shorter and stubbier so you can clearly see where the cut is going to be on one side or use the tips to nibble at the flash unlike the sprues whch are longer


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## Airframes (Sep 23, 2010)

Agree there. I use a small electricians pair of wire snips - just as good as a sprue cutter, and much cheaper. As for knives, I have an X-Acto, which I use sometimes, but have used Swann Morton surgical scalpels for nearly 50 years. They have a number of handle styles, the Number 3 being the most common, with the Number 4 being a larger version. Blades are surgical quality, stainless, and easy to replace , and again there are different styles, with the Number 10A blade being the most useful in the No.3 handle. (This is a 'straight' blade.)
The handles are solid stainless steel, and not too expensive, and will last virtually forever. They are also flat, extremely strong, easy to grip, and won't roll off the bench !


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## mikewint (Sep 23, 2010)

airframes, i will look into that, had an xacto roll off the bench and darn near did a dart imitation on my foot. the wife ever finds the hole in the floor... i would have thought the slipon nature of a surgical blade/handle would not allow much horizontal or lateral stress. plus i like the razor saw that xacto has for their handle


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## looney (Sep 24, 2010)

Woooot I started painting... got some color on the cockpit and headrest (used wood-brown on seatcushion , and headrest) looks nice IMHO. 

And for the very 1st time did me a decal  2mm wide and 5mm long... damn tiny but its on. 

I got the old fotocam from my parent (As being single foto's don't mean a thing to me) I will put up my workspace and progress (or rather lack of) on here.

Keep in mind this is model NO1... be gentle


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## Night Fighter Nut (Sep 24, 2010)

Not to worry. No one has ever been thrown out because they were learning a new hobby. We all make mistakes and even the master builders had to start somewhere.  Everyone here is very friendly and helpful as you probably have guessed by now.


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2010)

Sounds good mate, looking orward to the pics.
Mike, I use the X-Acto for saw blades and chisel blades, but the Swann Morton for around 98% of other work. As mentioned, they are extremely strong, the handle being solid steel, and I've only ever broken a blade maybe twice in over forty years. And that was trying to do a job requiring a different tool, when the scalpel blade was blunt and crusted with burnt plastic !


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## mikewint (Sep 24, 2010)

airframe, i looked these up and those are the types i used though i not sure who made them any more. initially these were solid steel and had to be hand sharpened and stropped, toward the end of the '60s we were getting more of the disposable kind and i remember the plastic wearing, of course we really didn't dispose of them after one use. i'm going to order a set and we'll see. thanks for the advice


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## Wayne Little (Sep 25, 2010)

looney said:


> Keep in mind this is model NO1... be gentle



Oh, we will be gentle, one big happy family....look forward to some pics...


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2010)

Mike - no plastic in the Swann Morton knives. They've been around since, I think, the late 1940s. I've certainly used them since the very early 60's, and my older brother did so in the 1950s. I can post a pic of mine, and the manufacturers details if it will help. There _are _some plastic / nylon handles around, which look the same style, but aren't the genuine article.


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## mikewint (Sep 26, 2010)

the plastic/nylon handles were meant to be disposable. since supples were almost always short we just used them over and over so it was our fault not the scalpel. as to the brand? i have no idea but these look pretty much the same


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## Airframes (Sep 26, 2010)

Ah, now I understand. I thought you meant you'd seen some today which were plastic. We used to have disposable ones in our medic packs too, again by Swann Morton.


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## looney (Sep 27, 2010)

Made some progress.. Bought me a cheap €20,- dremel lookalike (it works  so I'm happy enough) with some drills (0,6 till 2.3mm) drilled the holes in the wing for the MK 108 covers, and the hole for the SC50 wing bomracks. I glued the cockpit together. Drifitted fuselage and cockpit (seems to fit ok), added wings.... fits worse. Now I got to find some filler, haven't found a good cheap replacement yet. Any help on putty I'd apreciate.

P.s. about the pictures, my parents forgot to give me the cable to connect it to the PC .
And I have no idea how the pictures I took came out.

Found a cheap cutting mat with a knife so swan morton lost a customer for now. Kepe discussing them. I found I like this hobby, so I will invest more time and money into it.


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## mikewint (Sep 27, 2010)

Testors makes a fast drying contour putty which can be sanded or shaved with a knife


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## looney (Sep 27, 2010)

On a dutch forum they use the following: Carputty (alabastine brandname, water dilutable) and white woodglue. I think I'm goin to try that as it's much cheaper and easer to get than the miliput or revell putty


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## looney (Sep 28, 2010)

Bohoooo when trying to fit the fuselage to the wing assembly there is a gap of 1mm at the joints  Also cowling doesn't fit as good as it should be. A well need to practise filling also


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## mikewint (Sep 28, 2010)

looney, try to determine why there is such a gap. sometimes irregularities like flash are not all that apparent. also plastic parts can warp slightly out of shape. airframes has an excellent header pic showing a model being glued together fuselage and wings. note the tape. you may have to force the halves together and tape or rubber band them together until the glue dries. don't expect a precise fit from plastic. wings often have to be taped up or down to get the correct fit. again note airframes header pic. there are times when i've had to shave tabs or open holes to allow for a fit. plastic is plastic and shifts a bit as it forms. use putty only if all else fails


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## looney (Sep 28, 2010)

Checked the fit again, the wing consists of 3 pieces the complete lower section and the 2 top halves.. The shape from the front looks about correct (at least not wrong enough to account for the 1mm gap). So I sanded the fuselage to precise, or the kit has a flaw... in any case just place the wing and fill the gap is prolly the best fix. 

My 1st piece broke one of the cooling fan blades broke.. No idea how to repair that, plus its behind a prop blade so i wont twell if you guys dont tell 

Also noticed that when I close the canopy nothing of the instrument panel can be seen . To bad cause it looks ok (if you can look past that small part which hasn't been painted)


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## mikewint (Sep 28, 2010)

looney, as i had posted to you earlier, some modeler go to extreme lengths to have precisely detailed models. there is a thread here where several people debated on the precise look and placement of the rudder pedals on a German plane. all of which gets buried as soon as you put the fuselage together and the canopy on. i just spent a month building the interior of a 1/48 B-29, interior seats, tables, gage faces, bunks, bomb racks, rear gunner compartment, etc. soon as i but the fuselage together, all gone, never to be seen again.
as to the little broken piece a tooth pick and a bit of putty, and super glue. if you cab see it you can reach it


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## Njaco (Sep 29, 2010)

If you don't have the putty, gather some plastic shavings from the sprue and add a little glue to make a mash. I've used that a few times. Practice first before using.


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## looney (Sep 29, 2010)

I'm using correcting fluid, works liek a charm on small holes I hope it will work on bigger gaps also.

I'm gonna try to add the missing cooling fan.. no idea how to though.


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## mikewint (Sep 29, 2010)

there are very fine nosed tweezers available or as i suggested, use a toothpick and on one end put a small dab of putty, like plumbers putty. it will stick to the toothpick and the part. anything that is mildly sticky can be used. if gaps are small i've used paint to fill the gap. just touch the gap and capillary action will draw the paint into the gap. just don't glob the paint on. Gap-filling super glues also work, just be very careful not to get them on anything other than the gap

Njaco, interesting, i've done that with sawdust and wood glue, never thought it would work with plastic


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## Airframes (Sep 29, 2010)

Looney, take a bit of time to read through some of the threads posted over the last couple of years. Virtually all aspects of filling gaps, what types of filler can be used, or _made_, how to do this, how to do that, have been covered at some time.
It's not a problem asking questions, we'll all help if we can - but the answers may already be here.


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## looney (Sep 30, 2010)

Tnx for the hint, only checked out the build threads. Will check the hint pages. 
Didn't want to ask my questions double, I was trying to convey my thoughts here. I did check out other sites hints and tips


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## Airframes (Sep 30, 2010)

No problem mate. It just saves members repeating themselves describing something already covered. Some of the hints and tips might be in actual build threads - some of those by B17 Engineer, who is also relatively new to modelling, have received a lot of help, advice, and 'how to' guides, which might help.


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## looney (Oct 2, 2010)

Crap more reading to do 

I got the undercarriage mounted, damn that was hard work. 
Tried some painting of the lightblue underside... woswers mixing colors is hard to do nicely

P.s. I got the cable to connect the photocamera to the PC. What is an easy site to uplaod multiple pictures?


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## mikewint (Oct 2, 2010)

i just upload to my computer and use photoshop to do any adjusting


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## looney (Oct 2, 2010)

I mean imageshack and similar to put the photos on the web. imageshack isn't to user friendly for multiple photos

P.s. I now understand why ppl paint 1st assemble 2nd  A well I'll get there.


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## Airframes (Oct 2, 2010)

It's best ti upload your pictures direct to the forum, re-sized no bigger than around 800 x 600 px. Use the 'Go Advanced' button at the bottom of the Reply or New Postage, and the Attachments button. Much easier, quicker, and saves 'space' on the forum, rather than using those annoying systems such as Photobucket etc.


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## looney (Oct 4, 2010)

Sigh sometimes I wish my dad had a better understanding of pc's he gave me the wrong cable 

Bottom side painted, now gonna need to paint the topside. Now figure out how to mask he plane.. more reading and trying


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## N4521U (Oct 4, 2010)

I have just used some cheap electricians tape, the soft rubber type. The one I got from the 2 dollar shop, discount store, is yellow, soft enough to cut easily with the pointed exacto knife. Just make sure after you pull the tape from the roll you let it relax a minute or so, it stretches a bit when taking off roll. I stick it on an old credit card to cut strips. The adhesive is not so aggresive to take paint off, if good and dry. And easy to cut into curvey shapes. just push the edges down lightly with the prong of tweezers to seal. Paint won't creep under even from a brush. You'll be right. Bill


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## mikewint (Oct 4, 2010)

N4521U, never tried that, i use an airbrush and seldom mask anything, when i do i use painters masking tape, the green or blue paper stuff, or sometimes i just hold a file card with my other hand


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## looney (Oct 5, 2010)

Found me a review of the kit.
Revell 1/72 Focke Wulf FW 190F-8/R-14

it even mentions the gap of the wing to fuselage  so not my mistake. 

Sprues look the same allthough mine has a different bomb.


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## N4521U (Oct 5, 2010)

Mike, you must have done T shirts to know the file card trick!
I found masking with the tape pretty easy and worked magic.


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## mikewint (Oct 5, 2010)

nope, I'm brand new to air brushing but i found that if i wanted to have decent looking military models i had to. cammo looks like cr*p with a brush. so i bought an aztec double action and a set of nozzles and started practicing. I'm not good yet but i can do a decent looking cammo. I'm going to try that electrical tape. the flexibility should make curves a lot easier


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## looney (Oct 18, 2010)

Haven't done much last 2 weeks, was a weekend at a holiday park. 

I did however buy 6 other models for €25,- and some putty . If I can find the time I'll do the hardest part during the week. Paint the top with a sand color(Revell woodbrown and yellow mix color  )

The filler I used (correction fluid) cracked on the bigger gaps, I removed that yesterday. now I need to remask the model and start mixing.

P.s. the models I purcased: 
Encore: 
YAK-9 DD/T/K
Italeri: 
Spitfire MkIX 
Messerschmitt Bf-109G6

Revell
Sea Hurricane mk. IIc
Messerschmitt BF109 G10
Fw190A8/R11


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## JohnAnthony (Oct 20, 2010)

looney said:


> The filler I used (correction fluid) cracked on the bigger gaps, I removed that yesterday. now I need to remask the model and start mixing.



I had the same issue when I tried to go cheap and use vinyl spackling as a filler. It worked great but then it started cracking a few months after the model had been completed! Ugh. There's no substitue for _bona fide_ modeling putty.


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## looney (Oct 20, 2010)

I bought autofiller I heard good stories bout it. bought terpentine (no idea how it's called in english) to dilute it. 

Question: I bought a bottle of future, to seal in the paint and decals can one paint over the future? Cause I need to paint over decals.


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## JohnAnthony (Oct 20, 2010)

looney said:


> I bought autofiller I heard good stories bout it. bought terpentine (no idea how it's called in english) to dilute it.
> 
> Question: I bought a bottle of future, to seal in the paint and decals can one paint over the future? Cause I need to paint over decals.



You can paint over Future, like applying a wash etc., but make sure you DON'T use an acrylic-based wash. Use oil or enamel. Future is acrylic-based (meant to dissolve in water) so if you apply an acrylic wash it will start dissolving the Future.


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## looney (Oct 21, 2010)

hmm I paint with acrylics... I reckon I have to dry the model at leat 24hours then. After the future has cured it's water resistent I believe.


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## JohnAnthony (Oct 21, 2010)

looney said:


> After the future has cured it's water resistent I believe.





Yeah, theoretically. A lot depends on your climate - humidity, temp etc. I would recommend getting some ProModeler washes, they have great weathering stuff and advice...

- Promodeller Home


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## mikewint (Oct 21, 2010)

acrylics don't really dry in that sense, any more than concrete "drys". chemical reactions occur which bind the pigments in a polymer lattice. if you paint your house with an acrylic paint, it does not wash off in the rain any more than concrete sidewalks dissolve in rain. once the acrylic is set water based anything will no longer affect it. however organic solvents like those used in lacquers can affect the polymer lattice. best rule is to not mix solvent types


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## looney (Oct 25, 2010)

Pinted the plane.. and applied Parket Plus (=future).. gonna apply the decals this week. then apply the green mottling. 

oh and camera died on me.


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## looney (Oct 27, 2010)

any ideas how to apply mottling with a brush?


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## Wurger (Oct 27, 2010)

Actually you should use a brush with a short cut hairs of its working ending. But I would suggest using small pieces of sponge sticked to toothpicks.It depends on you only which way you will follow..


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## B-17engineer (Oct 27, 2010)

So I ask the question...

Mottling with a Brush or an Airbrush for more realistic results...?


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## mikewint (Oct 27, 2010)

My opinion airbrush is the only way but realistically during the war troops used what ever they had. spray paint driven off an engine compressor or brushes if that was not available. paint if they had it or whitewash. you do what you have to with what you have at the time


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## B-17engineer (Oct 27, 2010)

Appreciate the answer Mike!


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## Matt308 (Oct 27, 2010)

B-17engineer said:


> So I ask the question...
> 
> Mottling with a Brush or an Airbrush for more realistic results...?



Depends on the scale. I've seen beautiful mottling done on 1/72 and 1/48 with a brush. Especially 1/72 with a brush. Experiment, B.


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## looney (Oct 28, 2010)

Tnx for the help. I was going to cut the brushes... And perhaps I'm going to waste some handkerchiefs. Going to be hard to get a nice look. 1st get some cheap brushes to ruin 

P.s. any1 got the measurements of a swastika on a tail? I'm thinking on Painting 1 on my model.


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## Airframes (Oct 28, 2010)

Have another look at the Brush Painting guide - there's a technique described in there.


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## looney (Nov 1, 2010)

Tried the mottling, no way I could get the soft edge look. Almost done with the plane... a long way from perfect but I'm happy enough. Now only find a nice camera to post some pictures.


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## looney (Nov 5, 2010)

Bought me a camera so in a few days you guys will se the finished result of a desert FW190F-8 in a full gloss coat.. I rate it a 6 out of 10. In a kids competition.


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## looney (Nov 5, 2010)

Bought me a camera so in a few days you guys will se the finished result of a desert FW190F-8 in a full gloss coat.. I rate it a 6 out of 10. In a kids competition.


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