Stuff you wish someone had told you as a rookie!

[Wurger]

Here you are the effect of the silvering. In the last image you can see how the properly applied decal marking should look like.Source - IPMSStockholm.

Tech Tips: Ageing Models, Silvering Decals and Biological Warfare - About Reversing Decal Silvering

 

[Wurger]

Concerning the Future liquid..... it is known also as Pronto, Sidolux...All of them are for preservation of wooden floors .And you can find these in all supermarkets and shops for cleaning of houses.
But a short note here.....because these varnishes are acrylic ones it would be better to add to them a few drops of the Retarder for acrylic paints. ALso mix with Flat Tamiya Base makes is better for airbrushing. Of course these can be applied with a brush too.

 

[seiseki]

Ah, thanks!
I'll go looking for it in the nearest store tomorrow.

And those pictures help a lot, as I kid I built a few models and I remember that the decals always looked milky like that, I didn't know there was a way to make them blend in perfectly.

 

[Wurger]

I've got vallejo matt and glossy varnish though, does that work?
And do I have to coat the entire model or just the surface where the decals will be applied?

Of course these Vallejo varnishes work.

To answer the second question.... it depends on with what you want to apply the coat on a model. If it is a brush, you can put the dope at areas where decals have to be applied only. But I suggest brushing or airbrushing of an entire model.

 

[mikewint]

You can also dip your clear plastic parts in Future, put them on a paper towel to dry (edge down). The fututre will make the clear plastic look like glass and will fill-in minor scratches.
one other hint, I use permanent markers to color in the metal frames for the canopy

 

[seiseki]

Anyone got any tips for using acrylic colors?
I read the basic painting guide, but it's for oil colors, I guess most of it still applies, but I'm curious as the differences.

 

[mikewint]

I apply my acrylics with an airbrush and only use a paintbrushes on small parts. other than that pretty much the same, several thin coat vs. big gloppy heavy coats.
I thin my acrylic paints with blue windshield washer fluid. sounds weird but it works very well and does not alter colors, even whites. Stir, stir, stir and then stir some more, don't just shake. Paints should be about as thick as whole milk. brushes can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or just plain water

 

[Wurger]

The main tip is that acrylic paints need a primer.It is because these colours "like" peeling with masking tapes especially. You can use a few of them that are offered by a couple of manufacturers. For instance Mr. Base White 1000 or Mr. Surfacer 1000 both of the Gunze Sangyo. Personally I use light grey oil enamels of Humbrol. Also , to make the possibility of peeling down I wash a model up with warm water and soap then make it dry before painting.
Acrylic paints are better for airbrushing than for brushing. But it doesn't mean you can't apply them with a brush at all.
Acrylic paints have the time of getting dry faster than oil enamels. That's why the retarder is needed for better or just applying.

 

[seiseki]

Hm, so I need to start of by painting the entire model with the primer?
Even small details like the cockpit?

Can the primer be painted applied by a brush? Because I know there are primers for warhammer that come in a spraycan.

This is getting more complex than I expected

 

[Wurger]

Of course the cockpit interiors , wheel bays , a tail wheel bay don't have to be painted with a varnish. The main reason of applying of dope on entire model is to get one solid and smooth surface. Look , if you apply the gloss varnish at area where you are going to stick decals only you will get a surface of different appearance right? What is more the thickness of a layer of paint there will be larger that of the one around its " vicinity". As a result you will get a kind of "stair" at the "borderline" of both areas. Then you will apply decal what will make the matter worse. Because there will be a layer of paint + a layer of varnish + thickness of decal marking. The kind of a " sandwich " will be really noticable from different directions when looking at the model. And finally you have to apply one more layer of varnish on the " sandwich " but it has to be the matt one. Too much doeasn't it?

These primers of Gunze S. are offered in spraycans as well. As far as these primers for warhammer are concerned. I wouldn't use them and mix with other paints for models without checking whether they can work together.

These Future/Pronto/Sidolux liquids can be applied with a brush easy. Of course if these are too thick you should thin them with alcohol or water ( depends on a liquid).

 

[bobbysocks]

all very interesting. i havent done any of this stuff for a very long time...but have some kits i need to get started on. when i had my autoparts store i used to sell a liquid masking solution for auto paint. you sprayed or brushed it on...let it set and then applied your color. after that dried...hot soapy water took the masking solution off. is there something simular for models and does it work well? as for decals the auto detailers used to use dish soap and water for mylar window tint and decals. future ( wax) doesnt cause any adhesive problems down the road?

 

[mikewint]

Bobby, the films do not employ an adhesive, thet adhere to the glass through electrostatic attraction, and Future is not a wax, it's a clear acrylic "paint"

 

[Wurger]

There is something what is called Mascol. It is a kind of a liquid rubber. It ca be applied with a brush or a wooden stick.When it is dried it gives paint-proof layer. Because it is rubber it can be removed easy by drawing with hands or a toothpick. But it is not too effective for quite big areas. That's why a paper masking tape is used. It can be removed by soaking in warm water.

 

[Bucksnort101]

Micromask is another masking liquid. Brushes on and peels of like a thin layer of rubber. Made by the same company as Microsol and Microset I beleive.

 

[Wurger]

Exactly, it is the same like the Mascol of the Humbrol.

 

[seiseki]

haha, I keep going to the hobby store back and forth as I learn new about stuff..

 

[Wurger]

Take a sledge...you'll get the shop faster.

 

[Wurger]

And here an example of using of the Mascol. It is the violet thing in pictures.

 

[N4521U]

Will this Micro Mask lift acrylic paints when applied since it is water soluble???

In sign painting I used to spray paint the backs of clear Lexan panels for shop signs, the back lighted kind. It's all done with translucent vinyls now. Point is I used to get gallon cans of a product called Gripflex. It could be brushed, sprayed or even rolled on, multiple coats until it covered all over. I would mask surface 4 feet tall and as much as 14 feet long. It is water soluble as I sprayed acrylic lacquers layer over layer until I got the density I wanted. Then to clean off I used a water hose, or pealed it off if it was thick enough.

 

[bobbysocks]

that looks simular to what i used to sell. for larger areas i would still use masking paper. that mascol...how clean can you get the edges? is it good for detail work? paint it on and trim the edges with an exacto knife and it gives you a nice sharp edge....or does it tend to bleed under??