Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Sometimes I’ll use a tack cloth, from Home Desperate or a paint store. It’s basically cheesecloth with a sticky substance that removes dust quite well. Works better on larger items.

I’ve been using Krylon’s spray acrylic matte lately. It seems to lay down nicely, spray in light misty coats. May be a little tough to find, but I think Michael’s has it. I get mine from the local lumber yard.

Oven cleaner works quickly and won’t hurt the plastic. Whatever you use be sure to wear gloves, protect your face too(you might have a time finding masks). If you have time then a degreaser like Simple Green(less caustic) will take it off, just needs to soak a while.


And welcome aboard!

Got any Easy Off oven cleaner? That works pretty fast and doesn’t eat the plastic. Use gloves, etc.

The Panasonics are the best fans, the only bath exhaust fans we use. The are efficient and quiet. They make a nice large one that I hooked up for a customer once and it really sucked!

You might try acrylic rod. I used that on my F-302 : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/ussarcadia/F-302/F302rearquarter_zps4e0a7451.jpg It took some practice to get it right, but I held it over an open flame, far away enough not to make it start bubbling, then bent it to what I needed. The trick...

Here's my Saber mounted on a wood base and a Laserfire Creations acrylic piece. The brass rod measures at 3/32" O.D. Seems to hold just fine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/u ... fjbjwk.jpg

I tried it as an experiment years ago. MEK is nasty stuff and won't touch it again. It took a while for it to make a goop, but then used it to make my Kestrel master. In my opinion it wasn't worth the time and effort. Epoxy putty would have been less sloppy and less toxic. I even developed some crac...

I agree with Ken, start out with some simple shapes. Learn how to cut pieces out of styrene sheet and glue together with liquid glue and a needle bottle. Then move on from there. There are some tutorials on the main SM site. There are plenty of us here to help and feel free to ask any question.

Yes we've had our share of resin turds, then on the flip side Kip Hart's Blackbird kit was better than some styrene kits.

A solid core door is the answer. My dad uses one to do his architectural drawings on. A piece of laminate countertop is good too, but if you would spill glue on the laminate there may be ugly results. Most home centers stock at least one type of SC door.

Might want to post this in SW or General section. There's got to be something out there.

There were some great pics in the "Art of ROTJ" book from the 80's. I traded mine to Odyssey Slipways years ago. It had very nice pics of both Mon Cal cruisers in it.

I made a batch when our old pal Woody gave me a recipe. I used MEK and threw in some sprue and plastic forks. It took a week or so to turn into a goo, and I used it on the master for the Kestrel kit. It seemed to dry fine, but I think I would just use epoxy putty If doing it again. Too much of a tox...

Dang. Now I'm thinking I should just stick some styrene sheets together and hit it heavy with Tamiya Gloss Black and sand it to a polished finish. That's probably your best bet. I sprayed a plaque using Krylon's Hammered paint in black it it came out looking pretty good. Has a slight texture to it....

Not sure what decals you're using, but you may want to spray them first with a clear spray, like Krylon Crystal Clear. That should keep them from breaking apart. If the sheet is one saucer half(which would be hard to work with) consider cutting each half into pie wedges, smaller sections that are ea...

I've used Krylon Crystal Clear to seal Sharpie with no running.

I did the blast marks on my Viper by drybrushing paint on in black, then a little grey inside the black and followed up with some black pastel chalk: http://www.starshipmodeler.com/contest/contest17/kit_29.htm I was trying to replicate what was some of the CGI pics. I'd suggest trying it out on some...

Try some WD40 and a soft cloth. It's worked for me in the past with too much paint on a canopy. Clean WD off with glass cleaner or alcohol.

I would advise against plywood for an exterior sign. It weathers quickly and looks like crap after a while. Styrene would be a good choice. The foamcore isn't too strong, bends easily. Try the local area listings for "plastic suppliers" and call and ask if they'll sell to the public, and i...

It might be the vinyl is flexing slightly, two different materials. If nothing else works, try a little siliconized, paintable caulk, like DAP Alex Plus. Apply some on and wipe off with a wet rag, leaving a small amount in the crack and let dry. Then prime over and see what happens.

I use it to thin Apple Barrel and Ceramcoat paints. The combo makes it much more brushable, especially for larger areas. For small details I still thin with water.

Have you thinned your paint enough? Usually to the consistency of skim milk. Amount of thinner depends on what paint you're using.

The pastel chalks are the way to go, but I'd suggest putting a matte spray coat down first, like a light, misty coat of Testors Dullcoat. I use a piece of 60 grit sandpaper, with white ground down on the sandpaper on one side and black on the other. You can drag each color together to make various s...

I started out with an H,then got a VL and use it exclusively now. It will do what the H does plus more and is easy to use/clean as well.

Save some money and pick up some 3M brand wet/dry at an auto parts store. 3M paper stands up to water, leading to my next suggestion(as mentioned), always wet sand. You don't want to be breathing the dust. Plus it yields better results.

I would say tape some wet/dry sandpaper down to a smooth surface and wet sand it flat. Start with coarser grit to get most of it off and go from there. It will take some elbow grease, but it's the safest way. A belt type sander may break it/ruin it. And your fingers.

I usually just use the Spot Putty right over the primer with no problems.

I would go with the thin strip suggestion, or you can make relief cuts every 1/8" along a wider strip, cutting almost all the way through. That's worked for me too.

I usually find I have to over-compensate the warp so that when it bends back a little it comes back to flat. Hair dryer works best, bend then dip in cold running water quickly. Just be careful of the hair dryer being near water.