Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Translucent white milk jug plastic works great for diffusion. Here I am using two strips in conjunction with some packing material sheets for the warp nacelle grill lighting on my Enterprise E build: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50310653877_ec3b0fb127_z.jpg USS Enterprise E - Nemesis-WIP- Nac...

Translucent white milk jug plastic works great for diffusion.

Regarding scribing lines in the rim of the Excelsior saucer, the main issue will be keeping the scribing tip perpendicular to the angle of the rim. As far as the other end, the anchor point, you can drill a small hole into the bridge dome to insert the point into and just fill it with putty and sand...

The least expensive circle cutters I've found was over at Daiso* (a chain of 100-yen shops in Japan) -- got one for US$1.50 (most items they sell are at that price). Have mostly been using it to cut parts for model rockets (e.g. centering rings). One issue that some folks might find with it would b...

Personally I have concern about a long run endurance. You may have a quick result with a variety of glues but it can snap off along the time. I think that the best option is the CA to stick it momentarily to the place and then make the real thing with epoxy glue. :D Agreed. Epoxy is the most perman...

Good ol' Elmers white glue works too. Just takes time to dry.

Kylwell wrote:Yep. Some times even thick CA is too slow for me.

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Have you ever tried "Plastic Surgery? I get it at my local ACE hardware. It's thin, glues almost any type of plastic to any other type of plastic, and it dries extremely fast.

Kylwell wrote:Thick CA usually. The wires I use are Teflon coated so with a tug I can usually make them slide if need be.

5-minute epoxy should do the trick too. You just need to wait 5-minutes which can be a hassle sometimes.

You can use a hot glue gun. That glue is hot so you'd want to be careful if the plastic is thin so it don't melt it but it dries quick and holds really well.

I use the Tamiya drill combined with the Proxxon 28940 Set of MICROMOT Steel Collets, 6-Piece. http://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-74041-Electric-Handy-Drill/dp/B000J46WZ4 It does a great job drilling and my wrists thank me for the update. Good luck. Thanks for posting this information. I have been lookin...

So I got the regulator and found out the 1/4' BSP Male to Male connector included with it was too large to fit the 1/8" BSP opening in my compressor so I had to order this 1/4" to 1/8" adapter from Micro mark: http://www.micromark.com/air-line-adapter-for-airbrushes-1and8-inch-bsp-mal...

Be careful not to apply it too heavily or it will run and pool in recesses. If you do get carried away you can tilt the piece so the Future runs to an edge then touch a paper towel to it and it will wick off onto the toweling. For smaller subjects or those with lots of angles and recesses I brush it...

I have a small hobby compressor I got at Harbor Freight some years ago for airbrushing. It works well and is fairly quiet; it came with a pressure gauge and moisture trap but the only way to regulate the air pressure was by pulling on a needle valve! Not the best method to be sure. So I saw this pre...

I guess it is a question of sequence here. I am starting the revell Klingon d-7 and there are a number of clear plastic parts for window etc. Do I paint light block first? If so, how do I glue windows in as far as paint glue/adhesion? If I glue windows first, then do I mask and then paint block? Li...

Acrylic resin is supposed to work great. It's a combination of acrylic polymer powder and acrylic monomer liquid. The mixture cures to form solid acrylic, the stuff plexiglas is made of. Turns out it's used in nail salons. I bought some in a beauty supply shop for about $10 for both the liquid and ...

Model glue or CA will soften paint causing the joint to fail. If you have a part that won't undergo much stress you can use 5-minute epoxy to glue it on without hurting the primer. Best to just scrape off the primer before gluing if possible.

I use it. Best applied using a syringe. Smooths into cracks and along seams easily using your finger, brush, or a cotton swab. Cleans up with water. Dries fast and hard so sand within a half hour or so. Water can make it dissolve again so not the best for wet sanding.

I use Canadian Tire Auto Primer (scratch filling and sandable). And I can lay that stuff on like there is no tomorrow. And the detail is still there. It dries quick, and snugs down real nice. Doesn't clog my sandpaper (I wet sand anyways), and takes a polish. It is a little hot though, so I have to...

Modeler's Brand sells a few different transformers and they are a lot cheaper than Radio Shack: http://modelersbrand.com/html/category/power.html You just need to know the output voltage and amperage required. Modeler's Brand has a 12v 2000MA transformer which is the biggest size he sells. They come...

jimboh1 wrote:Excuse me for asking here (I've never seen it answered elsewhere) but why does anyone anneal PE?

Jim

To soften and bend it. Helps it to wrap around curves without wanting to spring back on you.

Freezing it should enable you to pop it off if it's really hard. If you can get under the edge with a hobby knife, especially if you have one that's flattened like a spatula, and pry upwards it might pop off that way too.

For styrene plastic kits, Testors brand plastic cement works great to fuse the plastic. Get the red tube though rather than the blue if you have a choice. You can also get it as a thinned liquid in a bottle for brushing along joints. For clear parts not undergoing any stress I like canopy glue which...

belkin321 wrote:I wish to run my LED lighting for the 1/350 refit Enterprise from a 9 volt AC adapter. What should be the mA rating for the adapter? Thanks

I would suggest at least 1000 mA minmum. I run mine on a 12V 2000 mA adapter.

Alcohol would remove it but might soften the paint, especially if it's enamel. You could try using warm water on a soft cloth. It should rub off. If the adhesive residue is not too extensive I've even used a little saliva on my figertip to rub it off.

RockyD wrote:would Tamiya flat base give you the same effect I cant find floquil anywhere

Tamiya Flat Base is acylic based. No idea how well it coats compared to Floquil.

belkin321 wrote:I have come across info that testers has re-issued flowquil with testers "createfx"

I looked it up on Google. Their CreateFX flat base is acrylic. Floquil is oil based.

I found some on EBay...would you be able to post a link to a photo of the bottle label for the dome diffuser? I could narrow my search then. Thanks for your help. It's Floquil F110015 Flat Finish https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5454/14111070363_9f733a8a65_o.jpg flof110015 by trekriffic , on Flickr I...

Thanks Trekriffic and nice work...great photos. Do I just look for fowquil flat base? Is it white or just called flat base? Thanks for your help. You can try finding it under Floquil or Polly Scale Flat. Good luck though. Testors discontinued the Polyscale and Floquil paint lines last year. I bough...

Yes. I used Floquil Flat Base on the domes of both my 1/1000 and 1/350 Enterprise builds. I found it coats best when brushed on with a soft brush. I used a good amount and let it flow all over the inside of the dome by tilting and turning the dome as the paint flowed. Once I had a good even coat, I ...

I like to solder the strip contacts with the strip in place and find having the strips standing off from the plastic works best to avoid the hot solderinmg iron tip from melting the kit plastic under the strip. So I like to lay a piece of double-sided foam adhesive tape down first and then stick the...