Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Can you make it work using ABS fittings?

Well..., it appears that in the limited research I did a mechanical bond via a cement (CA,epoxy, acrylic, etc.) is your best choice for ABS to PVC vs. a solvent weld like PVC to PVC. And it may be a case of there's no good solvent weld for ABS to PVC because the chemistries are too dissimilar, I did...

Oatey makes a green cement designed to stick ABS drain piping to PVC drain piping, it's available at Lowe's, et al. Don't know if the working time will be long enough for what you want to do with it, a lot of the pipe cements are very hot. Looking around CA seems to work, plus there are some special...

Closest I can find to a 4" hole in 1/350 scale (would be 0.011" in scale)

https://www.mcmaster.com/#9360t12/=1cfhsas

If you're going to create a custom mix I'd advise making it up as one big batch for consistency. Dump all 6-8 bottles into one larger airtight bottle, add the white to your taste and mix thoroughly. This ensures that any variance in the XF-12 evens out and the amount of lightening is consistent as w...

I think you could build a reducer out of cardboard or something like that to go from the box fan to the 6x12 opening. 1000CFM was only a guess based on the size of your model. 100fpm face velocity is the industry standard to ensure the airflow is pulling the paint and fumes away from you and out the...

Wow Ken, that is fantastic info - extremely helpful! Three points of clarification: 1000 CFM? That is a ton! Most bathroom fans do between 50-100 CFM. Wanted to double check I'm reading that right. 2 fans in a row - you mean side by side? dedicating an exhaust to each fan - you mean ducting away fr...

For a paint booth the rough guideline is that you'll need a face velocity of around 100 feet per minute (fpm). To figure out the fan size you need to take this number and multiply it by the opening in the front of the booth. Ex - your model is 4ft long so let's say a 5ft wide booth that's 2ft high 5...

They make fiberglass chopped strands Link that are mixed in with the resin to act as a reinforcement when you can't use cloth.

I don't know how we'll they'll do if a nice surface finish is needed, I've only seem them used as a backer to the fiberglass gel coat or behind another surface.

McMaster-Carr will sell you a 2ft x 2ft sheet of 100×100 mesh, 0.006" square opening size, 0.0045" wire dia for $26.93.

Item # 9223T92

When searching, look for "wire cloth" instead of mesh, wire cloth is the trade name.

KEn

I've used regular hardware store concrete mix, it's dense and while it is exothermic it's a lot cooler than plaster.

Ken

Epoxy putty, Aves is popular for this. Roll it out thin and let it start to set so it will hold its shape, then drape it over the figure and adjust the "lay" as needed. Once it sets you can remove it and clean up any edges and paint it. You also make it look like its flowing behind the fig...

Build a jig and use the surface gauge idea from EVApodman. You've got a nice dimple in the center bottom of your primary hull, you can make a pin with a rounded top to match that dimple and that will support the front of the ship. The notches in the rear of the secondary hull can be used to hold it ...

A picture or sketch of what you're wanting to build will help, here's a few ideas off the top of my head: 1 - If I remember correctly the nacelles are dead flat where the clear parts mount, you can lay them upside down on a flat surface and get them aligned correctly (level, parallel and square) and...

I've airbrushed Ceramcoat by thinning it heavily with Windex (or equal), ag Rogviler mentions it has to be very thin. And do not try to thin it with rubbing alcohol, it just balls up, must have latex in it. I find it must go over a light base and requires 6 or more thin coats to build up the color d...

Everything I've read seems to indicate that any solvent will have the same problems as MEK.

Have you thought about Aves or something similar?

Ken

I have not tried it myself but have read that it doesn't work as it seems. Takes a long time for the solvent to come out of it, so it stays soft for months, ad it seems to affect the texture of the filler plastic so it's not the same as the original material, making it hard to get a good surface fin...

Lighter colored wash with oils or watercolors. I've tried acrylic washes before and don't like them, once they start to dry that's it, it's not like enamels or oils where a little thinner will re-wet the surface and you can manipulate it. And acrylics seem to dry faster, giving you a smaller window ...

I'm not aware of any program that can take a set of 2D plans and turn them into bulkheads. If you had a 3D model then you can cut sections at whatever points you want with the software. So depending on your skills and what software you have you can either redo the 2D plans into a 3D model and sectio...

I'd get 0.010", 0.020" ad 0.040" in sheets, you can get 0.005" but it is very thin, about the same as 2 sheets of standard copier paper. Evergreen makes all kids of strips in various thicknesses and widths plus rods ad half rounds. They come in handy for detailing, plus its easie...

My advice? If you've never done this before start out simple by making a scale model of something you have around the house like a toaster or microwave or something. You'll have a ready reference on hand and most of the time they are simple box shapes so you can concentrate on learning how to measur...

I thought about trying it with ink but figured I'd make less of a mess with pastels...

UPDATE I ended up trying mixing in some dark gray pastel powder with some Aves and it worked fine. It does dry out the Aves a little bit but adding in some water made it sticky and easier to work. It's doesn't take much pastel powder to tint a small bit, I mixed up a pea-sized blob of Aves and it pr...

Got a kit windscreen that matches up to the canopy fine but the lower edge of the frame is short of the fuselage. I can fill the gap with Aves, I'm not worried about that part, I'm worried that the Aves will show up inside the canopy between it and the dashboard. I had to glue the main canopy first ...

DaveVan wrote:Dupli-color #1699 sealer primer.
I buy it at local big box store but you can get it at many auto parts and Amazon.
It's a very fine spray, seals, and you can use almost paint over it.
Will not cover details. Good stuff.

Seconded

Second the counter top and door idea, I like counter tops because the laminate surface is dead flat and can be cleaned easily. If you can find a solid core door that's plain (no embossing or raised panels) they make excellent work surfaces. You can also check out the clearance rack at the local home...

In another forum the general reaction was "meh" at best from those who tried it. Consensus was that it was messy to use and wasn't as strong as advertised (or implied). I know there are some industrial grades that have been used for years in various applications and work well but I think t...

I'd avoid the plastic sanding needles, I tried them and wasn't impressed. My personal choice for sanding tight areas is a popsicle stick (or similar) with the ends cut square and beveled. I wrap wet or dry of the appropriate grit around the end and sand wet. It can get into tight spots and is rigid ...

Punch it out

It may flange the hole a little but that can be hammered out.

Or you can drill the hole out, clamp the sheet between two sacrificial holders, drill through all three at once. The holders will help to keep the material from climbing up the bit.

Ken

I've heard of people using real mud in this application but have not tried it myself.

Find some fine grained soil in the color you want, make some thin mud out of it and pour it on the base. Let it dry and it should crack like the full scale location.

Ken