Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

IF you don't find something like a quick connect for the airbrush end just go to a "good" hardware store and get a T-fitting for the compressor end and keep both brushes hooked up. I have Iwata and Paasche brushes and the Iwata Quick-connect does not fit both of those "small" end...

Hello, The following is NOT criticsm. It's more akin to me wondering aloud and bouncing it off of ya! What if you "muted" down the intensity of the 'damaged' engine since to me it wouldn't be flashing up to "full on" status, but limping along and trying to not give up the ghost o...

HI, I'm not sure what a "cooper" star destroyer is but I do sell a kit to light the Revell Republic Star Destroyer. That kit has four different sizes of fiber: 0.25mm for the tiny windows, 0.5mm for the big windows, 1.0mm for the two small engines and 2.0mm for the medium sized engines. H...

One simple effect you can achieve for just the engines in that lil A-Wing would be to get those lil "Tea Lights" from a craft store. Take em apart and inside you'll find 3 button cell batteries for power, a switch, a lil circuit board and then the LED. You can replace the LED very easily o...

^^^^^

COOL!

Thank you very much for that!

I love (and have made a habit of) cruising the "lighting" aisle as well as toys whenever I go shopping looking for things like you've described.

Great heads up- now I'll try to find exactly this one too!

This idea is still running through my mind and I'm wondering if anyone wants to step forward with the solution- in easy to understand, "duckproof" terms?

As the thread states- What is the straitforward simple, duckproof way? I want my "effects" as accomplished by one 4017 to then lead right into another 4017 and possibly then trigger the first again for a repeat of the process. Of course once you tell me how to work one 4017 off of another,...

For 12v it would probably have to be a 4000-type D-type flipflop. I don't know what the part number would be. Just connect the /Q output to the D input, and connect the switch to the "clock" input. It will probably be necessary to connect the "clock" input to the power supply us...

jwrjr wrote:That depends on whether the switch is directly controlling much power. If not, use a D-type flipflop wired to toggle (a 74hct74 should do well).

Under 12V?

Hmmm, stumped the electronic Gurus out there?

I have some momentary contact pushbutton microswitches that are the perfect size and fit for my needs but my circuits should be using "regular on/off switches" instead. Did a lil searching on the web and it seems a common issue but so far I'm reading of multiple components being needed to ...

I've some very old bottles of Citadel paint - the plastic flip tops - still in use after god knows how many years. Just keep the seals clean. Hmmm, Didn't work for me? I figured Seals should be clean from frequent dips in the ocean whereas the Penguins somethimes grow lazy and stay ashore? What? :o...

When I started doin the minifigs I eventually bought the entire 'boxed set' of Citadels. Nowadays that comes in a lil attache case affair which reflects the price! I loved em on the lil figs and even broke them out for other modeling but I gotta wonder about their shelf life? Most all of them went b...

Hi Y'all, I'm familiar with chalks and have used them for years but just picked up my first set of the ,'Tamiya Weathering Master' stuff. I've read what's been posted here and of course I'll do some experimenting before committing them to a model but I thought I'd ask if anyone can share further exp...

In case you wanna see a shaved flat LED, down to .040 - http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x66/DuxWerx/Xwing/PICT1732.jpg http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x66/DuxWerx/Xwing/PICT1730.jpg BTW, that's about as flat as a T1 will go without hitting the "innards". But that's just if you're wan...

That would depend on your definition of 'simple'. The way that I do it is simple to me, but others might not see it that way. You Sir, do not count! As a high priest in the black arts of electron management you fail to realize what us mere mortals actually mean by 'simple'. Think Geico- Caveman eas...

I thought I read awhile ago that someone, perhaps 'Virtualight' was going to post a 'down and dirty' way to achieve a Photon Torpedo effect? Right now I'm wanting this for a Star Wars X-Wing, not a Trek ship, but perhaps they'd be similar???????? Any 'simple' designs available for this? Thanks in ad...

I've only just started using Mr. Surfacer in an airbrush instead of rattlecans, but I've found a very thin mix of roughly 4:1 ratio of lacquer thinner to Mr. surfacer goes on nicely. It builds up slowly, and bonds well. Closer to a 1:1 ratio you get a terrible spider-web effect. Lacquer thinner als...

RedFinger, Not a direct answer but I thought I'd share. I use Model Master Flat enamels, by Testors. They are a flat but very fine pigments and of course you can control how smooth a finish you get while airbrushing. I never gloss coat before decaling, on anything. I brush a bit of MicrSol on the ar...

That just might be 'the idea'! Since Alclad chrome takes it depth and shine from how well the black base is prepped and done you oughta get the smoothest base and possibly some more 'depth' that way? Sounds like a great concept- have you tested it, well I guess not- whatya waitin' for? :D I just rer...

Starmanmm, You're no different than most of us in wanting the most cost effective way but still being assured it will work! Now the ironic thing is that just the other day I picked up a quart can of lacquer thinner at K-mart since I like to keep some around to clean the AB. This one, unlike most I'v...

It says.... AB Thinner. Use to thin testors and MM enamels for AB. Your 'black label' can says that? Um, sorry, my 'black label' cans were specifically for lacquers??? Well, don't use that if it says for enamels! :oops: Gosh, I hesitate to suggest anything that includes 'brush cleaner' on the label...

I know that it is better to use the thinner reccommended by the paint manufacturer, but it is against my religion to pay $112. a gallon for paint thinner. (I'm already paying $384. a gallon for paint). The bulk stuff takes a lot of practice to make it work right, but at 1/16 the price, I'll darn we...

This is what I have... Black Can 8oz MM AB Thinner 1799 Blue Can 8oz Testors AB Thinner 8824 (says on can to thin Testors and MM enamals and for AB) Bottle MM AB Thinner 1 /34oz 1789 Bottle Testors 1oz Lacquer Thinner & Brush Cleaner 1159 I don't have a Black label can right now but it does say...

Yeah but MM (Testors) has multiple thinners and then 'AB cleaner' too. Once upon a time the AB cleaner was some "diluted and cheap" form of thinner that would clean an AB but when mixed with enamels caused them to dry painfully slow. They did change that formula though and you don't see th...

The paint job has aztecking, both shades of blue. ooooh, Well that makes it tougher. Like mentioned though you can still wetsand carefully to knock down the worst high spots. Then you can give a careful overcoat of clear, let it dry completely and use that as more material to again wetsand being ca...

The painting is all done save for the semi-gloss clear coat Is it a single color, no aztek'ng, panels, whatever? Even if, if you can lightly wetsand without breaking through, you're okay. If you breakthrough whatever you've done you just need to 'repair' (repaint) that area. While a wetsanded surfa...

My guess is your paint wasn't thin enough. I may have dried on the way to the model, depositing paint dust onto the surface. Or maybe the model was a little bit dirty, did you wash it first? Did you dry it with a lint free cloth? Anyway, you can wetsand the surface, which will smooth out the bumps ...

I like the Bikini Wax :D method metioned above. Since the top coat of clear shouldn't have worked through the decal (barrier) you can often just 'peel' it away and then feather in (sand) the resulting paint edges and if all else is well, retopcoat (paint). But if everything else is already kinda 'th...