Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

After each session, I always remove my needle and clean it of any residue. A clean needle is the key to a smooth coat.

Breaking down an airbrush might be a little intimidating at first (it was for me anyway), but after you know how to put it back together it just gets easier and faster.

I never paint pieces while they're on the sprue. In my experience, just about every single piece of a kit needs some kind of sanding, the action of which can cause the piece to come loose anyway so I always remove them first. Get you some very good tweezers to hold them in place or stick them on mas...

Anything is possible. It could be the unique combination of paints and adherence issues combined with an aggressive thinner. Hand brshing future sometimes results in hairline cracks through which the thinner can wreck havoc. I hand-brush Future all the time, never had hairline cracks but you have t...

Something that Steve Riojas mentioned to me at Wonderfest--most of the smokes have a bit of brown and red in them to give a bit of a variation in color, and it looks a little more realistic as soot. If you are wanting oil or soot, go with the smoke--burns and dings and such, black. Haven't looked m...

Thanks everyone! I'm trying to avoid a Future solution since it's likely to puddle, the model I'm working on is Halcyon's Alien Warrior. I need something that will provide uniform coverage and dry quickly. The Testor's Transparent Black sounds good, I can thin it and shoot it through my Badger.

Hey, guys, I'm in need of a good transparent smokey black color for airbrushing. Anyone got an idea where to look? Thanks!

SM KER

Shinnentai wrote: Why would Castrol be a bad idea? Will it hurt the styrene?

Not at all. Castrol is all I use to strip chrome, but it will take a good overnight soak to get off the undercoat.

Hey, guys, I'm about to use some dry transfer decals on my Prison Barge. Honestly, I haven't used dry transfers since building the original run AMT Enterprise refit in '80 . I'm using these:
http://www.badongo.com/pic/333286

Any tips? Shortcuts? Anyone?

Interesting. I'll have to try this method.

The Screamin Chewbacca is made of pretty flexible vinyl, too. I used expanding foam to fill him up, and drilled a few tiny holes into the area where his arm should attach to let the gases escape to avoid any deformations caused by the foam.

I've used eye decals on my Chewbacca and Yoda. Granted, these figures are 1/4 but I also have 1/6 eyes and am currently using them on my Kaiyodo Han Solo. Using a tiny thin brush I paint in the whites using Apple Barrel Sandstone, apply a coat of Future, let it dry then apply the decals making sure ...

A day would be good.

My local hobbyjoint carries it. I'm just beginning to use the stuff and love it.

Thanks for the link!

I've airbrushed a white coat in preparation for a bright green. Thanks for the input, since you're the only one here to provide it thus far, but reflective tape seems to be going beyond what I want to achieve. I just want to keep it simple. 8)

Hey, guys, I'm looking for a flourescent green or bright green color to match Yoda's lightsaber. Can anyone recommend something?

SM KER

I use Floquil Lettering Gray as my primer. No thinning required, airbrushes a nice thin even coat that doesn't obscure details.

I flat-coat all my sci fi models. To me it's just too unrealistic to gloss something so small.

What type of blade do you use?

I swear by Castrol Super Clean Degreaser. IMO, better than Easy Off and no nasty fumes. Castrol is super friendly to clear parts, too.

I'm nearing completion of my Screamin Chewbacca and want to seal it with a good clear flat. I've used Tamiya and Apple Barrel acrylics on it, and since this is my first figure model I want to use the best acrylic flat I can get.

For my AMT version I used Testors MM Medium Gray which is really a blue-gray. For the solar panels I used Testors Racing Colors Instrument Panel Matte Black and sprayed a coat of semi-gloss over 'em.

http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery8/jp_tie.htm

The primer I use isn't a primer at all. I airbrush Floquil Railroad Lettering Gray and check for seam imperfections.

Castrol Super Clean Degreaser. IMO the best stuff.

Jowex, 30 psi is too much for this type of application. It should be so low that the Future sprays out as a fine mist. Try using a hairdryer on a low/cold setting to speed up drying time. I airbrush Future undiluted, works fine.

Tinman's Infiltrator looks very good. Kinda reminds me of the Empire's version of a Colonial Viper.

Alfred's Obliterator is awesome.