Enterprise NX-01 Paint Scheme/Aztec Dummy Mask

[nickmonster]

Hello all, this is my first post on the Starship forums.

I purchased a 1/350 scale Enterprise NX-01 from Polar Lights off of eBay and received it this afternoon. Before that, I was reading up on a lot of posts on various forums about problems people were having with painting this model, namely the paint lifting after applying Aztec Dummy's mask.

I'm just going to give you a quick rundown of what I've accomplished so far. Questions will follow.

I washed all of the pieces using warm water and liquid dish soap. I let them dry thoroughly and then applied a gray primer (Model Masters). I did a misting coat and then applied a heavier coat around an hour later. I already ran into my first slight problem: despite my best efforts, the spray can occasionally spewed out tiny blobs of paint, which left some chunks on my model. I'm hoping that I can sand those out once the paint dries. They're not big by any means, but unfortunately I'm a perfectionist (I'm the kind of guy who uses a magnifying glass to look for grains of cat hair stuck in the paint) so the tiniest flaw bothers me immensely.

It seems that Testor's Metalizers are popular for starships such as this. I don't have an airbrush so I want to buy spray cans for as much as I can... namely Aluminum, Steel, and Gunmetal. I still need to find something similar to Titanium Gold. However, all the spray can versions need to be buffed... and I don't want to buff. I have no experience with that technique and this model doesn't entice me to experiment.

While on the subject of the Metalizer series, some people have reported having problems with the paint lifting when removing Aztec Dummy's paint mask, even after applying a sealant. I plan on buying this mask so I want to be prepared.

I'm very new to the advanced methods of modeling, so my questions are:

1. Should I wait a week to allow the primer (enamel) to fully cure before applying my base coat?
2. Since I plan on using Aztec Dummy's mask, I need a durable enamel that won't lift, no matter what! :-) Hearing "there's a 50/50 chance of this paint lifting" won't cut it for me. Any step-by-step techniques would be most appreciated!
3. What colors have people used on this model? I'm having trouble finding a Titanium Gold enamel in spray can form. Is there anything else that will match very closely?
4. I was leaning on the Metalizers series for a very long time. Is the buffing required? Keep in mind I don't want the model to shine like glass. I'm just worried about the paint lifting.

I'd very much like to hear back from someone who has built this model and used Aztec Dummy's mask. Thank you ahead of time for reading this rather long post and answering any questions that you can! I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot from me these next two months. :-)

[Stilgar]

I recently finished this model and used Metalizer paints and used the axtec dummy templates. So I can at least tell you what I did....

1.) I did tests on scrape plastic before I did them on my model. I helped avoid some errors on the real model. Just so you know, on my first test when I lifted off the template it removed ALL the paint all the way down to the plastic (primer too!). After much discussion here on the boards; this is what worked for me..
a) Primer (let dry at least a few days...more may be better...usually not a problem because there is lots of putty work to do..)
b) 1st color coat
c) Metalizer Sealer (this helped ALOT to avoid pulling up paint with the templates)
d) templates - a special secret on applying the templates, this is a guarded secret, highly technical, yet this ONE thing did more to prevent pulling up paint than any other thing I tried. Ready?...(dramatic pause..). Before sticking the template on your model, stick it to a clean cloth a few times to remove most of the tackyness.. This makes it come off MUCH easier.
e) 2nd color coat
f) after a couple hours or so....carefully remove the templates.
g) another coat of metalizer sealer

As far as your concern on the buffing, I would not sweat it. The buffing just makes the metalizer paint look like metal. Not shiny glossy metal, just metal. It is not a 'buff the model till its all shiny' type of thing. After you spray the metalizer, and BEFORE the sealer, just rub the model down with a clean soft cloth. It really helps the paint effect.

Hope this helps..

Stilgar

PS Are you going to light your model??

Here is my finished one...
http://photobucket.com/albums/e22/Stilgar99/
(note - the photo lighting did not reflect the actual colors very well...)

[nickmonster]

Stilgar: Thanks a lot for those tips! I think I'm going to stick with the Metalizers now and use your advice.

I do plan on lighting my model. I'm still waiting on my tax return so I can purchase the materials, which is another major topic for me.

I don't plan on going much further than priming until I get my light kit set up. Any tips on that subject would be wonderful as well! Especially where I can purchase supplies. The only thing I definitely want is neon tubes for the nacelles.

It's definitely tempting to tint (nothing too dark) every clear piece for the windows so the lights aren't so overpowering. Just a thought. I haven't decided on fiber optics indefinitely.

I might add more later, however I must be going! Thanks again!

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Nick,

One other thing to consider. If you're doing a lot of masking, consider lightly sanding the model prior to the primer coat and afterwards.

Also, you may be able to buff out the blobs with a tac rag. If a tac rag won't pull them off, get thee to a craft shop and pick up some polishing films. They're like Testor's sanding films, but waaay finer grits. Use these to buff out the blobs.

Finally, with whatever you're masking with, you'll want to seal the edges of the mask. This will prevent bleed under of the paint under the mask. It works like this:

1) Apply first color.
2) Apply masks to mask off first color areas.
3) Apply first color again around the edges of the mask. This is the "Sealing" stage
4) Apply second color.
5) You may lightly score around the edges of the mask (I said "lightly") with an X-Acto blade.
6) Be amazed at your handiwork.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

[nickmonster]

Hey there. Thanks a lot for those tips! They will be invaluable to me later on.

I finally finished priming my model tonight. As I said before, I don't plan on going much further until I get my light kit set up first. That way I don't have to worry too much about scratching my model or handling it too much.

Once my lighting system is planned out and fits properly, I'll start painting it. My problem is that I ran out of money. Whoops! I'm a compulsive spender. I guess I have time now to carefully plan out a lighting system! I'll resume this thread once I get to the painting part again. Look for my new thread in the "Lighting & Electronics" section.

[Madman Lighting]

Hey,

Thats good advice. I'm painting up my NX-01 now with the Aztec Dummy masks and I'm shooting for a showing at NorEastCon next month.

So far I've:

Primed with Model Master gray.
Cleaned up imperfections the primer made visible.
Reprimed with a mix of primer and flat black.

Now I'm experimenting on scrap plastic with the metalizers. I found that if you go SLOWLY and GRADUALLY with the airbrush, with lots of layers you get a much better finish. Duh.

I'm using: Aluminum for the light base, Magnesium for the middle color, and trying Titanium for the darkest shade.

Buffing does make the paint look much more like metal, gives it a shiny look. I use a cotton ball for this.

Thanks for the "sealing coat" tip, I've masked before and always hated underbleed but thats a really neat trick I'm gonna use here.

Thanks!!

-John C.

O yea: Of course its lit up too.