Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

With enough work and some cleverness you can use almost any part. Tank wheels are put to good use here. http://sf3d0.tripod.com/id24.html That said there are a bunch of parts that are hard to conceal. Tank wheels and superchargers certainly make the list. Wheel halves from armored car and military t...

If toothpaste doesn't work try Novus plastic polish. You'll need to Future the canopy afterward.

Mike

An automotive primer will work best. You can also use Mr. Surfacer.

Heat & Smash is ideal for simple shapes. You don't even need to buy Thermoform from Squadron. I've made a small canopy from clear PETE from the lid of a strawberry container. The master was a craft bead. Binder clips held the plastic while a candle heated it. For larger parts you'll need a bette...

Hi Spacephrawg,

What brand paint did you use?

Mike

Airbrush. Some people shoot it straight out of the bottle. Others thin it with rubbing alcohol. I thin it.

Mike

Hi deepcore, With all the colors of cheap acrylics available at Micheal's I'd be surprised if they don't sell cheap transparent paints. Depending on what you're doing you might try mixing your paint with airbrush medium from Liquitex or the paint's manufacturer. I frequently mix Tamiya or Gunze acry...

Very cool and the crew is wonderful

Hi Dark Star, You have a great idea for a thread. When I reentered modeling I was obsessed with fillers and primers because I had so much trouble with seams. Currently I use Gunze Sangyo's Mr. Surfacer 500 or Mr. Surfacer 1000 thinned with Mr. Color Thinner shot through an airbrush. I also apply it ...

Real hovercraft work great over water. It's one of the main reasons for their use. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovercraft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-cushioned_landing_craft This one looks like it means business. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubr_class_LCAC I think all existing hovercraft that...

Mr. Surfacer will prime metal as well as plastic.

A soaking in lamp oil will remove most but not all labels.

Mike

The problem is the inherent inefficiency of keeping something in the air with jet thrust instead of lift.

Hi starmanmm,

You can try thinning it with Testors cement.

Mike

Thanks everybody.

Mike

Earlier when I asked the well connected local hobby shop about the Tenax shortage they said it was a temporary supply problem. Recently, their distributors told them Tenax is no longer available. This post http://www.swannysmodels.com/yabb2/YaBB.pl?action=print;num=1269994187 says the problem is a t...

Nice

What are the turbines from?

Hi Flatlander54,

If it sprays water OK, either the paint isn't thinned properly or the tip size is too fine for the paint you're using. I'm not familiar with the Sotar. Many airbrushes have special tips for different types of paint. Is it possible your airbrush has a fine watercolor/ink tip?

Mike

Your local hobby shop probably sells Testors Clear Parts Cement.

Hi raser13, Here's an old article but a good article that compares many popular paint strippers. http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html His results more or less match my own. I now use Super Clean to remove paint and chrome. I've only had it fail once on model paint. That was on thick light...

Hi jgoldader, What diameter? For small diameters a punch and die set is best. For larger diameters you have a few options. Olfa and other manufacturers make circle cutters. They're like a beam compass with a hobby blade. I bought one years ago and only used it a couple of times. It seems best for ci...

I tried it years ago with cotton dental floss and couldn't get it to work.

Hi, Floyd Walker has a good suggestion. Here's a repost. I have a dust problem too. Ever notice married modelers don’t have dust problems? Apparently, the presence of a woman in the house keeps dust and lint from landing on scale models. Here are a few things that help. A while before you paint, spr...

Hi Kylwell, I usually apply Mr. Surfacer to seams with a toothpick and let it dry overnight. I wipe off the excess with a coffee filter soaked in 91% or 99% isopropyl alcohol. At 70% regular rubbing alcohol isn't strong enough to remove Mr.Surfacer. I can only remember this technique failing once. T...

Hi USSARCADIA,

Can you wipe off dried Tamiya primer with 99% isopropyl alcohol? The ability to fill seams without sanding is one of the main reasons to use Mr. Surfacer.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi Trek 1701, In situations like this, disassembling the airbrush, soaking it in lacquer thinner and thoroughly cleaning it is a good idea. If a clot from unstrained paint or a build-up on the needle or nozzle caused the problem this will take care of it. Have you ever gotten good results with that ...

So far, I have good luck using CA and epoxy on PETE. You can prime it with Mr. Surfacer.

So zaphod, how are you going to paint the HDPE?

Mike

Water mixable oils

http://www.winsornewton.com/main.aspx?PageID=35

Hi Gabriel, White glue is probably the worst filler I ever tried. In my experience it's adhesion to plastic is poor and it tends to come off if you try to sand it. However some modelers claim good results with white glue. Hopefully a white glue expert will explain what I'm doing wrong. Anticipating ...

Hi Marco,

Very nice!

Mike