Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Unless you have fiberglassed the exterior of the shell, the structure will probably not hold up well with the frames removed. It may collapse. If you begin to remove the interior frames, do not grind them out all the way to the hull. Leave at least 3/16" to 1/4" of the frame against the h...

I have a styrene framework that I'm planking with styrene strip. The framework is .080 styrene formers attached to a keel of the same thickness. Once I have covered or "skinned" it, I want to hollow it out so as to add an interior. What's the best way of doing this? What's the best attache...

If you opt for Squadron Green Putty, apply it in layers and don't sand until it has completely cured (I'd wait a day or two). Impatience has usually bitten me and I sand as soon as it becomes hard, only to realize that the shrinkage has left a slight depression in the seam. I think that Kenny has pr...

I want to pose this question to you all... I'm finished with the basic styrene framework for a master that I'm making. I've had issues with the skinning process in the past (basically I applied a lot of AB putty to the frame and sanded it down to the ribs) I have a new idea. I was thinking of applyi...

Thickening? I didn't need to, Tap Plastics changed their forumula. The new stuff was so thick, you couldn't get it into the mold before it kicked. Umi I've used Tap Plastics stuff before -- What I need is a resin that will cling to the sides of a rubber mold so that I don't have to slosh it around ...

I'm thinking of giving it a go after watching this video.

It looks promising. Has anyone tried it?

Are you covering up the mold opening? I understand this can cause problems by not letting heat escape. Condesation or something happens that doesn't let it cure completely. Also it is possible you might have some contaminant in the mold. I'd wash it out completely. The other possibility is that you ...

I'm thinking of using plaster instead of rubber for a mold. The pattern that I'm using is pretty smooth (no greeblies or detail) so I think that plaster will work. My question is this: will I need to bake the plaster mold in an oven to remove moisture after I've taken the master out? Is this a neces...

I'm currently plodding away on a scratchbuild -- it's a plank on frame (lofting) type of build. So far I have a major portion of the framework done (a styrene keel with formers attached) and am thinking of the next step. I plan on drilling away an opening in which to fit the interior of the ship int...

haven't tried it yet myself, as i've had no need on current projects (yet...) but i've heard people mention taking strip styrene and gluing it over the formers to give the putty more of a solid guide, if that makes any sense. ...someone who has done it can explain better i'm sure. Arklan, it seems ...

When scratchbuilding a complex shape I use the lofting technique -- basically assembling a styrene framework with formers that follow the contour of the object attached to a keel. Now when using A&B putty to cover the framework, I sometimes wind up with undulations where the putty meets the styr...

Leaky Rowboat wrote:Microbaloons works very very well.

I heard that microbaloons works great as a heat sink that really minimizes shrinkage. My only fear of using them is sanding afterwards. I remember hearing that it leaves a lot of pinholes.

modelnutz wrote:Smooth-On sells a material called Ure-Fil.
Excellent filler for Roto-Molding or slush casting.

Not too much impact to the resin when it comes time for sanding.

Hope this helps ya'

Modelnutz
"the name sez it all"

Thanks

This helps me out a lot

Is there something I can add to resin that will allow it to stick to the sides of a mold? I know that microballoons can do this, but I'm afraid that when it comes to sanding that it will leave a lot of pinholes. There are some fillers that will accomplish this, but what is the best one? I want a hol...

I use the same technique as Umi, but instead of primer I use a Sharpie. I've never had the ink cause either paint nor putty to lift. By the time I'm done sanding there's very little ink left anyway. Andrew Gorman's technique works well too. As for the problem of the formers still being visible even...

I posted a similar thread in the General Sci-Fi section. I have a gob of fine styrene dust from sanding. From what you have said, I think that we are definitely on to something!

Good suggestions and ideas all :) thanks :) Baba I try this and have some success. The problem I run into is deterniming the exact boundary of the low spot. I guess just giving it a big dab of putty would help. Maybe I'm just thinking too much. J- This technique is a good one, in fact I've seen othe...

When scratchbuilding, I use the lofting technique. I use multiple cross sections and fill between them with putty. Getting the overall shape is not much of a problem. The issue that I come across is locating low spots. Obvious ones are easily found. The shallow ones are the most insidious of all. I ...

I stumbled across this guy who gives pretty informative basic how-to's on casting, vacuforming, etc.

Hopefully some here will find it helful. I sure did.

I've been thinking of vacuforming instead of casting since I have a vacuforming machine and am better at it than I am casting. The one thing I have never tried is vacuforming over a master that has a thick layer of Mr Surfacer covering it. I'm concerned about the effect the heat will have on it. I a...

It's very difficult to judge scale without a reference. If you are going to make a seat in 1/78th scale, grab a 1/72 scale figure and make the seat a bit smaller than that figure. I don't know if there is a real appreciable difference between 1/72 and 1/78. I'm going to be building a 1/48th scale in...

Thanks guys!

The problem was the modeler. I didn't have the patience to sand, putty and re-prime. It's starting to come around now. This was a test piece to see if the overall scheme would work. I think it will.

I like the idea of Aves. I'll use this on the bigger gaps.

Again THANKS!!

I'm practicing what is for me something brand new. I built up a series of bulkheads from styrene and skinned them over with styrene strip. I covered the structure and it seemed to look pretty good. I sanded it down and puttied the seams between the strips. It all went to hell when I gave it a shot o...

How cold is it where you are now? I'm wondering whether or not extreme cold temperatures inhibit curing.

Need some advice... I'm gonna cast my masters and use those for my final product. Instead of sribing the master, I'm thinking about scribing on the cast pieces -- reason being, like you said I expect to screw up. Is this the best way to go or am I just making things harder than then need to be? If y...

When doing plank on frame, you should use thicker styrene for the ribs and thinner styrene for the skin. If you don't, the frame could warp. Also you should taper the strips if your frame is tapering. Doesn't have to be an exact taper, but it helps in the long run. Now, I recommend heating the strip...

I always get 'putty-pits' when using filler. The best solution that I found was to let the putty fully cure and go over it with Mr. Surfacer 500. If you need more than one coat, let each one cure before using the next. After that, give it one coat of Mr. Surfacer 1000. That shoud do the trick. As fo...

It seems that the material I was using was acrylic sheet rather than styrene. It didn't heat form very well and because I've had it laying around for a number of years, it was very brittle. The copies I did manage to vacuform weren't all that great because the master had flaws that I didn't know abo...

The thing that really puzles me is how to design things to have keys. I dont know why this confuses me but it does. Like how to make things that arnt attached such that when they are put together, they line up. I have no CAD system to help me. I'm sure theres a way to do it analog. Any thoughts? Ag...

Are there certain types of styrene that are not amenable to vacuforming? I bought this large sheet -- years ago. It seemed more like acrylic than styrene (not really sure). I had a monster of a time vaucforming the stuff. It heated fine, but didn't sag like heated plastic normally does. When it pull...