Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Nebakenezzer
Sep 13, 2005

The Mote in God's Eye

SunknLiner posted:

I've just started work on this awesome model of the Titanic: http://www.minicraftmodels.com/Titanic.htm

I'm having trouble with the decking. Anyone know of some good techniques or tutorials for simulating wood grain?

Excellent post/ username combo.

The model looks gorgeous. How does the kit handle the "rigging"?

e: Hahaha, Minicraft also makes a Noah's Ark model

Nebakenezzer fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Nov 23, 2010

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

SunknLiner
Jan 19, 2005

The kit comes with some black thread for the rigging, but it's far too heavy and looks out of scale, plus I assume it will eventually start to sag. It's also pitch black which just isn't right. I'm going to be replacing it with 4 lb. and 10 lb. test nylon fishing line, painted dark gray.

I'm going all out on this one, and I can't wait! I just picked up several photoetched brass kits for this model to replace some of the finer, and out of scale elements of this model such as the railings, window frames, cranes and stuff like that.

I just started drilling out each and every porthole in the hull. Eventually I'll fill them with Kristal Klear to simulate glass. I'd like to wire this model with fiberoptics, but we'll see.

This thing is going to take for-loving-ever. I can post progress shots if anyone is interested!

Books On Tape
Dec 26, 2003

Future of the franchise

SunknLiner posted:

This thing is going to take for-loving-ever. I can post progress shots if anyone is interested!

Please do! I'm working on a similar sort of thing and it's a blast. Mine is the HMS Pegasus. The detail is loving amazing and like yours it will likely take a very long time. The rigging looks like it will be hard as hell though.

SunknLiner
Jan 19, 2005

jerkstore77 posted:

The rigging looks like it will be hard as hell though.
I clicked the link not expecting much...

Yeah, you're totally hosed.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

Unkempt posted:

Exactly the problem I had. I got the Revell He70 and it turned out to be a Matchbox kit from the 70s.

The P47 looks nice, but now I've kind of got my eye on this ugly bastard. Anyone tried Trumpeter?
You ever built a Tamiya kit at large scale? Trumpeter manage that kind of quality and ease of assembly at 1:72. loving awesome kits.

Ensign Expendable
Nov 11, 2008

Lager beer is proof that god loves us
Pillbug
I'll second that Trumpeter suggestion. I've seen some pretty drat detailed stuff on 1:72 Trumpeter models. The only downside is that some of the parts are really small and aren't very easy to glue on.

Does anyone know a good site to order models from that ships from Canada? Failing that, some place that delivers here in a timely fashion for non-ridiculous prices.

Ensign Expendable fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Nov 23, 2010

compressioncut
Sep 3, 2003

Eat knuckle, Fritz!

Ensign Expendable posted:

Does anyone know a good site to order models from that ships from Canada? Failing that, some place that delivers here in a timely fashion for non-ridiculous prices.

Sprue Brothers - I'm in Canada and their shipping is definitely reasonable. Stay away from Squadron, however, who have ridiculous rates.

Nebakenezzer
Sep 13, 2005

The Mote in God's Eye

SunknLiner posted:

This thing is going to take for-loving-ever. I can post progress shots if anyone is interested!

Progress shots are always welcome. OK, weird question: what kinda black are you using for the visible hull? I built the Titanic when I was a kid, and I just used flat black. Is that accurate?

SunknLiner
Jan 19, 2005

Nebakenezzer posted:

Progress shots are always welcome. OK, weird question: what kinda black are you using for the visible hull? I built the Titanic when I was a kid, and I just used flat black. Is that accurate?
Flat black is historically accurate, although for a proper scale effect you should be shooting for more of a very dark graphite/gunmetal. I'm using this mix:

20 drops ModelMaster #1795 Gunmetal
4 drops Floquil #F110017 Weathered Black
2 drops ModelMaster #1710 Dark Green

Unkempt
May 24, 2003

...perfect spiral, scientists are still figuring it out...
Despite everyone recommending the Trumpeter kit, I found an Eduard 1/48 DH-2 in the shop and liked the look of it. Nearly done now; I thought it didn't look that bad, considering how fiddly it was.




...and then I found some pics on the web of what others had done with the same kit:




Still, that's just one guy, right? I bet no-one else...



... oh. How do they do that sort of thing, anyway?



Jesus christ.

subx
Jan 12, 2003

If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes should fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.

Unkempt posted:



Jesus christ.

Yea some people get pretty crazy over their models. If that's what you enjoy go for it, I'll pass on building a seat for three weeks myself though.

Powdered Toast Man
Jan 25, 2005

TOAST-A-RIFIC!!!
I believe this is relevant to our interests, gentlemen:

http://www.funlol.com/15983/Build_your_own_chopper.html

MasterSlowPoke
Oct 9, 2005

Our courage will pull us through
If it bugs you so much, then stfu and gtfo pl0x. This is the interwebz - wanna know something spiffy about the browser you're in? You can X OUT OF IT! Ogmwtf? Ya ttly. Cool, right? Stop spending so much energy complaining about things you don't like, hit "Thumbs Down" on your stumble bar, and be on your way. By the way, I totally fapped to this. <3 blood.

subx
Jan 12, 2003

If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes should fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.

Powdered Toast Man posted:

I believe this is relevant to our interests, gentlemen:

http://www.funlol.com/15983/Build_your_own_chopper.html

The pictures and story are pretty funny, but the comments on that are fantastic.

Also, did anyone else want to see what the finished model looks like? Personally I think it would have been pretty awesome.

subx fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Dec 6, 2010

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

Powdered Toast Man posted:

I believe this is relevant to our interests, gentlemen:

http://www.funlol.com/15983/Build_your_own_chopper.html
This is basically what happened to me the last time I tried to cut off the giant metal bases on the Battletech starter minis.

Powdered Toast Man
Jan 25, 2005

TOAST-A-RIFIC!!!
Yeah, I've sliced my fingers with an X-Acto knife more times than I can count. It's especially bad when you're trying to trim flash or ejector pin marks off a fiddly little part held between your fingers. Fortunately I have superglue handy already to help close up those wounds!

Keket
Apr 18, 2009

Mhmm
drat you thread and all your pretty pictures and cool models, went out and got my first tank to try and build, here are the results.









I took the pictures then rememberd i had to attach the tow cables and paint the light, but i want to go back and add more detail in a couple of days anyway.

When i was painting it i realised how bad i am with a brush, i poked around for a cheap airbrush to try, has anyone had any experiance with devices such as this?

http://www.modelzone.co.uk/spray-gun-air-supply-starter-class.html

Danger - Octopus!
Apr 20, 2008


Nap Ghost

Powdered Toast Man posted:

I believe this is relevant to our interests, gentlemen:

http://www.funlol.com/15983/Build_your_own_chopper.html

My modelmaking generally goes like this:

1] careful careful...
2] oh god I'm bleeding
3] OH GOD NOW SUPERGLUE GOT IN MY CUTS OH JESUS IT HURTS
4] girlfriend is mocking me, this is the worst hobby :smith:

Ensign Expendable
Nov 11, 2008

Lager beer is proof that god loves us
Pillbug

Keket posted:

drat you thread and all your pretty pictures and cool models, went out and got my first tank to try and build, here are the results.




Neat, I haven't actually seen any KV1 models for sale at all. What scale is this in? I like the rust effects.

Keket
Apr 18, 2009

Mhmm

Ensign Expendable posted:

Neat, I haven't actually seen any KV1 models for sale at all. What scale is this in? I like the rust effects.

1:48th, wanted a bigger kit but i didnt have much money on me at the time, my eyesight isnt so great.

Nebakenezzer
Sep 13, 2005

The Mote in God's Eye

As Canadian Tire is giving a really good deal, I was thinking of buying this air compressor. I read Toast Man's writeup about the need for air that is both filtered and dried, can this one be made to do those things?

Will I curse God and Man if I get this compressor for airbrushing, is what I'm asking

FlashBewin
May 17, 2009
Keeping in mind i'm not a professional, but that compressor doesn't say anything about coming with a filter (most car tire pumps don't) but also...thats probrably more compressor than you need.

Unless it has a setting that allows you to change how much PSI/whatever measure of unit you use, you might be getting an awful big blast of air out of an airbrush. Youll hopefully buy (if you don't already have one) an adapter to allow that Compressors hose to fit your airbrush. And you'll want a airbrush-brand specific air regulator (IE:how much air actually reaches the airbrush, it's basically a valve between the airbrush and the hose)

I always thought that for Airbrushes, you were supposed to get one specifically made for airbrushes.

Skunkduster
Jul 15, 2005




FlashBewin posted:

Unless it has a setting that allows you to change how much PSI/whatever measure of unit you use, you might be getting an awful big blast of air out of an airbrush.

That yellow knob below the pressure gauge is the regulator. I don't understand what you mean about an airbrush specific brand regulator. As long as it has a tank, a regulator, a hose with a fitting that fits your brush, and maybe a moisture filter, just about any compressor should work just fine.

FlashBewin
May 17, 2009
I guess Airbrush brand specific was a little vague, sorry about that.

There are companies that make compressors specifically for airbrushes. Like Iwata-medea, who also make Airbrushes.

I was told not to mix brands (Badger/Iwata-medea) Even though my airbrush CAME with adapters to put an iwata-medea airbrush on another brand of compressor.

Then again, my information came from my LFHS guy, so i probrably got skewed information. That still seems like more compressor than an airbrush would need.

Sorry for any confusion, a google search says that a regulator isn't what i'm talking about. What i was talking about is an External Mac Valve, which lets me adjust airflow between the compressor and the airbrush, one of these;
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXWHH8

FlashBewin fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Dec 27, 2010

Powdered Toast Man
Jan 25, 2005

TOAST-A-RIFIC!!!
Really any compressor will do as long as you can regulate the PSI and put a filter/drier on it. The main factor is noise; small compressors made specifically for airbrush purposes are generally much more quiet than a compressor made to run air tools and fill tires.

Nebakenezzer
Sep 13, 2005

The Mote in God's Eye

Thanks for the airbrush help. While I still don't have a drier for it, I have bought the little brass bit and got it working with my airbrush. It's about as loud as a vacuum cleaner, but works just fine. Anyway, now that my life isn't so crazy, I've managed to build some things.



It's a Revell Germany kit, 1/144 scale. I picked it up on a whim, knowing that I didn't have the space or the tools at the time to do anything much bigger. I've been picking away at it for about 3 months. Everything hand painted except for the black paint on the nose and tail. The decals were a little fiddly, but otherwise it was a very nice kit. I really like 1/144 scale for fighter planes.









Things learned: 1) Superglue is a lifesaver for gluing fragile, weak bits properly ( in this case, the outboard missile pylons.) 2) sometimes if you have an already mixed colour that's very close to what you want, it's better to use that instead of mixing yourself.




Here's what I'm working on now: a Revell 1/48 Mi-24 Hind. Picked it up for cheap, as I've always wanted to build a Hind, and I wanted something that was not too expensive or dear to practice my airbrushing on. The kit itself is alright, (unless you get *really* angry about cockpit inaccuracy) though it is quite old, and there are some fitting issues. The part above the cockpit didn't fit remotely well, and lots of putty and sanding were required. Also, the gunner's position required quite a bit of sanding to basically everything in order to get it to fit.



I can understand why people have frustrating memories of building stuff when they were kids: they usually got the cheap kits that are more difficult to assemble then more expensive ones.

Anyway, I decided early on that the paint scheme the box had (and the actual current Polish Mi-24) was boring, and decided to make my one camo scheme. This lead to lots of browsing on airliners.net, and reading about camo schemes generally. I decided that I would like to make the camo for the Canadian Shield, if possible. Something along the proportions and colours of CANPAT.

Things learned: 1) Mad putty skillz. 2) Airbrushing, hopefully 3) and maybe even basic weathering?!?

Nebakenezzer
Sep 13, 2005

The Mote in God's Eye

Keket posted:

When i was painting it i realised how bad i am with a brush, i poked around for a cheap airbrush to try, has anyone had any experiance with devices such as this?

http://www.modelzone.co.uk/spray-gun-air-supply-starter-class.html

Just noticed your link. I had this sort of setup when I was a kid. Short answer is that they are good for putting down layers, and good for painting things that are masked. That's about it, though.

Since I'm posting again, I think this is of interest to the thread:

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662890/lori-nixs-stunning-tiny-dioramas-depict-an-abandoned-world-slideshow

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady

Keket posted:

When i was painting it i realised how bad i am with a brush, i poked around for a cheap airbrush to try, has anyone had any experiance with devices such as this?

http://www.modelzone.co.uk/spray-gun-air-supply-starter-class.html
I have that exact thing. It's basically a GW spraycan but cheaper and with more variety.

Keket
Apr 18, 2009

Mhmm
Thanks guys, I'm planning on getting that airbrush soon along with a kit, all I really want it for is flats and masking, now to see what kits my local has in.

big_g
Sep 24, 2004

Our young men will have to shoot down their young men at the rate of four to one, if we're to keep pace at all.

No Pun Intended posted:

Forums user big_g posted this over in the historicals thread:




to which he replied when I asked how he achieved that effect:


Also Battlefront have this article on winter weathering, but the masking techniques can be extrapolated over to other forms of wear and tear.

Wow! Never had my stuff quoted before and never posted in this thread!

I thought I might post some more of my current WIP stuff if that's cool.

1/35 Scale Cromwell and base not quite yet finished:
















...and my first ever aircraft a 1/48 Supermarine Spitfire MK I. Have a base coming in the post then will attach landing gear and finish.




Unkempt
May 24, 2003

...perfect spiral, scientists are still figuring it out...

big_g posted:







Nice cock :v:


Does that background stuff come pre-built or as a kit or what? I like diorama scenes like that, and that's a nice looking one.

Danger - Octopus!
Apr 20, 2008


Nap Ghost

Nebakenezzer posted:



Hinds are sexy as hell, good choice.

big_g
Sep 24, 2004

Our young men will have to shoot down their young men at the rate of four to one, if we're to keep pace at all.

Unkempt posted:

Nice cock :v:


Does that background stuff come pre-built or as a kit or what? I like diorama scenes like that, and that's a nice looking one.

Its half of the Normandy Cross Roads diorama box from Miniart Its the first purchase I've made from them and its a very impressive set I would definitely buy from them again.

lilljonas
May 6, 2007

We got crabs? We got crabs!
Speaking of compressors and airbrushes and stuff, I wonder if anyone has any experience from resin casting. I'm just starting out, and I often get the comment that a vacuum pump or similar can be very useful for getting out the air bubbles. The guides I find mentions putting your cast inside a painter's pressure pot, but when I look for advice on what to look for I quite naturally only find discussions between actual painters. Does anyone know about a good affordable painter's pressure pot or similar vacuum contraction that is suitable for small scale resin casting? I don't want to spring 250 bucks on something that turns out to be useless for my purpose.

I guess I'm looking for something like this: http://www.artmolds.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=220&page=0&cat_name=Studio%20Accessories

But I have no idea which ones are good or not and what price range I should go for.

slingshot effect
Sep 28, 2009

the wonderful wizard of welp
Quick q! I've acquired a suitcase of old model train sets and I'd like to give them a clean up. At some point a joke rubber hand was left in the case and has melted over a few of the models and bits of track.



I can just go and buy new track but the rolling stock, even though it's not very fancy, was his boyhood toys and I'd like to at least get the rubber scunge off them so I can give him a nice surprise.

Does anyone have any tips for removing the rubber without damaging the plastic cars?

Midjack
Dec 24, 2007



laratron posted:

Quick q! I've acquired a suitcase of old model train sets and I'd like to give them a clean up. At some point a joke rubber hand was left in the case and has melted over a few of the models and bits of track.



I can just go and buy new track but the rolling stock, even though it's not very fancy, was his boyhood toys and I'd like to at least get the rubber scunge off them so I can give him a nice surprise.

Does anyone have any tips for removing the rubber without damaging the plastic cars?

Rubbing with a gum eraser will often nondestructively remove sticky stuff from plastic - but it may have been on there long enough to have discolored the train cars. Try it on a less obvious location if you can find one.

slingshot effect
Sep 28, 2009

the wonderful wizard of welp

Midjack posted:

Rubbing with a gum eraser will often nondestructively remove sticky stuff from plastic - but it may have been on there long enough to have discolored the train cars. Try it on a less obvious location if you can find one.

Excellent, thank you.

There's a good dozen cars all tainted with this horrible medicinal-looking pink rubber :s I'm not so fussed about the plastic being discoloured - the train set it forty years old and has been in a basement for the past thirty, everything is discoloured - but it'd be nice to at least get them looking as if there hasn't been a horrible Ghostbusters incident all over a trainyard!

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

lilljonas posted:

Speaking of compressors and airbrushes and stuff, I wonder if anyone has any experience from resin casting. I'm just starting out, and I often get the comment that a vacuum pump or similar can be very useful for getting out the air bubbles. The guides I find mentions putting your cast inside a painter's pressure pot, but when I look for advice on what to look for I quite naturally only find discussions between actual painters. Does anyone know about a good affordable painter's pressure pot or similar vacuum contraction that is suitable for small scale resin casting? I don't want to spring 250 bucks on something that turns out to be useless for my purpose.

I guess I'm looking for something like this: http://www.artmolds.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=220&page=0&cat_name=Studio%20Accessories

But I have no idea which ones are good or not and what price range I should go for.

A pressure pot is simply a rigid container with a vacuum pump attached. A cheap vacuum cleaner plumbed into a big plastic carver box with lid will get you started. Work on the seal, strengthen the box, switch to a real vacuum pump, good enough to lower the pressure & pull out the bubbles from the resin.

lilljonas
May 6, 2007

We got crabs? We got crabs!

laratron posted:

Excellent, thank you.

There's a good dozen cars all tainted with this horrible medicinal-looking pink rubber :s I'm not so fussed about the plastic being discoloured - the train set it forty years old and has been in a basement for the past thirty, everything is discoloured - but it'd be nice to at least get them looking as if there hasn't been a horrible Ghostbusters incident all over a trainyard!

If everything is discoloured, how about painting them up? For the uneven surface I would fill in the "valleys" with milliput and then take a fine file and then some fine sandpaper and work the surface even.

Cakefool posted:

A pressure pot is simply a rigid container with a vacuum pump attached. A cheap vacuum cleaner plumbed into a big plastic carver box with lid will get you started. Work on the seal, strengthen the box, switch to a real vacuum pump, good enough to lower the pressure & pull out the bubbles from the resin.

How much pressure can you get through this? It sounds like a cool idea and would probably cost about as much as the makeshift vibrating table I was planning to make until I can afford a professional vacuum pot. I'm guessing I would need a one-way vent as well, and somehow attach it to the box I use? I'm just not sure how this rig would look like, since I'm far from the handyman kind of guy.

lilljonas fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Jan 17, 2011

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

big_g
Sep 24, 2004

Our young men will have to shoot down their young men at the rate of four to one, if we're to keep pace at all.
I just managed to finish and base my Spitfire, what do you guys think?

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply