Advice for a novice

[G_Dog]

Hi

Just looking for some advice.

I have just picked up my second Airfix model, the RAF Westland Sea King Har.3 starter set.I was drawn to this model due to its assocation with mountain rescue and the fact that I am a Munro bagger and really want to do it justice so I can display it.

Now with my first model it was also a starter set and to be honest the end result sucked, i used only what came with the starter set. The paint looked uneven and had brush marks, some of the smaller pieces where a pain to glue and the decals slipped about a lot. Can anyone give me advice on anything else I need to buy to get this looking A+. From thinners to the Humbrol air brushing tool I saw in Hobbiecraft today, im open to anything to get the job done well. Should I paint all parts before or after gluing or just some. Also something that really bugged me...The paint before had a tendancy to not stick, it would well up in small pools leaving exposed plastic forcing me to give multiple coats.

Thanks in advance

 

[Ratch]

 Personally, I think it's unrealistic to think you';ll be able to make a perfect model having only ever made one kit before. I've been modelling for over 50 years and have never made any model anywhere near perfect. The day I do there will be no need to continue with this hobby. But as you asked, here's a bit of a guide.

TOOLS

Swann-Morton scalpel

A good hobby knife (not a big Stanley type) with a few blades, straight edged and curved.

Zip-lock plastic bags (various sizes)

Side cutters

Sandpaper/sanding board/file or wet & dry

Glue.

A decent pair of tweezers with a good grip at the tips

A wooden block or cutting mat

Any paint brushes you buy should be good quality ones, you will require 3 or 4 different sizes, Winsor and Newton are recognised as being quite good, and look after them. Cheap brushes are a false economy.

METHOD

Take the boxed kit and with a scalpel, slice through the cellophane or adhesive tape that seals the box, taking care not to damage the box. Most manufacturers place the mouldings in polybags to protect them and prevent the loss of parts; you should still check that all components are included. If parts are missing you should either return the kit to the retailer for exchange or ask the manufacturer for replacement parts. Take your time! Not rushing through really helps in all sorts of ways. Preparation of parts helps save time in the long run. With experience you learn to think through some changes in the steps though. The mouldings are normally attached to a runner by sprue gates. Do not remove pieces from the runners until you are ready to use them. Read the instructions carefully- you'd be surprised at how often even experienced modellers don't do this at times! Wash the runners in warm, soapy water to remove any residue of Mould Release Agent, the presence of which will spoil later paintwork. Allow the parts to dry naturally on an absorbent piece of paper kitchen towel. It may be easier to paint small components (and/or components that are fitted internally) before they are removed from the sprues. Use side cutters to separate the mouldings from the sprue gates. Clean up any excess plastic with a sanding board, sandpaper, file or other suitable implement. The parts should now be ready for assembly. Cement should be applied sparingly, only applied to the surfaces to be joined. If some glue gets onto areas it shouldn’t, don't touch it! Allow it to dry and then clean up. Give glue enough time to set properly. A small amount of filler may be needed on the seams so that they won't show after painting. Humbrol do a nice one but always put the cap back on the tube straight away or it will harden. The joints may be cleaned up with fine sandpaper, or a file. You will then have to decide upon which type of paints you wish to use. Acrylic paints are pretty good these days and they make cleaning up easier with warm water and less smelly too. Enamel paints take longer to dry and require thinning with white spirit. Some use oil paints; these take longer to dry (days) than enamels and brushes should be cleaned with white spirit; oils are not suitable for airbrushing. Paint brushes will still be required, even if you decide to use an airbrush for applying the paint. Give paint enough time to dry completely. Before you apply the decals or transfers a gloss surface is needed. This is because a matt surface will trap microscopic air bubbles under the carrier film and cause a phenomenon known as silvering. The gloss surface prevents these bubbles from being trapped and the result should appear to be seamless. There are propriety modelling gloss finishes available, but most modellers choose to use Klear. Finally you will seal the decals/transfers under a coat of your choice; Matt, Satin or Gloss (depending upon the subject).

It is worth remembering that you should not rush – more haste really is less speed in modelling! When you make an error don't jump in to fix it straight away, unless the glue has not set. If in doubt ask and if you think you already know, still ask - you might find a better way, or maybe your own way helps someone else. The only daft question is the one you didn't ask.  Just remember we all got to where we are by using other people’s knowledge, none of us were born as modellers we all had to learn, and we all made some really bad mistakes along the way.

[G_Dog]

Yeah I know it'l be far from perfect, an like anything can only improve with time and further down the line i'll probably pick up the same model and do it again. But what you have given me is what I was after.  Gives me a bit more confidence to go in and do a better job than the epic failure of my last one, thanks.

[ironsides]

First of all make sure you throughly clean the kit parts before you start, to get rid of any residual mould releasing agent as this can cause problems with the paint, what I normal do with acrillics is the to thin the paint with a litlle water to a milky consistancy to improve the flow... as I've allways found it to be to thick, the water has a few drops of *washing up liguid added to about half a jam jar, this is mixed with the paint in a suitable amount on a plate which acts as a palette ..... *I believe this helps to break the surface tension and prevent beading it works for me and usually I can get a fairly smooth finish that Im happy with even though its brushed on in two or three thin coats, use a broad flat good quality brush for painting areas, I think the brushes that come with the kits are quite reasonable quality but are something I would use for painting detail not for areas... use a decal solution the humbrol one sounds fine and once the decals are in position press down with an absorbant cloth or tissue to get rid of any excess liguid... when dry finish with a coat of your prefered varnish, I use mattcote and thin it with a little artists turpentine..... I should point out that I have been using acyrillics since they were first introduced as artists paints, they do take some getting used to and do have some disadvantages but mostly you can get round them and I prefer them as they are more user friendly...

From a non expert whose continually learning....Good Luck

[ntrocket88]

Ratch's tips are always good. I would only add that you may be better off starting with Humbrol Enamels if you are going to use a brush. I have always found them to be fairly self-levelling with great coverage, so I rarely get brush marks. Acrylics have their champions no doubt, but my experience with them is that they are harder to use and get a good result with. Going straight to an airbrush may not be a good idea, they require a lot of at least moderately expensive kit and a lot of practice to use well. For glue, I have moved away from poly cement and now mostly use Cyanoacrylate (Superglue) Gel. I find I get a lot more precision and strength and fewer finger prints. However, you can end up with the kit semi-permanantly attached to a finger...

Hope this helps...

[Ratch]

 For paint, I'd advise to go for whatever brand your Local Model/Hobby Shop (LHS/LMS) stocks. It will be easier initially to stock up on supplies. Its no good saying Tamiya if your shop stocks Andrea (for example).

[Jonathan Mock]

I'm going to go for the shameless plug and say buy this book! It has everything you need and detailed walkthroughs on exactly the kinds of things you're having problems with.   :-)

 

 

 

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[500 Fan]

I have returned to the hobby again as an adult modeller in recent years and the one area that I feel has really enhanced modelling for me has been the availability of countless tools of every variety that allow me to build a model with some scratch-built detail. These tools really allow us to get the best form modern kits and to venture into the area of scrathing detail. I still use brushes for painting and am happy to continue to do so. Practice with brushes, dry-brushing and easy-to-use weathering washes help greatly in this area. Practice a new technique on each succesive model and you will only improve.

 

500 Fan.   

[peebeep]

I really like what this young chap does on this time lapse video with the Airfix B5N2 kit. No fancy tools or techniques, just good solid modelling with lots of tips to be picked up on the way:

Once you get up and running you'll start adding to the tool box and finding out about other stuff to enhance your builds.

[Wade]

Great tips here guys, will use them in my modeling as well.  Also wanted to second Paul Brown's link to Owen's Youtube channel, we watch his stuff regularly.