How things have changed

[paddy]

I suppose being away from models for some time would inevitably leave me a little left behind in the tech dept however i am amazed at how model making has progressed in my absence.
A few years ago the idea of pre shading aircraft was quite new and i had a go with a little success but i wasnt convinced that aircraft actually looked pre shaded in 1/1 scale. Another disaster in my view at the time was people drawing in panel lines...again an artistic effect with little relevance to the original thing. How things have changed...finding i couldn't brush fine detail anymore with Tamiya paints as they dry on the brush before you can apply them to the model i looked for a new source of colour...having tried the Hannant's stuff and not got on with it i started looking at MIG simply because its freely available locally. About a 1/10th of the range is actually paint in a bottle, the rest is effects , pigments, splashes, stains, streaks, mud and so on. Well this is all new to me. I thought i was pretty cool dry brushing matt black panels with silver to lift detail a few years ago, now i am not even on the same planet as every one else with my finishes.
Re stocking paints from scratch is a pretty expensive business anyway but starting to accumulate paint effects as well sends the costs spiralling upwards. Now i have had to buy a book produced by MIG just to see how all this goes together
The plus side is its completely revived my desire to make kits as the opportunities to learn are huge and i would imagine if i ever get it right, the satisfaction immense. All this comes together with Covid lockdown so i dont even have to justify all the time i am spending inside at the work table , its as if the Government has said, stay home, stay safe, build models.
Anyway the point of this is to say a big thanks to everyone here for the welcome back into the fold, the great advice and knowledge available and of course your builds that inspire and set (often unreachable ) standards for people like me to aspire too.
Cheers
P

 

[RichB]

I've been using artist oils, chalk pastels and pigments for weathering effects. They are available at most art supply stores and usually cheaper than the modelling after market ones.

Rich

 

[paddy]

yea i think artist oil will be the way to go with figures....................one day

 

[Paulw]

My go to stuff now is Gunze aqueous and Tamiya paints. Thinning it down with Mr color leveling thinner I have yet to experience drying on the air brush needle since using that stuff. I still brush paint details with Tamiya and since I have stopped using Vallejo II am not constantly cleaning and buying proprietary thinners and air brush cleaners since I use IPA to clean and in some cases thin. AK real colors to me seem nice but tend to be a bit fragile so get the clear coat on it . I also noticed the MRP Mr Paint airbrush thinned acrylic lacquers are rather nice.

 

[moon puppy]

Glad you're restocking all the supplies Paddy but remember, all those pre mixed effects have there roots back into the basics of what was done years ago. Non-artistic folks like me who doesn't know the difference in a warm vers cool color benefit more from Mig's products than those who are still old school and can mix every shade they need from primary colors.

 

[paddy]

Agree Bob Mixing your own is fun, its the scratch build of the paint phase I will prob go back to it but at the moment these Mig products offer a whole new process to learn which is the fun part for me.. Especially when i transfer what i have learnt back to aircraft.

 

[Iron Mike]

This is truly a "golden age" of modeling, especially when it comes to the how to part of the hobby. All the aftermarket stuff is great, but knowing how to use it is the key.

 

[moon puppy]

especially when it comes to the how to part of the hobby.

And a lot of those techniques can be found right here in our quirky little forum.

 

[paddy]

yea we just touched on the finish but looking at the 1/35 Grant i have with complete interior ? nothing like that about last time i was here .

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Paul mentioned about paint cleaning on the airbrush. I use enamels still mostly (old ones that are still good) Vallejo, and a new brand that has mainly been done for figure painters called Garage Kits USA colors.

To clean my airbrush with enamels I use Lacquer thinner. I have found it also works well to remove Vallejo paints once they have set up a bit. A brush with Vallejo set up in it and lacquer thinner takes it right out. I have also been using Xylene from the paint store to thin my old Testors enamels to good success. The Garage Kits paints are several different compositions from opaque to semi opaque and transparent. I like them as they will dissolve with 409 cleaner. This allows me to do some effects on enamels and Vallejo and blend with a swab loaded with 409. I used to use Polly S paints and they would do the same thing with 409.

Lastly I never shake the old paint bottles anymore. I open and mix them by hand. This keeps the excess paint from building up in the cap seal and messing that up. I also transfer paint to some little disposable cups I get from new watch parts containers. I put a few drops in the cup, add thinner and paint with airbrush etc. This keeps the paint from getting messed up by putting thinned paint back in the bottle. I hate it when a needed old bottle of paint has turned to goo. The little cups get messed up or full of dried paint and I toss them in the bin.

 

[Barney]

Hmmm... Xylene? Thins it right down?

 

[JSteinman]

yea we just touched on the finish but looking at the 1/35 Grant i have with complete interior ? nothing like that about last time i was here .

DML Pz III Ausf J.

One of my long time shelf queens is tank 556 of LAH II Abteilung Stab, with a partial (pretty extensive) interior. As I had some down time as I wait for 3D printed parts and the staining of wood base for the BA-64 to dry I thought why not work on this! This is a photo intensive display of ego...

modelersalliance.org

I do an interior here

 

[paddy]

Very impressive John and a fantastic learning tool for the rest of us so thanks for posting. Unfortunately i dont have enough years left on planet earth to get to within even 1% of your level of skill...but
I have ordered a book so be prepared to be completely underwhelmed with my next build .... I have put my interior kit Grant to one side as i cant do it justice now but i will buy something else to practice on soon.
I have been reading about the British Cruiser tanks of 1936-45 . Very interesting to see how what they thought they would need differed to what they actually needed and the concept of lightly armoured but fast and manoeuvrable served well in the infantry support role and the mistakes made along the way to producing the Centurion in late 45 as the first main battle tank MBT. For example It seems incredible that the Churchill was limited in the size of gun and its role as a heavy tank because it was designed with such a narrow track so it could be transported by rail......
any way i am prattling on here so i will shut up

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Hmmm... Xylene? Thins it right down?

I have been using it to thin my old Testors Model Master enamels for a while now. They work just fine with an airbrush. I would NOT add Xylene to the bottle of paint. I mix it in a separate small container and then pour into the airbrush.

 

[JSteinman]

I have been using it to thin my old Testors Model Master enamels for a while now. They work just fine with an airbrush. I would NOT add Xylene to the bottle of paint. I mix it in a separate small container and then pour into the airbrush.

Xylene is flammable but of modest acute toxicity, with LD50 ranges from 200 to 5000 mg/kg for animals. Oral LD50 for rats is 4300 mg/kg. The principal mechanism of detoxification is oxidation to methylbenzoic acid and hydroxylation to hydroxylene.[1]

The main effect of inhaling xylene vapor is depression of the central nervous system (CNS), with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. At an exposure of 100 ppm, one may experience nausea or a headache. At an exposure between 200 and 500 ppm, symptoms can include feeling "high", dizziness, weakness, irritability, vomiting, and slowed reaction time.[18][19]

The side effects of exposure to low concentrations of xylene (< 200 ppm) are reversible and do not cause permanent damage. Long-term exposure may lead to headaches, irritability, depression, insomnia, agitation, extreme tiredness, tremors, hearing loss, impaired concentration and short-term memory loss.[20][clarification needed] A condition called chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy, commonly known as "organic solvent syndrome" has been associated with xylene exposure. There is very little information available that isolates xylene from other solvent exposures in the examination of these effects.[18]

Hearing disorders have been also linked to xylene exposure, both from studies with experimental animals,[21][22] as well as clinical studies.[23][24][25]

Xylene is also a skin irritant and strips the skin of its oils, making it more permeable to other chemicals. The use of impervious gloves and masks, along with respirators where appropriate, is recommended to avoid occupational health issues from xylene exposure.[18]

Xylenes are metabolized to methylhippuric acids.[26][27] The presence of methylhippuric acid can be used as a biomarker to determine exposure to xylene.[27][28]

 

[moon puppy]

So in layman's terms, that's some nasty shit!

 

[Heavens Eagle]

There are also at least 2 different forms of Xylene. Also it's vapor pressure is less than that of water so it evaporates slowly. I believe it is also used in the old enamel paints to a degree. I have a paint booth that vents outside. Also the amount used is just a couple of drops at a time, and of course it is vented.

 

[MrT]

And a lot of those techniques can be found right here in our quirky little forum.

Really? I guess there are some just not famous ones.