EXTREMELY basic questions from a beginner

marc2109

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Apr 23, 2013
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5
After reading posts on here for a couple of days, I have to admit that I am confused about several things. Naturally with so many different techniques, tools, paints, etc, it is obvious that there are an overwhelming number of approaches to building a model. I just started a couple of weeks ago, and am having great fun making tons of mistakes and messing up a couple of models.

So I would like to ask just really basic questions just to get a place to start:

1. Should I apply some type of sealing/protecting coat to my finished model?
Does this depend on the type of paint used...acrylic or enamel? Some posts indicate this might obscure details.

2. Would it suffice to rub down a plastic assembly with a Qtip and alchohol to clean it before painting?

3. If using tenex 7R or liquid weld to glue halves together, do you hold the parts together first, then apply the weld to the seam, like in joining fuselage halves or wing halves? If you can't get to the seam from the inside, I can't think of how else to do it. It seems like doing this the weld would muck up the plastic near the seam.

4. I'm not sure I am understanding how to get those enhanced raised panel lines and so forth inside the cockpit. I see it here on lots of builds, but don't understand how to achieve the effect. What I have read about it is confusing... apply a gloss coat to the interior, then apply a dark coat to the lines, then light coat of paint..etc. What is the easiest way to achieve the effect?

4. This is the most concerning for me. You gotta paint that plane, and there are lots of parts that need painted before assembly, and lots of parts that go on the outside after the plane is painted. Tiny little parts that have next to no glue area. How in the world do you remove paint from the plane and the part for such tiny things so you can glue them on, or in, or over? Example: two wings halves with a slot for a machine gun. The wing and machine gun are different colors, so both have to be painted before the machine gun is inserted in the little hole in the wing. How do you get the paint off such a tiny area to glue the machine gun in, and not remove too much paint?

5. Is it critical to use a primer on everything on the outside before the color coat? I think I understand you don't need a primer in the cockpit area. Like the protective coat I asked about earlier, does this also depend on the type of paint used?

I apologize because I'm sure these basics are covered all over the place..but for just trying to get something built, someone please just tell me what to do step by step here. I wish there was a beginner tutorial build that assumes you know next to nothing.

Thanks for any help!
 
Just as an addendum. Maybe there is too much to learn to soon. My thought is to first create a nice, clean, well built and painted model. After a few of those, then I will start to worry about weathering and added realism and such. Do you think this is a good plan, or am I underachieving? ( I would like to get the cockpit highlights learned though).
 
1. it is not necessary, but for decals too look nice, and if you want a different sheen to the one already there, you will need a gloss/matt/satin coat. for decals too look nice, and not have silvering(when it looks glossy and wierd, a gloss coat is necessary before application, and a coat of your choice after. also, model acrylic paints have a binder to them, which means that a later coat won't 'reactivate' the bottom coat.
2. it is not necessary to do that in my opinion (since it will take forever for a qtip), just wash it in warm soapy water, and put it in a glass cabinet, tupperware box,(anything dustproof basically).
3. put the parts together and apply the glue with a fine brush down the seam, and capillary action will do the rest, and squeeze hard, after a few seconds, you may notice some molten plastic ozzing out which has dried, just sand this down after. (this only works for really thin glue)
4. i could do a whole essay ont his, but here are the basics (you may want to research some more just type model washes on google) it is just really thinned down oil paint, 5% paint rest thinner, and apply it with a fine brush to the details, when dry, there may be a patch of the wash next to the line, remove it with a q tip MOISTENED not wet in thinner. it is best to do this on a gloss coat as capillary action helps the wash flow.

second number 4. just put glue on the part, and it should dissolve through the paint, then place it in and apply pressure.

5. read this following post http://www.scalemodelguide.com/painting-weathering/painting-guide/primers/
also, no the paint type does not matter, just make sure the paint has cured (24 h)

sorry for the long post, if you have anymore questions, i'm sure we'll be happy to help. ;D ;D good luck
 
also, you don't need to build a perfectly painted model,but take it in steps, i.e work on assembly rocess, buy whatever you need, then do the paint, maybe do another modle or two repeating, and use the first model(probably going to be the worst out of them, and practise weathering on it. etc. hth ;D
 
If I may add my replies....

marc2109 said:
So I would like to ask just really basic questions just to get a place to start:

1. Should I apply some type of sealing/protecting coat to my finished model? Does this depend on the type of paint used...acrylic or enamel? Some posts indicate this might obscure details.

I use DullCote on mine, partly to seal the surface, but certainly if I've used a gloss coat to create a smooth surface for the decals. Most subjects that we build have matte finishes in real life, so we need to knock a gloss coat back to matte. Except for cars built as curbside or showroom models, they're finished to a smooth gloss. As far as obscuring details goes, if you keep adding layers to any surface with finely engraved detail, you do run the risk of obscuring some detail. I know one modeler who skips priming before painting, so as not to add another layer.

marc2109 said:
2. Would it suffice to rub down a plastic assembly with a Qtip and alchohol to clean it before painting?

You could. I use warm water and a dash of Super Clean, a de-greaser. The object in cleaning a part is to ensure as good an adhesion as possible, between the paint and the plastic/resin/metal surface. Many of us clean the parts before assembly, then complete some assemblies, clean again as you've described (or not), then prime, then add the base colors.

marc2109 said:
3. If using tenex 7R or liquid weld to glue halves together, do you hold the parts together first, then apply the weld to the seam, like in joining fuselage halves or wing halves? If you can't get to the seam from the inside, I can't think of how else to do it. It seems like doing this the weld would muck up the plastic near the seam.

When I use liquid glue, I do as you describe, holding the parts together and then flowing the glue into the seam, either from inside the parts or outside. I like to apply a little bit of strong pressure, to get a beat of melted plastic to extrude along the seam, and then let the join cure. Then I can remove that bead, and it minimizes the seam. As for damaging the plastic along the seam, I think it's more likely if you use too much glue. If you apply it sparingly, and do a little bit at a time, I think it works better.

marc2109 said:
4. I'm not sure I am understanding how to get those enhanced raised panel lines and so forth inside the cockpit. I see it here on lots of builds, but don't understand how to achieve the effect. What I have read about it is confusing... apply a gloss coat to the interior, then apply a dark coat to the lines, then light coat of paint..etc. What is the easiest way to achieve the effect?

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean the raised detail on an instrument panel? I do mine by painting the whole panel flat black, or NATO gray, then I drybrush the raised detail with white, then I add a drop of Future liquid acrylic floor coating to the instrument faces.

marc2109 said:
4. This is the most concerning for me. You gotta paint that plane, and there are lots of parts that need painted before assembly, and lots of parts that go on the outside after the plane is painted. Tiny little parts that have next to no glue area. How in the world do you remove paint from the plane and the part for such tiny things so you can glue them on, or in, or over? Example: two wings halves with a slot for a machine gun. The wing and machine gun are different colors, so both have to be painted before the machine gun is inserted in the little hole in the wing. How do you get the paint off such a tiny area to glue the machine gun in, and not remove too much paint?

Very carefully, using a sharp Nr. 11 blade, or even a straight pin or needle.

marc2109 said:
5. Is it critical to use a primer on everything on the outside before the color coat? I think I understand you don't need a primer in the cockpit area. Like the protective coat I asked about earlier, does this also depend on the type of paint used?

It's not critical to prime. As I mentioned above, some modelers forego priming altogether. If the surface is clean, you should be OK if you don't want to prime. But I wouldn't say that I prime some areas of a subject, but not others. I generally prime everything that will be visible and painted on the finished model--except clear parts, of course.

marc2109 said:
I apologize because I'm sure these basics are covered all over the place..but for just trying to get something built, someone please just tell me what to do step by step here. I wish there was a beginner tutorial build that assumes you know next to nothing.

Thanks for any help!

No need to apologize,and you're doing exactly what you should--asking questions. I don't think it's possible to have a beginner's tutorial that will leave you with a master level of knowledge, just as you can't just pick up a bat, step in to the box, and hit a 95 mph fastball, from watching a ball game. But you'll find tons of content here, and on other modeling sites, so browse, read, ask questions, and enjoy, because after all, it's a hobby and it should be fund.

Best regards,
Brad
 
Thanks so much for the help, Brad and Ahmed. I'm getting a better idea now. Brad I mean the interior sides of cockpits with the framing and gadgets and stuff.
 
You're very welcome, glad to help.

Thanks for clarifying what you meant about painting a cockpit. For me, I'd still prime it, if I'm priming at all. As I think back on recent builds (recent being over the past two or three years, heh heh), I think I primed some, and on others, I just applied my finish colors to the plastic. In either case, I had cleaned the parts with warm water and de-greaser before assembly began, so I was pretty confident that the surface was clean. As you can see, it depends ;)
 

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