Tamiya 1/100 Space Shuttle

[Jay Chladek]

If you are representing an in flight or landed shuttle anyway, the "caution" logos likely wouldn't be visible as the high heat of their use for 9.5 minutes into orbit tends to obliterate those markings. On most imagery I've seen of operational SSMEs, they tend not to have any such markings on them. I don't know the particular operational history of this specific engine bell as seen at Udvar Hazy.

[composerman]

Your model looks really amazing!!

The caution markings are visible on the engine bells at the time of rollover from the OPF to VAB and at the pad on the morning after rollout. This was certainly the case for STS-135 as I shot images of the rollover/rollout and on the MLP the morning after rollout. I did shoot some tow back images of Atlantis as she was brought back from the runway after landing, but due to the lighting conditions I could not see if they were still there. My best guess would be that the heat of launch would have burnt them off. Just my thoughts

[Hotdog]

Here is an image of Atlantis STS-117 after landing, with the Caution clearly visible.

[Hotdog]

So I keep making decals, which leads me to keep making more decals, and then some more.

I've come to the conclusion that I am going to render all of the shuttle tiles in Adobe Illustrator for my 1/100 Tamiya kit.

So far, everything I have done blows away the Cutting Edge decals in both accuracy and detail.

Here's a low resolution preview of the aft bulkhead and body flap decal so you can see what I mean.

As you can see, mine are already a lot closer to the actual hardware than the CE counterparts. The colored tiles even match the detail photos of my specific orbiter, Discovery.

When complete, the Illustrator files will be editable, so modelers who use my files can change the tiles, rivets and other small details to match their orbiter.

It looks like my summer shuttle project is going to drift into next spring!

[crowe-t]

Hotdog,

The aft bulkhead tiles are beautiful. I can't wait to see what else you create.

Mike.

[spaceman]

This seems to be an interesting way out, the decals are great, keep on.

[erik_g]

I´d love to have a copy of that Illustrator file when you´re done! :-)

Nice work!

[Hotdog]

DAY 10: 2 hours, DAY 11: 2 hours, Day 12: 2 hours, Day 13: 2 hours

(34.5 hours total)

Lots of fiddling around the last few days of my build, working on decals and getting ready for painting. Lots of final sanding, puttying and cleaning filled up most of this time. I all but finished the engine bells with the exception of the caution decals, which I plan to try the new approach this week.

I have printed out the Cutting Edge decals on regular paper and have been test-fitting them to the Tamiya orbiter to see how they would fit if I chose to use them. It appears the belly decals would require some stretching or some rubber stamping in Photoshop in order to get them to work. I've come to the conclusion that I might as well make my own decals from scratch for the entire orbiter since I've already made decals for some of the tiled areas. I've been trying to get as much of this done as possible before painting since the model gets handled alot during the trial-and-error process of decal making.

Nevertheless, I have been itching to get some paint on this bird and get this thing closer to completion. Here I go with the first coat, Testors Metallic Silver Enamel in a rattle can:

[Hotdog]

I made a vertical stand for my bird to sit on during painting. This seemed like a good idea since I could just turn the base around during spraying to make applying the paint strokes smooth and easy. This turned out to be a not-so-good idea since the paint dripped vertically down the model and rested into crevices.

This is pretty discouraging. I tried to apply as thin and even of a coat as possible without leaving any unsprayed areas. I wonder if I had held the bird horizontally while painting if the paint would have dripped the other way or if it would have turned out OK.

I'm hoping with some fine sanding of the messy areas I can salvage this build and cover it up with the light gray, flat white and flat black coats that follow. What do you guys think? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

[crowe-t]

Let the silver cure well before you start sanding. You should be able to fix those areas where the paint dripped and built up.

BTW, why did you spray the whole model silver? Only the area around the cockpit needed to be sprayed silver since that's the only lighted area.

[Hotdog]

I was worried about how the silver undercoat would affect the tone of the other paint layers to be sprayed over top of it. I would expect Flat White will look different when applied over a metallic silver area VS a white styrene area. So, for an even tone finish, I sprayed the whole thing.

[Zombie_61]

...I tried to apply as thin and even of a coat as possible without leaving any unsprayed areas...

There's your problem right there. I've used spray cans exclusively throughout my model building career (more than 40 years now), and one thing I've learned is to build up your paint coats s-l-o-w-l-y using multiple light (and I do mean light) applications; if you miss a spot, and you will, cover it with the next coat. Also, always keep the can moving; never, ever, ever hold it in one spot. And, whether it's paint or primer, always heat the can before you spray. I soak mine in hot tap water for 5-10 minutes, shake them thoroughly (30-60 seconds), then spray. The heat does two things. First, it increases the pressure inside the can slightly. Second, it makes the paint slightly less viscous. Between the added pressure and the slightly thinner paint, it flows out of the can easier and lays down on the surface much smoother, which usually results in a better final finish.

If it were my project, I'd strip the paint and start over. You might be able to sand it down, but you'd probably lose some surface detail in the process, either by accidentally sanding it off or by leaving it buried in paint because you didn't want to sand it off. For stripping paint I use a product called Purple Power that can be found in the automotive department of any Wal-Mart. Pour it into a container (preferably deep enough to immerse the entire kit) and let it soak overnight, then rinse it off with warm water. You can also scrub it with an old toothbrush if necessary. After you're done, pour it back into the container; you can reuse it several times before it becomes too contaminated with paint particulates to still be effective. Remember, it is a caustic chemical, so wear rubber gloves and eye protection to avoid contact if you decide to use it.

Hope this helps!

Al

[Hotdog]

I am afraid to soak the kit because of the LED lights and wiring inside! I think I will try some fine-grit sandpaper first and mask the details.

[niart17]

I thought the idea was to paint the inside of the surfaces silver, not the outside. Seems like if you would have just painted inside the cockpit area (a little past to catch any gaps) and the front payload bulkhead silver (or black or both) then paint them the finished interior color you wanted, that would have blocked out the light just fine.

At any rate, I would try to maybe spot remove some of that paint buildup with soaked Q-tips or brushes before you start sanding down surfaces. You have some great surface detail that will be easily destroyed with a few stray sandpaper swipes. That's just my opinion though.

Bill

[Hotdog]

I would have painted the inside surfaces silver, had I known about that technique before installing the lights, cockpit, and bulkhead. All of that was glued in by the time I realized the lights were going to shine through the plastic.

Thanks guys for all your input so far. I hope to get back around to fixing this in the next couple of days and get this thing painted up right!

[crowe-t]

Testors makes this stuff for removing paint(link below):

http://www.testors.com/product/137350/F542143/_/ELO_Paint_%26_Decal_Remover_8oz.

You can also use 91% Isopropyl alcohol. I haven't used any of these but a friend told me he likes using the alcohol for removing paint. I'm just not sure how long it'll take for the alcohol to remove the enamel. It may be worth a try before you start sanding and risk loosing any of those surface details.

I'm not suggesting you soak the whole model, maybe the alcohol can be wiped on the areas where the paint is thick and it will either remove it completely or thin it down enough.

Edited October 1, 2012 by crowe-t

[niart17]

I would have painted the inside surfaces silver, had I known about that technique before installing the lights, cockpit, and bulkhead. All of that was glued in by the time I realized the lights were going to shine through the plastic.

Thanks guys for all your input so far. I hope to get back around to fixing this in the next couple of days and get this thing painted up right!

Ahhh, got ya. Sorry, I didn't realize you had it all sealed up when you painted it. I hope you can solve this minor set-back. It's turning out to be a great build so far. keep up the great work.

Bill

[Hotdog]

Day 14: 1.5 hours

(36 hours total)

I came home from work today and immediately tackled the paint overflow/drippage issue. I busted out a can of mineral spirits-based paint thinner, a couple of Q-tips and a soft rag and gently scrubbed the problem areas.

I was able to remove the paint globs and smoothly blend the surrounding areas that had a normal flat coat into the newly bare areas. What do you guys think? Will this suffice? When I spray the next coat (Flat White) over this puppy, will these buffed and bare areas show through?

I also took a moment to putty in a seam that did not fill with paint like I thought it would.

[crowe-t]

It should be OK now. Just remember to keep the coats of white very thin. What Zombie_61 said above is good to follow when spraying with a can. Follow that and you'll be good to go.

[Hotdog]

Here is the first coat. I did the zombie trick and soaked the can in hot tap water for 10 or so minutes.

The white went on very thinly as you can see. You can definately tell where the silver shows through. I guess I'm gonna need 3 or 4 coats to get it looking right.

How long should I wait between coats?

[niart17]

Much better! Glad you were able to safely fix that. As far as how long, your spray paint should say on the label what the re-coat time and what cure time is. Being that you're painting over silver though, a color that at times takes a lot longer to fully cure, I would wait at least 24 hours before adding a second white coat just to be certain the silver has totally cured underneath and you don't get any bubbling. Painting in general, and especially with spray cans, is something you really can't rush. Slow even thin coats is pretty much always the way to go, and build up to maybe 3,4 or more if needed. Just be sure to let each coat dry according to the label.

One more minor point. You said something about a seam you thought the paint would fill. Be careful relying on paint to fill seams. Unless it's a very tight fit and really small small gap usually if you can see it before painting you'll see it even more after painting. So it's best to fill seams with a filler like putty or super glue or something. Paint usually isn't strong enough to fill in seams unless you really build it up thick, which is not what you want for a nice finish. And the seam may appear filled at first but over time can easily open back up. Just my opinion mind. you.

Bill

[Hotdog]

Thanks Bill. All the Testors rattle cans seem to list the same cure time, which leads me to not fully trust them. So I just go by the 24 hour rule. I gave the silver 48 hours before applying the first coat of white. Tomorrow I will give it another lick of white and we'll see how it looks after that.

[K2Pete]

I've used a rattle can to apply paint to a large, white 1/72 aircraft and I must've sprayed on 10 very light coats and waited just 10 or 15 minutes between each coat. Then I waited at least 24 hours and then gave the model a light sanding with fine sandpaper to knock some of the built up texture.

Don't be in a hurry to get the paint on. It doesn't look like it's covering, but it is ... it'll just take a few passes with the spray can.

[Hotdog]

Yeah I'm worried about some of the texture I'm seeing building up with the flat white. What grit sandpaper would you recommend?

[stevenichols]

If you are going to use paint from a can I would recommend Tamiya synthetic lacquers, they dry superfast and the paint is not as thick so it does not obscure detail like Testors enamels.