What is the tip that has helped you the most?

[lesthegringo]

I have to say, using talc with super glue as a filler transformed my modelling. Not in any particular order, by stopping shrinkage, speeding up setting time, allowing fast fixes and corrections, and allowing scribing after.

I would say that stopping using home brew polystyrene glues and going back to Tamiya / Gunze extra tin glues was also a big factor. The other one in the top three was the use of acrylic paints and varnishes to supplement my enamel habit, which means I can get more sophisticated weathering and finishes without risking the model.

An honourable mention must go to the use of Tamiya / Gunze lacquer thinners, not least for their ability to gently remove paint, especially on transparencies without fogging or crazing.

What changed your modelling?

Les

[Check Six]

1) Always know where your X-Acto knife is.

2) Build for the pleasure the hobby is suppose to bring, not for the purpose of winning every model-build contest.

3) Marry a very forgiving spouse .

4) Don't be a rivet counter.

5) Recognize your passion/strength in model-building. If you love scratch-building beyond ultra detailed wheelwells or cockpits, don't deny yourself. If your passion is painting/decaling/weathering, then either blackout the canopy and windscreen or spend minimal time detailing the cockpit so you can finish building the a/c's superstructure and get to your favorite part: Painting!

Edited July 12, 2014 by Check Six

[ChippyWho]

Definitely the best thing I learned was when I read a magazine article by Diego Quijano; his method of detail painting/profiling made worlds of difference to everything I've done since. !

[metroman]

Paint Polishing/Buffing (part of the layering approach): ultra smooth finishes . Oh and always keeping parts covered when not in use to thwart dust. And reading on here years ago about a new paint that has the most refined pigments of any hobby paint (better finishes again): Mr. Color, nothing else comes close (Except WEM).

[Joel_W]

1-I use to try to force fit parts, rationalizing that the glue would melt enough of the plastic to either shrink the surfaces so that they fit like a glove, or swell slightly undersize parts so they would fit better. Now I work the parts, test fitting often so that I've got the best possible fit, then I glue, and try to use various fillers sparingly, as the last resort.

2- I use to only use Squadron Green Stuff for filling. Now I use a variety of fillers for different applications: CA glue & accelerator, Vallejo white acrylic putty, Gunze Sangyo Mr. Surfacer/Primer #500 & 1,000, and of course Squadron Green stuff.

3-Learning how various thinning ratios plus varying psi produces different air brush result and techniques.

Joel

[marvin20]

There are so many tips that I can recite, but my top 5 would be:

1. To always test fit/dry fit, whatever term you use each and every part before applying adhesives to them. Saves you a lot of heartache in the end.

2. Got my hands on some of the Perfect Plastic Putty, and it is by far, some of the best putty money can buy. It rivals Milliput, and is easier to clean up than Milliput IMHO. I know it is readily available in the UK and Europe, not so much here in the US.

3. The use of AK Interactive/AMMO washes and weathering products!

4. Build for your own enjoyment. As I started to build more models, I found myself becoming and AMSer, and the fun disappeared from the hobby, my friends and I came up with a term for our models, we call them GEM (Good Enough Models), if there are issues/warts/errors, whatever you want to call them, we don't stop the build, because it's not a contest winner, we continue on with it, because we are building it for our enjoyment, not to win a contest. We even assigned a point value (1,000 points per model) to each completed model, so at the end of the year, we could know how many models we had completed.

5. Try different techniques/processes when you build. Such as the use of CA versus liquid cement, or the use of weathering/fading on a model to make it more realistic.

[thegoodsgt]

I just wrote about it!

http://www.scalemodelsoup.com/2014/07/the-best-painting-tip-ever.html

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

[phantom]

Stop sniffing the tube glue and use it to put models together.

Stop sweating the tiny stuff. If you can not see it when its on the shelf there is little point of blowing a nut over it.

[lesthegringo]

Stop sweating the tiny stuff. If you can not see it when its on the shelf there is little point of blowing a nut over it.

I have to like this one

Les

[Joel_W]

phantom

Stop sniffing the tube glue and use it to put models together.

Stop sweating the tiny stuff. If you can not see it when its on the shelf there is little point of blowing a nut over it.

Phantom,

Well said. I only build for personal display, so nearly hidden details is something I try to avoid these days, even though I marvel at the guys whose skills in recreating the smallest of details is simply amazing.

Joel

[Mike C]

I have learned so much from this forum it's really hard to narrow down "the best". However.... a few that immediately pops in my head right now:

- Tamiya Extra Thin - I used to use the "normal" white-capped Tamiya Cement exclusively, until I learned about the Extra Thin variety. Since then, I've been using that almost exclusively now, especially to mate non-painted surfaces. For painted surfaces, I still use the white-capped variety

- Putty - when I first (re)started this hobby around 6 years ago, I haven't discovered this forum, and did not know anything about this quintessential ingredient for modelling, resulting in models full of ugly seam lines, sink marks, etc.

- Airbrushing

- Weathering with oil wash

[tempestwulf]

Get a haircut and be good to your mother. Best tip ever

[phantom]

Never pet a burning dog.

They get very cranky and might nip ya.

[zeus60]

A tip I read in a post from Huey Gunner: always use more thinner than paint when airbrushing.

Stacey

[Joel_W]

A tip I read in a post from Huey Gunner: always use more thinner than paint when airbrushing.

Stacey

Stacy,

My standard mix for Tamiya acrylics is 50/50 using either X20-A or more frequently their Lacquer Thinner. With just about any color and the standard #3 setup on my Paasche-H at a flow rate of 12 psi, I can draw a nice soft line with very little over spray. What brand and type of paint do you fill it's necessary to use more thinner then paint?

Joel

[skyhawk55]

Know when to step away from the modeling bench when you are getting frustrated and things just don't seem to be going well !! Step away, take a deeeep breath, listen to some music, get a drink of your favorite beverage..... think good thoughts.... and when you've calmed down, get back to the bench and start working like nothing happened !!

[Check Six]

Know when to step away from the modeling bench when you are getting frustrated and things just don't seem to be going well !! Step away, take a deeeep breath, listen to some music, get a drink of your favorite beverage..... think good thoughts.... and when you've calmed down, get back to the bench and start working like nothing happened !!

Yep; An excellent tip indeed.

I learned that and it made a world of difference with my mental state with a build that was really frustrating me.

[dnl42]

All from ARC

1) Use silver as an undercoat to gloss white--this one ROCKS!

2) Airbrush well-thinned enamels

3) Use a circle template to paint wheels after I've painted the tire

4) When finishing a puttied joint, use a file, sanding stick, or Q-tips with thinner depending on the circumstances

[Thommo]

That bloke who put up about the post about the perils of modelling naked :D

But seriously - clear coats. I had no idea the reason my decals looked so crap was because I needed to gloss coat first....and even when I do they still often silver :wacko:

[Crazy Snap Captain]

For me one that really made difference was how to properly cut pieces from the sprues. Basic, but saved me a heap of filling and filing. Cut a millimeter before the piece actually starts and then file the excess off with a sanding stick. Stops warped areas and small bits that need filling after mating.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Crazy Snap Captain

[chuck540z3]

Finding this and the other ARC Forums- period!

[Al425]

Finding this and the other ARC Forums- period! :thumbsup:/>

That's funny, I was about to say : Reading chuck540z3's in-progress builds... especially that pig he's dressing up...

[Janissary]

Maybe not what has helped me the most, but what I think are important aspects:

- 90% modeling is surface prep.

- Don't mess with future in the first 48hrs., or else it will mess with you.

- Don't sweat the 'ratios.' Build experience with your A/B and eye-ball most mixes.

- Backflush the paint/thinner mixture in the A/B for greater mixing.

- Dry-fit.

- Use a primer.

- Take your time with alignment (canopies, wheel alignment, height difference between left/right wing tips etc.). Use a hairdryer to carefully 'soften' the plastic to adjust landing gear legs if crooked.

- Keep your workbench organized, take care of your modeling tools.

[f14tomcat]

From a Master modeler, when airbrushing paint in scale. Think of how much area a person would paint if using a real spray on the real airplane. Thin the paint, lower the pressure and get in close. The paint should have that wet look for about 20 seconds or so. If not it is too thick or you are spraying to far from the surface.