Your best quick tip/technique/diy

[spud]

i always mx in the cup as its removable saves on clean up

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Adam! a B/F is forcing air into your Paint cup by blocking the AB nozzle! Some seem to believe it helps mixing the thinners and paints while in the cup! It might do it? but the risks of Bubbling out and making a mess is very present!

Seen on a lot of Japanese Modeler's YouTube videos! And not a good practice in my book!

Don't want to insult anybody but I find it lazy! Nothing beats mixing paint in a small container then pour it in the AB!

To each his own! I guess?

It will mix the paint and thinner, but depends on the paint, definitely can't really do it with Vallejo, as all it does is create big ass bubbles in the cup.

I just mix everything in the airbrush, put in the thinner first, then the paint, use an old brush to actually mix the 2 in the AB....works everytime.

Also depends on the airbrush you are using. Seems easy to do with an Iwata, but the H&S brushes don't seem to be able to back flush that easily....or maybe it is just me....I usually don't get a good seal, and when I do try to get a decent one, I end up stabbing myself with the AB needle.

I do it with Vallejo with no problems.
It all depends on how much air pressure you apply and it helps to have a lid on your paint cup.

However Scott is right about pre mixing your paints in a separate container and use as needed.

Wasn't me about mixing it separately....I mix mine in the AB.

Never had any luck backflushing with Vallejo, bubbles up like bubblebath in the paint cup on me. Mind you I don't have a cover for my cup either, least on the Infinity.

 

[lobo734]

My new best masking buddy. Silly Putty. Its easily shaped and comes off very easy. It's great to mask off irregular shaped areas.

 

[Grendels]

My new best masking buddy. Silly Putty. Its easily shaped and comes off very easy. It's great to mask off irregular shaped areas.

I use it all the time. Works great! A quick easy mask.

 

[TBadger]

I've only used it once, on my T-90 Build, and it worked awesome.

 

[andrei383]

Some armor kits have open vision ports and a small sheet of clear plastic is provided to serve as the glass. Norm added a tip to use reflective party favors, but since i didn't have any on hand, i experimented a bit and i turned to my photographic toolbox:

Color correction gels:

In case your wondering what these are: these gels change the "color temperature" of any artificial light youre using (such as an external flash) to match (or contrast) the ambient light. i.e., tungsten is around 3000K (orange), flash/daylight at 5500K (white), and fluorescent has a greenish tinge to it.

Usually, you'll find two distinct sets:
-color correction (contains specific shades of orange, green, and blue to match light to typical light bulbs such as tungsten and fluorescent)
-color effects ("wilder" colors to add color effects to a photo)

Because these are transparent, they give a different effect to that of reflective party favors. Additionally you can mix and match colors to get a specific color and strength you need.

To use, just cut small pieces to fit the vision port and mix and match colors if needed. Then glue in place with a clear drying glue.

You can find these sets for a few dollars (or free if you ask a photographer friend) and should last a long time since you use only a miniscule amount for each vision port.

The end result 8) :

 

[Magicmarker77]

Grind down artists chalks to make weathering chalks
I use a sharp exacto into tart shell plates

 

[Dusky]

After cleaning an airbrush, flush it with acetone to remove any cleaner/water left in it and the acetone will evaporate quickly.

 

[Afterburner]

For the aircraft builders.If the aircraft your modeling has static wicks on the trailing edges of flying surfaces,use toothbrush bristles to replicate.Trim to length and paint.

 

[Grendels]

Good Idea! I know just where to use it and not on an aircraft! I need to build a radio antenna and some of them have little projections off the side. I was thinking about using brass, but tooth brush bristles would work better.

 

[spud]

thats a neat idea. and they shouldnt break

 

[Martay]

Just thought id drop this in here hope it is helpfull, if anyone needs very fine copper wire, the small splitter for the phone and internet router when opened up contains two spools of wire which is suitable for a lot of bits in my 1/72 builds, sure to be other options too, ive also found in Tescos in ireland are their own brand of (tasty) hummus in three flavours, it is packaged in a very handy 3 part container with lid, deadly for storing the small parts of a build as they are readied for fitting

 

[Just Mike]

Tube tip tip

 

[YOULI]

Did we talk about the tip concerning the painting of windows on spaceships ? Star Wars, Star Trek, Galactica, whatever...

I usually use two tools :
- toothpick
- white pen

Everybody know what a tootpick is, you simply dip it in the paint (not entirely you fools ) and you obtain a way to paint the windows easily on a NX-01 Enterprise, for example.

THe White pen is the kinda thing you find in Art store, it's basically white pencil. You can find other colors, even metallic if you want to. You can find various ones from Pentel, Pilot...
Begin to write on a paper for example, the pen will charge of white ink/paint... Then tap on the surface of your model kit. You'll obtain a regular rounded window.

Same tip with black ink by the way. Only more easy to find a black pen, right ? Use that technic for the "panel lines" for example.
Just check how the ink grew old. I've got pencils bought 10 years ago that have pigments and "oil" separate and it's not useful anymore.

It's certainly useful for round windows. For square ones, well, there's other options.

 

[Neo]

My quickis

On all exacto handles wrap a piece of tape leaving it stick out about .5inch this will prevent you new #11 blade from roling off you desk and into your leg/foot or hard wood floor

When dealing with seams apply tape to both side , apply putty, remove tape, then taque Q-Tips(real one its woth it) and nail polish remover(with acetone)and rubaway the excess putty. it will save you tons of sanding/rescriping and you dont have to clean the mess!!

BTW for that 91% ISO cleaning trick ive always done this with 50% or 70% rubbing alchool to get the finger grease off my model and never had an issue over Humbrol enamels (i apply it between EVERY coat of paint)

 

[andrei383]

this is something i just started doing and i love it:

to fill small seams/ejector pin marks, use correction fluid (known under brands such as Tippex and Liquid Paper). its quick to apply, dries faster, and is thinner than modelling putty. it will shrink as it dries but you can easily add a second coat (which is usually enough in most cases)

 

[spud]

interesting, i know Chris uses it for small seams but it never dawned on me to use it for ejector marks.

Thanks for that one Andrei

 

[andrei383]

spud, make sure you wet sand it with a fine grit sandpaper (400 or above) as dry sanding or using rougher grits may lift the correction fluid out of the ejector/sink mark.

 

[spud]

Thanks Anrei

 

[Ferris928]

Can't sleep so i figured i'd pop on line and give a few of my own.
1. Cardboard packaging (backing, cig packs), and plastic packaging. Save them, can use the cardboard for taping small parts to for painting. And the plastic (if it's deep enough) can be used for mixing washes and paints. i have a whole drawer full of cardboard (somewhat of a packrat i guess.)
2. Chopsticks and alligator clips. great for holding very small parts. Like in the plamo vids.
3. Pantyhose! Um...not to wear..(unless you're into that.......) I use it to strain old paint, that's still liquid. Take a piece that's slightly bigger than the bottle you're gonna put it into and hold it down with a rubber band to the threads. Then slowly pour the paint onto the stretched hose. I usually use a toothpick to gently push down on the hose while pouring, it creates a sort of capillary effect and the paint goes through and the junk stays out. This came from opening an old jar of Pollyscale it didn't work in the AB no matter what i did to thin it. In desperation (middle of the night, LHS is closed) i put thinner in the bottle to thin it all (about 3-1 paint to thinner), shook it up and tried the hose. it worked. And recently with my Renegade Krome, I've been having the same problem with my old paints, it works for me. Just be careful taking the paint soaked hose off the bottle...
4. Medicine bottle with dropper. Works great as a way to apply CA activator.
5. A Flashlight. To aid in your (more-than-likely futile) quest to save the precious innocent and fallen model part from the hideous carpet monster. With luck, you will wield a Flashlight with Blinding +3, so you can quickly rush down to the monster's lair, blind it, and locate the small defenseless part before it falls to a fate worse that death; Lingering quietly amongst other unfound pieces (and dropped popcorn) smelling your feet and laying just out of touching distance. Then once you've freed it, exit the evil dungeon and return to your forge and finish your glorious quest and bask in the praise of brother subscribers!
Ok, time for bed. Cheers!