JPS_Lotus Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Since I'm fairly new to the modeling scene...it was a long long time ago that I did any modeling....I've had some disasters with the model building since January. I finally completed only my second model Sunday. Part of it is my fault for being a bit too anal about things instead of just going with the flow and not worrying so much about every little blemish. My problems have been primarily with the use of spray paint. My comfort level with it was very low, and getting the feel down for distances has been trying. As such, I have found out the Tamiya synthetic lacquer paints have little forgiveness if you mess up with them as they don't come off easily. Yesterday I started a Tamiya 1976 Porsche Turbo 934 Jagermeister curbside kit. I had no problems with the prep work and the primer coat. I was a little nervous with applying the TS-12 Orange spray given every disaster I've had. The body shell was on a Tamiya spray stand. So I did the initial mist coats outside, and was pleased with how they came out. After 2 sessions, I was ready to do a wet coat. The wet coat came out quite well, and I was very happy with it. As I turned around to go back inside I was holding the stand and tilted it a little bit just to check the bottom of the body to see if everything was covered. Well disaster struck, and unbeknownst to me, the spray stand wasn't as secure as I thought it was, and it fell off with the body shell onto the ground. The damage was done to the wet coat, so I rushed inside and got it into a tub that I then filled up with 91% alcohol. I spent the next several hours stripping the shell of all the paint. I find to use 91% with the Tamiya lacquers, you need to get them into the alcohol quickly. Once they start curing, it seems to make it a huge problem. Using toothpicks and the exacto knife allowed me to remove all of the paint and primer from the cracks. In the process I managed to break a part of the front bumper that sits beneath the opening for the mesh grill. Fortunately I used the Testor's super glue to fix it, and it looks ok for the most part. I called it a night at that point since everything appeared to be cleaned up. Before work this morning, I was able to do another primer coat on the body shell, and did some wet sanding. It looks like it should be good to go for when I get home, so I can do the actual spray painting. Primer was rough in some areas, which might have been due to some things being left on the surface that I thought were gone even after the sanding of the shell. Hopefully I will have no problems with the body work this time around. But it got me thinking to the point where I feel like a calamity is always right around the corner for me when it comes to doing body work. Silly mistakes that were avoidable for the most part, but definitely the sort that tries your patience. Anyone have any stories like mine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I once was converting a 2door HT into a 4door wagon and after weeks worth of very careful bodywork,etc. when I reached for the spray paint to give it the first light coat on a next to no breeze or wind day and a wind gust picked it up and tossed it about 10 feet on to the concrete driveway...bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 When I was building my vintage 1/12 scale MPC Bentley Blower, I had the model about 90% finished. Somehow it was knocked to the floor (ceramic tile) and broke into a million pieces. Broken springs, broken axles, broken headlights, broken everything. I basically had to start over. Actually I had to start before starting over, because first I had to repair all the individual broken parts before I could begin reassembling the model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niteowl7710 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Seems you made it into a major disaster. If the mist coats were dry, and the wet coats were probably well on their way considering how quickly Tamiya paint dries, it would have been a heck of a lot easier to pick the body up, let it dry, and then assess the damage, and then sand out the damage to the paint, and spot fix it as necessary. You really didn't need to strip the ENTIRE body and accidentally break the bumper while you were doing it. I see way too many people run to the dunk tank with any paint issue, when an auto body guy goofs up a paint job they don't disassemble the entire vehicle and send it out to be stripped to bare metal...things like what happened to Harry, THAT'S a disaster. Edited May 27, 2014 by niteowl7710 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Also- welcome to MCM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Haigwood Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 The last time I was building my plan was to build the original version of the "Tweedy Pie"with the flathead engine. I did the frame,all the running gear complete with brake lines and as super detailed as I could get.Built the engine complete.Then I discovered the engine was too long for the car.At that point I just put everything in boxes and quit building. Now I mock everything up BEFORE I do the paint and final touches.Some day I will revisit "Ol Tweedy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I painted a complicated three tone vintage green/white/black NYPD color scheme on a 49 Ford. I was waiting for the 57 Ford to come out with the needed decals. When they never materialized I made my own. I used rub on letters and clear decal paper. It worked well until I clear coated the whole thing. Decals that had never before reacted with a mild enamel clear coat curled up so badly they refused to sand out . Poop. I have everyhing finished, so It's just a matter of repainting and markings. I believe I will start with a fresh body and strip the other for something else. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS_Lotus Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Seems you made it into a major disaster. If the mist coats were dry, and the wet coats were probably well on their way considering how quickly Tamiya paint dries, it would have been a heck of a lot easier to pick the body up, let it dry, and then assess the damage, and then sand out the damage to the paint, and spot fix it as necessary. You really didn't need to strip the ENTIRE body and accidentally break the bumper while you were doing it. I see way too many people run to the dunk tank with any paint issue, when an auto body guy goofs up a paint job they don't disassemble the entire vehicle and send it out to be stripped to bare metal...things like what happened to Harry, THAT'S a disaster. Probably would be a bad time to mention I am in the process of stripping it again? I have no one to blame but myself for this latest one. But what is they say...you can't learn if you don't make mistakes? At least that's what I am trying to tell myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
935k3 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Don't give up. Here is a couple of tips that will help. Get aTamiya Spraywork Paint Stand to hold the body when painting. I have broken so many thin body areas I now re-enforce them before any other work. I have the 934 kit and I know I will break that area. I will cut a piece of .005' brass to the exact shape needed and and then securely super glue the brass to a piece of .005" evergreen plastic sheet. Then trim to shape and glue the combined piece to the model with liquid model glue, this give you time to perfect the position versus just super gluing the brass to the model. This will result in a slightly thicker model but filing the edge back at angle will make it look thinner and you will have much stronger model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin T Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 As close as I've come to a serious modeling disaster was the time I went to yank a kit out of the bottom of a stacked pile and covered myself in about thirty or so kits. One or two kits hitting you in the face is ok, having thirty all deciding to ambush you at the same time is not fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Every time I start on a new kit it is a disaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale-Master Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I'm with NiteOwl's perspective on this. Similar thing just happened to me Saturday just after the final wet coat of Tamiya spray. The tape let go and the body fell off the stick onto the table and then onto the carpeted floor and bounced to the hard floor area boogering up every corner and collecting some debris. I let it dry overnight, sanded out the damage and washed it. Once dry I built up light spot coats on the damaged areas over the course of an hour (during the Indy 500). Then I shot one last final coat. Yesterday it looked like this. Keep practicing, it is the best way to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS_Lotus Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Don't give up. Here is a couple of tips that will help. Get aTamiya Spraywork Paint Stand to hold the body when painting. I have broken so many thin body areas I now re-enforce them before any other work. I have the 934 kit and I know I will break that area. I will cut a piece of .005' brass to the exact shape needed and and then securely super glue the brass to a piece of .005" evergreen plastic sheet. Then trim to shape and glue the combined piece to the model with liquid model glue, this give you time to perfect the position versus just super gluing the brass to the model. This will result in a slightly thicker model but filing the edge back at angle will make it look thinner and you will have much stronger model. Thanks for that tip! I'll have to try that in the future with those thin body parts. The good news is I seem to have stripped the model for the most part. There's still dried primer in spots that feels flush to the surface now. I think things are about as good as I am going to get them. The good thing about this, is that it has given me a lot of practice with stripping a model completely. I will just do a wet sand before I do the primer to make sure things are smooth as I can get them. Funny thing is that the part of the 934 kit where you spray the underside with the body color, I had no problems getting that sprayed cleanly. Go figure that one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS_Lotus Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 I'm with NiteOwl's perspective on this. Similar thing just happened to me Saturday just after the final wet coat of Tamiya spray. The tape let go and the body fell off the stick onto the table and then onto the carpeted floor and bounced to the hard floor area boogering up every corner and collecting some debris. I let it dry overnight, sanded out the damage and washed it. Once dry I built up light spot coats on the damaged areas over the course of an hour (during the Indy 500). Then I shot one last final coat. Yesterday it looked like this. Keep practicing, it is the best way to learn. Wow, that's a heck of a job you did with that body! Looks absolutely gorgeous, and there's no hint you had any problems with the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) My dog ate the fender unit for a chopped AMT '40 Ford coupe I was building, after I'd molded in the headlights and side grilles. That bitch. Edited May 28, 2014 by ChrisBcritter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) Do you want the whole list or just the top ten lol. My biggest disaster I didn't cause I had a box full of bodies in various stages of completion when my cat had to see what was in said box and knocked it off the shelf causing chipped paint, scrathes, and broken bodies. Then he looks at me just like a son/daughter as if to say "what? I don't know how that happened˝ stoooooopid cat Edited May 28, 2014 by mnwildpunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinMoparFord Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I learned the hard way with the Tamiya stands as well. Now first thing is I tape the bottom stand to the top. It does not spin, but it will not fall a part again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS_Lotus Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Do you want the whole list or just the top ten lol. My biggest disaster I didn't cause I had a box full of bodies in various stages of completion when my cat had to see what was in said box and knocked it off the shelf causing chipped paint, scrathes, and broken bodies. Then he looks at me just like a son/daughter as if to say "what? I don't know how that happened˝ stoooooopid cat lol That might have been one dead cat were it me. I think cats like to figure out whatever the most fragile items are in a house, then they go climbing around it to see how long it takes to destroy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 lol That might have been one dead cat were it me. I think cats like to figure out whatever the most fragile items are in a house, then they go climbing around it to see how long it takes to destroy it. same as with kids lol. I would've killed it but the wife would wonder where her cat went. Another time my stepson decided to go through all my kits and mix everything up to this day I may have to search through 15 kits or more just to find a part to what I'm working on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZTony8 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Dave-only 15 kits?Good thing he didn't have my stash of 1300 kits to mess up! I recently had a minor disaster.I was painting a Model A firewall with some flat gray paint and decided to try shooting the gloss coat over it while the gray was still wet.Bad idea-the gray started to run and pulled away from the features on the firewall.Fortunately,no harm done.I just waited until it all dried,reshot the gray,then waited for it to dry before I shot the gloss coat.Lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Tony I bow to you total I only have about 30 since getting back it So anytime you want ill gladly take some off your hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbill Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 hehe, been there, done that with the paint stand.......now it's taped and glued together flawless paint finish, 'hey, lets flip it over to make sure rockers are well covered' .....2 seconds later, on the roof.......rockers were well painted by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Hmm, the first time I was using Tenax around 1990, and knocked it over on the work bench, and it ran VERY quickly, and of couse mushed up parts in came into contact with. You can make a stand for them by turning over a spray can lid or block of wood with correct size hole....lesson learned. There are many more, but I won't shame myself further no public display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZTony8 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Dave,those kits are my life insurance policy.I plan to live to be 400 and build them all.So far,so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 hehe, been there, done that with the paint stand.......now it's taped and glued together flawless paint finish, 'hey, lets flip it over to make sure rockers are well covered' .....2 seconds later, on the roof.......rockers were well painted by the way Tom I wondered why I saw tape around the stands. Now I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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