Rick L

Sweet!

Very clean build. Thanks for sharing.

I spent 40 years building mockups, engineering prototypes and mold masters for short run casting. Mostly for the medical diagnostic field. That casting is one of many enclosures we produced for a long time client.

Also note that some casting materials, particularly polyurethanes, need to be cast at higher temps in order for their properties to work. Or they become brittle when fully cured. This mold is set in an oven preheated to 150 degrees before injection cast with 2 part urethane mix.

Meanwhile, the inventor of that simple little part is laying under a palm tree somewhere, sipping Pina coladas

Generally, the longer the pot life the less heat will be produced. If you’re working with small parts with thin walls such as small scale model car parts you shouldn’t have any issues with the castings. The mixing cup on the other hand may be an issue if it’s a fast curing plastic or epoxy such as the reaction Bill experienced. If you’re unsure of the reaction you may get just cast the part and leave the mold and mixing cup outside.

These velocity stacks were made from plexiglass and spray painted directly with Molotow. This was my fist experiment spraying plastic without primer. They’re holding up fine.

Also works well for mixing bondo or any other polyester resin.

3D models are printed by FDM (fused deposition modeling) or SLA (stereo lithography). Most FDM parts are printed with styrene and are fairly stable. All SLA parts are formed by a UV sensitive resin, are hygroscopic and expand over time. Don’t confuse the SLA resin parts with your cast resin body parts that are molded with a two part polymer. These are also fairly stable but can warp if not properly stored over time. Like sitting in a box jammed with other parts.

CA and cotton don’t mix. Your cotton swab had an exothermic reaction to the glue and got hot creating that bad vapor. As a warning to all modelers, be careful with cleaning a large spill of CA with a cotton rag. The reaction will get nasty and possibly catch on fire.

There are many excellent techniques of painting wood grain already on this site. Your only problem is to decide which one you want to use.

This is not a good method. An open container of CA is pretty nasty stuff on your sinuses in large volume. Be careful to use ventilation if you choose to go that route.

No one true answer without knowing more info. If the paint is coming out of the gun like that, the paint may not be thin enough or the airflow could be too high. Is the paint old? Old Testors paint does not thin well with enamel thinner. You could try using lacquer thinner instead. To avoid this problem, most modelers experiment by spraying paint samples on plastic spoons or scrap styrene before attempting to paint their work.

If they are the issued bottles they will accommodate lacquer. Test them with lacquer. If it melts, they’re useless anyway. You can write to Paasche for glass replacements.

I’ve used this on a few projects with no issues. It does run a little wet but if you’re used to working with lacquer you should have no problem.

You are correct.

If you must use a lubricant, glycerin wiped on with a cloth works best. It leaves no residue. You can purchase it at any pharmacy.

Breaking the sharp leading edge of the drill on a sharpening stone will prevent the drill from grabbing and breaking through the plastic. But keep in mind this will also make the drill useless for steel. Working with plastics all of my life, I now have a full drill index of backed off drills. ? Whenever I need a sharp drill, I resharpen with a Drill Doctor.

As a general rule, don’t spray rattle cans if the dew point is within 20 degrees of the ambient temperature. If you’re mixing paint you can add retarder.

That nail has been hit on the head.

The quality assurance inspector at G.M. would be proud.?

Lacquer shrinks. That’s the nature of the beast. Heat the can up for 15 minutes in a hot tap water bath and shake occasionally. This increases the pressure in the can. The paint will come out smoother and create less orange peel. The first coat should be light but even and dry to touch within 5-10 minutes. The second coat should cover completely with as little paint as possible and dry to touch within 15-20 minutes. Put enough paint on the third coat to get the full gloss effect. Don’t add more it won’t get glossier. Don’t sand between coats. It’s a waste of time unless you have an imperfection. If you see an imperfection like dust or hair appear while painting, STOP, let the paint dry, sand it out with 800 grit and continue. Don’t add more paint thinking it will cover. It won’t.

I’ve worked with plenty of people with different “styles” of organization. Some were considered neat freaks and others were considered slobs. The end result was always the same. I came to the conclusion that some people have organized benches and others have organized minds.

Interesting article. I started model making as a hobby when I was 10 years old and began a professional model making career at 25 building engineering models and prototypes. In the beginning the profession was fun and exciting. Always something new and challenging but the hobbyist in me began to wane. Eventually quitting the hobby end for fun. After 40 years, earning a living building to high tolerances and meeting deadlines caused my blood pressure to rise. 65 couldn’t come quick enough. ? Now, I’m finally retired, back to the hobby and off the BP meds. The article is spot on. Thanks for sharing.

I don’t doubt 180 grit is recommended for 1:1 harsh environment but do you really think it applies to scale models?