70 Sting

Good Evening, Not my normal cup of tea, however, being a Corvette fan I thought why not? I photographed the completed Stingaree this evening and thought I'd share my thoughts. The body was painted with decanted Tamiya FS Primer White, decanted Tamiya TS-43 Racing Green and clear coated with decanted Tamiya X-13. Some of the chassis was painted with AK Xtreme Metal White Aluminum and the chrome parts were stripped and painted with AK Xtreme Metal Chrome. All aluminum and chrome parts were base coated with AK's Black Base (yucky). What I learned from this build: 1. The body comes in 7 parts which fit together with obvious seams. Got lots of practice using Tamiya Putty. 2. There's some sort of warp in the frame. I've seen alignment issues with other builds. 3. I think I have been thinning the primer too much (1:1 with lacquer thinner) as it doesn't fill little scratches like it does straight from the can. 4. First time I decanted TS colour paint - I think I need to change the ratio (4:1 with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder type) or be more patient and apply multiple light coats and slowly build the colour. 5. First time using TS-13 Clear - also thinned 4:1. It did not burn the decals (I've read horror stories on the forums). Applied a couple mist coats first then 2 wet coats. 6. Decals were very brittle and broke in multiple places. Lined them up as best I could but the seams can definitely be seen. 7. Must remember to wipe off excess decal setting solution. It left spots that would not come off with water and or isopropyl and a cotton swab. Luckily the clear covered most of it. 8. Tried making my own fuel line with heated and stretched sprue. 9. Used a commercially available distributor and battery wires. So tiny... need the patience of a saint. Thanks for reading ?

I appreciate that MikeyB08. I've made a return to the hobby after 35 years due to covid. Back then, I never painted a kit for fear of ruining it and only used Testors tube glue - didn't know anything else existed. Internet Forums and Youtube have opened my eyes to all the possibilities. I'm determined to try new techniques every time because I have many years of catching up to do. ?

I actually used Tamiya glue to set a stubborn dashboard decal on a Miura because I didn't have decal solution with me at the time... it worked, you just can't touch it. Good spot on the callipers, I hadn't notice that. Wondering if that was a manufacturing mistake as the wheels attach to the axel with half circle connections i.e. they can only be rotated in 180˚ positions. I suppose I could have drilled out the other half circle and oriented it correctly (or pretend I didn't read your comment ?). The biggest drawback with X-22 seems to be the drying time from what I've read on the net. Had a problem with the Miura but it dried nicely on this one.

Thanks espo. I did use paper towel to wick the excess off - I guess it just took a little longer for gravity to do its thing. I know the airplane guys use this method religiously on their canopies. I also airbrushed Pledge on the body of a previous build, the same thing happened - very minor pooling along a bottom edge. Kinda hard to see in the photos, perhaps I applied it a little heavy with the airbrush in this case. 1932 Chrysler Imperial 8

That's a good one, too. ?

I used regular hardware store lacquer thinner. It removed the enamel paint, base coat and primer quickly... unfortunately it then proceeded to melt the plastic. I have soaked other parts in LA's Totally Awesome and it removed acrylic paint without stripping Tamiya's primer. ? Works on chrome as well, though it doesn't really remove the adhesive. I agree with your assessment of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer, it goes on super smooth. So much so that I switched to sanding the body with finer grit paper to avoid deeper scratches.

Good Afternoon, I photographed the completed Audi R8 this weekend. It was painted with Tamiya FS Primer Light Grey, AK Black Base, AK Xtreme Metal Copper and clear coated with Tamiya X-22 Clear. The rims were primed and base coated the same as the body and painted with AK Xtreme Gun Metal. Interior is Tamiya Flat Black and a custom mixed saddle (homemade brown + Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow). The flat black was very flat so I coated it with Tamiya X-35 Semi Gloss Clear. The embossing powder is Ranger Marigold purchased from Amazon. What I learned from this build: 1. Plastic does not like lacquer thinner (probably obvious to many, but I'm still figuring things out). I wasn't happy with the way the hatch/rear engine cover turned out because I sprayed it independently from the body. My usual paint stripper (LA's Totally Awesome) wouldn't remove the AK Copper so I upped the hotness... bad idea. I tried to scratch build a new one with less than great results. I avoided photographing the car from angles that show the poor fit. I may try again. 2. Not sure I like dipping glass parts in Pledge - it looks great at first but tends to pool just a little due to gravity and doesn't like to be handled afterward as fingers leave faint, cloudy smudges (maybe it's just me). 3. Make sure to paint the interior floor pan the same colour as the embossing powder. 4. Double check bottle labels!! I tried Tamiya's Mark Fit Strong for the first time. I had a little air/dust bubble under the carbon fibre decal (behind the gas cap) so I poked a little hole in it and applied what I thought was the decal solution... Tamiya Extra Thin Cement is pretty tough on decals. ? 5. Regular Elmer's white glue does a pretty nice job on clear parts... just have to apply a little more. 6. This was the first time I painted rims and I think I will continue going forward. 7. I still don't like AK's Black Base... it just doesn't cover very well or lay super flat (in my novice opinion). If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. ?

@Steve H Yeah, you're right. Brakes would have be a nice detail and I agree on the colour, too. I still have to get a better handle on aftermarket parts. I ordered a couple other wheel sets from Pegasus to see which would look better with on the car. However, the rim/rubber combination was so low profile I don't see how they would suit any 1/24 model... except maybe on those low rider bouncy cars.

@carbuilder1950 I did use Novus #1 to remove a blemish in the Tamiya X22 Clear. Is Novus #2 a fine scratch remover? Do you ever use Novus #3?

@slusher @carbuilder1950 @ewetwo Thanks fellas, appreciate it. @carbuilder1950 I have coated 2 models since the Vette build - one with Tamiya X-22 and one with Pledge (Future) Lamborghini Miura and Chrysler Imperial respectively. Polishing is something I still need to get a handle on. I've tried fixing a botched windshield with various grades of sandpaper and polish but could never the scratches out or restore the clear finish. This has led to trepidation when it comes to polishing a clear coat. Regarding the magnifying lamp... I can't build without it. ?

@Phirewriter 2 of my local hobby shops have them in stock. I chose not to build the motorcycle and gangsters from mine at this time.

@alexis They certainly didn't have the crazy range of colours we have today. Brown/bronze was the one that stood out to me and X-34 was the closest match I could find. I forgot the brake lights as they weren't in the instructions, just added them this morning.

You said it @bbowser. A number of finicky parts for sure including the flimsy front steering and suspension. The worst fitting were the white wall inserts and tire rims. @bh1701 I used Tamiya Surface Primer Grey - it's a little darker than their Fine Surface Primer Grey. I had to look up the Chrysler Tubine, X-34 does look like a close match. @Monty I used Tamiya's Panel Line Accent Color (Black) on the chrome pieces. I got back into the hobby because of the pandemic - after a 30 year hiatus. So much has changed since the Testors tube glue days. The wealth of information on the net has been a real eye opener. @chris chabre Nor was it mine. I thought it would be cool to try something different. Additional paint info: The soft top was painted with Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black and coated with X-35 Semi Gloss Clear. White walls were painted with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White. Engine block is a 1:1 mix of Tamiya X-4 Gloss Blue and X-5 Gloss Green and toned with X-2 Gloss White.

Thanks very much, fellas. ? @Zippi I didn't have brown paint on hand for the interior so I mixed Tamiya flat red + blue @1:1 then toned it with white. The parts were then coated with Tamiya X-35 Semi Gloss Clear. Something else I learned through a little testing: Tamiya X-86 Flat Clear is very flat over flat paint and you can't really tell it has been applied. I wonder how it would look over gloss paint?

Photographed my most recent model this afternoon and though I'd share it here. This is the 7th kit I've built since returning to the hobby and chose this particular model after watching a build video by a YouTuber. It was painted with Tamiya X-34 Metallic Brown, X-1 Gloss Black and clear coated with Pledge. It's certainly not perfect and looks better in the photos, however I'm learning new things and trying to get better each time. What I learned from this build: 1. Should take reviews/opinions with a grain of salt. 2. I am new to airbrushing but found Pledge went on quite well - just don't lay it on too heavy. 3. Covering larger chromed parts with panel liner requires extra care so that it goes on evenly, and that it can smudge days after drying with too much handling. Going forward I would choose to strip the chrome and repaint it or perhaps cover it with a couple, light coats of Tamiya Smoke. Thanks for looking!

Beautiful work.

Perfection.

@Venom & @gotnitro? Thanks, fellas. It was a good learning experience overall.

@Pete J. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing. Testing paints, thinners, ratios, pressures, distances, speed and taking notes. I’m just starting to get a handle on temperature and humidity.

Update #2: Today the temperature was 70˚ with 55% humidity (basement). I sprayed Tamiya Semi Gloss Black, Gloss Black and Metallic Brown. All 3 were thinned with either Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder type or Mr. Color Levelling Thinner. No problems to report. The only thing I can conclude is that perhaps the cooler temperature combined with the higher humidity was the culprit.

Update: Sprayed decanted Tamiya Grey primer thinned 1:1 with Tamiya's regular lacquer thinner. The conditions were 69˚ with 58% humidity. Air conditioner was not running today. No problems to report. Primer may have dried a little quick, however I think that might be due to the thinner. I'll see if I can spray some actual paint tomorrow and report back.

Hmm, much to ponder. AIr conditioner hasn’t been running as much the past couple days and it is definitely more comfortable in the basement (shorts & t-shirt). Hoping to spray some primer today, though perhaps that’s not as good an indicator as actual paint. I’ll post my findings later. Thanks for the replies.

Being new to airbrushing I have a lot of questions as you might expect. The most nagging one is temperature and humidity. I have sprayed Tamiya Acrylic X-22 Clear thinned 1:1 with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder type in what I believe were near perfect conditions 70˚ with 50% humidity (measured with a Thermometer/Hygrometer). The stuff went down very well. On the other hand, recently I tried spraying Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black in 65˚ with 66% humidity in my basement (air conditioner had been running non stop for days) and no matter how I thinned it, 1:1, 2:1 with regular Tamiya Lacquer Thinner or their Retarder type, it would not go on even. It would dry quicker in some areas and slower in others. I tried applying mist coats as well as heavy with similar results. What did seem to help 'a little' was warming the paint and the part to be sprayed. I hear people say they would never paint during days with high humidity while others say it can actually help slow down the drying time... but don't spray gloss paint. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you kindly @David G. @Can-Con @mustang1989 @chris chabre. Definitely a few errors made and new techniques learned along the way. The photos flatter the build a little, however, overall I'm pleased with the final result. ? Cheers!

All done! Took some photos this afternoon. Many thanks to all those who gave me good advice along the way. Cheers! ?