The Game Has Changed

[slugnasty]

I'm new to the forums, and mostly new to model painting. First a little background: I did models as a kid. Back then it was child's play. There wasn't a lot of thought; I bought Testors brand paint bottles with enamel colors and cheap brushes, plain ol plastic cement in the toothpaste tube, whatever the drug store I bought my models at had. It wasn't until I was a teenager and visited a big hobby shop that I realized the depth of the hobby. I certainly had never seen a model car magazine at that point.

Now that I'm an adult I've decided to get back into the hobby, and despite the fact that I know people have been doing very professional work with model cars basically since the beginning of model cars, it still seems to me very much that the game has changed enormously in only the 10 years or so since I was a teenager. On second thought, I imagine in a lot of ways it has, but at any rate I need a serious crash course on what the "pros" are doing these days when it comes to making white injected molded plastic pieces into works of art.

With that out of the way, I'm working on my first model kit since the old days, and I have a lot of questions. At the shop I went to, I was surprised at how much the airbrush seems to have taken over. Are brushes for whole coats obsolete now, and if so how long have they been? Are globby enamel paints too up in heaven with the dodo? It seems to me this method of brushing on enamel primer and brushing on a couple coats of enamel color over that results in something extremely less quality than what I've seen on these forums. Are people out there still using this tried and true method and getting great results, or do I just have a really unsteady hand?

Though my questions come to me like trains of thought, I think I will leave it here and see if this discussion goes anywhere. Thanks very much for your time and patience in dealing with a long-winded model car newbie.

[TurboKitty]

First off, welcome! I too am newer to the forum. I have been building model cars for the last 12-13 years though off & on. Don't let the quality of other members' builds deter you from showing off your work. We are here to help out if you have any questions, and can offer suggestions on how to improve your skills if you want.

As for your questions, I think that airbrushes are pretty popular because they allow you to custom mix colors as well as the ability to spray thinned nail polish (which comes in TONS of colors of course) with great results after a little practice. Besides an airbrush, there are also spray paints in 3 oz cans (and larger cans for automotive paints) that are common from Testors, Model Master, etc. Primer is readily available in a spray can as well. Both of those produce better results on average than brush painting, which should be reserved for small details like trim pieces, dry brushing, etc. Personally, I have never used an airbrush, always sprayed my models with Testors or Dupli Color Automotive rattle cans. Some advice, pay attention to what type of paint you choose to apply over whatever primer you're using. Acrylics are water based, and are the "weakest" of paints. More common are Enamels, followed by Lacquers (which are the strongest). Enamel is a harder paint, which could be considered the most durable. Lacquer is somewhat softer and not quite as durable, but it is overall easier to use. Both can result in nice finishes with a little prep, sanding, and polishing. Here is a site that explains the differences a bit more:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/enamel-paint-vs-lacquer-paint

As far as model kits themselves, on average they offer more detail than kits of old. There are lots of places to get kits for reasonable prices, and there are literally hundreds to thousands of companies that make detail parts and accessories for model cars to add realism. Here are a couple links to good sites I've been directed to by fellow members:

Rocketfin Hobbies

Scale Dreams

Jim 'N Ohio

Scale Equipment Ltd.

Model Express

Morgan Automotive Detail (MAD Parts)

Scale Modeling by Chris

Emodelcars (Sister site where you can sell model kits)

Check out the tips & tricks section for lots of good stuff, and if you need anything else, always feel free to ask!

~ Michelle

Edited August 7, 2010 by MB_ChargerChick

[highway]

Welcome to the forum, Chris. If you want a crash course in a few of the works of art the "pros" are doing , check these threads out. These are all work in progress threads, you should learn a lot, I know I have! Of course, these guys would all probably say they are not "pro" model builders, so let's just say they are extremely highly advanced!

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33737

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32485

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31030

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32729

[slugnasty]

Michelle, Matt, thanks very much for the kind welcomes, advice, and links. Right now I'm working with mostly brushes and Model Master enamel paints. I did get my hands on some Tamiya rattlecans. I tested them on some scrap plastic and they look good; think I'll use that for the body work. I also got some Bare Metal Foil for trim work. I'm wondering just how far you can take this BMF stuff though. I might experiment with it on larger surfaces and see what I get. Also, I dug into some of my old things and found I do own an airbrush, albeit a pretty cheapy one. I might give it a shot if I can track down some compressed air for it (I don't have a compressor.)

I will eventually post a thread on the other forum with my project, though I'm sure it won't measure up to the kind of talent on this site being my first go at a model in over 10 years.

Again thanks!

[slugnasty]

There was one more thing I wanted to ask, in regards to the "order of operations" so to speak in building and painting. I never know when I should build, when I should paint, in what order. The instructions on any model kit only tell me so much. Sometimes it's as simple as "Should I paint each piece of the engine before assembling?" Right now the question is a bit more complex, because on the dual hood ornaments on the 57 Chevy kit I'm working with, I'm wondering if I should BMF them before I assemble them, or if I should assemble them unpainted and then apply the BMF. I understand there is no one true way of doing this and in the end it's personal preference, but I'd like to hear some wisdom on the subject because obviously there can be advantages and disadvantages in the way and order in which we assemble and paint our kits.

[Swifster]

Hi Chris, I'm new here too. I am starting my first build since the late 70's so take what I say with a grain of salt. I'm starting with an older AMT '67 Mercury Cyclone. The instructions started with the engine so that's what I've started with. I've notice that many paint the parts while still on the tree. Having been involved in 1:1 vehicles my whole life, there are some things that I've carried over into my model.

I would never paint a 1:1 engine in individual pieces, i.e., block, heads, oil pan, etc., if all of these parts will be the same color. As the long block on my Cyclone is all Ford blue, I glued the oil pan, heads, valve covers, intake and front cover together before painting the assembly. I think it turned out well. Because I will try things I've never done before, such as wiring, BMF, etc., I've bought a pair of MAD pre-wired distributors to cut down on the frustration.

While I will get go in order of the instruction sheet for the most part, there are things I can do while I'm literally waiting for paint to dry. Putting the wheels together, detailing the rear finish panel and grille are some of these things. Of course that also means learning about black detail washes, but I'm not 'there' yet.

Good luck and welcome.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Swifster

[sobpinstriping]

i have also just recently started to build models but i paint things like the engine on the tree then put it together then i touch up the paint where it needs it after i have it together, it works for me but i bet their is a better way

cheers

mat

[highway]

i have also just recently started to build models but i paint things like the engine on the tree then put it together then i touch up the paint where it needs it after i have it together, it works for me but i bet their is a better way

cheers

mat

You're right, Mat, or at least it's my better way, anyway! I always glue my engines halves together first, sand any joint seams like the nasty little seam on the bottom of the oil pan on kits with the pan molded to the engine block, then I attach anything else like heads or intakes that will be the same color. After that, I paint everything as one unit.

I will also do the same on NASCAR frames and truck frames. On the NASCAR frames, I glue everything that will be the same color as the main frame like the rollbars together first, then spray paint it as one unit. My truck frames are done the same way, here is one I have in primer from a current project.

I didn't have just a pic of the frame, but if you look closely, you can see the air tanks and fuel tank mounts hanging from the frame under the cab and sleeper, as well as the rear axles and front springs. Everything that is in primer on the frame will end up being painted the same as the main frame color. In my opinion, glueing parts together that are going to be painted the same color is just some insurance from the paint being damaged by glue after the paint is applied. I even do this on car bodies, but this sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. It worked for my 2009 Dodge Challenger. The front and rear bumpers were attached before painting.

You must check to make sure the chassis will fit after the bumpers are attached, there are some kits that you will never get the chassis into the body after the front and rear bumpers are in place.