New to this site and model making with some Qs

[sonsw87]

Hi, I just have some technical questions as a newbie. First one is when im painting small parts how do you guys hold the part? I saw people using crocodile clips or a blue tac on a stick. Is that the best way? Than what do you do with the area that was covered by whatever it was holding it? Do you simply hold it by other area after its dried and repaint? wouldn't that give a uneven paint? My second problem was putting on a decal on a uneven surface. i find it much harder to put them on any suggestions?

Sorry for spamming just questions on my first posting and thank you for reading.

[Gregg]

e komo mai (welcome)

I have a quick how-to article I am doing for the mag on just this topic. I buy them from Radio Shack, different sizes, and I love the flat nosed ones.

Scale Motorsport also has some cool little holders for small parts http://store.scalemotorsport.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SM&Product_Code=1108&Category_Code=TOOLS

I buy the green 3M double stick tape by the rolls usually as big of a roll as I can afford at the time, and cut them up into squares using popsicle sticks to hold almost everything else.

For decals, try experimenting with the Micro Sol and Micro Set decal setting solutions, and a low-heat hair dryer.

Maybe our bud Mark Jones can share some decal tips

[Dr. Cranky]

Gregg's idea works. I use sushi shop chop sticks with 3M double sided tape or a piece of cardboard with regular wide strips of tape and I glue several rows of small parts and panels to it. And there you go, you are good to start painting.

Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy all the sights and share your eye candy with us. Best, Doctor Cranky

[Foxer]

Agreeing woth Greg's alligator clips, I attach them to sections of sprue with a hook at the ends .. a section cut from a corner that forms the hook .. for hanging out to dry.

[crazyjim]

Alligator clips, tooth picks, tape, picture frame tac, whatever will work.

welcome to the MCM Forum.

[stulee11]

as for the decals i fully agree with gregg "micro sol and micro set" ... i was having loads of problems with decals forming to the contors of a body . then i tried them 2 solutions and sorted it right away ... but dont worry when you do try them as once aplied to the decal it will make you cry... as it will wrinckel them up but leave them over night and they sort there self out ... this link will help you out with it

http://www.modelairplanebuilding.com/decals-and-markings.html

i know its a plane in the discription but the steps are excactly the same for any model.

welcome to this fantastic forum.

good luck with your modeling and please post your (WIP) and finished models so we all can admire them... and help in anyway if needed.

stu

[Ramfins59]

Yeah I sometimes use the little alligator clips, or a pair of hemostats, or a clothespin (depending on the size of the part) but i usually use a pin vise to drill a small hole in the part (where the hole won't be seen later) then dip the tip of a toothpick into some CA glue and stick it into the hole. I can then hold the toothpick and paint the entire part. When finished painting I stick the part ot fhe toothpick that I was holding into a small block of styrofoam until the paint is dry, then remove the part from the toothpick and install it whereever it goes on the model.

[randx0]

if you are just starting out perhaps spraying an entire sprue tree and touching up after snipping the pieces off maybe a good place to start just so you can more easiy gauge where you need to hold the paint can or airbrush and figure out how much paint should be used. once you start to get used to using the paint itself you will better be able to decide how to hold the smaller parts. for the body and exterior parts you do want to try to paint it all at the same time but for the smaller more hidden parts touching up and respraying won't really show up unevenly.good luck and welcome!

Edited January 11, 2012 by randx0

[sonsw87]

Thank you guys for great comments! But Im still not quite sure about what to do with the area that was covered up by the clips/tapes. is it better to touch up with a brush or should I use an airbrush? Also is it a good idea to use the primer when all the parts are still in the tree? or should should I use the primer after i cut the part out cause of joint part that was attached to the tree. Again Thanks for your tips and I will start making some models soon

[62rebel]

it sounds to me like you've removed the parts from the sprue (tree) for painting; i leave 90% of the parts attached to the sprue for painting UNLESS they're part of a larger assembly like an engine, or seats. most engines are molded with the transmission attached; they're seldom the same color so they can be held and painted with gator clips. once you remove the part from the sprue, then it's a simple matter of touching up the bare spots.

i also spray paint a large portion of similar parts on the sprue; suspension and chassis parts, wheel backs, exhaust, etc in black or dark gray even if i'm going to paint them a different color further on, as this will give the parts a "metal" base color versus a "bare plastic" color.

[Gregg]

Sometimes I get away with cutting away one of the mounting points on the sprue tree, then touch up with paint after.

I have gotten into the habit of spraying everything, after scrubbing with SImple Green and toothbrush, with Tamiya Grey Primer.

I know, expensive, but it has been working great for me.

[Guest]

Thank you guys for great comments! But Im still not quite sure about what to do with the area that was covered up by the clips/tapes. is it better to touch up with a brush or should I use an airbrush? Also is it a good idea to use the primer when all the parts are still in the tree? or should should I use the primer after i cut the part out cause of joint part that was attached to the tree. Again Thanks for your tips and I will start making some models soon

This is how I do it,but everyone has their own way of doing things.

I remove all parts from the trees and sand away all mold lines and imperfections.

Once that process is done, I re attach the parts to scrap sprue (in an area that will be glued or hidden) with a tiny drop of crazy glue. This makes painting the entire part so much easier and requires no touch up. I tried the tape method once and didn't like that process at all.

Then I primer every part,sand (unless it's a very small part or I plan on brush painting it) and paint.

Once the parts are dry,just snap them off and assemble.

[High octane]

There's NO need to primer parts as I use bottled paints which are enamal and made for plastics and I also use Testors lacquers which aremade for plastics also, so why primer? I mostly use primer just on the body and body parts and this seems to work for me.

[Guest]

There's NO need to primer parts as I use bottled paints which are enamal and made for plastics and I also use Testors lacquers which aremade for plastics also, so why primer? I mostly use primer just on the body and body parts and this seems to work for me.

The same reason you primer the body. It makes painting so much easier. Any paint always want to wick away from high spots on bare plastic. Primer keeps that from happening and saves paint. I used to think the same thing until I tried it.