Comments on: How to Build a Plastic Model

on 4/11/2008 If your paint job on your plastic model turns out bad and you want to repaint or you just want to change the color of an older model. You can use Easy-Off oven cleaner and a soft tooth brush. Spray it on and wait about 5 mins before using the tooth brush. It will strip off all the paint right down to the bare resin.

F.Y.I. - My day job is building the Dodge Charger and Challenger.

Doc
Brampton Ontario, Canada

on 4/11/2008 If your paint job turns out bad and you want to repaint or you just want to change the color of an older model. You can use Easy-Off oven cleaner and a soft tooth brush. Spray it on and wait about 5 mins before using the tooth brush. It will strip off all the paint right down to the bare resin.

F.Y.I. - My day job is building the Dodge Charger and Challenger.

Doc
Brampton Ontario, Canada

on 1/28/2008 Step Four is and excellent suggestion but should be approached with caution. Cutting/removing the parts from the sprues could lead to problems as most parts are identified by numbers on the sprues. This is especially true if yours is a complicated kit. I suggest photocopying the sprues PRIOR to removing the parts. Even still this may not solve the identity problem but goes a long way toward it. What I do (I've been modeling for almost 40yrs) is match parts in the instructions that require similar color treatment or assemblies that are painted a single color (there are different schools of thought on this so do what works for you). Automitve engines are a good example as the block is usually comprised of several parts and can be easily painted after assembly. This assures an easier to assemble and better looking engine. Excellent suggestion on this site. Good Luck, Punchow.

on 1/28/2008 Step Four is and excellent suggestion but should be approached with caution. Cutting/removing the parts from the sprues could lead to problems as most parts are identified by numbers on the sprues. This is especially true if yours is a complicated kit. I suggest photocopying the sprues PRIOR to removing the parts. Even still this may not solve the identity problem but goes a long way toward it. What I do (I've been modeling for almost 40yrs) is match parts in the instructions that require similar color treatment or assemblies that are painted a single color. Automitve engines are a good example as the block is usually comprised of several parts and can be easily painted after assembly. This assures an easier to assemble and better looking engine. Excellent suggestion on this site. Good Luck, Bert

on 9/16/2006 The plastic stand pedestals that come with your model are both flimsy and inferior looking. They don't represent the modeler's effort or imagination. To achieve a "museum" look, buy two solid, pre-drilled, brass "lamp couplings" from any good hardware store (quite inexpensive). Attach them with wood or machine screws, between your hull, or keel, and a well finished wooden base. Then contemplate your handmade masterpiece.

on 8/8/2006 If you want to paint two colors in the same area, like camo on a tank or plane with an air brush, first paint the model one color and let it dry. Then put bluetack on the parts you want to stay that color and spray again. This gives a nice rounded effect to your lines and is much easier to use than tape.

on 3/28/2006 When painting airplane canopies, use Scotch tape to mask the panels and cut the framework out with an Xacto knife. Also, Elmer's type white glue is good for fixing clear parts to models. It won't haze over and it dries clear. You can also make good looking clear windows on flat surfaces by dragging a toothpick across the opening with a drop of white glue on it.

on 2/15/2006 While the crews did their best to keep their equipment in good order, combat vehicles did get banged around in the field. Adding dents and dings can give you a more realistic model. Slow warming and applied pressure can crumple a flap or fender, or bend a bumper.
I recommend using a candle as the heat source, and dental tools, small dowel rods, or even tweezers for the pressure. I also recommend practicing your heating technique on spare parts or sprues. Practicing will give you a better feel of how close to the flame you need to be and for how long to get the part to bend without melting.
Shell holes (hits) for damaged/destroyed vehicles in dioramas also adds realism. Again, I recommend dental tools or small dowel rods (match these to the barrel diameter of the shooter). To get indentation around the hole, or the dent of a hit that did not penetrate, move your part in a circular motion over the flame, moving from outside to the center (point of impact). When the plastic is sufficiently heated, use your tool to press (for a dent) or poke through (for a penetrating hit) in the middle of the heated area.

on 2/15/2006 While a shiny, new look is desired for most car models, military equipment didn't stay new for very long. Weathering your military model can take you from having a show room Sherman to having a front line vehicle.
Weathering can be done by dry-brushing (having a small amount of paint on the tip of your brush) or by washes (using a thinned down paint) that will collect along seams and ridges.
Dry-brushing is the best way to add mud splatters and to show bare metal on worn surfaces. Washes are best for adding the dust and rust that collect between chances to wash your tank.
One thing to remember is that your accessories (gas cans, ammo boxes) will also get weathered in the field, so be sure to have them in place before aging your vehicle.
And last a warning - Start small! Do stages of little amounts of weathering over the entire vehicle rather than heavier coats section by section. There is a fine line between having a weathered vehicle, and ending up with a pig wallowing in the mud. Light highlights can always be added to until you get the look you want.

on 1/16/2006 Sometimes the messiest part of detailing a model is painting the very small parts, especially for young or inexperienced modelers. A lot of detail can be brought out, or small parts colored, by using the many colored Sharpie permanent ink pens available. While this only works well on light colored plastics, Sharpie also makes a metallic silver color available that works on light or dark colors.

on 11/22/2005 Use nail clipper's and a metal nail file when building the model, they are easy to find and offer good control.

on 11/22/2005 If you encounter a gap in between the parts in your model use a drop of gap filling super glue instead of filling putty. It's a little more expensive, but it's quicker and produces a better result.

on 11/22/2005 Allow these to sit in clean water for 10 - 20 seconds. The water should be warm. Make sure the paint is dry before you add decals. Cut the decals out with a hobby knife one at a time, as you need them. Only apply one decal at a time. It helps to wet the surface of the area the decal is to be applied. Use a wet, clean brush to carefully slide the decal off of its paper backing. If it doesn't slide off, put it in the water again for a few seconds, not too long, or the glue will disintegrate. Once the decal is on the model, center it with the paintbrush. Do not touch decal with your fingers, use flat tweezers. If there is excess water, absorb it with a paper towel, but don't touch the decal! Let it sit for 24 hours before you touch it.

on 11/22/2005 When painting a car, you should wash the plastic pieces before painting them. Paint will stick to them a lot better. Remember, a perfect paint job starts long before the actual painting process begins. I like to prime my model gray before spraying on the colored layers. Primer sticks to plastic a lot better than regular paint. During the actual painting process it is recommended to paint multiple thin layers instead of one heavy layer. If you are painting a car, it is important to polish the body. That really brings out the shine in the machine.

on 11/22/2005 I paint the pieces of the model after I cut them off the plastic tree. I would recommend water-based paint (acrylic) over oil based paint (enamel), because you need paint thinner to clean up enamel paints. Spraying the pieces with primer paint before you paint them will make the painting much easier, and the piece will need less coats. Finally, take care of your brushes! Once you finish painting with them, clean them off and reform the bristles into a point. Don't leave them too long in a cup of water, the bristles will flatten out to form to the bottom of the cup.