Modellers out there, lend me your advice

"ClassicDatsunDebate" (gmagnusson) 03/22/2020 at 13:30 • Filed to: modelopnik

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Maybe I shoulda picked a different kit to start.

I decided to pickup some modelling supplies and a kit to combat cabin fever and then I realized I haven’t built a model since, oh, circa 1982-ish. I’ve checked out some videos and it all pretty common sense + tools but I had a couple of questions for the hobbyists out there.

First off, I saw a person recommend to start by separating all the parts by colour and paint all the individual parts and sub assemblies first. I was more inclined to take each assembly step and do the required paint/ assy then move on to the next step. What’s your thoughts?

Also, do you really have to prime or is a good degrease good enough?

Any other advice for a newb?

Noodles > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 14:04

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I would bet if you took all the little pieces off and painted them first, you'd have a hard time finding the right one when you need it. 

ClassicDatsunDebate > Noodles 03/22/2020 at 14:34

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I was thinking the same.

jimz > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 14:35

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- I tend to separate everything and put together subassemblies (e.g. axles, engine blocks, transmissions) first before painting. Why? It gives you a chance to clean up mold parting lines and little nubs of sprue on the parts.

- a thin coat of primer is usually warranted, especially if it’s white plastic. if you don’t, the painted body tends to lack a bit of “opaqueness” and looks like painted toy plastic. primer helps it look more like painted metal.

also important if the parts are molded in a plastic color like red, orange, or yellow is to spray them with a sealer before priming.  otherwise the solvent in the paint/primer can cause the pigment in the plastic to bleed into the finish.  Nothing like trying to paint a red plastic body white and having it still be pink after the 12th coat. 

bmil128 > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 14:39

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Depending how maniacal you are about the finish of sub assemblies/engine components, you may want to assemble like-colored pieces first, fi ll and sand seams/gaps if you desire then paint them. I only worry about priming the bodywork, otherwise you may want to use a fine grit sandpaper to help the paint adhere to it.

I’ve come around to using Micro Set decal solution to help the decals fit on curved surfaces and help dissolve the extra film.

Final tip I picked up is using Pledge Floor Gloss either with an airbrush or brush on by hand for top coat and to protect the decals. I used this to good effect on the Danny Sullivan inspired pinewood derby car I built this year. (I didn’t spend a lot of time sanding the wood down before priming/painting hence the grain)

ClassicDatsunDebate > bmil128 03/22/2020 at 15:02

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Great Dvice thanks!  I was going to grab a bottle of Tamiya decal set, once I figured out what that was and whether I need it but I’m sure we have some pledge kicking around.

ClassicDatsunDebate > jimz 03/22/2020 at 15:04

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Ok great thanks.  The body is orange but so is a ton of stuff that shouldn’t be.  Maybe I should grab a can of sandable primer for those.

jimz > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 15:21

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yeah, looking at the real car, there’s hardly any white on the body. you probably can skip the sealer. I’d still give it a thin coat of primer just so the orange areas don’t look like plastic.

stuff that’s black or other dark colors probably don’t really need a primer or sealer either.  not sure about silver. 

ClassicDatsunDebate > jimz 03/22/2020 at 15:44

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I’m thinking a light primer on the floor pan, wheels, brakes...basically anything that won’t be orange. Would you agree?

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 15:44

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I used to rattle can spray most of my models. I left the parts on the sprue trees,(yes, that’s what they ar e called) but surgically cut up the trees so the silver parts wou ld be together, th e flat black parts would be together, the gloss black parts would be together, the interior colored parts wou ld be together, and the body colored parts would be together. So if I started with 3 or 4 sprue trees I’d end up with a dozen or so. That way you can hold the trees with an old needle nose pliers or hang them from something while you paint and while they dry. It’s easier to identify the parts after the fact as well. You can still see the numbers on the trees.

Now I didn’t make the most perfect detailed models, but I did mak e a lot of them. You can work a bit of an assembly line. After painting one set of model parts you need to let them dry. Meanwhile you can be separating trees for the next one. Yo u can work on three models at a time and keep full busy. My son and I did a lot of models and then some of my n ephews wou ld come visit over the holidays. I kept a good inventory of model kit s and we usually sent the nephews home with 3 or 4 models each after a week visit.

With all the inven tory we did a lot of engine swaps and body mods. This was late 90's and early 2000's. My son and his nephews are now mi d 20's to early 30's . They all still play with cars, just full scale now.

The plastic typically has some residue left from the casting process. Soap and water wash with a really good rinse will make your paint jobs 100% better. Just don’t lose any loose parts down the sink drain.

ClassicDatsunDebate > John Norris (AngryDrifter) 03/22/2020 at 15:48

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Thank you very much.  That really helps.

bmil128 > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 15:53

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FYI i t’s not Pledge in the can, it’s this acrylic floor polish/finish. It used to be called Future

jimz > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 16:49

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Couldn’t hurt.

I’ve got a whole stack of kits in the closet I’m hoping to get around to. As it is, the only built model I have right now (other than that visible 289 V8 I posted about) is this Cougar I built a number of years ago.

ClassicDatsunDebate > bmil128 03/22/2020 at 18:08

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Ah yeas that makes more sense.  That acrylic stuff

jimz > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 20:03

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And this discussion inspired me to finally bust out the Bare Metal foil and finish properly detailing the grille/turn signals.

ClassicDatsunDebate > jimz 03/22/2020 at 20:11

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Looks great!

jimz > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/22/2020 at 20:20

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the molding quality is old-school, though, that’s an actual kit from 1972.  When I opened it up to build it, I felt a great disturbance- as if hundreds of collectors cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. 

ClassicDatsunDebate > jimz 03/22/2020 at 20:45

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Lol, yup it was  the same with thi s 787 kit. Spurls say 1992. Oh well, they’re made to be built.