The Ship Model Forum

Hi fellow model makers,

So, I am still gathering some of my tools for model making, and I have some questions for y'all. I do apologize for the avalanche of questions.

I heard that clear coats are used to protect the paint from wear? Do most ship models use flat clear or flat glossy?

I am also using PE, do I need to invest in a PE bending tool like the one Tamiya has that looks like pliers? Also, do I need to put primer before putting paint? Can you recommend any primers? Lastly, I can not use my extra thin cement to attach it to the model itself right? I would need to invest in superglue? Any recommendations?

Is putty a must? I only use it to fix errors that I make in the model? I can paint over it like normal plastic and won't notice much difference?

Lastly (for now), if I invest in a file set, do I need to invest in sandpaper/ sanding sticks? What kind of grit should I look for in sand paper, and I should go coarser (more grit) to finer (less grit) right?

Thanks for your time everyone!

Regards,

wha2les

I'll take a stab at some of these, not necessarily in order.

Putty depends on which model! A kit like the Tamiya 1/350 Fletcher fits together perfectly, so if you don't make any errors cutting the parts off the sprue, you won't need any putty at all. Other kits, such as the Trumpeter 1/350 Essex, don't fit so well, and you'll need putty (not very much) in many places. Painting it depends on precisely which putty you use. Some of them are just like styrene, so blend incredibly well. (Some of them literally ARE dissolved styrene, in a couple of cases - meaning sprue dropped into solvent cement.) Other putties have very different characteristics and may not blend as well. Most aren't too bad.

I have a really good set of Swiss Vallorbe needle files - which I use for other modeling (trains, mostly in brass) - and I don't use them much for ship models. They live on the same work bench, and they do get called in for some of the really small stuff. Most of the ship stuff is done with sanding sticks, which have the advantage of being a lot less expensive. The ones I've actually been using are Flex-i-file and I do use every grade from coarse to extra fine, and they work very well. My wife pointed out that she can get very similar stuff at the nail place across town for about a third to half the price. I'd start with sanding sticks and get needle files only if you really feel the need. For plastic and resin you don't anything coarser than a 4, and mostly what I use is a 6 (extra-fine).

I also use wet/dry sandpaper - actually some of the most useful stuff is sanding film as it's on mylar rather than paper, which makes it very resusable. This stuff is also available in grits down to what must be around 5000, so can be used to make really smooth finishes. I use mostly fine to the super-duper-extra-fine sanding films. I can't remember using even medium sandpaper/film for anything other than flattening a couple of resin waterline hulls.

I use a PE bending tool from The Small Shop called The Bug. Other folks apparently just use a pair of single edge razor blades, but I definitely prefer the purpose-designed tool.

Primers are particularly important if you're going to use acrylic paints, as some of them don't adhere very well to plastic. Some of the enamels are, in this sense, much friendlier as they'll stick to anything. However, the enamels are mostly solvent-based and some of them are pretty wicked stuff, so I use pretty much only acrylics (Vallejo in my case) and thus primers are a necessity.

_________________
... Brian

PE for ship models is usually small pieces - a 6" steel ruler (to hold the piece along the fold line) and a razor blade (to slip under the part and fold upwards) will work for most larger pieces. Small needle-nose pliers will work for smaller pieces. I have a folding devise and rarely use it. You can get a variety of aluminum oxide sandpaper (the gray stuff) in fine grades at DIY stores. When putty-ing small spaces and cracks, I prefer Squadron White Putty. You can thin it with Tamiya Thin cement - I find it bonds better with plastic and is more durable when hardened. Sands well and holds paint no problem. Since I airbrush, I use Tamiya acrylics thinned with their lacquer thinner exclusively. For a protective clear-coat I use Tamiya Flat Base mixed with Future floor wax mixed roughly 25 - 75. Mixture can vary according to how flat or semi-flat you want your finish. (A satiny finish is easier to keep clean than a dead flat finish, as the flatter the finish the easier it is to hold dirt, dust, etc.). You can cut costs by economizing on tools, but don't buy cheap ones - they'll break or wear out faster! You'll learn better what works and what doesn't through experience.

Tweezers, drill bits and pin-chuck - and 'Stynylrez' primer, use that and you will never look at anything else!

Cheers. Jabb

_________________
HMS Hood, the big one!

I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure.