MacrossVF1s corner of paint and plasticard

By MacrossVF1, in X-Wing Painting and Modification

That's super cool. Congratulations on a great build!

Well You certainly know what your doing with plastic card :D

It was looking at your thread and a few others that actually got me into painting and converting my X Wing Miniatures in the first place.

I have been scratch building and kitbashing now for many years with Axis & Allies and Battle Fleet Gothic.

But they don't compare to modding and scratching Star Wars Models !

And yours are right up there with the Best ;)

Well done and all the best,

Barry/

Edited by Barry Harker

This looks incredible! Can't wait to get my greedy little paws on it!

Awesome!!! :D

Just curious, do you make the little grates with a drehmel or by hand with a hobby knife? Same with the various cracks to create the separate plates? Man, there are times when I wish I had gotten a sculpting degree instead of an art degree. Good stuff!

Well You certainly know what your doing with plastic card :D

It was looking at your thread and a few others that actually got me into painting and converting my X Wing Miniatures in the first place.

I have been scratch building and kitbashing now for many years with Axis & Allies and Battle Fleet Gothic.

But they don't compare to modding and scratching Star Wars Models !

And yours are right up there with the Best ;)

Well done and all the best,

Barry/

I'm glad to be an inspiration!

Just curious, do you make the little grates with a drehmel or by hand with a hobby knife? Same with the various cracks to create the separate plates? Man, there are times when I wish I had gotten a sculpting degree instead of an art degree. Good stuff!

The grates is a type of plasticard called Board and Batten (Ribbed metal siding). Useful stuff! The panel lines I do with something called a plastic scriber, this one in particular. I wrote a tutorial on using plasticard a few months back, check it out if you are interested. Anyway, I'm a horrible sculptor, and I don't really think of myself as an artist when building stuff, but rather an engineer. Give me straight lines that I measure with a ruler and I can probably build it.

That is awesome mate. Ridiculously awesome!

Macross, first of all, amazing work you do. Huge inspiration for my getting into painting minis. Now can I ask you a question? Do you remove the original paint or just prime the mini over the old paint and go from there?

Dude!! big fan of your models, you have no idea how big of an inspiration your work is for me (and for many others in this forum I guess), thanks for sharing

Macross, first of all, amazing work you do. Huge inspiration for my getting into painting minis. Now can I ask you a question? Do you remove the original paint or just prime the mini over the old paint and go from there?

I apologize for missing this. Anyway, on my first few repaints I tried stripping the paints. It turned out to be very hard and tedious work, not at all as easy as it is supposed to be, and not at all necessary. For every subsequent repaint since, I've never bothered with removing the paint. Just spray primer directly on top of the factory paintjob.

Cool! Thanks a lot for the reply!

Since I'm really new to miniature games (and painting)—I haven't even been to the supply store yet—I was in doubt whether or not the details would be preserved if the paint was not removed (for the paint being thick and all).

I understand we're supposed to use acrylic paint and dilute it a little bit, right?

Macross,

I figured you would help me with a painting problem I have (not for X-wing).

I have a model of a 1:48 P-51 that I have, naturally, painted with silver Testors enamel paints.

When I tried to put a black wash on it, the silver immediately came off and covered my brush and got in the wash.
What am I doing wrong? Do I need to use an acrylic wash on enamel paint?

I don't have your answer, but kudos for making a 1:48 scale Mustang. I love 1:48 scale, but my Yak-3 and Airacobra are unassembled in their boxes at the moment.

Macross,

I figured you would help me with a painting problem I have (not for X-wing).

I have a model of a 1:48 P-51 that I have, naturally, painted with silver Testors enamel paints.

When I tried to put a black wash on it, the silver immediately came off and covered my brush and got in the wash.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to use an acrylic wash on enamel paint?

Unfortunately I'm not the right person to ask about this since the last time I used enamel paints was something like 25 years ago, when I was just a wee lad, painting some of my first plastic kits. However, I did some research and it seems that it takes quite a long time for enamel paints to properly cure/harden.

It's dry after 6-24 hours but can take upwards of a week before all the solvents/gases has vented. If the wash you applied had some kind of aggressive solvent in it or the previous paint layer wasn't dry enough it just might come of the model. Also, it's supposedly a very bad idea to paint acrylics on top of enamel that hasn't had several days to vent first as that can trap the venting gases. Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.

Edited by MacrossVF1

Cool! Thanks a lot for the reply!

Since I'm really new to miniature games (and painting)—I haven't even been to the supply store yet—I was in doubt whether or not the details would be preserved if the paint was not removed (for the paint being thick and all).

I understand we're supposed to use acrylic paint and dilute it a little bit, right?

What paint you use is up to your personal preference but acrylic paints are very easy to use and therefore a good beginner choice. The easiest way to thin acrylics is by using water but I can't really tell you by how much. That comes down to hard earned experience in the end.

Macross,

I figured you would help me with a painting problem I have (not for X-wing).

I have a model of a 1:48 P-51 that I have, naturally, painted with silver Testors enamel paints.

When I tried to put a black wash on it, the silver immediately came off and covered my brush and got in the wash.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to use an acrylic wash on enamel paint?

Unfortunately I'm not the right person to ask about this since the last time I used enamel paints was something like 25 years ago, when I was just a wee lad, painting some of my first plastic kits. However, I did some research and it seems that it takes quite a long time for enamel paints to properly cure/harden.

It's dry after 6-24 hours but can take upwards of a week before all the solvents/gases has vented. If the wash you applied had some kind of aggressive solvent in it or the previous paint layer wasn't dry enough it just might come of the model. Also, it's supposedly a very bad idea to paint acrylics on top of enamel that hasn't had several days to vent first as that can trap the venting gases. Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.

Hmm...

I've had it painted silver for like a month because I was working on other stuff. The paint thinner I use might be the problem. Thanks about not mixing acrylic and enamel.

I think the problem is you made a wash with paint thinner. That's going to strip the enamel off the model.

I think the problem is you made a wash with paint thinner. That's going to strip the enamel off the model.

I thought that's what you're supposed to do...

I think the problem is you made a wash with paint thinner. That's going to strip the enamel off the model.

I thought that's what you're supposed to do...

Nah man you can't use that stuff on these plastic models, you are going to mess around and end up melting them.

Use acrylics ONLY.

;)

Well, I'm thinking it's a problem with the silver paint, because I applied the same wash to a Zero that was green and it was fine.

EDIT: and a MiG-29 with splinter camo.

Edited by SniperSnake28

The ships don't like patrolmen based solvents. So far you have yet to put to much on them. I have seen these ships melt when some Wingers got heavy handed with solvents.

Just saying... go buy the right paint for like $30.

You don't need that many colors for some basic repaints.

;)

The ships don't like patrolmen based solvents. So far you have yet to put to much on them. I have seen these ships melt when some Wingers got heavy handed with solvents.

Just saying... go buy the right paint for like $30.

You don't need that many colors for some basic repaints.

;)

The ships don't like patrolmen based solvents. So far you have yet to put to much on them. I have seen these ships melt when some Wingers got heavy handed with solvents.

Just saying... go buy the right paint for like $30.

You don't need that many colors for some basic repaints.

;)

I'm not talking about X-wing ships, I'm talking about 1:48 aircraft. If I was going to repaint my fleet, I would definetly go buy some acrylic.

Okay then... cool.

Don't listen to the Boss-man. If you wish to use enamels, then please feel free to do so. I will not understand why you would do so (Acrylics for life!), but I can respect it. :)

Anyway, on a more serious note, it would seem that you might have the answer to your problem. Thinners and solvents can be a tricky business. My most recent experience with enamels was trying to paintstrip some old Warhammer models that had been painted with Humbrol enamels. Finding the right chemical to remove the paint was not an entirely easy task as the stuff I mostly use is intended to remove acrylic paint, and also not be harmful to plastics. Of course, none of that stuff works at all on enamels!

The only real reason I use enamels is because I have lots of them, and I know how to use them.

I have also not had the experience of a model being 'melted' due to thinner. Does this happen a lot?

Edited by SniperSnake28