General Model Kit Building Thread

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Finally, something for impatient people like me. No need to glue and paint, just snap and done.
 
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Sponsorship decals on, just need to let them dry thoroughly before clear... also got the mirrors, front and rear light covers (fronts are clear yellow, rears are clear red). Gettin' close on this one - but man, what a bunch of fookin' decals!!

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Looking forward to getting this one wrapped up!
Enjoy your day!
 
Next one up is the Tamiya 1/24 Jagermeister Alfa Romeo 155 DTM car. Although, gonna build the Goodsmile Racing Mercedes AMG race along side, too.
Probably take the Merc slower... but here's a few shots of the next kit.

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Waiting on a PE kit I ordered from Hiroboy, and I decanted a couple of different Orange color paints last night.
 
Well, it's taking awhile for the Photo-etch kit to show up for the Jagermeister Alfa... and since I don't know what all is included in it - I kinda stalled on working on it.

So, I decided to start on the Fujimi 1/24 Goodsmile Racing Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 car - It's like the BMW from above, which was the car that GSR ran in 2012, but the Mercedes is the car they ran in the Japanese Super GT in series in 2015. It has a similar Anime livery that the BMW sported.
Was able to work on the body the last couple of days. Had to scribe the body and door lines, as they were very shallow and a few of them weren't even discernible. I also switched to a new primer, and I think it came out really nice. I know this isn't very exciting, and next time I share hopefully it will be more to look at, but I was very impressed with this primer.

I've always used Tamiya Fine surface primer, but this is a water based acrylic and it came out great.

Anyway, here's a couple shots of the body. Looks like it will be a cool car once done.

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Thanks for looking in and have a great rest of your weekend!
 
Mike Rotch
I hope that forum isnt solely dedicated to cars - planes would be cool too. It is comes to pass.
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Lately, seeking activity, I have returned to an old hobby from the 70's and 80': the design, construction and launching of model rockets. I do build numerous kits, too. I'm now regularly spending 3-4 hours/day in my basement workshop on this hobby. It feels good to be active doing something interesting.
 
Jeebus! Dotini quotes post #4, from over 16 years ago!!! :lol:

As for the question, it does seem to be mostly cars, but I've gotten a replacement for my USS Constitution kit that my kitten shoved off the mantle.

It went from this...
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and this...
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to this!
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New one looks like this so far, i.e. I opened the box.
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wfooshee
Jeebus! Dotini quotes post #4, from over 16 years ago!!! :lol:

As for the question, it does seem to be mostly cars, but I've gotten a replacement for my USS Constitution kit that my kitten shoved off the mantle.

It went from this...
50182717942_4f6e566501_c.jpg


and this...
50182718372_9b8150c15d_c.jpg


to this!
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New one looks like this so far, i.e. I opened the box.
50699732733_df5b6beae5_c.jpg
Click to expand...

Glad to see you got a replacement, man!! Howa'bout a new kitten?!? :lol: J/K!!!
 
Got some more of the body and bits done...always have to see how it looks before the livery goes on.
About ready for decal-o-rama fest.

Not a bad lookin' car, think I like the stance of the BMW Z4 GT3 a little more.

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Here's the Bimmer for comparison (and yes, the Merc is a bigger, longer car, here and irl)

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Have a great weekend !!!
 
Dotini
Lately, seeking activity, I have returned to an old hobby from the 70's and 80': the design, construction and launching of model rockets. I do build numerous kits, too. I'm now regularly spending 3-4 hours/day in my basement workshop on this hobby. It feels good to be active doing something interesting.
Click to expand...

I used to be into model rocketry in years past, but the cost of engines simply became prohibitive. It was fun, though.

wfooshee
As for the question, it does seem to be mostly cars, but I've gotten a replacement for my USS Constitution kit that my kitten shoved off the mantle.

It went from this...
50182717942_4f6e566501_c.jpg


and this...
50182718372_9b8150c15d_c.jpg


to this!
50182721462_1b1547a73e_c.jpg


New one looks like this so far, i.e. I opened the box.
50699732733_df5b6beae5_c.jpg
Click to expand...

That is (or was) a beautiful model! What scale is it, and/or how big is it?

I've had the good fortune a few years back to go aboard the prototype, and to sail alongside her in a tour boat while she was underwway
 
Some excellent work you have there, @barryf1fan ! ;)

I can't resist asking this question though: why did you choose black as the colour of the primer? I thought most modellers would avoid spraying a base coat of a darker shade than the colour coat because it's likely to affect the final shade of colour coming out and make it darker than it should be. Or is this more of a coloured pigment (aka. non-grayscale) phenomenon?

Either way it's shaping up to look great. 👍

---

I finished the McLaren several months ago, and have moved on to the Mercedes. So far progress has been pretty slow, so there's not much I can show. I have a feeling that it's gonna be a more complex build than all the Tamiya kits I've built before though, so I'd rather take it slowly but surely. Besides, Aoshima's painting guidelines aren't really accurate, so I've also spent some time writing the correct paint codes onto the instruction manual.

Here're a few pics of the completed McLaren. Nowhere near the standards you guys are churning out here, but at least it's progress :)

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A pic of the cowling:

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(Excuse the tacky adhesive on the wheels, I was too lazy to remove them when I took pics. :lol:)
 
The only 1/20 McLaren I have is the MP4/8, Andretti/Senna, and I wish I had some of the earlier cars. I also have the 1/12 one, the MP4/6, and aside from a paint screwup on my part that had me stripping it and repainting, that one came out quite well.

The MP4/8 is all decal for the fluorescent red, and I was surprised how well it came out. I had some corners and spots I touched up with paint, but I expected to have to ditch the decals and paint the red. Downside is that the yellowing of the clear parts of the decals is extremely disappointing, but is on ALL of my Tamiya models. I've never been one to clear-coat my models, that's always been a step for me to introduce something else going wrong. I may have to reconsider that...

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On the MP4/6, in my first attempt I sprayed the the fluorescent red directly onto the white and got an extremely mottled look, no coverage, even with more coats than I ever wanted to use. Paint thinner in a micro-fiber cloth, rub it down back to plastic and do it over. White, then regular red, then fluorescent red over that. Only needed a single spray of each! Also, notice that the third-party Marlboro decals haven't yellowed; maybe third-party replacement for the entire decal sheet is the way to go... This model is coming up on 25 years since I built it.

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AerodyManiac
Some excellent work you have there, @barryf1fan ! ;)

I can't resist asking this question though: why did you choose black as the colour of the primer? I thought most modellers would avoid spraying a base coat of a darker shade than the colour coat because it's likely to affect the final shade of colour coming out and make it darker than it should be. Or is this more of a coloured pigment (aka. non-grayscale) phenomenon?

Either way it's shaping up to look great. 👍

---

I finished the McLaren several months ago, and have moved on to the Mercedes. So far progress has been pretty slow, so there's not much I can show. I have a feeling that it's gonna be a more complex build than all the Tamiya kits I've built before though, so I'd rather take it slowly but surely. Besides, Aoshima's painting guidelines aren't really accurate, so I've also spent some time writing the correct paint codes onto the instruction manual.

Here're a few pics of the completed McLaren. Nowhere near the standards you guys are churning out here, but at least it's progress :)

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A pic of the cowling:

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(Excuse the tacky adhesive on the wheels, I was too lazy to remove them when I took pics. :lol:)
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Hey Aerody, man the MP 4/4 looks great!! Only thing missing is your tire markings. Can't tell'ya how many kits I've had to order spare tire decals for. :lol: You're definitely not alone there.

As far as the black primer... true, I wouldn't have normally gone with black as my base primer for a white car. I wanted to try out the UMP primer in the pic there (really just re-branded Badger Stynylrez primer) as I have always used Tamiya primers. Depending on the paint it doesn't make too much difference. Obviously if you are using a metallic, pearl, or opaque type paints you would choose your base primer more carefully. :lol: I used decanted TS-26, which is Pure White, and the opacity of that white covers the black completely. If the car was Red or Yellow, etc., that would be a different story as those colors change "shade" as you lay them down. The white goes on the black, white. Anyway, it's best to test on spoons, spray a bunch of plastic spoons with different primers and then you can test your paint.

Here below is the BMW Z4, painted in TS-26 over Tamiya gray surface primer (lacquer).

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And here is the Merc AMG, painted in TS-26 over the black UMP primer (water based acrylic).

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You can see, they both have come out "technically" the same color white. It's because of the paint, the TS-26 covers well and does have any opaque properties to it - had this been a "metallic" or "pearl" paint - or even a red/yellow/orange color, than the shades would've been slightly "off".

Generally if I'm gonna paint a car red, say a Ferrari F1, I will use a pink primer (or make my own...). Anyhoo, could go on for days... painting is one of those personal things and is best "tested" before "committed". ;)
 
wfooshee
The only 1/20 McLaren I have is the MP4/8, Andretti/Senna, and I wish I had some of the earlier cars. I also have the 1/12 one, the MP4/6, and aside from a paint screwup on my part that had me stripping it and repainting, that one came out quite well.

The MP4/8 is all decal for the fluorescent red, and I was surprised how well it came out. I had some corners and spots I touched up with paint, but I expected to have to ditch the decals and paint the red. Downside is that the yellowing of the clear parts of the decals is extremely disappointing, but is on ALL of my Tamiya models. I've never been one to clear-coat my models, that's always been a step for me to introduce something else going wrong. I may have to reconsider that...

48319142612_c5bc491b79_b.jpg



On the MP4/6, in my first attempt I sprayed the the fluorescent red directly onto the white and got an extremely mottled look, no coverage, even with more coats than I ever wanted to use. Paint thinner in a micro-fiber cloth, rub it down back to plastic and do it over. White, then regular red, then fluorescent red over that. Only needed a single spray of each! Also, notice that the third-party Marlboro decals haven't yellowed; maybe third-party replacement for the entire decal sheet is the way to go... This model is coming up on 25 years since I built it.

48319135032_02ffe75a93_b.jpg
Click to expand...


I've got both those kits in the "stash", @wfooshee, I am in the process of collecting as many Detail-Up/Aftermarket parts, and taboo decals I can for the 1/12 MP 4/6. I could not afford that kit when it came out (could barely afford food and rent back then!!! :lol:) back in 1991, and having just got married wasn't about to rock that boat with a model kit. ;)

I now have found the McLaren MP4/6 and the Williams FW14B in 1/12 and both the original releases - just tracking down all the cool bits to put on them and will start one of them soon, probably next year sometime I will start the Williams.

As far as clear coating, unfortunately, it's almost a must with these cars (any models really). Tamiya decals are light-years better then the ones from the early '90's, but even the newer decals may yellow over time. If I may, I suggest you take some old decals and put them on a cheap, cheap kit body and then spray that puppy with clear. If you have an airbrush, the Alclad clears are super duper simple to use (just clean the AB and don't let the stuff dry in there) and the Mr. Hobby spray cans are great if you don't have an airbrush.

From others, the method I have used is a couple of light "mist" coats, then a 3rd slightly heavier coat, and then a 4th heavy coat. Not hosing it on like you're trying to put out a fire with it - just a nice coat for the 4th. The main thing about a clear you don't want is runs, and why you do a couple of light mist coats - wait about 5 minutes or so (maybe 10 - you're waiting for it to be tacky) and then you can go back with a couple of heavier coats for coverage.

Also, some of the Tamiya clears can be "hot" and wrinkle up the decals - so if trying those from a can, definitely try and do some testing to see what you're looking at. I will say though, once you start clear coating your models you'll wonder why you never did it before. And also, there are tons of videos on YT with instructions on clear coating models and the different brands out there. Where I learned... 👍
 
barryf1fan
Hey Aerody, man the MP 4/4 looks great!! Only thing missing is your tire markings. Can't tell'ya how many kits I've had to order spare tire decals for. :lol: You're definitely not alone there.

As far as the black primer... true, I wouldn't have normally gone with black as my base primer for a white car. I wanted to try out the UMP primer in the pic there (really just re-branded Badger Stynylrez primer) as I have always used Tamiya primers. Depending on the paint it doesn't make too much difference. Obviously if you are using a metallic, pearl, or opaque type paints you would choose your base primer more carefully. :lol: I used decanted TS-26, which is Pure White, and the opacity of that white covers the black completely. If the car was Red or Yellow, etc., that would be a different story as those colors change "shade" as you lay them down. The white goes on the black, white. Anyway, it's best to test on spoons, spray a bunch of plastic spoons with different primers and then you can test your paint.

Here below is the BMW Z4, painted in TS-26 over Tamiya gray surface primer (lacquer).

enhance


And here is the Merc AMG, painted in TS-26 over the black UMP primer (water based acrylic).

enhance



You can see, they both have come out "technically" the same color white. It's because of the paint, the TS-26 covers well and does have any opaque properties to it - had this been a "metallic" or "pearl" paint - or even a red/yellow/orange color, than the shades would've been slightly "off".

Generally if I'm gonna paint a car red, say a Ferrari F1, I will use a pink primer (or make my own...). Anyhoo, could go on for days... painting is one of those personal things and is best "tested" before "committed". ;)
Click to expand...
Ah, I see. I’ve read on some other forum that people have trouble with getting a consistent yellow finish, so that’s probably related as well. I’ve also been trying out the plastic spoon-painting practice, and I dunno why, but it looks smoother and more reflective on the spoon than on the actual car, although not by a huge margin, so I can live with that. Thanks for the in-depth explanation again! :)

As for the tyre markings, I’m not planning to add them. The car looks really imcomplete without them (even more so than without the Marlboro/Goodyear decals, I’d say), but since they do not come with the kit, and adding them could make the surrounds of the tyre markings glossy (because decal surface), I’m planning to call it a job done and leave it as is.

Regarding the discussion about clear coat above, I’m gonna echo what you had to say about preventing runs on clear coat, because if there is a run on the surface, chances are it will have dissolved some of the colour coat below and gave it a different look, which isn’t fixable even after sanding the clear coat. I had exactly this happen to my SL 63, and I tried to cover it up by another colour coat followed by clear coat, and disaster! The paint now is so thick the panel lines have become somewhat larger and less fine, so the car body will have to be stripped down (for a second time!) and painted all over again. I’ll try to paint the clear coat in lighter coats first next time, and see if it’s gonna affect the finishing surface. Otherwise, clear coating is a process worth going through though, even if only to prevent the decals from yellowing.

Speaking of the SL 63, I don’t have much to show, but I do have a semi-completed roof that has the glossy surface I’ve been dying for all the time. Here’s a video showing the surface:

View media item 70596
It isn’t completed (still got the underside to paint and a final water-based clear coat to apply), but it’s been curing for a few months, and it looks spectacular for something applied using rattle cans only. Only thing I wished I would have done is to apply a clear pearl coat to it, but it’s almost perfect in this current state, so there’s no way in hell I’m gonna strip it down again. :lol:
 
Made a start on the decals... haven't had a ton of time to focus on it, though.
Will make an effort to finish this one over the next week as the PE/resin detail set came in for the Alfa Romeo 155.

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If you celebrate Christmas, hope you and your family have a great holiday. And if you don't celebrate it, have a great week & weekend, too!! :)
 
Finally finished the Merc up last night... did not enjoy it that much if I'm being honest.
Wasn't a bad kit, in fact, the kit was fine but the decals are terrible. Tore probably a 1/3 of them sliding them off the backing paper - even after knowing they were thin and gonna tear. Anyway.

Fujimi 1/24 Goodsmile Racing Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 - 2015

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With his Big "little" brother

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Thanks for looking and have a safe and Happy New Year!!
 
I completed building my first rocket since sometime in the mid-eighties. It is the Estes Mini Fat Boy, an easy kit to get re-familiarized to working with paper, balsa, glue, filler and paint. I did it 100% per the kit instructions except I substituted a kevlar shock cord looped to the motor mount in lieu of the standard rubber band glued to the body tube. Still in work are two versions of the Big Bertha and some special designs for tumble recovery. I plan to build well over a dozen rockets of various sizes, altitudes and recovery methods over the next few months.


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With an A10-3T motor, the Mini Fat Boy is capable of only 250 feet altitude. With the 13mm motor and 42mm diameter airframe, it is very draggy.
 
killerjimbag
Just found this site. Great stuff here.
https://www.autoworldstore.com/
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Yes it is! I've been shopping there since the 60's when we had to mail in our order, enclose a check, and wait 4 to 6 weeks for the order to arrive. At one point they started selling car parts.

Oscar Koveleski was the founder of Auto World. Some may remember him for his decades in the SCCA, and the famous #54McLaren Can-Am cars. https://www.autoweek.com/racing/a35...uto-world-founder-oscar-koveleski-dies-at-88/

Eqb2cHpXAAIGiLQ
 
I have about 30 models still not opened from 70's 80's all old stuff. Have to make a paint booth and buy a airbrush kit. Haven't built a model in 25 years.
I've been watching this guy using cheap acrylic paint. Pretty amazing results.
 
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Hey @Apok !! Looks fantastic! Do you mind sharing what color Orange you went with??

I took a bit of a break from the models after the GSR BMW and Mercedes... but back building just Sunday.
Decided to do an F1 real quick before I jump on the Alfa 155Ti. The 2010 Ferrari F10. :)
Not many pics as I'm doing this one for fun before trying to do a good job on the Jager Alfa.

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