Strike Gundam with 'Glowing' LED eyes ^^

[bsodmike]

Use topcoat from a can if possible..... The workshop i learnt in only used cans of topcoat, you can topcoat using an airbrush but heard that people have had problems if its not thinned properly. Oh and that brings me onto the one of the hassles of an airbrush. The paints need to be thinned before using. the precise ratio of thinner to paint depends on brand and also what type of paint it is. for example mr colour (flat/gloss) paint to thinner is 1:2, whereas mr colour metallic is 1:3. knowing how much thinner to put can be a bit difficult but there are ways of testing it to be sure.

I've got a good stash of Gunze Sangyo's Mr. TopCoat in Glossy and Flat Matt (I think about 5 cans of each left). I've also got a Mr. Color (or was it Mr. Hobby) bottle of thinner. Some blogs I've been following have been stating 70% thinner to 30% paint. I believe my pots are acrylic too. I'll double check my stash of pots and get back to you. They are from 2007 and haven't completely hardened...just yet

I hope the airbrush you got is dual-action? I'm currently still on the hunt for a decent airbrush pump; I'm regretting not getting one in Singpore but we were rather overweight at the time, what with the PG Astray almost taking an entire suitcase on its own!

[rufeo]

Thats very lucky of you having a stash of topcoat! it's geting increasingly harder to find cans of the stuff unless your local hobby store has stock, you should probably know its almost impossible here in the uk.

Yep 70% thinner to 30% paint is about right. I use 2 parts thinner to 1 part paint since i can measure it using the scale thats on the side of the mixing pots i use i.e. 5ml and then another 10ml. But if you're using metallic paint or topcoat from a pot use 3 parts thinner to 1 part paint, as those two types need to be thinned down a bit more to make them more model friendly.

erm.... I'm using laquer.... mr colour is laquer and hobby colour is acrylic, make sure you know which one you're using! I've only just bought a respirator so i can paint in safety..... apart from mr colour i've also got pots of gaia (gaianotes) paint which is also laquer, they're quite hard to find but apparently better than the mr colour paints (although the range of colours is quite limited).

Yep airbrush is double-action, pickd up a mr hobby "procon boy wa" 0.3mm. yeah i know what you mean about the compressor, they're heavy as hell. mine was over 7kg. but it was so cheap, 1100 HKD (exchange rate is about 13hkd to the pound atm). when you buy a compressor make sure its got an airtank reservior, this means the compressor won't be always working. it'll only switch on when the air pressure gets too low in the tank. this means a) won't get as hot and inevitably shut down after awhile, and b) you get a steady air pressure. Also check to see if the compressor comes with a filter, this basically filters out the water so that the airbrush doesnt splutter.

Next time you go over to singapore try and take any pg models as hand luggage.... i've done that twice now, saves alot of room! also if there's a toy shop in the airport you might be able to get some models there, but they'll be a lot more expensive. my wing-custom pg cost me 900hkd but my gundam mkii cost 1350ish from a toyshop in hong kong airport, still cheaper than importing over here tho

[bsodmike]

Thanks for all the tips, they will definitely prove to be invaluable! As for the stash of glossy top-coat, I snagged five cans from 'Hiro Boy' and they delivered 'em to my hotel in London; UK based shop to. edit: argh, they are out of stock it says!

What about 'Tamiya' pots? I will admit, I'm quite ignorant on the topic of lacquer vs. acrylic, which is better, why etc? Since it's rather late, I will check all the brands of the pots I have and post a list up to get your feedback on whether I have the right ones.

Yes, I was planning on getting one with a tank and the water-trap as well. You really did well on that tank. I can get an airbrush compressor locally (US brand called Badger) at twice that cost but they don't come with the tanks and that has kept me away.

When I travel, there always seems to be 'something else' to take up my quota of hand-luggage. I'll remember the tip for next time though Right now I have two MG kits and four PG kits left of which the Strike Rouge has a Aile backpack of its own. I plan to keep the Astray and GP01/Fb for last as they are both just stunning kits that simply deserve the best (i.e. airbrushing for starters!) and I hope to ramp up those skills via the two MG kits.

It is unlikely though my current stash of Top Coat would last that long as well and I need to ration the stuff for the last two PG kits as well I'm lacking on the respirator; I use one of those surgeons masks (not great tbh), spray in a well ventilated area and run away like crazy till the bits dry.

How long were you in HK for? Sounds like you really did have a blast! Cheers, Mike.

[rufeo]

haven't used tamiya paints at all, so have no experience whatsoever. but people try and stay within the brands, so if you use tamiya paints then use tamiya thinner. if you do that then the ratio should be around the same. the way i was taught to see if the paint is thin enough, is to mix it then get whatever you used to mix it and swipe a newspaper is it. if its thin enough then you can make out the words underneath it.

acrylics are 'safe' as they're water based so used in just a well ventilated area is ok, but the paint can come off easier than laquer. laquer on the other hand is harder than acrylic, but they're toxic (think its the acetone content) so you really need a respirator. also need to make sure you don't paint laquer over acrylic, as the laquer based paint will eat into the acrylic. so if you do plan on painting laquer over acrylic then topcoat it first to protect that layer. I plan on using just laquer so i don't have that problem.

I'm not so sure which better. although acrylics are less damage resistant if you put on a few more coats of topcoat then that should protect enough. i guess it boils down to what you can get easier and if you can be bothered to use a respirator. if you do carry on painting then try and get a respirator, the surgical masks don't filter out the vapour....

i've got the same issues as you, lack of paint and experience with an airbrush. so i'm doing my mg sinanju first to practice before painting my older models. also leaving my astray for last along with wing-custom. i'm still learning at lot at the moment, only had some basic training really. i'm going back next year for more advance stuff, like how to do the conversion and garage kits.

was in hk for just over a month. went to a anime/games convention during august, so much stuff! but by the time i got in all the good stuff i wanted was sold out luckily there's no shortage of places in hk to buy anime and gunpla stuff, you just need to know where to look.

glad there's another gunpla fan on here!

[bsodmike]

Here's a shot of the pots I have so far. looks like my stash of black and white are lacquer based pots are going to cause a problem as I really don't want to use the toxic stuff if I can help it and since the rest of them are acrylic I might has well get some more Mr. hobby pots of black and white. Thanks for the important tip!



Here's the thinner I have:



and the Top Coat. Seems I'm down to 4 each (sealed), as two have been put on duty for the Strike.

[Skii]

I can't really add too much to this as there has been some excellent advice in this thread so far - dry transfer decals ? hmmm - not something I've used since they fell out of a cereal box when I was little.

A couple of things I will add - paint finish is extremely important and will effect how your decals look when you apply them, remember to 1500 grit sand your primed model, and keep your base coat sufficiently thinned enough to be sprayed at 10-20 psi, your clear coat needs to be gloss and smooth for decals, Microsol is a fantastic decal solution which will ensure your waterslide decals bed down perfectly flat and wrinkle free, the gloss coat not only ensures the best surface for the decal, it perfectly matches the decal film. When you apply your final all over matt coat that decal will look painted on.

I'm an acrylic painter myself, I like the lack of smell, ease of thinning (water or alcohol depending on the manufacturer) and ease of cleanup, not to mention the fast drying times. Tamiya acrylics thin very well using Isopropyl Alcohol, (Maplin will sell you a big canister of this for cleaning up electrical components)

With regards to airbrushes you simply have to have one - no question, and it will transform the hobby and the finished results for you. have a look here
at the AB range - basicaslly chinese copies of Iwata and Badger airbrushes that perform very well at a fraction of the price, also their beginners compressors are very reasonably priced.

Fabulous looking model, and looks excellent from here, and don't be shy - post it over on Britmodeller.co.uk , we are crying out for more Sci Fi stuff

John

[bsodmike]

With regards to airbrushes you simply have to have one - no question, and it will transform the hobby and the finished results for you.

I've got this HS Evo that was recommended by one of the model shop owners in Singapore. It is well easy to take apart and on emailing Harder and Steenbeck they sent me a second set of the needle nose screw, teflon washers and a special 'tool' to remove said screw, which ensures that none of the paint blows back into the rear area of the airbrush.

Fabulous looking model, and looks excellent from here, and don't be shy - post it over on Britmodeller.co.uk , we are crying out for more Sci Fi stuff

Thanks John, I'll definitely post some of my work (although I'm still starting out) once I wrap up the Strike. I've so far been able to get some really consistent coats on the Aile Striker jetpack, even via the use of "cans". Airbrushing would have made life easier though; it's much harder work with the cans - at least getting things perfected.

I'm liking the sound of working with acrylics more as I really do not like having to work with toxic stuff (much) and even the smell of Gunze's Top Coat is enough to give me a headache. After a couple weeks of constantly working on the lower section the paint was getting to me so I've taken about a week's breather from the project. It is resting in my cupboard at the moment,



@rufeo: I've been to b'ham quite a few times, the bullring etc. My best mate lives in Moseley past the cricket grounds

[Zak33]

I concur with Skii.

Get those models posted over on www.Britmodeller.co.uk

it's a top site and we're glad to send people with skill their way

[bsodmike]

I'm thinking you'd appreciate all the 3D modelling this guy does. Talk about utter dedication; I'm simply in awe with my jaw, well, hung.



You should also check out the 3D renders he does, such as,





This is also a must watch video for all Gundam fans.

[bsodmike]

It's been a while since I posted an update. Well, arms installation is next I guess







You'll find my usual comments and modelling tips on my burogu. Hope you guys like the pics; it's turned out better than I could have hoped for...well, apart from the lack of arms heh.

Guardian of the pen box; will glamour robbers away

[Skii]

Looking very cool, are you planning on weathering it at all ?

[bsodmike]

Looking very cool, are you planning on weathering it at all ?

Not until I get my airbrush running and at least build a few of the MG kits I have left; they will serve as 'practice' for my adapting and gaining experience with airbrushing. I will also most likely look to test out other techniques on them.

[beanbandit]

Looking very cool, are you planning on weathering it at all ?

having seen quite a few weathered Gundams they are rather awesome. But with the cost of these Perfect Grades like Mike said practise before doing the real thing is all important. The only thing i do with my Gundams is do the panel lines which does bring out a lot more detail.

Looking good Mike

[bsodmike]

having seen quite a few weathered Gundams they are rather awesome. But with the cost of these Perfect Grades like Mike said practise before doing the real thing is all important. The only thing i do with my Gundams is do the panel lines which does bring out a lot more detail.

Looking good Mike

Thanks mate (Btw, what's you're real name?). I've also seen many people do too much weathering, and sometimes get it very wrong; performing tests first will let me find a balance that I'm happy with.

Since the colours will eventually fade over time (even with Mr. Top Coat) I will consider applying all these effects at that time as I do have a backlog of 4x PG kits and 2x MG. The great thing with PG kits, is that if you hate doing sumire (panel lines) like I do you can get away without the model looking rather boring. Of course, PG + panel lines would be great but I want to first master doing panel lines via 'washing'; another set of skills I plan to hone when I start on the MGs with my airbrush.

[vti_786]

nice job mate, keep it up

[bsodmike]

Fabulous looking model, and looks excellent from here, and don't be shy - post it over on Britmodeller.co.uk , we are crying out for more Sci Fi stuff

@John: I just registered for an account but will be a while till I can post my current progress so far. Any idea how long this'll be?