David Hingtgen Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Sigh---still having problems with clear purple. While I did finally get a decent purple paint mix, actually applying it is insanely difficult. All the molded-in tabs and mounts cause the paint to pool, and the canopy is so "U" shaped as opposed to "half-circle" that the paint pools along the top of the canopy--even if left to dry inverted! Capillary action in the extreme. I had a decently tinted canopy at one point, but the streaks/pooling was way too obvious at too many angles. I also literally sat there for half an hour, swirling the canopy around constantly, so that it couldn't pool. Still didn't work. Spent an hour stripping paint and hoping the canopy's not ruined. Will see if airbrushing it tomorrow works any better. (A big part of the problem is trying to make a "obviously tinted, but not too dark" color---if I just flood the thing with paint, it'd be more even, but also be more like purple sunglasses, than "a purple tint") I may just go with transparent blue, as no purple mix I've made "behaves" well. I'm also going to "dip" the canopy in Future, to clear it up and maybe make the purple behave better, as it'll then be going over a paint-like substance rather than raw plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anime52k8 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 payment for mine with HLJ finally went through. hopefully these will get here faster than the action bases I ordered did. sorry to hear about the canopy troubles David. when you do get it finished, please be sure to post what you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Sigh---still having problems with clear purple. I saw a thread on the E2046 forum about clear purple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 You know, if they had just MOLDED IT IN CLEAR PURPLE I'd be done with the fuselage now... I know Bandai can mold clear green, clear neon-yellow-green, clear blue, clear pink, clear orange, and clear red. I bet they can do clear purple... (also annoyed that I had to paint the visor green, when it seems Ozma's will be molded green) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy00z Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 (edited) I think most of their clear color molding is pretty dark. It would be way too purple. It would be fine for sensors but not the canopy. Edited October 31, 2008 by badboy00z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wm cheng Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Sigh---still having problems with clear purple. While I did finally get a decent purple paint mix, actually applying it is insanely difficult. All the molded-in tabs and mounts cause the paint to pool, and the canopy is so "U" shaped as opposed to "half-circle" that the paint pools along the top of the canopy--even if left to dry inverted! Capillary action in the extreme. I had a decently tinted canopy at one point, but the streaks/pooling was way too obvious at too many angles. I also literally sat there for half an hour, swirling the canopy around constantly, so that it couldn't pool. Still didn't work. Spent an hour stripping paint and hoping the canopy's not ruined. Will see if airbrushing it tomorrow works any better. (A big part of the problem is trying to make a "obviously tinted, but not too dark" color---if I just flood the thing with paint, it'd be more even, but also be more like purple sunglasses, than "a purple tint") I may just go with transparent blue, as no purple mix I've made "behaves" well. I'm also going to "dip" the canopy in Future, to clear it up and maybe make the purple behave better, as it'll then be going over a paint-like substance rather than raw plastic. I'm going to start mine today and hopefully post something or start the thread later tonight when I have something to show for it. Yes, the part has too many areas especially on the underside to allow a dip, it may have to be airbrushed only on the outside in many light layers, or I am going to try to dip only the outside portion and leave the interior alone (as this is where all the pegs are that will catch the pooling of the clear tint. I'm sure Bandai will issue a version 1.5 of this kit with all the proper improvements such as pegs and tinted canopies and maybe even a decent landing gear as they have with the Yukikaze kits and screw all us early adopters! Wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protostar8 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 So, when's the next big hobby show or event that we'll likely get more info on these from? Or would it be more likely to find out from a magazine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACROSSF Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 (edited) I got these photos from a Macross F fan's blog in Korea. He made custom acrylic base for 1/72 Model Kit. Looks very nice! Edited October 31, 2008 by MACROSSF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protostar8 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I got these photos from a Macross F fan's blog in Korea. He made custom acrylic base for 1/72 Model Kit. Looks very nice! Wow, didn't realize that these kits came looking that lackluster. I guess stickers help A LOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishop_710627 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 (edited) hi W CHENG YES!!!! Good Luck. As you Know I really want to follow your step by step. My work: Edited October 31, 2008 by bishop_710627 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie addict Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 yes yes wm cheng step by step!! this will be epic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electric indigo Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I think I will try to sand off all the pegs inside the canopy. If I fail, I can always go for the Battroid mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Ok, I swear these decals behave oppositely of all the ones I've ever used before. (which is strange as they "seem" so normal on the sheet) And I'm a perfectionist, so tiny flaws bug me. Is there any chance someone in the US/Canada who used the stickers on theirs, would be willing to send me a few of the decals as replacements/spares? I could use the "stripe on top of the head" (15) and the "black markings on the feet" (50/51). (they're on/done well enough, but if I had more I'd replace them and do it again better, as now I know how they behave and what techniques work the best) I might have found something that'll work for clear purple---I actually found transparent purple paint! But it's paint intended for airbrush shirt-painting, so I don't know how well it'll do on plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anime52k8 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 david, I hope you're documenting what you're doing with your kit because really like to know how you ended up building your kit (for future reference) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Eh, I work slow enough at the moment that I can still photograph some things. Also, wm cheng photographs EVERYTHING anyways, so my pics won't be needed much. I do plan to airbrush the canopy this afternoon, 2 things to try---and however the canopy turns out, it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanedaestes Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Hey my model shoudl be here tomorrow. I don't intend on using the decals at all if you still need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wm cheng Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Hey everybody, I managed to start it on Friday and got a few hours on Saturday too so I plan to start the thread tomorrow on Monday. Its very different though, its not like any normal model so my approach will be very different too. I just plan on totally "snapping" it all together completely first to see where everything goes and where it all has to move and rub against each other - THEN I plan of taking it all apart to paint properly and glue and fill the seams and turn it into a proper model. Its this part that I will document, I know I usually take a bunch of photos of the process, but there really isn't much to photograph when I'm just "snapping" the pieces together. I am pretty much following the instructions to the letter... its a pretty complicated model with tons of moving parts. So I'll consider modifications such as magnets and such only after I get a good handle of how it transforms and goes together. I'll document the process where I take it all apart again - this is my "work horse" experiment for my other subsequent VF-25s. David, I tried to look for purple food dyes but had no luck on the weekend. I'll still search on Monday, but I also plan on cutting all the tabs away from inside the canopy - it really detracts away from the model, so it may take a while to carefully cut them out, and re-polish it back to translucency. Plus I'll try to re-build the front of the cockpit hood, it just looks weird that it just ends like that before the front windshield. I am curious as to how everybody tints their canopies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Quick note: The white stripe on the leading edge of the tailfins---the decal fits much better and is more opaque than the sticker. Use the decal if at all possible. ::edit:: Surprisingly, the red stripes on the leading edge of the ventral fins are far too small to try to 'wrap around' the leading edge. I've decided to go for an "intentional" black extreme leading edge, with the red just behind it. There's a good 1mm between the leading edge of the fin and the panel line all around the decal. Now I'm wondering how the rudder striping will work. (gotta paint the fin spike first though). Wing stripes---the example kit in the instructions is wrong, the stripes aren't straight at all if you take a good look. I think I found the "right" way, but I won't really know until the kit's finished with all the stripes attached. Will post pic once they're done and dry. Wm---a snapped-together Bandai kit will not "unsnap" easily. You will certainly need to trim any pins on parts you need to separate. Cut the ends of the pins at a 45-degree angle before inserting. Slots/tabs come apart much easier, but pin-tube connections can be VERY strong---trim the pins, at an angle, or you'll break more of them than come apart cleanly. And I know from experience that the inner nozzles can have quite a grip on the outer nozzles--do not PULL the inner nozzles from the outer. Push them out from above, using a paintbrush end or something. Clear purple--one of my two methods seemed to be working, but I ran out of paint before I was even half done, so I had to strip 2 of the parts and re-Future them. Will mix up a much larger batch of paint tomorrow and try again. Here's the nose sensor, which I did have enough paint to do a decent coat, will add another tomorrow as it's still almost colorless from some angles: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Gah, so close. Got another successful coat on the sensors, but they're still not purple enough. Think I got the windscreen done well. But after 3 attempts on the main canopy, and finally getting the left side nice enough and not streaked---I noticed the right side dried with an obvious streak/clump smear. Stripping it now, will re-Future tonight, try to paint it again tomorrow. Getting better, though I'd hoped I'd be done with canopy tinting today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wm cheng Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hey guys! I've just finished "snapping" this kit together and started my build-up thread here: http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?show...mp;#entry679310 Please feel free to build along and post your experiences with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetarB Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I've generally used india ink mixed with future for canopy tinting. I've found that to get the right intensity sometimes requires a few coatings of Future, and a bit of experimentation. Otherwise an airbrush is essential for a decent clear coat, part Tamiya Clear + Tint + Future. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Gah, so close. Got another successful coat on the sensors, but they're still not purple enough. Think I got the windscreen done well. But after 3 attempts on the main canopy, and finally getting the left side nice enough and not streaked---I noticed the right side dried with an obvious streak/clump smear. Stripping it now, will re-Future tonight, try to paint it again tomorrow. Getting better, though I'd hoped I'd be done with canopy tinting today! tried Sharpie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I'm pretty sure Sharpie will streak. Will experiment a bit with my red and orange ones on some spare clear bits, and see if buying a purple one might be worth it. Future+Tamiya clear does NOT work. They don't mix. At all. It's a really cool effect to watch though, they're much worse than oil and water. (actually, I've found Future doesn't mix with any paint I've tried, except Tamiya Flat base--which isn't really paint) It mixes great with food color, it's just that red+blue food color won't make purple. If I can find purple food color, that would probably work well. India ink---I don't think I've ever seen purple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicSpore Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Food coloring won't make purple? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 If you don't believe me, try it yourself. Or at least, Red #40 and Blue #1 sure don't make purple when mixed together (despite what the box says). Now, the purple icing tint (unsuitable for mixing with future) was made of red and blue food coloring, but maybe it used blue #2 or something. But the "common food color from a grocer" doesn't work. Instantly makes brown, even with only small amounts of red added to the blue. Impure/multi-spectral colors or something. A purplish-brown for sure, but brown. I need to go read the list of what's on the purple tint again, see if it uses different dyes. Of course, I have no idea where to get blue #2 or red #3 if it uses them, both are fairly rare. PS---testing with Sharpies last night was promising, bought a "lilac" one on my way home after voting, will see how it goes. (they were on sale too, so little lost if it doesn't work) ::edit:: Hmmn, found an old bottle of red--and it has a mix of red #40 and red #3. And it almost made purple for a second. Needs an incredibly high ratio, like 10:1 blue:red. Will experiment more tonight. Maybe it really does depend on WHICH red and blue you have. If I could find pure red #3.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetarB Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 My wife is a commercial specialty cake maker. She says food dyes available at the local grocery store are rubbish. You need a food colouring 'gel' which is apparently available from more specialty cake shops. They have a huge amount more pigment in them. Might be hard to find though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I've found the icing "pastes" from Wiltons. But they have sugar and corn syrup in them. They'd go bad after a while. I also figure they'd be too sticky to paint with no matter how thinned. (they're awesome for frosting though) Will experiment more tonight with my red #3/40 mix. (couldn't find pure #3) Opacity/intensity isn't the problem, it's raw "what hue they make when mixed". Just a few drops makes a nice canopy tint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electric indigo Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Wouldn't it be easier to use acryllic airbrush ink for the dye? It should mix with FFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I don't think I've ever seen/heard of airbrush ink. How intensely colored is it? I found some citadel games purple wash, but it seemed too streaky/uneven in the bottle, just watching how it behaved by swirling it around. ::edit:: I found this--airbrush "color", and they have transparent dioxazine purple--dioxazine is THE purple pigment IMHO, anything made with it has to be intense. A couple hours ago I was wondering if I could buy raw dioxazine purple pigments somewhere, and if they'd mix with future. http://www.dickblick.com/zz253/21/ (we just got a Dick Blick store here recently, ONLY place in town that sells flow-aid) PS--lilac sharpie doesn't work. Every color seems to behave quite differently. Strangely, sharpie over dried Future is BAD, streaks/sticks, weird. Sharpie over bare plastic is much better. The rougher the surface the better---but that kinda goes against having a smooth shiny canopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelorange Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Has anyone tried using dye on the canopy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDF-ONE Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I read that you can also tint canopies with fabric dye, in this case RIT (available in purple). In the thread below they use it on lexan (right?). I don't know if it also works on regular plastic. http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8769 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hingtgen Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Different type of plastic used AFAIK, I only found one instance of someone trying RID on injection molded clear styrene, said it looked awful. (R/C canopies are usually ABS or vac-form AFAIK) Dye will "pool" just like paint, just in a different way---and you have NO way to control it. And again, many RC canopies are single-piece, smooth, frameless clear plastic, so there's no features that could interfere. ::edit:: Lexan? That behaves very differently than "normal" modeling plastic--paints, glues, and sands different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuinJester Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Something to beware of using RIT dye on clear plastic; I've read and heard from a lot of people who've tried using RIT dye baths on various clear plastics before and the usual result is a horrific mess, occasionally even the plastic itself becoming extremely brittle and shattering or simply melting in the pot. The clear plastic doesn't react well to the acetone additives in RIT baths, apparently. I don't think I've ever met anyone who recommended trying plastic dyes on clear plastic, or who even got it to work properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anime52k8 Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 (edited) I've found the icing "pastes" from Wiltons. But they have sugar and corn syrup in them. They'd go bad after a while. I also figure they'd be too sticky to paint with no matter how thinned. (they're awesome for frosting though) Will experiment more tonight with my red #3/40 mix. (couldn't find pure #3) Opacity/intensity isn't the problem, it's raw "what hue they make when mixed". Just a few drops makes a nice canopy tint. unfortunately you won't be able to find red 3 anywhere or in any quantity, red 3 was the one they banned some time ago because of the possibility that it caused cancer. buy the way, did at any point you consider/try just using tamiya clear red and clear blue (and maybe some regular gloss clear mixed in?) I'm thinking about using something of that nature, though I have no idea if it would work. Edited November 5, 2008 by anime52k8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 Well, after a dozen transformations, the left front landing gear door will no longer stay on in battroid mode. The nubs that hold it on have worn away, so the slightest touch, as in when transforming to battroid mode causes it to fall off. In he closed position, the door will still stay on. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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