Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[MechTech]

@derex3592 The Ft. Worth is looking good! I can't believe they made you photo etch the padeyes on the flight deck - that's just wrong!

                        The Runabout is looking good too! A full crew will add realism to the interior.

@peter I think you MORE THAN improved upon what you dug out of the boxes from 20 years ago! They look great and it's cool having book-ends to gang up on the Federation ships. Yeah, I was surprised by the glue. It wasn't a lot, but the bolt is on tight anyhow, it didn't take much to lock it up.

@electric indigo That's looking very realistic! - MT

 

[Thom]

@derex3592 Like it! Nice color on the nose and the crew is looking good.

@peter Looking fantastic! I esp like the formation with the Enterprise. Both of them!

@electric indigo That's a great looking jet. Love the pose.

[peter]

So, I recently discovered Tamiya Weathering Master.  

This stuff is awesome, great for simulating soot for guys like me who haven't learned how to use an airbrush yet.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

The Klingons found the remains of the Enterprise floating around Planet Genesis and decided to take a selfie with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by peter

[electric indigo]

Your shots of the Refit still tempt me to grab one myself. Fortunately, I know better from my days of youth...

_

First kit of 2021 completed. I hope to take some better shots when the light comes back in the next days.

[derex3592]

Great work @peter!  The Tamiya Weathering kits are nice...however...they do dry up fairly quickly depending on your climate. I try to keep mine in Ziplock sandwich bags with all the air out of them to sustain them as long as possible. 

@electric indigo - As always, it looks like it was made that way!  Beautiful work! 

 

[peter]

5 hours ago, electric indigo said:

Your shots of the Refit still tempt me to grab one myself. Fortunately, I know better from my days of youth...

_

First kit of 2021 completed. I hope to take some better shots when the light comes back in the next days.

Actually, the lighting looks really good already.  

Is it overcast where you are?  Someone here told me that sometimes photos of models/toys are best done on cloudy days when the light is diffused through the clouds and doesn't come from one direct source, yet is still bright enough to bring out the details.

 

I say as along as it isn't raining, take that bird outside and shoot a couple of pics with a cloudy sky as a background!

[peter]

2 hours ago, derex3592 said:

Great work @peter!  The Tamiya Weathering kits are nice...however...they do dry up fairly quickly depending on your climate. I try to keep mine in Ziplock sandwich bags with all the air out of them to sustain them as long as possible. 

@electric indigo - As always, it looks like it was made that way!  Beautiful work! 

 

Good tip, thanks!  I've been keeping it in its original wrapping package, but I do keep certain other items in Ziploc bags.

[Kylwell]

3 hours ago, derex3592 said:

Great work @peter!  The Tamiya Weathering kits are nice...however...they do dry up fairly quickly depending on your climate. I try to keep mine in Ziplock sandwich bags with all the air out of them to sustain them as long as possible. 

@electric indigo - As always, it looks like it was made that way!  Beautiful work! 

 

I've found a drop or 2 of Tamiya X20a thinner brings them back to life.

[electric indigo]

1 hour ago, peter said:

I say as along as it isn't raining, take that bird outside and shoot a couple of pics with a cloudy sky as a background!

I'd do that if it wasn't so freezing cold outside 

It's true that direct sunlight can be problematic, on the other side you need a lot of light to get a good depth of field, and this afternoon it was just too cloudy. However, I got a few good shots in the morning of the other kit I finished recently (resin semi-nudity warning):

Spoiler

 

[peter]

1 hour ago, Kylwell said:

I've found a drop or 2 of Tamiya X20a thinner brings them back to life.

Oh, good to know!

[peter]

1 hour ago, electric indigo said:

I'd do that if it wasn't so freezing cold outside 

It's true that direct sunlight can be problematic, on the other side you need a lot of light to get a good depth of field, and this afternoon it was just too cloudy. However, I got a few good shots in the morning of the other kit I finished recently (resin semi-nudity warning):

  Hide contents

 

Well, it's a good thing I'm working from home and there's no need for that NSFW nonsense, lol!

[Thom]

Wow @peter that is looking great, it in a sad way... I haven't bought the weathering powders but found some success with ground-up artist chalks.

@electric indigo Congrats on your first completion of the year! You have set a high bar.

[electric indigo]

Got some kitchen table studio shots done today:

More in my Flickr album

[CrossAir]

Never was a big fan of those older MiGs but this one looks absolutely beautiful Nice shots!

[peter]

Yup, so well done.  Going to I have to learn how to use an airbrush.

[derex3592]

It;s a loooong and sometimes frustrating road, but also very rewarding when you get even the the basics down! You have many talented people here to help you out along the way! My .02...Temperature/Humidity and paint to thinner ratio are the 3 most important factors!  Get yourself a cheap battery powered digital thermometer with humidity read out and keep it right by your airbrush station. I have to paint in the garage, indoors isn't an option for me.  Amazon has some good ones for less than $20.  This has helped me greatly! Only took me 10 years to figure that out! Also, what thinner to use with what paint is a biggie as well.  Air compressor with moisture trap is also up there. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by derex3592

[Gabe Q]

There's a lot of good stuff going on around here! 

@derex3592 Your Runabout is looking awesome! Those figures you painted came out nice. I suck at hand brushing so I'm super impressed. 

@electric indigo The Mig has a very smooth paint job and the decals look painted on. I want to get to that level of skill! What's next for you?

@peter Great job with the extra weathering. It made a huge difference and now I'm wondering if I should pick up a set. As far as getting into airbrushing, I'd say it's a steep learning curve but absolutely necessary if you want to get to that next level.

Currently working on an R2. Getting rid of the nasty seams on the dome. I've got about 4 or 5 other projects going as well but it's hard to stay focused on one. 

[derex3592]

Blizzard conditions incoming here next few days, so I will be able to get a lot of microscopic USS Fort Worth parts done. However, this morning I completed the flight deck tie downs. My method got better as I went along, some are actually straight.. LOL. I need a LARGE DRINK after that. Don't really want to EVER do that again... LOL. But hey, it's done! Had 8 leftovers! 

[Dobber]

Good god that MiG-21 is GORGEOUS! Such a fabulous build.

Chris

[MechTech]

@peter Your weathering came out great! Sometimes a smear is more realistic than an airbrush!

@electric indigo Your finish is realistic as always! It's just missing a smokey exhaust plume and you could hardly tell the difference!

@derex3592 That is crazy they made the kit like that! Well, congrats on getting them all on! Now you know why I made mine punched into the deck. All that PE work would be crazy! I don't know what it looks like there, but everything here has a coating of ice on it. Half of the bit of snow we got melted.

Something different this week. Shiny! My rotary table is used to rotate parts around or rotate them in increments (like cutting teeth into a gear).  It's how I made the THIRD version of the attached photo for my gun turret. I had nothing to support long pieces like model gun barrels or shafts for cutting splines into. So I machined a couple scraps of aluminum (courtesy of my local recycle center) to make an adapter for my lathe's tool stock holder. Some work isn't always straight cuts, so I added the ability to make it swing out a little. They sell a similar adapter (without the adjustments) for about $100! Forget that if you can make one (that's what you get a mill for in the first place - to make stuff).

Long story, I messed up on both prior gun mechanisms for below deck of the model. So the third time I think I got it right - I hope! Most of the pieces of the crown on the part will actually be cut off, so the broken piece is OK.

Take care everyone! - MT

Edited February 14, 2021 by MechTech

[peter]

On 2/12/2021 at 7:57 PM, Gabe Q said:

There's a lot of good stuff going on around here! 

@derex3592 Your Runabout is looking awesome! Those figures you painted came out nice. I suck at hand brushing so I'm super impressed. 

@electric indigo The Mig has a very smooth paint job and the decals look painted on. I want to get to that level of skill! What's next for you?

@peter Great job with the extra weathering. It made a huge difference and now I'm wondering if I should pick up a set. As far as getting into airbrushing, I'd say it's a steep learning curve but absolutely necessary if you want to get to that next level.

Currently working on an R2. Getting rid of the nasty seams on the dome. I've got about 4 or 5 other projects going as well but it's hard to stay focused on one. 

For a minute there, I thought you were doing an Astromech droid with battle damage.

[peter]

7 hours ago, MechTech said:

@peter Your weathering came out great! Sometimes a smear is more realistic than an airbrush!

@electric indigo Your finish is realistic as always! It's just missing a smokey exhaust plume and you could hardly tell the difference!

@derex3592 That is crazy they made the kit like that! Well, congrats on getting them all on! Now you know why I made mine punched into the deck. All that PE work would be crazy! I don't know what it looks like there, but everything here has a coating of ice on it. Half of the bit of snow we got melted.

Something different this week. Shiny! My rotary table is used to rotate parts around or rotate them in increments (like cutting teeth into a gear).  It's how I made the THIRD version of the attached photo for my gun turret. I had nothing to support long pieces like model gun barrels or shafts for cutting splines into. So I machined a couple scraps of aluminum (courtesy of my local recycle center) to make an adapter for my lathe's tool stock holder. Some work isn't always straight cuts, so I added the ability to make it swing out a little. They sell a similar adapter (without the adjustments) for about $100! Forget that if you can make one (that's what you get a mill for in the first place - to make stuff).

Long story, I messed up on both prior gun mechanisms for below deck of the model. So the third time I think I got it right - I hope! Most of the pieces of the crown on the part will actually be cut off, so the broken piece is OK.

Take care everyone! - MT

All that machinery and precision work, wow!

 

[pengbuzz]

On 2/14/2021 at 11:38 AM, MechTech said:

@peter Your weathering came out great! Sometimes a smear is more realistic than an airbrush!

@electric indigo Your finish is realistic as always! It's just missing a smokey exhaust plume and you could hardly tell the difference!

@derex3592 That is crazy they made the kit like that! Well, congrats on getting them all on! Now you know why I made mine punched into the deck. All that PE work would be crazy! I don't know what it looks like there, but everything here has a coating of ice on it. Half of the bit of snow we got melted.

Something different this week. Shiny! My rotary table is used to rotate parts around or rotate them in increments (like cutting teeth into a gear).  It's how I made the THIRD version of the attached photo for my gun turret. I had nothing to support long pieces like model gun barrels or shafts for cutting splines into. So I machined a couple scraps of aluminum (courtesy of my local recycle center) to make an adapter for my lathe's tool stock holder. Some work isn't always straight cuts, so I added the ability to make it swing out a little. They sell a similar adapter (without the adjustments) for about $100! Forget that if you can make one (that's what you get a mill for in the first place - to make stuff).

Long story, I messed up on both prior gun mechanisms for below deck of the model. So the third time I think I got it right - I hope! Most of the pieces of the crown on the part will actually be cut off, so the broken piece is OK.

Take care everyone! - MT

Nice job.

[Thom]

On 2/12/2021 at 10:57 PM, Gabe Q said:

Looks like some really bad happened to that R2 unit!

[peter]

Next on my to do pile.

Lol, didn't I just scream and curse my way through two AMT Refits and two K'Tingas?  

Actually, this will just be a practice build for that Enterprise set.  

So....many....decals....

 

 

[peter]

[derex3592]

Ohh good! ... Finally, someone to share the pain of my life a year ago! @peter Can't wait to see the builds!

[Chronocidal]

Hah.. I have that set of all the 1/2500 kits waiting in the wings.  I'm more enjoying the 1/1000 kits though, they're just a very nice display size.

When I get around to the wallpaper decals, I'm going to be cutting them into a TON of segments to get them to lay down well.

[pengbuzz]

5 hours ago, peter said:

Take your time with those decals!!! Use plenty of water and don't try to do too much in one sitting! I did this kit a couple of years ago, and it was a royal pain!

[derex3592]

Honestly, the decals weren't the biggest issue with these kits. Just cut them up, take your time and buy LOTS of Micro-Sol! The poor fit was a much greater problem. Lots of puttying and sanding on such a small scale was difficult for me.  @peter

[Chronocidal]

45 minutes ago, derex3592 said:

Honestly, the decals weren't the biggest issue with these kits. Just cut them up, take your time and buy LOTS of Micro-Sol! The poor fit was a much greater problem. Lots of puttying and sanding on such a small scale was difficult for me.  @peter

Yeah, the set with all of the smaller scale ships is a mashup of wildly different quality kits  The 1701, 1701-A, and 1701-D are from a kit AMT released in probably the late 80s, the 1701-B, C, and E are from the 90s, and the NX-01 is a newer mold.  The molding is all over the map.

[peter]

Lol, sound like these things should be a stress-free ball of fun then, hahahaha!

Snap fit my muscular buttocks.  Looks like the 1/2500 refit saucer wants to behave like it's pain in the @$$ big brother, the 1/537.

I'm not going to stress over this one, maybe just fill some really obvious seams, but overall, this 1/2500 K'Tinga covers some details better than the 537 version.

Basically anything with a saucer will never be "snap fit"

First Reliant model ever.  I have never paid attention to the details of this ship, so it's kind of a nice intro.

 

Looks like I'll need some darker primer to cover up the manufacturers markings inside the ship, lol!

 

[Urashiman]

I did some experimenting today on casting. With all the stuff I have at home - how can I use that to clone pilot figures.

Here is my first attempt at making a mold and producing a recast.

For the mold, I used FIMO.

For the cast, I used some Ponal dual component putty.

Step one:

Produce the mold

Step two: bake the mold

Step three:

casting (no picture available).

Step four:

trying to free the cast from the mold and accidently breaking the mold.

It kinda worked, but the mold is lost. Thinking about how much power it takes to bake FIMO in the oven, this is probably not the best approach for cloning.

The putty is also really gum like when dry, so probably not the best material to use for casting, except you would like to have something rubber like.

 

[peter]

On 2/18/2021 at 12:51 AM, pengbuzz said:

Take your time with those decals!!! Use plenty of water and don't try to do too much in one sitting! I did this kit a couple of years ago, and it was a royal pain!

So this kit has some really $hitty decals.  You were absolutely right.  They look great on paper, but how did AMT/Round2 think it would be a good idea to print them in such fragile paper?

I have the Enterprise set in 1/2500 and I hope those decals are better than these things.

First time using my own airbrush...just ordered it off Amazon....wow...what a whole new world.  I've been rattle canning everything until now, but what a difference an airbrush can make.

Some minor masking with this kit.

And back to the brush to hand paint some of the feathers (not screen accurate, lol).

First decal that cracked.....just from laying it down on the bump.

I have a bad feeling about any parts that have a bend in it.

The #8 in the registry is split three times.  I did my best to re-align it but the more I touched it, the more the decal cracked.

They look great once they're on, but they are kind of a nightmare, lol!

 

More to follow.

[peter]

I think AMT should be charged with crimes against humanity for giving us decals of this quality.

And also for giving us the 1/537 Refit.

This decal cracked just soaking in the water.

Just a friggin cluster fuk.

The saucer top of the Enterprise was in about 3-4 pieces.

Reliant bottom wasn't much better.

I sort of salvaged them, but the Reliant marking is pooched. 

It was just too far gone and there was no saving it. Good thing this is the bottom.

 

More to follow.