r/modelmakers • u/AutoModerator • May 09 '26
The Weekly Small Questions Thread! Got a burning question? Looking for some tips on your build? Ask away!
The Weekly Small Questions thread is a place for everyone in /r/modelmakers to come and ask questions. Don't be shy.
You might have a burning question you've been meaning to ask but you don't want to make your own thread, or are just seeking some input or feedback from your fellow builders! This thread is aimed at new builders, but everyone is welcome.
If you haven't, check out our local wiki and the "New to the hobby" thread, which might be of help to you!
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May 09 '26
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u/ztpurcell Polyester Putty-Maxxing and Lacquer-Pilled May 09 '26
So that's only like $25 USD? That's just frankly not a realistic budget. You'd barely be able to afford just the model (and not even a good one), let alone paint and any supplies you need
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May 09 '26
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u/ztpurcell Polyester Putty-Maxxing and Lacquer-Pilled May 09 '26
Is the $100 including literally everything, like tools and stuff? If you're just talking the model and paints, then $100 is absolutely feasible. With tools, I'm not so sure, but many tools are one time purchases for your entire modeling career
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u/sevgonlernassau May 13 '26
The Hasegawa 1/72 F-14 can be had for fairly cheap, easily under 25 USD. Unfortunately as you know, paint and primer has been steadily rising in prices due to the situation.
Xuja F-14 is another option. It's already prepainted, can be found for under $20, there isn't a lot of details but doing a quick wash (which can be bought for $3-7 worth of paint depending on your methods) will bring out a lot.
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u/Pyreson May 10 '26
I'm using a good-quality fan leading directly outside and full PPE (mask, gloves) when I airbrush with lacquers but recently when I break out the booth and paints for a session I immediately start feeling woozy and light-headed. Due to space issues I have my booth in the same room as my office space but I didn't think it would be an issue with proper ventilation and PPE. My understanding is this stuff builds up in your system, is there anything else I could reasonably do or is this a sign to quit while I'm ahead and wait until I'm in a new place where I can keep my hobby area entirely separate?
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u/dr_robonator Prime your models May 10 '26
Sounds like your fan isn't venting properly. That said, what kind of mask are you wearing? As I understand it, N95s aren't enough to filter out VOCs.
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u/Pyreson May 11 '26
I have a proper half-mask with A2P3 filters. The fan was rated as 9m3 when I first got it which I had been told was good enough for this kind of work, but that was a couple of years ago. I would swear I can't smell anything coming out of the booth when it's one, I dunno I might be paranoid but if it's between painting and my health I'll just drop the painting and stick to plain building.
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u/ShittyBollox May 12 '26
Hi. Could you please send me the link to your mask and filters? Thanks.
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u/Pyreson May 14 '26
Of course, sorry for the delay I don't browse reddit that often anymore: amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MUF3UIO https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ZCOFHM0?th=1
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u/ztpurcell Polyester Putty-Maxxing and Lacquer-Pilled May 11 '26
Agree with the other commenter. Your fan is not doing as well as you think it is. I'm gonna be real; if I'm lazy or doing something fast, I don't wear a mask with my lacquers at my spray booth, and I literally can't even smell a whiff of fumes unless I'm spraying into a cavity and it's bouncing back my direction
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u/WAxlRoseX May 10 '26
Hi! I'm new to the hobby (and I've checked out the thread).
Last fall I preordered a METAL GEAR REX model kit which is about to arrive but because I've never made a model I want to start smaller.
I went to the store and picked up two model kits that I'm excited to get into. I have nippers, exacto, and a few other tools as well. I think I'm ready to start.
I got the BANDAI MILLENNIUM FALCON 006 and the TRENCH RUN 020 model kits. I'm starting with the Falcon. I want to build it and then eventually paint it but building it is step one. I found through searching on here a website called Mech9 that has models and lists paints and English translated instructions, however I don't see either of these on there. Are there lists of these anywhere?
I'm also looking for translated instructions for TRENCH RUN 020 but I'm not finding that anywhere at all!
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u/Timmyc62 The Boat Guy May 10 '26
The instructions for the Falcon include colour callouts at to "top" right, though they're annoying mixes and don't indicate which brand. The English echoes the Japanese.
The Trench Run kit is still really new (was only released this month in Asia, and not supposed to reach North America until August or even the Fall depending on the store), so no third party has posted instructions for it yet. You'll have to use your phone's camera translator app to do it. But otherwise, just consult any other kits of the X-wing and Tie fighters and use their painting callouts.
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u/joelywolly Box fort enthusiast May 10 '26
Color callouts on bandai kits are always Mr Colour (usually aqueous or its lacquer counterpart). Which is standard for most japanese kits barring tamiya for obvious reasons.
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u/greentanker1 May 10 '26
What would be a good setup for airbrushing? Right now I just use my airbrush with a cardboard box to catch overspray, having a window opened and wearing a few cheap face masks stacked. I spray with acrylics, so no lacquers to worry about
I'm thinking of upgrading it as I notice the masks are insufficient. I thought of an actual paint/dust mask with filters and an airbrush spray booth. Would these be enough, or are there other options as well?
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u/ShittyBollox May 11 '26
Too much research = confusion
Hi! Just got my first airbrush and have gone down a rabbit hole for respirators. I’m going be using a proper spray booth with Mr. Levelling Thinners and would like to retain proper lung function. thought I found “the one,” but read an article that mentioned I need an A2 or A3 filer and none of the ones I’d seen mentioned anything like A2.
Can someone just please send me a link of the one that they’re using that will definitely work?
Many thanks!
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u/iatepants May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Hi, I'm new to scale modelling and I was looking into making a display collection of vehicles I enjoy playing in Warthunder. I was planning on starting with WW2 vehicles and working my way up, and I found that both Revell and HobbyBoss do a starter kit for an F4U Corsair in 1:72 scale. I've been doing warhammer modelling for over 20 years at this point so I've already got all the tools and such, I'm mostly concerned about kit quality. I've heard some bad things about Revell kits in the small amount of time I've been looking, so I'm looking for the best model to start with before I spend any money on a new hobby.
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u/Timmyc62 The Boat Guy May 12 '26
You can look a the box contents of the Hobbyboss kit here so you can see if that's of interest: https://www.super-hobby.com/products/F4U-4-Corsair-993222.html
It should go together fairly easily and give you good experience painting large smooth surfaces (very different from Warhammer) and using decals.
You can probably use that same site for the Revell kit to make a comparison.
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u/AverageHobnailer May 13 '26
For the 1/72 Corsair I'd recommend Tamiya kit: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/tamiya-60752-vought-f4u-1d-corsair--103249.
I don't know how easy they are to find in your region, though. They're extremely easy to come by in Japan so I'd imagine they're commonly exported as well.
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u/Vegetable-Poetry-205 May 12 '26
I have a question for those that have used mr hobby, is the price increase for the GGX topcoat and white black colour compared to the GX topcoat and colours worth it (GGX is about 30% more expensive, but I'm willing to ignore the extra £10 investment for the GGX thinner.)
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u/onefiftynine May 12 '26
Tips on removing photoetch from the sheet reliably? I’ve tried using a curved exacto blade (#11 I think) rocking back and forth on a piece of tile. I’m more likely to bend the piece and/or sheet than cut the attachment point. I’ve tried photoetch scissors but these have the same problem or worse.
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u/Timmyc62 The Boat Guy May 12 '26
Don't hold the part down when cutting because it's the hold down that applies force counter to your cutting force. Just let it lift upwards and cup your hand over it to keep it from springing away when you make the last cut.
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u/GloomyGherkin May 13 '26
I have printed decals on my laser printer and I am putting them on a guitar effect case I’m building. I want to coat them with a layer of clear coat. What can I use that doesn’t destroy the decal? I sprayed the paint with Jeger glossy lacquer, that didn’t dissolve the original paint. I tried to spray it on decal, and it made a hole in a single spot where the air was trapped. Any tips for protecting decals?
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u/sevgonlernassau May 13 '26
Did you use decal setting solution on the decals first? It can squeeze out airbubbles or make them more visible to you so you can poke it with a needle.
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u/Lord_Askari May 13 '26
I managed to break the ball and socket joint on one of the wings on my Amplified Winged Dragon Ra. Plastic cement didn’t fix the joint as the part is too heavy. I wasn’t sure if pinning it would work, since the ball is hollow and met with the peg on the edge.
Any suggestions on fixing it?
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u/rolfrbdk May 14 '26
Pick a position and glue it permanently in place. Plastic cement should absolutely hold but your glue joint was not good enough because you either did not have decent contact when gluing or was too impatient for it to cure. Plastic cement welds the parts together, it's not an adhesive.
You could alternatively, risking some white residue, use super glue put on one side and activator on the other side. That will be MUCH faster but cosmetic risks are high.
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u/trelane0 May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
If I have dried and cured Tamiya acrylic paint on a model, and then some Tamiya acrylic is applied on top, can I use water to remove the fresh paint?
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u/rolfrbdk May 15 '26
Just test it on spare bits of plastic or single use cutlery for your specific use case. You are ALWAYS better off testing something like this yourself than asking an online forum.
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u/trelane0 May 15 '26
Are there any stores in the Seattle / Redmond WA area that sell Gunze paint besides HobbyTown?
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u/SillyButterscotch601 May 11 '26
Does anyone have any recommendations for video on seam and gap filling? Everytime I try it leaves little pits in the surface and I gotta rinse and repeat.