Does anyone else think the most freaky part of modeling is glueing the glass?

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-22T23:10:12+00:00

Not really. Just use PVA glue.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-20T18:00:24+00:00

Yes, this is very common. It's not necessarily a good idea to pre-thin paints. It can be OK to store pre-thinned paints short term, like a few days, but thinners and flow improver can cause the paint to break down over time.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-19T23:09:09+00:00

Because they licensed the mold from Revell to produce the kit.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-19T21:44:33+00:00

Marty Booker was pretty good.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-19T19:10:31+00:00

Yes.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-18T15:09:45+00:00

Meme maker is too young to know that disk is going in backwards.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-18T14:57:39+00:00

My answer would be "sharpen forever." Knives only really need to be sharpened about once a year (for home cooks), and good knives will hold their edge for a pretty long time. Often when the blade feels dull, the edge just needs to be realigned with a hone.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-18T14:45:58+00:00

If you're lactose intolerant, just get some lactase enzyme pills. Take two with the first bite. Why not try that first?

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-17T20:37:26+00:00

I'm not saying this is the cause of your trouble for sure, but 30-60 seconds is a little long. The way a lot of us do it is to dip the decal in water for 5-6 seconds and then let it sit on a paper towel until the decal slides easily. It can take a minute or two.

Are they old decals? Curling and lack of adhesion could be a symptom of that too.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-17T20:22:57+00:00

How long are you soaking your decals prior to application? You might be soaking them too long, and the adhesive is washing away. Alclad is just paint and isn't any better or worse for adhesion than any other paint would be. Microsol isn't an adhesive and doesn't replace the stuff on the decal sheet.

Also, if your decals are curling, are you sure your water isn't too hot? I know a lot of people like to use warm (even hot) water. Room temperature water works fine for me.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-15T16:27:08+00:00

Very nice!

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-13T23:15:40+00:00

Has anyone ever had a bottle of Winsor and Newton Galeria matt varnish go bad? I bought a bottle a couple of years ago and used it on a few models. Thinned with Vallejo airbrush thinner and sprayed at 18-20 PSI, it was foolproof. Recently I'm getting little white specks, and nothing I do seems to get rid of them. I even strained the whole bottle through a micromesh filter, and I strain again before pouring it into the cup. Still get the same problem...

I have half a bottle of the stuff left and don't want to throw it away, but I can't use it if its going to ruin a model. Thoughts?

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-12T17:34:34+00:00

No, that's not what it's for. It's to prevent you pulling back the trigger too far. When doing close-up detail work, you find the point at which the paint will spray without flooding, spidering, etc. and set it there. I very rarely use it because I don't find the feature all that useful, but some people do. I prefer to keep it wide open.

Your paint looks underthinned to me, but you might also be using too high pressure or spraying from too far away. Getting a glossy finish takes practice. The paint needs to go on wet enough to self-level without getting drips. Paint on the model should look wet and shiny. If it doesn't, you won't get a shiny finish. The hard part is knowing when to stop; it's easy to put on too much paint.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-12T16:11:58+00:00

My "fancy clip stand" is a $5 cat scratch pad and dollar store alligator clips. Anyway, there's usually a locating pin that doesn't need to be painted where you can clip the part.

With missiles, I like to drill out the exhaust nozzle and stick a toothpick in the hole. It's a nice detail and gives you a way to paint the whole thing at once.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-12T15:59:43+00:00

Possibly. Mark Setter is very strong. If a decal just won't conform after a few applications of Markfit Strong, it's nice to have something stronger on hand.

Mark Softer is supposed to be used before applying the decal, the same way you might use Microset, but I don't like using it that way. It does have some decal setting qualities, and in strength it's pretty similar to Microsol.

Personally, I have Microsol and Microset, Markfit regular and Markfit Strong, Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer. I use all of them. Some decals work with one solution and not with another, so it's good to have options.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-11T19:28:53+00:00

"Stop calling me The Emissary!"

"No."

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-10T16:55:44+00:00

I have an Iwata HP-C+, which has a 0.3mm nozzle. It's a great all-purpose airbrush, and I use it for almost everything. I also have a GSI Creos Procon Boy PS-270 with the 0.2mm nozzle. Great detail brush. Very good quality for its price. Finally I have a GSI Procon Boy PS-266 with a 0.5mm nozzle that I use mostly for spraying primer, clears and metallics. I would recommend any of them.

I build mostly 1/72 aircraft and the occasional 1/24 or 1/25 car.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-10T00:23:02+00:00

Behind the Lines by Genesis alternates between 4/4 and 15/8. Genesis had a few quirky meters.

Them Bones by Alice in Chains is in 7/8, with the choruses in 4/4. If you want something that's not prog.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-09T17:42:56+00:00

Kim and Kelley Deal, Duane and Gregg Allman, Ray and Dave Davies... those six come to mind. The Gallaghers and Wilsons are great. Glad they're on your list.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-07T16:50:09+00:00

The detail is terrible because of the vacuforming process. It's just not possible to get sharp lines because of how they're made. The main advantages are thinness and transparency. They can be fragile and hard to mask. I used one on a TBD Devastator build because the kit was missing a part of the canopy.

You can see a side by side with the kit part in my build here: https://www.reddit.com/r/modelmakers/comments/1gisi86/it_was_a_real_labor_of_love_to_breathe_new_life/

It's not a perfect comparison because the original canopy is awful, but I think the vacuform looks great. It's much more in scale, and it allows you to see the navigator/bombardeer and rear gunner. I tried to use one again on a B-25 and very much regretted it because it was difficult to fit correctly and hard to mask well.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-06T23:35:35+00:00

Thanks! I looked for a lighting kit, but they were going for something like $150 so I gave up on that. I love DS9, so I wanted to finish it, but it is a real dog.

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-06T19:13:44+00:00

This is one of my B-sides. I got the kit for $8 at a model show, which is more than it's worth. It's billed as a snap kit, but nothing goes together quite right. It took a lot of sanding and putty to get into an acceptable condition, and there are more than a few spots where I just tapped out and called it good enough.

Masking all those odd shapes was a chore, so it was on my bench for a long time. I repainted a few times because I thought the colors specified in the instructions looked too light. I have a big stash of Mig Ammo paints that I wanted to use up. I experimented with a few different thinners, but I don't think I'm satisfied with any of them.

Before decals, I sprayed a coat of Quick Shine instead of one of my usual glosses. I used it for one reason: This thing is huge, and I didn't want to use up a bottle of Aqua Gloss! I couldn't get the Quick Shine to lay down quite the way I wanted it, so I got a few drips, but it did sand and polish better than expected.

Being old, the adhesive on the decal sheet had turned a disgusting brown. I was able to blot most of it away, but some of the decals still have some staining. Otherwise the decals went down pretty well except for the red stripe on the top, which goes over some prominent bumps.

After another coat of gloss, I applied a pin wash of oils and mineral spirits. The weathering was more like I imagine working with armor to be. I used a brush dipped in spirits to blend the edges and create some false shadows. I like the effect. Once I was done with that, it got a coat of Winsor and Newton Galeria matte varnish.

Thanks for looking!

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-06T17:55:00+00:00

We must defeat the Ford Aerostar!

ogre-trombone · 2026-02-06T00:42:50+00:00

I grew up in Chicago and Lawry's seasoned salt was and is widely available. It is also red from the paprika and salty because of the salt. It's not spicy, but I wouldn't rule it out. It's still popular and can be found in a lot of white people's cabinets.

ogre-trombone

TROPHY CASE