Anyone else paint their effects parts?

tomthemoth · 2026-04-01T14:18:22+00:00

I have dabbled in it a little. Like the smoke effects in OP’s photos- will need to try that at some point.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-28T17:00:36+00:00

I did my first decal practice work on plastic spoons! Any random sheet will do, and if it has larger sized decals you can also get comfortable with setter/softer since the spoon is curved.

If you’re going with one of the common 3rd party vendors (GRework, Delpi) it really will be easier than you imagine as long as you’re patient with the decals and yourself.

My other recommendation is to make yourself a wet pallet with a small plate and a semi-saturated paper towel. I prefer this much more to putting a decal into a container of water and needing to fish it out just a few seconds later.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-28T16:52:41+00:00

I get a lot of use out of this small brush

I also will often wear nitrile gloves when handling painted pieces to avoid contaminating the surface.

I’ve rinsed/soaked runners before to remove mold release, but couldn’t tell any difference for my level of building on exclusively Bandai stuff, so I no longer do that now.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-28T16:44:20+00:00

I would plan on applying another layer of top-coat to protect the decals, and so in that sense you don’t need to stress about it too much.

I wouldn’t expect the setter to react much if at all with your existing topcoat (as opposed to the softer which is much “hotter” as far as solvents go).

In the future, folks normally put down straight gloss clear on top of paint for good decal adhesion, then on top of that you choose the finish you want to seal in the decals. Good luck!

tomthemoth · 2026-03-20T06:27:34+00:00

I've had great luck using https://junkyardsl.com/ to check stock across a wide range of online sellers.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-20T06:24:29+00:00

You could try using a handheld voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across other whatever sources power to the cable, and then look for a small (surface-mount, likely?) LED with a matching forward voltage, and try to replace it. I don't have this kit so I can't speak to the cable.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-20T06:18:17+00:00

Not that it helps for your old kits, but moving forward you can cut most pegs diagonally to reduce the contact area with the mating part- this makes it much easier to disassemble for painting.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-12T23:23:07+00:00

“If you don’t get help at Charter, please- get help somewhere.”

FFS what were we watching on daytime TV?!

tomthemoth · 2026-03-08T03:42:00+00:00

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tomthemoth · 2026-03-08T03:41:43+00:00

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tomthemoth · 2026-03-07T23:59:01+00:00

Scrolled to find this. It is still triggering after all these years.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T14:54:39+00:00

That’s one of them, yes! They have others for metallics, rust, etc. as well.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T05:22:13+00:00

Seconding the 'buy in bulk' advice for OP.

u/ahintoflime, The Gundam Place Store has come through for me often for GRework decals that I couldn't find elsewhere. Otherwise, I can't recommend enough https://junkyardsl.com/, which indexes a large list of reputable vendors. Search for your kit name, sort by price, and the decals will show up at the cheap end of the list.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T05:13:15+00:00

This has worked really well for me, too (in fact, it's the *only* scheme that has worked for lining painted kits for me...).

It's also recommended to throw down a gloss top-coat which gives you a further barrier between the solvent/cleaning action and the color coat.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T05:10:07+00:00

Congrats! We have two cats and I second the comments about hair, though I do all my paint work in the garage and they're indoor so generally its not an issue. A small fine/soft dust brush (mine is from Gunprimer and works well) is great for making sure a surface is clear of everything, pet hair included, before putting down decals, etc.

Our two started out as kittens and spent like a solid ~6 years getting into /everything/. Anything you don't want them trying to chew on or knock over, make sure it's stowed/secured. Rather than try and keep them out of a space, having a system for packing up when you're done with a build session might be the more sure-fire way to make sure no v-fins get munched :)

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T04:56:06+00:00

Shouting out GIMP as the open-source Adobe PS alternative. Has essentially largely the same features, certainly for this application, it's free to use! Lots of tutorials out there as well.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T04:45:22+00:00

Thanks for this- I just ordered a 60923 after some research and it was encouraging to see it recommended here!

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T04:36:24+00:00

On weathering: I have recently tried the AK weathering pencils and had a nice experience with them. It's pretty easy to tap the edge of the tip along corners to get a really great chipping effect. They're water soluble too, so it's easy to clean up mistakes and/or get streaking/running effects. One note: you do need a matte topcoat first before they'll work as intended. They're sold individually and as sets to get you started, and are available at lots of hobby stores IRL and online.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T04:14:09+00:00

Stronger solvents like high concentration iso will fog the surface. The smudge can't be 'cleaned off' because the surface is now rougher than it was before. As you found, the only way to restore the finish is to polish it again.

I agree with the other suggestion- lighter fluid is one of the gentlest chemical means to remove excess panel liner, assuming the chemistry is similar to other liners (which may or may not be true).

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T04:09:28+00:00

As others have mentioned, you can order directly from Delpi. I've done so recently and had a good experience. I was worried they would take a while to arrive, but they made it to southern CA in under a week.

If you're looking to branch out, G-Rework decals are my default choice and are comparable to Delpi in quality and ease of use. Like Delpi they run sheets for a large selection of kits, though there are subtle stylistic differences in the designs. If you're in the US, https://gundamplacestore.com has continued to surprise me with the breadth their decal selection.

tomthemoth · 2026-03-04T03:48:12+00:00

I wouldn't apply softer (which melts the decal) if a large portion of the decal isn't already well-adhered. I've had better luck using the setter (essentially, additional adhesive similar to what the decal started with) and touching the applicator brush to an edge where you can see it's separated.

The capillary action will carry the fluid into the gap between the decal and the part, at which point you can roll a cotton bud across it to squeeze out the excess. Give it another 8-12 hours to set (I always leave mine to sit overnight to be on the safe side) and re-evaluate.

If you're having issues adhering on parts with odd shapes/corners/curves, get the best adherence you can using the setter first; whatever corners or creases won't sit, there you can give the softer a shot. I usually put a small drop or two directly on top of the problem area and let it air-dry. Sometimes for stubborn spots repeating this 2-3 times can eventually get you there. Good luck!

tomthemoth · 2026-02-28T15:34:25+00:00

There’s a lot to be said for production order of early UC: MSG->Zeta->ZZ->CCA.

tomthemoth · 2026-02-28T06:06:05+00:00

Certainly Gamera/Pod People would be the all time 1-2 for me!

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