Great tips! I particularly appreciated the last one, and I'm excited to give it a try. I also utilize tape, reversed on another surface, to hold parts in place for painting. Additionally, I use blue-tack on a stick to secure parts during assembly. Finally, I super glue a stick of extra sprue to the underside of some parts (in an inconspicuous area) and then simply break it off when I'm finished. Thanks for the video, and have a great weekend! -David
I have an old foam pillow i took from the operating room that in contured to allow the face and ears to ne exposed. Works great when needing to suspend airplanes by their wings. Tooth picks and a foam pad are great for car chassis and a spray can with some tack for the body.
I have used all of those tricks except the last one, I have to try it. One of my favourite trick for small parts, specially the ones you only have to paint one side of, is double-sided tape on a popsickle stick. Just line 'em up and plonk some paint on 'em and you're done.
I use a similar technique, just with loops of masking tape on a piece of scrap cardboard. I'll line up a bunch of parts all getting the same color. Another thing I use regularly is the skewer stick with a blob of blue tack on the end. I'll shape the blue tack into a blob or cylinder to match the part I need to mount. Often it takes a couple of sessions to get both sides of a part for both methods.
Used most of these tips and also have used a 1inch dowel with duck tape to paint car and tank bodies.a dowel at many sizes can be use to hold parts ....
Gidday. I use Blu-Tack (or equivalent poster putty type stuff) on a stick or surface handy to secure some parts. I also have some Infini reverse clips. The spring holds the clip open instead of closed so they spring open inside a hollow or opening in the part to hold it. Very handy. Heat shrink tubing can be used on paint clips over the teeth so they can clip on to a surface that you don't want marked or damaged, (or any soft tubing will do). Why I woke up at 0500hrs on a Saturday - my body thinks it's a work day. My brain is not happy with it! Cheers from 🦘🦘🦘
That last tip is a great idea. I've used a version of that for paint ordance hung from ejector racks for jet aircraft. I usually pin my ordance, so initially I leave the metal pin and inch in length, so I can use an alligator clip on a wooden stick for painting, when I'm ready to fasten the ordance to the ejector rack I just cut the pin to my desired length and using super glue. I glue the little pin into a matching hole I've drilled into the ejector rack or launching rail. Thanks for the tips Aaron, oh I highly recommend that Tamiya stand, it can be taken apart easily if need be.
Great video. A variation on the last technique I found is a toothpick with a little drop of Elmer’s glue. That way it’s sacrificial, it peels off after painting, making room for more serious glue.
One more is to clip a small bit of sprue, "sharpen" one end, lightly glue it to an area of the piece that will not be visible, then use the alligator clip to hold the bit of sprue. I do this a lot with things like seats that can be hard to find a place to hold. "Sharpening" the sprue reduces the amount of surface being glued to the part and the sprue bit can usually just be popped off when done. Things like pins can cause the part to spin or slip off when painting.
Hi Richard. That's a good question. In many cases, we use ad hoc or improvised means to hold models at the necessary angles to get at tough to reach areas. For instance, a soft cloth or piece of foam to cradle the model. Another possibility is an articulating vise, which you can find in a variety of sizes to suit your needs. But you have to be careful that the model is sturdy enough to not break while being held in the vise or, at the other end, isn't so big that the vise can't adequately hold it (mounting your vice to a work surface can help with this). Often, the best solution is to make sure you float the decal in enough water when you apply it to allow you to hold your model with one hand and manipulate the marking with the other.
Instead of a brass rood rod get a box of medium to large stick pins. just clip the point off. no need to clip the ball end, or the end that looks like a nail head. I used these for a bust of Pinhead from the Hellraiser movie. I never want to drill that many holes at once again, LOL
craft sticks (like narrow tongue depressors) and blue tack (the stuff for hanging posters in a dorm room) $10 worth will last for years because the blue tack is so very very reusable and the craft sticks can be reused forever.
I've long pondered if it's better to paint certain smaller parts while still on the sprue or attach them to the main model and come back to them after the main paint job. Sure, parts that are inside or extremely difficult to get to with a brush or airbrush should be done as such, but things like wheels (as shown here) or tools and accessories on tanks, even tracks. Then I think, you would never get things done in a reasonable time if you did every tiny part one at a time. Urgh... too much to think about!
The nice thing about painting the parts on the tree is after you snip them off, all you need to do a bit of touch up and you're good to go. Just finished editing a new story for the July/August issue in which contributor Steve Guthrie does just that. Of course there are other ways to handle it, and everyone has their favs. Ultimately, do what works best for you.
Great tips! I particularly appreciated the last one, and I'm excited to give it a try. I also utilize tape, reversed on another surface, to hold parts in place for painting. Additionally, I use blue-tack on a stick to secure parts during assembly. Finally, I super glue a stick of extra sprue to the underside of some parts (in an inconspicuous area) and then simply break it off when I'm finished. Thanks for the video, and have a great weekend!
-David
I have an old foam pillow i took from the operating room that in contured to allow the face and ears to ne exposed. Works great when needing to suspend airplanes by their wings. Tooth picks and a foam pad are great for car chassis and a spray can with some tack for the body.
I have used all of those tricks except the last one, I have to try it. One of my favourite trick for small parts, specially the ones you only have to paint one side of, is double-sided tape on a popsickle stick. Just line 'em up and plonk some paint on 'em and you're done.
That's a great tip!
I use a similar technique, just with loops of masking tape on a piece of scrap cardboard. I'll line up a bunch of parts all getting the same color.
Another thing I use regularly is the skewer stick with a blob of blue tack on the end. I'll shape the blue tack into a blob or cylinder to match the part I need to mount. Often it takes a couple of sessions to get both sides of a part for both methods.
I do that all the time works pretty well too
Used most of these tips and also have used a 1inch dowel with duck tape to paint car and tank bodies.a dowel at many sizes can be use to hold parts ....
Gidday. I use Blu-Tack (or equivalent poster putty type stuff) on a stick or surface handy to secure some parts.
I also have some Infini reverse clips. The spring holds the clip open instead of closed so they spring open inside a hollow or opening in the part to hold it. Very handy.
Heat shrink tubing can be used on paint clips over the teeth so they can clip on to a surface that you don't want marked or damaged, (or any soft tubing will do).
Why I woke up at 0500hrs on a Saturday - my body thinks it's a work day. My brain is not happy with it! Cheers from 🦘🦘🦘
BluTack can be a versatile means for holding parts. Good and useful tip!
That last tip is a great idea. I've used a version of that for paint ordance hung from ejector racks for jet aircraft. I usually pin my ordance, so initially I leave the metal pin and inch in length, so I can use an alligator clip on a wooden stick for painting, when I'm ready to fasten the ordance to the ejector rack I just cut the pin to my desired length and using super glue. I glue the little pin into a matching hole I've drilled into the ejector rack or launching rail.
Thanks for the tips Aaron, oh I highly recommend that Tamiya stand, it can be taken apart easily if need be.
Thanks for watching, Bob!
Great video. A variation on the last technique I found is a toothpick with a little drop of Elmer’s glue. That way it’s sacrificial, it peels off after painting, making room for more serious glue.
Love these videos from FSM!
Glad you like them!
Excellent tips and exceptional presentation.
Thank you!
Great Tips & tutorial.
Thanks for watching!
One more is to clip a small bit of sprue, "sharpen" one end, lightly glue it to an area of the piece that will not be visible, then use the alligator clip to hold the bit of sprue. I do this a lot with things like seats that can be hard to find a place to hold. "Sharpening" the sprue reduces the amount of surface being glued to the part and the sprue bit can usually just be popped off when done. Things like pins can cause the part to spin or slip off when painting.
I do the same thing
Gloves will also prevent oil from your skin from getting on the model. Something you really want to avoid when you are ready to paint.
The benefits abound!
Maybe I am lucky. I don't wear gloves or wash what needs to be paint for the 30 + years that I have been doing models. And never have any problems
Do you have suggestion on a way to hold a model, airplane, to apply the decals. Particularly, where two hands are required to apply a decal?
Richard
Hi Richard. That's a good question. In many cases, we use ad hoc or improvised means to hold models at the necessary angles to get at tough to reach areas. For instance, a soft cloth or piece of foam to cradle the model. Another possibility is an articulating vise, which you can find in a variety of sizes to suit your needs. But you have to be careful that the model is sturdy enough to not break while being held in the vise or, at the other end, isn't so big that the vise can't adequately hold it (mounting your vice to a work surface can help with this). Often, the best solution is to make sure you float the decal in enough water when you apply it to allow you to hold your model with one hand and manipulate the marking with the other.
Instead of a brass rood rod get a box of medium to large stick pins. just clip the point off. no need to clip the ball end, or the end that looks like a nail head. I used these for a bust of Pinhead from the Hellraiser movie. I never want to drill that many holes at once again, LOL
craft sticks (like narrow tongue depressors) and blue tack (the stuff for hanging posters in a dorm room)
$10 worth will last for years because the blue tack is so very very reusable and the craft sticks can be reused forever.
I made a paint stand for a car with out of my son's legoes covered with painter's tape.
We'd love to see it! Submit a photo and brief description to tips@finescale.com. And thanks for watching!
Instead of trying to wiggle the part out of your just made "paint holder" just cut the rod flush with the part.
I've long pondered if it's better to paint certain smaller parts while still on the sprue or attach them to the main model and come back to them after the main paint job.
Sure, parts that are inside or extremely difficult to get to with a brush or airbrush should be done as such, but things like wheels (as shown here) or tools and accessories on tanks, even tracks.
Then I think, you would never get things done in a reasonable time if you did every tiny part one at a time. Urgh... too much to think about!
The nice thing about painting the parts on the tree is after you snip them off, all you need to do a bit of touch up and you're good to go. Just finished editing a new story for the July/August issue in which contributor Steve Guthrie does just that. Of course there are other ways to handle it, and everyone has their favs. Ultimately, do what works best for you.
Painting parts on the sprue/tree is not the way to go. It basically doubles your work as once you do, you have to sand and then paint the parts again.