Little tips you have learnt the hard way!

dont shake paint with the lid half on :-)

I used to scrape all the rubbing compound out of the panel lines and once in a while the tool slips and scratches the paint.

I had a couple of models painted with the rubbing compound still in the nook and crannies. It was under a thick layer of dust so I decided to wash it. While the car was under running water, I used a soft toothbrush to scrub the body lightly and all the tamiya compound came off nice and clean! After that, just put a layer of wax and its all done. I guess tamiya rubbing compound is water soluble.

News flash!

I just cut my thumb open, and it HURTS:mad:

The lesson in this story....don't use a knife or anything sharp when you are sick...especially when you are feeling light headed!

Condition on thumb: bleeding has stop...thank god my sister know first aid!

dont use a Dry Wall Blade to cut your body on your lap(i ened up stabbing my self.......it hurt, small bleeding.

Only try to mount your body AFTER the decals are dry.

dont grap your body paint mount after you just sprayed it

if glued does'nt come out of your tube, just get a needle and uncloged, dont squish it harder on top of your body.

Never use spray paint in the yard...no matter how hard you try, the inevitable will happen, and it will get all over yours Dad's brand new black car. Then you get stuck scrapping silver paint off the whole damn thing for your Sunday.

oh god that happened once...i was spraying and my mom had just put new rims on her 4 runner and i was spraying near it and i got green paint on silver chrome... the model came out cool...but having to scrape paint wasn't

One really dumb tip. Don't spray a windsheild with clear coat thinking it will act the same way with spray paint. Because it won't it will just mess up the windsheild. It does make a nice 'frosted' affect though.:p Even though it would look cool on one of my models, i didn't put it back on. Now the winsheild is 'invisible' and not really there.

I know this is off the subject a tad bit but its the reason why I'm back into modeling. I drive a minivan that has neon inside and out and a system, now if you want to race someone, TURN OFF THE NEON, cops cand see you coming from a mile away, I lost my license for a year that way, and I am forced to stay at home and build models

When cutting the excess film on the decal edges using a ruler put the ruler over the part of the decal you want to keep - this was if (when) the knife slips you won't cut the "good" part.

Actually, this one wasn't really a "learnt the hard way" tip until recently, so now I can justly put it here :):);):p

Here's one. My friend put his nicely finished civic in the dashboard of his car, then parked his car in the sun. When he got back into his car, he saw a melted blob of plastic on his dash. I told him to glue a fake tree on it for a diorama as a street race. Man that sucked :bathroom:

How about leaving your door open when you have a really hungry 3 month old puppy? I did it once, I lost half a model and a sock

(i had enough trouble of just thinking of this one)

Never use a vice and ploers to open a stuck bottle of paint!!!

especially on ur dads new work bench!

do not touch the body when the paint is still drying (unless you want the finger printed look)

I've got some

>Don't model with your eyes closed.
>Do not paint the car body using your own mouth as spraying stand.
>Do not drink the paint if you get thirsty!
>Don't eat potato chips or chicken wings while modeling.
and last but not least:
>Don't model outside when its raining and/or is very windy

:o

Once you have a custom-mixed color, it's FAWKIN HARD to match that color again...!!!! :mad:

:(

Originally posted by jay@af
:o

Once you have a custom-mixed color, it's FAWKIN HARD to match that color again...!!!! :mad:

:(

Haha, I did that to make engine orange. I mixed orange, yellow and brown, and it worked great. But now, I have multi-coloured engines.

TIP: when you are making a model, it is often a good idea to add grease\oil stains. This also helps to fix the mixed up paint. Just mix black and thinner, works great:)

- no matter how well a project is turning out, don't forget to tell your significant other that you still care about them...
"are you even listening to me!?!"
'i don't really like these rims...'
*door slam* :uhoh:

- no matter how good an idea may be or how awake you still are, it's not an idea to 'throw together a few parts' before going to bed after a night out at the clubs/pubs. lest you wake up to a few new *ahem* unique custom mods :bloated:

- when reading AF in the morning as you're about to throw on another coat of paint before work, make sure you've confirmed that you're actually unscrewing the tamiya acrylic bottle the right side up otherwise you're in for a wet and colourful suprise... even more fun hacking parts off the tree in a desperate scramble to try and make use of all the paint on your hands pants lol!

make sure the carpet or floor area around your modelling space is clear and clean. This way if the inevitable happens and you drop a small part the easier it is to find that piece when you find it missing

As a tip to all you guys that lose things to the carpet monster....I have a way to keep him tamed....
I picked up one of those carpet protectors like you see under chairs in offices with the non-slip 'cleats' underneath to grip the carpet....you know, those clear things you see under the chairs....
Well anyway, I have one of these that is just nice to cover the whole area around my work table and under my chair...now if I slop some paint...the carpet is protected, and if I drop a part, it is laying on the protector not between the fibre.....
Hope you all understand what I mean by this....

Ray

dont think that paint stripper for metal and wood will work on a model, thought i could get if off in time, didnt anticipate it would get on my arm came back my model was a chunk of plastic :) ahh well dumb mistake

When you have a knife in your right hand, don't try and see what's stuck to your right elbow. :o Try it with a pen to see what I mean...

Originally posted by jay@af
When you have a knife in your right hand, don't try and see what's stuck to your right elbow. :o Try it with a pen to see what I mean...


= stabbed in shoulder:flipa:

I've got another two (though closely connected) for you:

when trying to make the windshield wipers conform to the curvature of the windshield using heat from a burning candle, it's really (I can't emphasise the word REALLY enough!!!!) easy to ruin the wipers.

and if you read the previous tip and are wondering what to do if no heat is allowed, well, no heat is necessary, you can easily (but carefully!) bend the wipers with your hands and they should stay bent. To there, and hope this helps someone ;)

Alex

Originally posted by ales
and if you read the previous tip and are wondering what to do if no heat is allowed, well, no heat is necessary, you can easily (but carefully!) bend the wipers with your hands and they should stay bent. To there, and hope this helps someone ;)

Alex

You still can't write, my southern friend. The word is BREAK. :flipa:

Originally posted by Mikke


You still can't write, my southern friend. The word is BREAK. :flipa:

No, that's what would have been written here if you tried to do that! :p :finger:

Thanks for the tips. Oh wait, i have one! DONT CUT TOWARD YOURSELF WITH YOUR RAZOR! well, thats common sense, but dumb people like me don't understand.

INT. ROOM. DAY

We see a boy, TOKSIN, working on a model AH64 Apache.

"ooh, look, damn, I spilt some paint on my windshield. I'll just get some turpentine and wash it off..."
*Toksin applies turps. Window fogs up.*
"Ah fucky!"

FADE TO BLACK

i believe I've said enough:rolleyes:

:bonghitte while using Easy Off wear a mask of some sort, didnt put my mask on and, well now i can understand why people use these kind of things to get high off of:bonghitte

Originally posted by Toksin
INT. ROOM. DAY

We see a boy, TOKSIN, working on a model AH64 Apache.

"ooh, look, damn, I spilt some paint on my windshield. I'll just get some turpentine and wash it off..."
*Toksin applies turps. Window fogs up.*
"Ah fucky!"

FADE TO BLACK

i believe I've said enough:rolleyes:

i did that on my CLK DTM car :(

Testor's Chrome Silver is very useful for different types of finishes:

1) For turned/machined metal simulation, use the paint drier than usual. U have to experiment a bit to get the right thickness. Use a flat brush in the direction of the fine lines on the actual parts. Those brush stroke will simulate the lines on turned or machined metal parts.
U are going to love brush strokes.:D

2) Chrome finish (need no explanation), just use as usual.

If u want a race car model, buy a racing version of that model. Now i am having a hard time modifying my testarossa. Almost all the parts under the skin has to be scratchbuilt. All those hard work on painting and detailing the engine was wasted.

Great thread!

Here's a good one!

Don't leave the door open to your model room, expeceally if you have a white cat that LOVES to sleep in your spray booth.
Cat + Paint = Bath .........

And another one.........

Don't, no matter what! NEVER, REALY NEVER, I'M NOT KIDDING, tell your wife how much you spend on modeling!

:) Though i 'd add one;
don't smoke while making models:

when your parts are drying, don't hold your cigarette in your hand while checking your model out, leaves ugly marks and melted plastic....

ok, I knoiw, it's a really stupid tip, but I needed a smoke, to get rid of all the frustration gluing the windshied with superglue :rolleyes:

:bandit:

Well Fooesboy, I may be dumb enought to wash small parts under running water only to see them go down the drain, or ruining a decal job by spraying way too much clear coat and blistering the decals and about 100 other dumb mistakes, but to tell the wife what I spend on my hobby.
I'm not looking for a divorce.
And Bigfrit, at least you only ended up with smoke marks and a little melted plastic. At least you didn't turn your airbrush or spray can into a blow torch.

The window masks that come with tamiya models are good for masking spray paint but when you brush on the paint you dont get the same result :confused:

Originally posted by Fooesboy
Great thread!



Don't, no matter what! NEVER, REALY NEVER, I'M NOT KIDDING, tell your wife how much you spend on modeling! Mine doesn't even bother to ask anymore:p

Originally posted by tonioseven
Mine doesn't even bother to ask anymore:p
:p ...between my modelling and spending money on my 1:1 car the wife just skakes her head and just walks away also:p

Don't build a civilian car in 1:35. There's NO aftermarket parts for it. And u would have trouble finding people who have parts that are useable.
My Hummer has to have scratchbuilt seats, dashboard and steering wheel as the military parts are not suitable for a civilian car.

Don't leave paint jars in the micro for more then 10seconds at a time...Last week i was trying to get a lid open so i decided to use Pman's tip, well i put it in the micro and left it for 2 minutes(on hi-power at that).......Needless to say it is not cool to have metallic blue paint boiling all over the inside of your microwave:rolleyes:

Originally posted by Street Sweeper
Don't leave paint jars in the micro for more then 10seconds at a time...Last week i was trying to get a lid open so i decided to use Pman's tip, well i put it in the micro and left it for 2 minutes(on hi-power at that).......Needless to say it is not cool to have metallic blue paint boiling all over the inside of your microwave:rolleyes:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/cwm27.gif http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/cwm27.gif http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/cwm27.gif http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/cwm27.gif http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/cwm27.gif

Do not handle window pieces within 15 mins of gluing anything together. At the very least, wash your hands thoroughly before handling them. Doo-too-doo. Glue this body piece on. Argh, that was a pain in the ass. Ok, on to the window. Doo-too-doo. Test fit, put window down. WTF!!! Foggy window syndrome! Check thumbs, swear liberally.

DON'T USE TURPENTINE!!! TO STRIP PAINT!!! :mad:

It will just tear up you plast ic so fast your head will spin. :flash:

Once you've applied the topwash of mirosol leave the room if not the country, don't tinker or be prepared to accept the consiquences as I had to recently when I put the brush through the hood decal on my Dodge Ram pickup. The upside was that after I had removed the damaged decal I tried using matt aluminium bare metal foil and it actually looks quite good, so I redid the whole truck in the same.

I went to walmart one time looking for some thing to make mesh grills out of, after looking aroud for awhile i found some Mosquito mesh stuff for keeping Mosquitos out of your porch or patio, this stuff works great for making grills!
All you have to do is paint it , and also, one roll for $3.50 usa is enough for prolly around 10,000 model cars?

Hello I have some tips that I have not learned the hard way but are tips I have read somewhere but forgot where. To attach small things like mirrors to windsheilds or side mirrors I use two part epoxy glue. A small amount of it holds really good. It is also good pe parts. This one I had read somewhere for a good leather look on seats or a dash. First paint the part in a flat color you want then take your finger and rub the side of your nose or forehead then onto the part it goes. Of course do that when the part is dry. I know it sounds weird but it looks good. For small emblems on cars use some bare metal foil paint over it then scratch the paint of it. I used that method on my 409 belair looks good. Takes patients tho.

this thread's kinda old, but i did something along time ago that was pretty dumb. i was building a model on my friend's bed, for lack of room in his room. so i forgot about the open paint bottle that i sat on his bed and fell over and spilled all over his bed and all over my leg. we burned the sheets to keep his mom from finding out and freaking. the next day, we went to a lake to swim and we convinced everyone that i had a rare form of leg cancer. took a week for the paint to wash off. pretty stupid but pretty funny.

ALWAYS PUT THE LID ON YOU PAINTS... YOU CAN NOT SAY THAT ENOUGH!!! I left my Chevy Engine Red paint open and i come back and it is all in the green carpet in my room!!! :mad: :banghead: :mad:

Never use a razor blade to cut soft plastic! :banghead:

Never cut towards yourself...... :bloated: :banghead:

Paint parts while the are in the web/skeleton :banghead: Finger print in the paintjob is not good! :mad:

Take your time.... if you rush threw a kit it only fudges it up!!! Patience is the key word! :biggrin:

Always wash your brushes right after using them..... you may think it will help to let them sit in the paint thinner or nail polish remover but it doesnt! It just gets thickend on the brush and is harder to get off!!! :mad: :banghead:

PeAcE!!!

NEVER paint anything outside when its pitch black outside lol, i was really exited to clear my silverado, so i went outside painted it, went into the light and noticed that it was dripping in clear!

never spray paint in your NEIGHBORS grass :icon16: they werent to happy with that

I dont no about the rest of you but i have a little margarin container on my model table full of water to wash out my brushes, and the water is normaly pretty filthy, and well... thirsty kittens drink anything... and kitten barf isnt the nicest thing to clean up... especially when it has coated all the parts still on tree's (he puked in the cardboard box with all the parts for my kit in it, but i didnt notice it until 3 days later...so it had sort of... Encrusted many of the parts :grinno: animals eh

Dont let your knife roll onto the floor when you've got no shoes on, it allways manages to land blade down......in your foot. Dont ask me how I managed to do this more than once...

Dont try to cut really fine photo etched emblems out with blunt scissors.... all it does is twist them and they get all mangled. How do you cut photo etched parts off the tree anyways?

DONT TOUCH PAINT UNTILL ITS DRY.. no matter how dry it looks..

If you want to model, learn to be patient or youll end up frustrated like me

Dont let your knife roll onto the floor when you've got no shoes on, it allways manages to land blade down......in your foot. Dont ask me how I managed to do this more than once...

i've done this too, seems kinda rare but it happens more than u think...

Um.. never place a body in front a fan at full power after painting it and not securing it properly.

Make sure you pull the blade of a pocket the opposite way it fold in (getting finger pinched between Leatherman blade and its casing isnt pretty

Never leave a knife hang over your work bench.. it could fall on your foot.

Make your your work bench/area DOE NOT have glue on the surface.

dont super glue your fingers together

Oh, and BTW never leave your water for cleaning your acrylic brushes on the corner of your work bench. Especially when you have a light colored rug/floor.

dont paint on your moms craft bench

Oh, and another tip: Dont stand in front of an open door so the wind can blow the door shut and hit your elbow.. hitting your beautiful marina blue 1971 GTX out of your hand and smashing on the kitchen tiles. Yeahup.

I just read this thread. Great tips (and tricks). Funny thing is about half way through my first project, I posted a thread on another board called, "Things NOT to do when building a model".

Here is what I wrote:

"Things NOT to do when building a model".

Don't spray paint it anywhere there is dust! This cost me 1d drying time and another coat of paint plus drying time.

Do not let it dry anywhere there is dust. This cost me TWICE! I 'thought' I had it covered well enough in a dust free enviorment

DO NOT show it to anyone. It took 1s for a 4th year UMASS student to put a finger on it. "OH, it's wet." It is better to keep it locked up away from everyone until you are ready to display it in a glass case. This cost me 1d drying time, 40m sanding and 1 more day drying time. And I hit my favorite nephew in the head with a tire iron. I figure UMASS wasn't teaching him squat, so I would.

Do not EVER think that the same name paint is the same color. Just because it looks the same, just because it has the same name, just because it comes from the same batch. DO NOT ASSUME THAT IT IS THE SAME COLOR. It may not be. It may not even be close. Cost me 1d drying time, 1h to repaint, and 1 more day drying time.

Do not use tape. For some reason, model paint seaps under the tape. I could have done better by hand and did. Cost me 1d drying time, 40m sanding, 1d drying time.

Do not use your dining room table during the holiday season. I had to pack everything up. Cost me 1h packing time and the project is at a halt for 2 more days.

J. Barry

NEVER EVER EVER EVER use nail varnish on your not-painted/primered model. I found a R34 Skyline GT-R at my hobby store from fujimi, expensive like hell and the skyline is my fav. car, and at that time i wasnt into the modelling thing so i only had glue and that model, and when i had glued it together i thought wow i shud use mums nailvarnish to make it bling, but hell no, it started to melt :'(

If you are just waiting for your father / mother / wife / housband / kid / whatever to be ready to go out, DON'T try to do some quick modelling... especially if you have put a good shirt on...

Also, try to wear old clothes before you clean a bad painting... or when you are painting... in general, when you are doing ANYTHING model related! Yes, even when you are just looking at a model. You know: "I'm just going to take a look... oh, the mirror is falling, it needs some glue... look, mum, I've got a sticky pair of throusers!"

Even at 3+ years old, this is still one of the best threads in this forum. :sunglasse

I'll bet :2cents: that everyone that reads this thread starts out thinking "Well, duh. That's a pretty stupid mistake," and moments later goes, "Oh, crap. Yeah, I did that, too..."

;)

Read this whole thread. Learn from each other's mistakes, everyone! Save yourself the heartache!! :grinyes:

Even if you just want a chuckle, and a few gasps of horror, read it again anyway. :p