I've only built one model ever to date. This is a new hobby I'm taking up.. I recently finished building a 38(t) Hetzer model by Tamiya (1/48 scale) I was pretty disappointed at the end of it. The detail painting, the decals and weathering were all horribly off. And the tracks are misaligned

Now I have a Tiger I (Tamiya, 1/48, die cast base) that's waiting to be built, and I want to do this right for once. First, I've seen some kit builders building the model first, then painting the base color while others paint in separate piece sections (ie, before the building of the model is complete). Which one is right and or better?

Another thing too is decals. I'm simply just putting them in water, separating the decal layer and sticking it on the model, and then covering the entire model with a dullcoat varnish spray to level out the decals with the rest of the model and to seal them in. It works just fine except the decals get these microscopic specs, maybe bubbles underneath? Not sure.. These spots are sporadic, appearing in only one or two of the decals, not all of them.

And I just need some beginners tips in general, things to avoid and whatnot. Thanks.



oh, and another thing, I want to strip all the paint of the hetzer and redo it. What's the best way to go about this?

First off Welcome to the site ! Always nice to see another Albertan , which part or you in ?

I'm not much into the armor myself , but I will try and be some what of help . Never be disappointed with your efforts . After all it is your first model !!! Yes some guys will do all of the assembly first while others will paint and build in steps . This is neither wrong or right just that builders method which works for them . Even some of us aircraft modellers do it that way as well . In your case maybe just start with painting the parts and then do your assembly as you go until you gain some experience building up your skills . When you feel that things are going well with the results , then move up a step and try something different .
If you don't like it strip the paint of and start again .



You didn't say on whether you use an airbrush or just paint with a brush . What type of paints are you using , Acrylic .......Enamel ?

Decals are funny some times but are easy to use . You first need a gloss surface on the model first . Such as testors gloss coat or future floor wax . You will find that many modellers use future floor wax . This can be airbrushed right for the bottle or you can thin it down with rubbing alcohol or any acrylic thinner will do . Works very well with a brush which is how I do it . Applying a few thin coats . Between each coat wait for 10 to 15 minutes until the next one goes on . Let this fully dry for 24 hours , the same with testors gloss coat .
The goal is to have a glass surface for the decals to adhere to . The specks that are under the decal is silvering , air trap under the decal . This is caused by not having a glossy enough surface . You can get two products that will help the decals stick down better as well ( micro set ) Applied to the area where the decal goes , then the decal on top . The next one is call super sol , very strong stuff . After the decal has dry for 30 minutes brush on a thin coat . This helps the decal into corners or panel lines . Don't worry about it wrinkling on the surface it's just doing it's thing and will level out . Wait for that to dry and if it still needs more apply a little more . When every thing is dried wash off any residue and apply the dull coat .

Seeing the builds can be over whelming , but don't let this get you down . There are lots of talented and helpful people on the site who are more then willing to give aid . From the beginner to the advance . You are armed with the best tool on the bench , asking questions !
we all started some where .

Happy modelling and have fun !

Hi Woogabooga, welcome to Armorama.

I am by no means an expert but I will tell you what I do in response to your questions.




I prefer to paint the kit in seperate sections. This is easier for me as I can take care of the detail painting as needed before everything is assembled which can make it hard to get to some of the pieces.





If you are getting bubbles under your decals you may want to use a cotton swab when you apply them. I use them to push the decals down onto the surface and also to help remove any water or air that is trapped underneath them. You can also buy products to help set the decals such as Microsol or Microset. If they are not air bubbles you may have small specs of dust or something uner the decal. Just make sure the kit is clean before you apply the decal. Another hint for you is to use some kind of a glosscoat before you apply your decals. This will help remove the "silver" looking lining you can get around your decals after they are in place and dry. Once the kit is dry you can dullcoat everything and the glosscoat does not show up.




In the past I have used oven cleaner, I used Easy Off, to strip the paint off of a model. Others do this as well and have different processes that they use. First off do this in a well ventilated area. Spray the model with a good coat of the oven cleaner and let it set for awhile. Then use a toothbrush to scrub the kit which will remove the paint. It may take several times to get all the paint removed but it does work.

I hope that I have helped you some. Just remember that it will take time to learn what steps will work best for you when you are constructing a kit. Don't give up and don't get discouraged. To me learning different and better steps as I go is part of the fun of this hobby.

Let me know if I can help with anything else. There are a lot of great members here that will be glad to help you out. So don't ever hesitate to ask if you need something.

HARV

Thanks for the replies! Yes there are some details I've forgotten to go over.

Firstly, I'm actually from Quebec, forgot to change that in my profile. Montreal to be specific. I have an uncle in Alberta who works for CP Rail though

As for paint, I'm using acrylic paints, I have a Testor's starter kit, the orange-wheel one with basic paints and colours. And I got a few thin Tamiya paint brushes for detailing. When painting the base colors I use the Tamiya paint cans, I don't bother priming usually.

thegirl, when you suggest putting a gloss coat on, I assume the same applies for a dullcoat? (tanks aren't supposed to be glossy/shiny) so putting on a layer of varnish before the decals and then after might help? I'm not sure about getting those decal products, tight on cash as a student, but i'll definitely look into it.

also, is it true that ethyl (rubbing) alcohol mixed with water can be used as a paint thinner for acrylics? I dunno where I heard this...

thanks for the suggestions guys!

Hi Woogabooga !
Sorry , I should have been more clear on that . I remember the orange corral from Testors when I started , but they didn't have it in acrylic back then . Yes gloss coat before the decals are applied followed by the dull coat after the decals are dried .

Yes you can use rubbing alcohol as a thinner for acrylic . Since you are brush painting . Acrylics can be used right out of the jar . No need to thin the paint down . You can clean your brushes with rubbing alcohol or water . Water works better for clean up .

No, armor usually isn't shiney...what ya need to do is when done with the main color, shoot a coat of clear gloss on the whole kit, or just where needed. The decals will adhere much better this way. I use a Q-tip to press down the decals and get rid of air bubbles...I also use a decal setting solution and an agressive decal solvent solution to get the decals to sink into the details, or over them. The decals will normally wrinkle up with the addition of "solva set" , so don't freak out and think you just ruined them...they'll smooth out and lay down.
When done with the decals, give the model a coat of flat clear...then you can add washes, powders or dry brush to finish the look your after for the piece. Washes and powders will work easier on a flat surface. Then reseal with a flat clear to lock the washes or dry powders on and your done.
Ask all and any questions you'd think of...we're here to help{and we started in your shoes once too}.

Oh, I like stripping paint off with castrol super clean...no fumes and it strips chrome and paint off very nicely...I've heard simple green works well too. NEVER use brake fluid on resin pieces...it'll turn your piece into a wet noodle{ask me how I know!...guess I didn't like that semi truck cab anyway!}

Priming is a good idea for civy cars and trucks when gloss paint is used...for armor, you should be soaking the trees in a bucket of soapy water to get rid of any mold release that will possibly affect paint sticking...or not sticking. It's cheap insurance...

Watch some of the modelmaster paints, as they can be quite thick out of the jar...testors is pretty consistant from what I've heard....so is tamiya.

...hey, your ok...my grandfather worked for the CB&Q.