Hi - I'm building the Revell ex-Matchbox M24 Chaffee for the Matchbox Nostalgia campaign. This is my first ever proper build and I've tried to use it as a test for many of the techniques I've been reading about here. However this has made it slow going and now the 16th - the deadline is looming large!

Frustratingly this evening I tried to remove a brass grab wire to replace with a better one - only to find I'd glued it too well! The protruding brass has come off - but I still have brass wire in the locating hole. Doh!
This leads me to my first question:

I have the Microbox set of HSS Twist Drills - I used the .3mm bit to make the hole in the first place - can I use it to drill out the brass and reopen the hole or will it blunt it?

2) If you have a kit with delicate additions on it and you want to wash it before priming - what is the preferred method to clean it and avoid damaging the kit?


and finally 3) I have read a lot about settling decals into a pool of Future polish - is there an equivalent product here in the UK?


Many thanks to anyone who reads and responds to my questions - especially the first one - I'm REALLY kicking myself for being so stupid - with the deadline looming I should have gone with common sense and left the damn thing alone!!!!!


many thanks

A

You should be able to drill out the brass without dulling the drill bits. Steel is harder than brass. As for cleaning before priming, I've never done it and have had not problems but haven't worked with many older kits so take that with a grain of salt. As for decals, I've had problems with Future and have always used a high gloss clear finish (Testors or Model Masters in a spray can) before applying decals.

Hope this helps.

Cary

Hi mauserman

THANKS! Really helpful - just what I wanted to hear re the drill bit.

Unfortunately I tend toward oily fingertips - so my kit looks like forensics dream! I'll need to figure out a gentle way to remove the grease.

Thanks for the tip re polish.


All the best - and rather relieved!


Andronicus

Uh oh! I would hesitate before drilling! While steel is harder than brass, and will thus cut thru it- I suggest NOT! Unless you can hold that drill very very well-centered onto that brass bit, what will happen is that the bit will skip off and you'll get a random hole or gouge in the plastic. If your brass bit is "sunk" below the surface, just glue the new piece on top.

I speak from some long experience with small drills and targets...

Maybe you would be better off digging that bit out with a sharp #11 exacto blade, and follow-up with a little putty or filler? To me, better a controlled gouge than a random one, but that's just my HO.

About cleaning kits...

If you think your kit is clean, go right to the painting. If you are going to paint first with an enamel or lacquer primer, a little oil won't harm things. It's maybe more critical when shooting direct to acryls, which may peel off an oily surface ( ).

I think most "better" kits come pretty clean now-a-days. Old kits? Well... some Y, some Noooo.

I have had good success with washing my complete builds in a bowl of luke-warm soapy water- gently dip it a few times and about all the residues (if any) will come off. I rinse it off by repeated dips in a bowl of clean water. As my water is "hard", I do a final dip in a bowl of bottled distilled-water. I use a white plastic bowl for all dipping so that I can see if any bits float or fall off- not many do, but... I then let the kit dry a day. It helps, I have found, to remove the turrets, etc....

If you have a pre-painted interior that does not want to get wet, AND you are concerned that there is some surface grime that needs removing, a cotton-swab with mild soap-water or straight 90+% alcohol works well for "point" clean-up. (If the soap water- follow-up with a corner of paper-towel or kleenex to grab that soap off).

As to the Future...

Some like it, some not. I've had luck with it- I place a drop at the decal site, let it spread out, and slide my pre-wetted decal into that drop and let it harden. I follow-up with a little dull-coat or Tamiya flat-base. I've heard that some folks actually wet their decals in Future... A fine shiny enamel patch would be as good, I imagine!

I think "Future" occurs over there (UK) as something like "Klear" or "Pledge Future-shine". If you Google those things, or "Johnson Floor-wax", you might find out what and where.

Hope this might help!

Hi panzerbob01,


That makes a lot of sense. I'll take a knife to it and milliput the hole afterwards. The extra effort could save a lot of hassle.

Re cleaning - I'll definately need to I think as I'll be spraying acrylics - I'll get some water distilling in readiness (we're a hard water area too)

I'll look out the UK equivalents - from what I understand the pool method hides the edges of the film - something I'd be keen to do.

Thanks a lot for your advice! Very useful indeed.

Andronicus

Andronicus;

You have it right on that Future- it does pool and it will hide those ugly edges.

The thing which attracts me most is that wet Future allows a decal to sink in and set "bubble-free" - thus no "silvering". And it won't ever peel off, either! The silvering issue is also the prime reason folks like to use nice shiny-smooth lacquer or enamel patches for the decal area... As I do armour models and always have a matt surface to decal, the "silvering" is a real issue.

IF you try the wet Future... you may find it useful to "wick-off" excess Future after you place your decal. This can be done using the corner of a piece of tissue dipped into any excess pooling - the Future, which is pretty thin, will readily draw up. This is a good way to snug a "floating" decal down.

PS: same technique works well when using water and setting decals on a shiny surface, too!

I believe Future is now sold as Pledge multi-surface wax over here in the UK...

Tom

Hi Bob and Tom

Thanks for the tips...

Excellent advice - I 'wick off' glue that way so I can see how that makes sense.

BTW - I have Ronseal varnish aplenty at home - ie for DIY jobs like varnishing wood - no-one mentiones that kind of varnish in this context - I take it it's not suitable...?


A

Uh, I personally wouldn't use wood varnish because that stuff is nothing like Klear or Pledge One-Go. We used wood varnish on a white painted wood buffet and it turned yellow. Now it looks like someone has taken a leak all over it

I know no answer but Dean_Wuth that was a good one.

Where are the thumbs up icons at?

As to the hole Bob nailed it as one who has drilled out plenty of broke Steel bolts with a Steel drill just about dang impossible to to get that Center punch hole in the center to drill it out.
I now no why I never like to work in metal.



Now a broke tap well another can of worms

Wood varnish and stuff like "MinWax polyurethane" on a model?

Noooooo! Run! Screaming! Abandon all hope, ye who go there!

Way too heavy, bad colour distortions, funky chemical interactions with other finishes, etc. Many varnishes also react poorly with humidity... And who wants their plastic panzer to smell like the sideboard, anyway? (As if we sniff our tanks from time to time... )

Google " Swannys Future" for ally you need to know about future.
Try " Pledge with Future Shine" New Stock, Morrisons Wilcos or Asda should have it.
& cleanup with "Windolene", but the formulation has changed (I've got old stock)so check the ingredients, the key ingredient is ammonia...

Loosen the glue bond by putting in the freezer (will make all bonds fragile) or a tiny drop of glue de-bonder on the spot, allow to work.
If you have the drill bit, turn it round in a hand-held collet so it grips the shank not the spiral of the drill
use the rear end of the tool, to push the brass wire through with a 'wiggly' motion.
good luck

I gouged and filled and replaced - looks dandy!

I also got some Pledge from my local ASDA - so it looks like I'm good to go once my build is completed.

Thanks for all your help - it was invaluable!!!


A