More questions if you don't mind...

[Clifftop]

I am back into the modelling hobby and want to get better at it.

I have made a couple of dozen aircraft in recent years but ALL hand painted and I have seen the massive difference in using an airbrush so that is my plan, last week I asked advice on airbrushes and got some good replies.

I now have some more questions:

Glue/cement. I have been using Revell's liquid glue in the little blue bottle with the 3-4 cm tube, it seems okay but are there any better out there?

Gluing "glass" canopies, I have tried PVA and the above Revell in the past, and only very recently used Humbrol's Liquid Poly which I thought was supposed to be perfect for windows etc but it glazed the canopy on a Ju87 I built last week....?? Any suggestions?

And finally (for now!) I used Decalfix for the first time on a Tamiya halftrack (to good effect) then on the Ju87 but the Decalfix seems to have dried and left stains on the paintwork, despite me using kitchen roll to remove as much excess as possible. Any advice please?

Many thanks chaps.

Cliff.

[Stokesy44]

I am back into the modelling hobby and want to get better at it.

I have made a couple of dozen aircraft in recent years but ALL hand painted and I have seen the massive difference in using an airbrush so that is my plan, last week I asked advice on airbrushes and got some good replies.

I now have some more questions:

Glue/cement. I have been using Revell's liquid glue in the little blue bottle with the 3-4 cm tube, it seems okay but are there any better out there?

Gluing "glass" canopies, I have tried PVA and the above Revell in the past, and only very recently used Humbrol's Liquid Poly which I thought was supposed to be perfect for windows etc but it glazed the canopy on a Ju87 I built last week....?? Any suggestions?

And finally (for now!) I used Decalfix for the first time on a Tamiya halftrack (to good effect) then on the Ju87 but the Decalfix seems to have dried and left stains on the paintwork, despite me using kitchen roll to remove as much excess as possible. Any advice please?

Many thanks chaps.

Cliff.

Hi Cliff

Best glue I have ever seen is Tamiya Extra Thin cement. Comes in a little clear bottle and is applied using a brush attached to the screw top. It has the consistency of water and can even be used by capillary action without leaving glue burn. Fantastic stuff and will leave your Revell product stumbling in its wake. You can get it from Amazon but make sure it is the EXTRA THIN stuff, it has a green lid. I'm just finishing off my first pot and its done me for about 10 kits so far. Fantastic stuff.



I have used it for canopies but would not recommend the capillary style application as it will bleed onto the panes as opposed to where you want it to go. Brush it onto the fuselage where the join is and you should be OK.

Regarding decals, I always apply to a glossy surface and I swear by 2 products made by Microscale. 1, Micro Set (blue labelled bottle), add a few drops to the water you dip the decals in, and 2, the Red labelled Micro Sol, for brushing onto the decal once applied. Once all excess water and any air bubbles have been removed, brush it onto the decal and leave it - don't touch it. It will soften the decal and conform it to all but the most uneven surfaces. several applications may be needed but your decal will suck down nicely. Again, both of these are available on Amazon.



Hope this helps

Stokesy

[Svenne009]

Tamiya Extra Thin & Tamiya Cement (white bottle) and the long needle Revell contacta are my preferred glue's. TET for the capillary action and possibility of exact application, TC for the slower drying and thickness and Revell contacta for the ability to put a drop of glue wherever needed and the slow drying time.

For decals, I only ever really used Microscale set/sol. Works like a charm

[Avgas]

Tamiya Extra Thin (green top) for general gluing and Tamiya Cement (white top) for when you need a thicker application that doesn't dry as fast. Be aware that Extra Thin dries very quickly. As above I'm a Microsol and Microset user. For canopies I sort of waver between Micro Krystal Klear which TBH doesn't give a very strong bond but is good for creating small transparencies, and gluing the canopy sill with some Tamiya cement (white top) on a toothpick and then pressing the canopy down on top.

[chief5437]

For canopies I use pva or Krystal klear. If it's a good fit I use pledge/klear. Not sure what other people are doing to their models, but it's a far strong enough bond for me.

[wookiee76]

I go with tamiya extra thin too but as it dries really rapidly for anything sizable or that might need some fudging about i go for the revell contacta, pva for canopies when i remember.

[Joe]

Micro Krystal Klear is the only thing I have used on canopies. It works pretty well but you have to be sure not to touch it for around 24 hours after applying because it is slow drying. I have actually had canopies/windshields fall right off the model if I haven't allowed enough time to dry. This can work to your advantage because it is easy to clean up around the canopy area if you have applied to much. Just a moist Q-tip is all you need to neatly clean up excess Krystal Klear or to maybe smooth out an area between canopy and fuselage that looks rough.

Good luck, mate and let us know how you do!

Joe

[Paul]

Cliff have a watch of my technique videos, they're older videos i plan to revisit at some point but a lot of good basic info can be found in them.

Theres 13 parts in total

[Stokesy44]

Cliff have a watch of my technique videos, they're older videos i plan to revisit at some point but a lot of good basic info can be found in them.

Theres 13 parts in total

I second that. Without those videos I would never have been able to get started. They're brilliant and all you need to know.

[Larry48]

For decals I use Walthers Solvaset decal setting solution. Really good stuff and Is stronger than Micro Scale.

[Avgas]

I second that. Without those videos I would never have been able to get started. They're brilliant and all you need to know.

I'll third that. It's as a result of watching those videos that I got back into modelling and have spent well into four figures in the last 15 months or so...hang on...