New Member - West Mids UK

[AlexBB]

Hi to All,
Well I will dip my toe in the water and say hello to everyone

I am just getting back into models after some years. I Built quite a lot (badly!!) when I was younger (10 to 15'ish, before I got into bikes lol..) and then a few not so bad (at the time) Motorcycle builds during the winters in the late 80's, HD Electraglide, Manx Norton, Easyrider Chopper etc... All were brush painted except for the Manx which I tried using car paints for yellow tank which sort of worked but nothing like the quality I have seen these days...

I spent some time doing Warhammer stuff with my son a few years back, mainly LoTR stuff which he was into at the time, he is 18 now and doing A levels so doesn't have much time for them anymore, though he has started some WH Space Wolves after a trip to the model shop the other Saturday...

Anyhow, I dug the modelling stuff out late last year and thought I would give it a go again, following a few conversations with a mate in the pub who is really into his tanks and AFV's.
This time though I have decided to get a better Airbrush and get into it a bit more if my skills will allow...

I live in the West Midlands and it seems a lot of the old model shops have all now closed as it used to be a favourite passtime to visit a couple on a Saturday and drool at the cool new items... I guess the internet and changes in peoples hobbies have killed them off...

When I built models in the past what always frustrated me was the poor quality of paint finish I could achieve with the old enamel paints. I had a short period with an airbrush and tried the Humbrol Acrylics which was a bit of a failure & I gave up with the Clark Tools (Machine Mart) airbrush some years ago as I found it almost impossible to work, however this time after spending many hours watching YT vids and reviews I have realised a lot of the errors of my ways... So going to try again... Looking to use Vallejo Model Air mainly though once I can get my head round these new Alclad paint I may try those as well....
Bit confused as to all the matt & gloss coats / varnishes now available though as only ever used Klear in the past and that was limited to sealing before adding decals..

I found this forum via some of the ISM reviews I watched on YT, specifically the ones about the H&S Infinity and the Sparmax compressor..

I have started back with a couple of small Tamiya builds in 1/35....Willy Jeep & WLA45, Though finding I really need the glasses and magnifier for the smaller parts guess the eyes aren't what they used to be!!
I may be getting a 1/35 Tamiya Mk IV Male as my mate has a spare, but someone else already has first refusal so will have to see if they change their mind....

Anyway, will keep reading and trying to pick up a few tips from all you guys...

Cheers
Alex

[sheppsea]

Hello and welcome - very nice intro!

Unfortunately there are no hobby shops near me now either (apart from Hobbycraft), I think its just a sign of the times

In terms of varnishes, I use either Acrylic or Laquer varnishes depending on what I'm doing afterward. For acrylic I used Alclad Aqua Gloss for gloss finishes and Winsor and Newton Galleria for satin and matt. For laquer I use Alclad Klear Kote (I have heard the gloss is problematic in terms of not curing properly, but I haven't needed to use it so can't comment. I have been very happy with the light sheen and matte though )

[HIghAltitudeScale]

Hi and welcome. Don't be shy about showing your work and asking questions and sharing your best tips. Very friendly people here.

[Kevthemodeller]

[DrSprue]

to the forum and really, it sounds like you have been modeling for a while and I am sure this will be a great place to share.

[ElCapitan]