General Model Kit Building Thread

[barryf1fan]

Made a start on the body for the Nissan R390 that I built 15+ years ago...

I messed up painting the body, twice, and you can only strip a body so many times before you chuck it in the trash - which is what I did. Found a replacement kit several years ago (for a cheap price...) and figured, eh, why not.

So got the body cleaned up the other night a shot the primer on the top and inside...

Fingers-crossed this one turns out, versus ending up in the landfill.

 

[barryf1fan]

Started decals - and they suck. Rice paper thin and have ripped at least 2/3's of them. Very slow going, but think it's looking okay.
Hope to be able to clear coat this weekend, hopefully.

Thanks for looking in!!

 

[barryf1fan]

Calling it done. Decals bubbled in a couple areas when the clear went on, and figured they would... Oh well.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Pete05]

Calling it done. Decals bubbled in a couple areas when the clear went on, and figured they would... Oh well.

Thanks for looking!

Just wondering. The box for this kit. Is it mostly white or black?

 

[Pete05]

Oops 😬

 

[barryf1fan]

Just wondering. The box for this kit. Is it mostly white or black?

It's a white box with the car on the front... I knew what you meant.

Some Tamiya kits came in a black box with white lettering, but the majority were white boxed kits...

This is the kit I had, from 1997...

and this is the re-release...

I HIGHLY suggest going with the re-re if interested. The decals in the re-pop are Cartograf decals - the ones in the og are complete garbage and a source of thinking about hurting things!

 

[Pete05]

It's a white box with the car on the front... I knew what you meant.

Some Tamiya kits came in a black box with white lettering, but the majority were white boxed kits...

This is the kit I had, from 1997...

and this is the re-release...

I HIGHLY suggest going with the re-re if interested. The decals in the re-pop are Cartograf decals - the ones in the og are complete garbage and a source of thinking about hurting things!

Bud, you must have read my mind.

The white box kit is, as you say, old & that explains the decals not playing nice.
The Cartograf are a much better quality & seem to age a lot better.
That white box kit can be had for as little as AUS$30 & I was tempted to do a custom blue Calsonic livery similar to the JGTC Skylines.

You did a very good job on your kit though.
Nothing I can see looks like an oops.

What's next to be rescued from the stash?

 

[barryf1fan]

Bud, you must have read my mind.

The white box kit is, as you say, old & that explains the decals not playing nice.
The Cartograf are a much better quality & seem to age a lot better.
That white box kit can be had for as little as AUS$30 & I was tempted to do a custom blue Calsonic livery similar to the JGTC Skylines.

You did a very good job on your kit though.
Nothing I can see looks like an oops.

What's next to be rescued from the stash?

Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. The couple of areas that the decals bubbled is quite frustrating... but was kinda expected.
I'm giving it to a buddy of mine who is a huge Gran Turismo fan (and this is a memory car for him), and I just told him to put it in a low light room.

This is the next project on the table... Another Ford GTLM - Wynn's #85 Livery. [I'll get to the dual McLaren MP4/5 build soon]

This is the goal:

From Bob MacKay Motorpsorts

 

[Pete05]

Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. The couple of areas that the decals bubbled is quite frustrating... but was kinda expected.
I'm giving it to a buddy of mine who is a huge Gran Turismo fan (and this is a memory car for him), and I just told him to put it in a low light room.

This is the next project on the table... Another Ford GTLM - Wynn's #85 Livery. [I'll get to the dual McLaren MP4/5 build soon]

This is the goal:

From Bob MacKay Motorpsorts

Well done to you being a good friend like that 👏

At the very least, you'll know what to expect with your 2nd GT build.
I'll be interested to know how the Scale Motorsport kit blends in.

I'll have to get on Scalemates.com & remind myself just how many alternative liveries there are for the GT.
I think the '66 winner tribute was the one i had chosen, as I don't recall a '68/9 Gulf tribute.

 

[lilcat89]

I'll have to get on Scalemates.com & remind myself just how many alternative liveries there are for the GT.
I think the '66 winner tribute was the one i had chosen, as I don't recall a '68/9 Gulf tribute.

I believe that there were tribute liveries of the 4 GT40 winners at LM the last year that Ganassi ran the program in 2019. The #69 that year is the closest to a Gulf Oil tribute livery.

 

[Pete05]

I believe that there were tribute liveries of the 4 GT40 winners at LM the last year that Ganassi ran the program in 2019. The #69 that year is the closest to a Gulf Oil tribute livery.

You're right there.

SK Decals make sets that reflect the 2019 Ganassi tribute liveries.
The black #66/#67, and the 'Gulf' #68/#69.

 

[lilcat89]

You're right there.

SK Decals make sets that reflect the 2019 Ganassi tribute liveries.
The black #66/#67, and the 'Gulf' #68/#69.

2019 Heritage Liveries

I found this article that has all the GT's accomplishments and an overview of liveries used. I totally forgot about the Motorcraft one! As much as I dislike the car itself, the Heritage liveries were excellent.

 

[DG_Silva]

A question for the collective mind here:

I'm getting back into model making and have gathered a few kits to make, but I've been dismayed by Tamiya's ultra-thin paints in the past. I'm not interested in airbrushing as I don't have anywhere I can set up for this (body panels would be different as I would use rattle cans outdoors for this), so I've been looking at either Revell Aqua Colour or Mr Color paints.

I understand that Mr Color is a lacquer rather than a paint, but what does this mean in practical terms? Can you brush the Mr Color paints straight on or do they need to be thinned before brushing? Which are better in the end for an out of practice amateur, the Mr Color or the Revell paints?

 

[wfooshee]

I've never thought of Tamiya's paints as ultra-thin, unless you're buying paint pre-thinned for airbrushing. I've not noticed much difference between Tamiya's paint and something like Testor's. Testor's Model Master line is discontinued and getting hard to find from what I understand, which sucks, because their Metalizer paints were really nice.

 

[barryf1fan]

A question for the collective mind here:

I'm getting back into model making and have gathered a few kits to make, but I've been dismayed by Tamiya's ultra-thin paints in the past. I'm not interested in airbrushing as I don't have anywhere I can set up for this (body panels would be different as I would use rattle cans outdoors for this), so I've been looking at either Revell Aqua Colour or Mr Color paints.

I understand that Mr Color is a lacquer rather than a paint, but what does this mean in practical terms? Can you brush the Mr Color paints straight on or do they need to be thinned before brushing? Which are better in the end for an out of practice amateur, the Mr Color or the Revell paints?

Not 100% sure I understand your question... You can technically 'hand' brush any paint. The consistency that you want is what to look for.

Acrylic paint is a water based paint, and lacquer is a solvent based paint. Typically based on a lacquer base, where as the acrylic is water base made. Main difference in the two, to me, is the product used to clean up brushes and whatnot. I use a mixture of both kinds of paint (on models). Main thing is that you typically would not want to paint a lacquer based on top of an acrylic base paint. You can the other way'round, though.

I use Mr Hobby Mr. Leveling Thinner in pretty much everything I use - whether I'm airbrushing it or hand brushing parts... As far as the Mr Color paints, I would put some leveling thinner in there just so you don't have brush strokes. The amount would depend on the paint. And there's nothing wrong with rattle can paint jobs.... you can get quality finish with a rattle can or an airbrush.

This is the last kit I did with rattle cans, before I got the airbrush. Just takes a bit more time for drying and masking (especially on this one... )

And this is the first kit I did with an airbrush - and actually used decanted Tamiya TS-41 Coral Blue from the can.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any other questions, or if I didn't quite answer the previous ones. 👍

Ninja edit : I meant to add that the main difference for me in airbrushing vs rattle cans, that I've noticed, having done rattle cans for years and now using an airbrush, is the waste. You waste so much paint using the cans. For example, painting the chassis' for both of these kits semi gloss black, you will waste a LOT more paint using the can versus airbrushing it. Just something to think about...

 

[Pete05]

Not 100% sure I understand your question... You can technically 'hand' brush any paint. The consistency that you want is what to look for.

Acrylic paint is a water based paint, and lacquer is a solvent based paint. Typically based on a lacquer base, where as the acrylic is water base made. Main difference in the two, to me, is the product used to clean up brushes and whatnot. I use a mixture of both kinds of paint (on models). Main thing is that you typically would not want to paint a lacquer based on top of an acrylic base paint. You can the other way'round, though.

I use Mr Hobby Mr. Leveling Thinner in pretty much everything I use - whether I'm airbrushing it or hand brushing parts... As far as the Mr Color paints, I would put some leveling thinner in there just so you don't have brush strokes. The amount would depend on the paint. And there's nothing wrong with rattle can paint jobs.... you can get quality finish with a rattle can or an airbrush.

This is the last kit I did with rattle cans, before I got the airbrush. Just takes a bit more time for drying and masking (especially on this one... )

And this is the first kit I did with an airbrush - and actually used decanted Tamiya TS-41 Coral Blue from the can.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any other questions, or if I didn't quite answer the previous ones. 👍

Ninja edit : I meant to add that the main difference for me in airbrushing vs rattle cans, that I've noticed, having done rattle cans for years and now using an airbrush, is the waste. You waste so much paint using the cans. For example, painting the chassis' for both of these kits semi gloss black, you will waste a LOT more paint using the can versus airbrushing it. Just something to think about...

Those two F1 kits take me back around 35years.
I built both kits, as well as others from the Tamiya F1 range.
I can only wish they turned out as beautiful as that, but I just didn't have the experience.
Besides that, I wasn't able to keep any kits from back then, so they would've been lost anyway.
The Benetton isn't a cheap find anymore, and the Leyton House substantially more.

 

[barryf1fan]

Those two F1 kits take me back around 35years.
I built both kits, as well as others from the Tamiya F1 range.
I can only wish they turned out as beautiful as that, but I just didn't have the experience.
Besides that, I wasn't able to keep any kits from back then, so they would've been lost anyway.
The Benetton isn't a cheap find anymore, and the Leyton House substantially more.

Yeah, it's unfortunate that Tamiya hasn't re-released these two kits as they are both pretty difficult to find and when you do they aren't cheap.

I had the B188 for ages and finally built it. The Leyton House I actually found on ebay for a ridiculous price but went ahead and got it as, at the time, it was the only one on there - and even though expensive, it was a bit less than the last several I had 'watched'.
The decals were trash for that kit and they had pics of the decals and all, so I just ordered a new set from IndyCal... He does quite a few replacement decals. I used them for the Nig' RED Number 5 Newman Haas Indycar I did for a bud a few years ago.

And... I've still got all 3 "Big Scale" F1 cars from Tamiya. The 1/12 Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.
One day I'll have the confidence to build'em.

 

[Pete05]

Yeah, it's unfortunate that Tamiya hasn't re-released these two kits as they are both pretty difficult to find and when you do they aren't cheap.

I had the B188 for ages and finally built it. The Leyton House I actually found on ebay for a ridiculous price but went ahead and got it as, at the time, it was the only one on there - and even though expensive, it was a bit less than the last several I had 'watched'.
The decals were trash for that kit and they had pics of the decals and all, so I just ordered a new set from IndyCal... He does quite a few replacement decals. I used them for the Nig' RED Number 5 Newman Haas Indycar I did for a bud a few years ago.

And... I've still got all 3 "Big Scale" F1 cars from Tamiya. The 1/12 Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.
One day I'll have the confidence to build'em.

I have Nigel's #5 in my stash, and the replacement decals from Indycals.
I ordered two sets of the decals because I also have the Dick Simon Duracell 'Indy 500' configuration of the Lola, and planned to build a Newman-Haas Nigel's version of it.

I only have three 1/12 scale kits, all re-released in the last five years or so.
Brabham BT44, Ferrari 312B & Tyrrell 003.

The 12th scale kits are quite something & incredibly detailed. It's very easy to get carried away with the details though. I've seen detail kits for the 1992 Williams-Renault that can add four or five times the cost of the kit, if you're willing.

I had planned to do a lot of scratch building in the same way as A4 Garage on YouTube.
Regretfully, my circumstances have changed a great deal, and without the intervention of a minor miracle, it looks like I'm going to have to sell the entire stash & walk away from the hobby for the second time 🥺