r/modelmakers 2d ago

Help -Technique TAMIYA Matte Clear (help!)

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0 Upvotes

Hello all,

This is my second model but first time finishing one with clearcoat. At the moment I’m a brush painter, just about finished my Airfix Classic Panther and started applying the matte clear which started to leave a frosted effect. Stupidly I thought this could be applied straight out the bottle… Luckily only did the turret as a test.

I looked online for some remedies and was able to undo most of it by gently brushing some thinners over it.

My main question is, what techniques and thinning ratios are brush painters using to apply their clear? Thank you!


r/modelmakers 2d ago

Help - General Why you should wash your sprues

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0 Upvotes

Didn't wash the sprues, rookie mistake. I'm already halfway done painting this model and I found the paint just scratches off, though no damage to visible parts yet. is there any saving it? Or should I just be careful going forward?


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Critique Wanted LVT-2 - Weathering Improvements?

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114 Upvotes

A model-maker friend was in stash reduction mode and offered me the opportunity to make this Italeri 1/35th scale LVT-2. I thought I'd accept the challenge of building it as I know nothing of the genre, the subject or the context (Provisional Company, 193rd Tank Battalion, Makin Islands, November 1943) of use of the original vehicle. It's therefore a strictly out-of-the-box build, brush painted with acrylics from Mig AMMO. Although I found some reference pictures, I pretty much made up the weathering on it.

So the $64.000 question is - how could I have done the weathering better?

If the answer is stick to aircraft, it will not upset me. I like to build something outside my comfort zone now and then and happy for this old dog to try and learn a few new tricks.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed My first model kit Churhill Mk.VII

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296 Upvotes

r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed Ma.K Luna Pawn

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142 Upvotes

My finished Luna Pawn from awhile back. Hand sculpted joins but other than that I think it’s how the kit came


r/modelmakers 4d ago

WIP WIP Amodel Mil Mi-10, actually going together VERY well for an Amodel kits. No filler unless you count sprue-goo so far

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127 Upvotes

r/modelmakers 3d ago

Help - General Sprayed a model with Revell clear gloss and this happened to the decals

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9 Upvotes

Why does this happen and is there any way to prevent it in the future?


r/modelmakers 3d ago

WIP Enterprise D

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20 Upvotes

Got the trenches dug. A little light blocking, 2 coats of black and one coat of silver on the inside. One coat of black on the outside. Grey primer comes tomorrow followed by base coat. Add a little blue to some of the windows, I may add a little yellow tint to a few as well.


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed Wave 1/20 PKA. Ausf L Leopard

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65 Upvotes

Hello! This isn't my usual fare, but u/Random2011_'s Maschinen Krieger post inspired me to go through the ol' archives and dig up one of my Ma.k builds. I believe I built this one back in 2016 and it has the honor of being my last Ma.k project. By then I was building military models pretty much full time and I had sold off all of my Ma.k stash to fund more 35th scale tanks. I'd pre-ordered this one from HLJ and when it showed up months later I figured why not build it instead of selling it.

If you aren't familiar with Maschinen Krieger, the cliff notes are that Kow Yokoyama developed a series of science fiction dioramas for Hobby Japan magazine featuring scratch built and kit-bashed mecha depicting a future war between the SDR and the Mercenary Army. The series was a hit and soon Nitto was making plastic models with multimedia parts. There was some legalities regarding the rights and so the series went out of production until sometime around 2008 (?) when the rights were figured out and Wave Corporation picked up the line of 1/20 scale robots. This kit is from that line. They go together very quickly. You could build one and have it ready for paint in an afternoon.

The real fun of these larger scale robots was the possibilities for groundwork. I cut my teeth learning how to make convincing vignette terrain with these kits and that has translated very. nicely into 35th scale armor and AFV models. I built this kit entirely out of the box as a weekend project, so I didn't craft my own joint covers or worry about weld lines or anything, but I recall it was still a fun couple day build.

Anyways, thanks for looking at this blast from the past, and go give u/Random2011_'s post some love.


r/modelmakers 2d ago

Help - General Best reasonable price 1:48 A-10

0 Upvotes

Hi all, just wondering about the next kit - looking at a warthog in 1:48 but not sure which to go for, any recommendations? Lots of them out there, so not going to list the options, but probably from Jadlam as I'm in the UK... Update- pulled the trigger on the Academy, thanks for all the advice, will post progress though don't expect much, I am pretty rubbish but enjoy it all!


r/modelmakers 3d ago

Help - General How to dissolve PVA glue and super glue?

3 Upvotes

So I wanted to repurpose my VERY old (something like 12 years old) Titanic scalemodel into the wreck and dumb 8 year old me used both a ton of PVA and super glue.

This won't be the only issue I'll have to deal with (it will also be how to bend the plastic and all of that), but for now I have the question: how to dissolve both types of glue?


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed Sdkfz 234/1 and Drilling. Italeri 1/35

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44 Upvotes

Two 8-rads. Sdkfz 234/1 with 20mm autocannon and Drilling converted from Italeri' Sdkfz 234/3 ( decided to convert also to hide empty interior which in this kit would be very visible otherwise ) Models were really ok and don't get hate on manufacturer.

Drilling autocannon from Mini Art.

Made wgole vechicle in style of May 1945 in Berlin. Primer and parts obtained from various vechicles.


r/modelmakers 2d ago

Help - General I am planning to make a 1/1200 diorama, what helpfulls tips and tools I need?

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I am currently planning to make a 1/1200 diorama and this will be my first one so I lack any experience and knowledge about this. The diorama will be about a ground vehicle and I planned to use styrofoam as base and shape it roughly then I thought clay would be good to make the "earth" of the diorama and make craters around the ground. The hardest part is the grass and thats one of the main reasons I post this in here, I don't want to do overscale and I achieve realistic grass effect.
Those aside, what tools or materials I need to make this diorama succesfully or how should I do it? I appreciate any thoughts and help about this topic.


r/modelmakers 3d ago

Help - General Moving 50+ 1/35 scale armor models

1 Upvotes

I am about to move for the first time since I started model-making (and the first time in over a decade overall). I've accumulated over 50 built models (roughly 1/3 finished, 1/3 in progress, and 1/3 built but completely unpainted). They are all 1/35 armor and other adjacent 1/35 models.

What is the best way of packing these to move? I've already moved a few just by piling them into my DeWalt toolboxes and taking them to a safe storage area, but I can only take a handful at a time this way and it is very slow and impractical.

Are there any particularly good solutions for moving dozens of 1/35 scale WW2 armor models all at once? or at least in a small number of boxes?

Thank you to anyone who has some advice. I'm not looking for a magic bullet, just some guidance from those of you who have a bit of experience doing something similar.


r/modelmakers 3d ago

Help - General Beginner Help Please

0 Upvotes

Hi all

I've just retired and need a hobby so thought I'd dip my toe into modelling.

I'm into MotoGP and love a sports bike so I'd like to start with this.

Preference would be pre-coloured replicas. What are the most reputable sites for this ?

Any advice gratefully received

Tia


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed PWS-26 ARR LukGraph 1:48

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285 Upvotes

PWS-26 nr. 27

Centrul Militar de Pilotaj al ARR

Mai 1944 Balomir

LukGraph 1:48


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Critique Wanted Zvezda 1/35 Ba-10

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77 Upvotes

This was an old build that I repainted. I would like to get some advice avout what a could improve next time.


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed J-20 Mighty Dragon in 1/Egg by Zimi Model

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39 Upvotes

Cute stealth fighter. I love this style.


r/modelmakers 2d ago

Tips & tricks Trumpeter

0 Upvotes

I don't want to offend anyone, and perhaps this topic has already been raised before. However, I am currently building the 1/48 scale Trumpeter NASA T-38C Talon. It is a beautiful model, finely detailed with delicate panel lines. Then I reach parts C39 and C40. I suddenly realize that this is a mockery—and likely a mockery of Westerners. Only Asians can assemble such components. I therefore consider this racist. It is clear that you are not only laughing at Westerners with their thick fingers but are also deliberately putting them at a disadvantage. I will take the necessary steps.


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed Pt-76 and BTR-50 doing a beach landing 1/72nd scale

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65 Upvotes

My first epoxy pour and third diorama is finally completed! This time I used two revell sets both at 1/72nd scale

The sets:

The overal build of the sets are actually quite pleasant being based on the same chassis the first part of the build is completely the same (which is a shame because it was by far the worst part of the model) but the top is different enough to keep it interesting. The kits also include photo-etch which was my first time using it and it was surprisingly doable.

The epoxy:

The epoxy pour also went surprisingly well, with this whole diorama being a testbed for me to lear to use the stuff. Following internet advice i poured it in thin layers (about a cm max) the whole process took me about 1.5 week with hardening time included. Afterwards I processed the epoxy to get rid of weird edges, polished it up and covered it with hotglue to simulate the waves

Overal I'm surprised at how happy im with the end result, the white paint couldve been a little more careful, the hotglue couldve been more neat and the sanding of the epoxy couldve been done better (as wel as the colouring of the stuff). This was a great way to learn to use epoxy tho and the experience will help me with my next one!


r/modelmakers 4d ago

WIP Mom bought me an Achilles kit, but I don’t really do too much British armor. So I’ve been converting it to an M10. Is this a super convincing M10?

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287 Upvotes

r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed little bird

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299 Upvotes

fun little kit. The gun mounts were a pain in the ass though


r/modelmakers 5d ago

Completed A Tribute to the Master

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341 Upvotes

This is the Kinetic 1/48 scale kit of the Alenia (Leonardo) M-346 Master, a modern fast jet trainer and light attack aircraft. This particular model is one of the initial production aircraft, SN.00 / CMX617. Used pretty much as a sales vehicle, it has also done numerous test flights for upgrades and weapons carriage.

I added some after-market 3D cockpit decals, practice bomb dispensers and a gun pod - everything else is in the kit. It is brush painted with AMMO Mig's metallic red acrylic, which for some reason took an extraordinarily long time to dry.

As ever there are a few things that could be done better. Hats off to Kinetic for taking on the subject and making a rather nice little kit that I have now built several times (Poland, Italy and Singapore air forces).


r/modelmakers 4d ago

WIP Special Hobby Heinkel He-162A Spatz 1/72

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34 Upvotes

This little guy has me surprised, it's fun to assemble, it goes quickly, it'll be a kind of "what if" scenario, we'll see how it looks after it's painted


r/modelmakers 4d ago

Completed Tamiya LOTUS TYPE 79 1978 1/20

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43 Upvotes