Trick's of the Trade

[all-lucky7777]

Originally Posted by Monodominant

I've been looking around for an answer to this...but since I'm a cave-dwelling basement type, I decided to ask here rather than make a phone call.
I'm currently stuck in the depths of winter, and don't have anywhere warm enough to use my spray primers. I thought I read about an alternative somewhere though:

Is it a reasonable idea to thin down a basecoat color paint (white, black, etc.) a bit and apply that as a basecoat, instead of using a spray? Or is it just the wrong kind of paint?

Artists use 'Gesso'. You can find it at an art supply store, in black or white. The stuff shrinks when it dries, so the plus side is that it take up very little 'space' on the model and obscures no detail, the downside is you have to coat it a few time. You have to brush it on and it stains stuff like Bob Villa on speed, so take your shirt off or wear on apron.

And brother warchild, Just saw your post. I've only used Superclean a few times but its all the rage amongst some parts of the interenet. I think It might 'rubberize' the part if you leave it in forever but that might have been something else. I intned to write on article on this...

[munkey joe paints]

with both posts!!! I use both to strip mine and aso use OLD brake fluid from my old blazer. I had to buy in bulk (dont ask!!) and had a lot left over so i put it to good use. *****This however is NOT the preffered method!!!****** Use the CSC and SG first as it is biodegradable and easy to use and dispose of!

[all-lucky7777]

Says biodegradeable on the front of my superclean bottle too, its not just simple green. do you know if the rubber thing happens with SC?

[Brother Warchild]

Originally Posted by all-lucky7777

Says biodegradeable on the front of my superclean bottle too, its not just simple green. do you know if the rubber thing happens with SC?

Whats the Rubber thing your speaking of?

[munkey joe paints]

Originally Posted by all-lucky7777

Says biodegradeable on the front of my superclean bottle too, its not just simple green. do you know if the rubber thing happens with SC?

Yea both are biodegradeable!!! but not brake fluid so use the superclean and green first!! (hey that rhymed!!)

Rubber thing? are you talkin about when it gets rubbery like when soaked in nail polish remover?.....I dunno but I notice NO ILL EFFECTS with SG other than my hands get a "oily" feel because I dont use gloves.

[Brother Warchild]

That makes two of us Monkey( the glove thing lol!).That sounds so bad LOL!!!.

[all-lucky7777]

Okay, it doesn't happen with superclean i'm finding, but something out there has this problem: it makes the plastic 'bendy'. And it snaps real easy. I think it might have been a trick of the eye, but whatever it was it cleared up and solidified later. It was a Crisis Suit that I have sold off a long time ago. It still MIGHT be superclean but theres no sign of this on my Cadians in the bucket that I have had going for about 5 days now, but the paint isn't quite loose enough (it isn't time yet) and you must keep in mind that this I haven't fully tested yet. I had a piece of plastic in a container for over a month a while back but I'm not sure that was superclean and I haven't yet tested how effective this was. I probably should've taken notes, and as soon as I have notes worth noting I will jot them down this time. A lot of other people have reccomended it to me but I've only used it so much.

As far as effectiveness goes I let it soak just now for 5 days, and pulled out a lasgunner and scrubbed him a bit. It was very little scrubbing, basically I scrubbed back and forth once or twice over the whole modle and washed him off to see how it worked. He had some paint here and there in odd spots where it wasn't loose enough. (i.e. in the cracks) Also this stuff does wierd things to basing materials and such, ranging from merely discoloring the grit and thereby becoming more work to gelatinizing (was like those sticky hands you buy in gumball machines) some kind of glue that I can only assume was PVA glue. (i got htese cadians off bartertown and therefore don't have a clue what was done to them).

Nother thing superclean is good for: Taking apart models way too stuck together. I had a Demolisher tank I just bought off ebay. It was missing the Extra armor plates it normally come with on the turret and back air vent. So I tried to pull off the cannon, and gott it off along with a chunk of the side of the turret. I'm soaking it in the SC right now, it should loosen the bond of the glue and release the part. I have an extra battle cannon that came off the Demo I bought new, so I can now put the cannon in, place the side piece on I broke off, and the gun will even move! How lucky I broke the piece off, or it would have had to been glued in place. SO if you ever have trouble disassembling a model the SC might help.

[Brother Warchild]

Thanks Brother i am gonna give that stuff a try next since iam almost out of SG i might as well lol!.

[all-lucky7777]

Apologies for the rant, is what I do.

Anyone else use Gesso?

Last thing- A boar bristle brush is much better than taklon for the dirty work like drybrushing and stippling. As Erus Said, reshape the bristle when you are working and finished to keep it clean and pointy, but you should be able to use a brand new Boar Bristle brush for stippling and have it come out unscathed. They run for about $5 at a art supply store (i don't think hobby lobby will have it, but I live in backcountry colorado) and they don't really come in small sizes. You'll want a flat one and a round tipped one. The smallest my art shop guru/owner has found them for is a #1, which is a bit bigger than a #3 Taklon brush form Richeson. Thats not even the same scale i've seen you guy use.

Question- What are the best brushes for miniature model painting as we are all into?

[munkey joe paints]

Originally Posted by all-lucky7777

Apologies for the rant, is what I do.

Question- What are the best brushes for miniature model painting as we are all into?

Winsor & Newton or Davinci kolinski sable brushes......By far the best brushes I have ever spent money on!!

But best cheap brushes?? loew-cornell nylon brushes, or the natural hair brushes in the multipacks at walmart and michaels. GREAT!!!

[Baron von Lexus]

Originally Posted by munkey joe paints

Winsor & Newton or Davinci kolinski sable brushes......By far the best brushes I have ever spent money on!!

But best cheap brushes?? loew-cornell nylon brushes, or the natural hair brushes in the multipacks at walmart and michaels. GREAT!!!

I agree as well with the Loew-cornell... that what I use and swear by.

[munkey joe paints]

I use the crap out of my L-C brushes at $5 a pack of 6 I cant go wrong!!!

I have both the davinci and W-N brushes also, and they are far superior to any other mini brush I have used, IMHO BUT ARE REAL PRICEY!!! I paid $5 min for the brushes EACH but they are great.

DISCLAIMER+++if you are not a super skiller painter you will not notice any differance in the brushes outcome. I am NOT a GD painter, but I do notice a diff in brushes BUT NOT MUCH ON THE MINI!!! I can do ALMOST the same thing with a $.50 brush that I can with my $6 WN brush, its just the way the brush acts and such. MOST applicaitons the $5 L-C packs are the best all arounds and are geat for minis. I am not encouraging you to spend rent/gas money for some pricey brushes!!!

[SteveBerenyi]

nice disclaimer there munkey.

BTW i love the Malmart cheap-o packs.

if you kill a brush oh well.

[all-lucky7777]

Apparently I have been using kolinsky sable brushes all along along with my Richeson Taklon/Boar Bristle Brushes. It what my art shop sells.

You all may really like boar bristle brushes I think, they are, uh, sturdy. Still very capable of detail, but they only come so small. Its worth a look, don't you think?

And yes, the disclaimer was well put. I agree with it. I still use the richeson taklon brushes for most things, I'm assuming thats the same thing as your Lowell Cornell stuff?

[munkey joe paints]

Yea I assume they are the same just another name.....

And about the disclaimer, for guys not as stubborn as me looking to improve painting some may read it and say "well there is 4 guys that use them and I must also", scrap their more than capable brushes and spend rent money on brushes not needed for little effect. I say it ONLY because I have seen it before....In the Army as well as modeling.(well SGT So-and-so has this type of equipment so I have to have it too) It is a shame when a young guy stands in front of the Commander and says something like that. I do not want to do something like that again!!

[all-lucky7777]

That was recently, wasn't it Munkey? I remember my last trade on B-Town with you, you were at an APO address. Good to see people fighting the good fight.

My local art shop guru/owner sells these taklon liners and spotters (brushes) that cost about $3 each, but they stand up to stippling/drybrushing and can do good coverage jobs like lining in, and will not wreck for either. Jack of all Trades Master of None, if you will. I find they are useful, still. Local is better anyway.

MY DISCLAIMER: If you are looking to paint your army primarily so you can game with it, then you should buy cheaper brushes which will make your army look excellent anyway, done correctly. If you treat this hobby as an art form (as I do) and aspire to winning a Golden Daemon or something, then the better brushes really are a lot better and will take you that extra step, and as such are worth it.

And as my art shop guy always says: you get what you pay for.

[iNsOmNiAc'S dReAm]

When it comes to paint brushes you generally get what you pay for, thats true as it is for most things in life.. That isnt to say that cheaper brushes do not have their uses aswell. Theres no mysitcal " wax on wax off " for painting, you learn by trail and error. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again, use what works best for you .

[munkey joe paints]

Well put Guys!!!


And @ Lucky, the incedent I was talking about was when I first became and NCO and was new to the entire "mentor" thing. But yea I just got back not too long ago from my APO addy and am glad to be back!!!

[Rhaalidor]

For those using Super Clean, the label may state that it is biodegradeable, but it is listed as a hazardous material (alkaline - caustic), according to the MSDS sheet issued by the Super Clean Co.: http://www.superclean.com/pdf/ToughTaskVOC.pdf

BTW, Super Clean isn't made by Castrol anymore, so it's just SC now.

IMHO, Super Clean is quicker, but Simple Green is much safer, but in prolonged use, it will also take the hide off your hands. Please wear your Playtex Latex gloves. Been there, done that, have the scars to prove it.