Hi, I'm trying to get into kitbashing but currently I have jack Shit kitbashing Skills, I've read through the excellent tutorials you have here as well as what I've picked up from other sites and I think I've got at least a rough idea of what to do figured out. I don't expect to get to the level of you guys but as I'm only painting for myself as long as it's a passable job that's ok. Could you experts please skim through my rough painting guide below and see whatb you think please ? Any pointers where I'm well off the mark would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ! Draught Painting Guide 1)Look at figure and identify any tight spots that will need sanding. 2)Disassemble figure and keep track of screws. Remove any factory applied paint with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol 3) Sand tight points you’ve identified down with 1000 grit wet and dry paper so there’s a bit of clearance when you apply the paint 4)Lightly sand parts you wasn’t to paint down with 1000 grit wet and dry paper to give the primer something to grip onto 5)Wash everything in warm soapy water and rinse, then leave to dry 6)Connect parts to wire holder 7)Select appropriate primer for the finish you want, eg glossy primer and/or matt primer if you want a satin, semi glass or Matt finish. I’ve gone for Krylon Ultra Flat Black to make the paint job as durable as possible. It’s bloody expensive here in England but I don’t know whet the nearest UK equivalent is. 8)Put can of primer in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to thin it. 9)While spraying outside from approximately 15 inches away, start spraying primer on in strips, starting before the part and finishing spraying after the part. Spray primer on in very thin layers leaving appox 2 minutes between layers. 10)When finish spraying on primer, leave for 7 days to fully cure (8 or 9 if humid). I live in England which is notoriously wet and damp, so I’ll probably leave it for 9 11)When cured, reassemble and transform a few times, seeing if there’s any wear points you might have missed. If so sand a bit more and touch up with primer, leave to fully cure again. 12)Prior to painting, wash in warm soapy water to make sure you don’t leave on any skin oil that could mess up the paint. I’m using Humbrol Enamels as it’s the most readily available Enamel over here. 13)As with primer, start spraying in strips, starting before the model and stopping after it. Paint subsequent coats of enamel on when still tacky (eg an Hour say between coats). When finished the top coat, leave to cure for 10 days. 14)Do any panel lining you want with Indian ink (cam’t use thinned down black paint as surely the thinners in it would mess up the existing enamel ?) 15)Do drybrushing 16)Put on a thin lacquer based coat of paint to give it a really tough finsh) 17)Spray on a thin layer of Future finish to clear coat for protection. Provided you experts think the above is ok, this throws up a couple of questions : 1)I want to kitbash an Energon Ironhide into Ratchet, but a thing that’s been concerning me is how to paint balljoints. By the nature of how they work, one surface has got to be in contact with another, surely this would lead to the paint wearing out in no time ! Any tips ? 2)When you’ve got Pegs that need painting, for example the ones you press together to hold the legs together when you’re turning a classics seeker into plane mode, this throws up the same problem as the ball joints, is it just a case of sanding then down loads ?
Sounds like you have a good grasp of what you need to do. I would however suggest that you place all your screws back in the location you removed them from once you have disassembled a given part. You also might want to think about finding some stronger Isopropyl Alcohol. 70% will do the job but will take alot longer & require more scrubbing. I'd recommend 90% or higher, just watch you clear & translucent parts. They will crack & shatter if left in to long. Here is a comparison thread for Krylon Fusion & Krylon Outdoor spaces. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-general-discussion/213958-i-may-have-found-paint-better-then-krylon-fusion.html I know it's a shameless plug, but some (not all) of your questions can be answered on the Youtube channel I run, click my siggy to check it out.
Sharky - if you're in the UK, I'd get Games Workshop paints for the base coat. They do white or black in a spray, or they also do what they call "foundation" paints which come in a can, but you can get an airbrush for them, they're really good and worth getting. The initial outlay on the airbrush is around £20 but then the paints are £2 each.
5)Wash everything in warm soapy water and rinse, then leave to dry Dont forget the toothbrush...make sure there is no dust/residu You may wash it with dish liquid Palmolive...tough on grease. 9)While spraying outside from approximately 15 inches away, start spraying primer on in strips, starting before the part and finishing spraying after the part. Spray primer on in very thin layers leaving appox 2 minutes between layers. Primer is fine but don't overspray cause you'll loose some of the detailings. You also see that 1 coat of primer + paint + clear = > parts friction Just a heads up as you may want to sand down areas that will be more likely to have paint chipping. Anyhoo, this is very well thought of
Hi Sharky, This looks like a pretty thorough breakdown of what you need to do. One thing I notice though is that your disassembling for primer but don't mention if you do it again for the enamels. If your going to paint on the enamels with the figure together there is almost no point to disassemble in the first place(I almost never do). For question one and two at the bottom: sand, sand, sand and sand some more. The pegs need to hardly touch anything so they wont rub off whenever plugged in so sanding it or using a razor to shave it thinner is the best way. Ball joints are always a paint but it is really the same thing. Sand it down until it is slightly loose when in the ball cup. Painting on enamels should be strong enough to keep a bond and the paint will thicken the joint back up to being secure but not to tight. A thin layer of super glue over the joint once painted will also give it a very hard coating that should protect it. I also second what Ptitvite & Nemesis Predaking mentioned.
It sounds to me like you've done a good job reading up before hand. I'd simply suggest trying out something small, seeing how that goes, and then continue to hone your skillz. You may find that some of the things that you thought would work aren't really your cup of tea, and something you never accounted for springs up. While basic processes are somewhat the same, each Radicon has his or her own system of doing things. Knowledge is about information and experience, often times. From what I can tell, you're ready to go. You'll learn a lot on top of what you already know by just diving in. Keep us posted on what you do!
There is some great advice & it Sounds like you have things pretty sorted & you have done IMO THE most important thing Research. Tony makes an excellent point personaly i like to break my figures down to manageable chunks (legs,arms,torso,head etc) for ease of painting but not to the point of dissasembling the whole toy. I cant really give much advise about painting here because i use acrylics Superquad also makes a great point experience is paramount,Legends figures are a great & cheap way to try out new techniques & paints. A word of warning if your working on Ratchet as youre first custom;Keep youre hands VERY clean,you dont want to dirty the white while you hold the figure. Hope we see a WIP soon & good luck.
Guys, I really can't thank you all enough for your help. It's reassuring to know I'm roughly going aound the right lines. Suppose I better just take the plunge and start bashing ! Cheers once again !
It's one of the many reasons there are so many of us here. Happy trails on your work, and keep us updated!
