I am new to modeling, like to what you guys use to clean the plastic before assembly or do assemble sub assemblys before cleaning for paint (add Brass detail parts and then clean) and what do you use for soap, or is this not nesisary.Thanks
Most guys just use mild soap and water, wash parts and towl dry. iam one of the wierd ones i dont wash my parts.
Not so weird… I never have either.
I also never clean the parts before assembling them and gluing them. It’s not really neccessary in my opinion.
Welcome!
I am a firm believer in washing my styrene/resin prior to painting but lately, I seem to have some difficulties with liquid cement holding so I may start to soak the sprues before assembly. I’ll continue to wash (once again) prior to painting. Mild dish soap and warm tap water for a few minutes works wonders IMMHO. I also keep my hands clean.
I never wash them either. I just brush off the loose dust and paint away. I’ve never had an issue with it.
Count me in that group as well… Never have washed a kit, never had any issues from not doing it… Well, I take that back… Never had issues with armor or aircraft… I’ve had minor silicone contamination (fish-eyes & pin-holes) issues with model cars from Revell or AMT (can’t remember which, I haven’t built a car model since about 1974) in the past, but only when using gloss paints from a rattle-can…
Were I to do it, I’d use a rag with some enamel thinner on it and just give it a wipe-down…
I keep my styrene unsanitary. I don’t wash.
Resin is another story, usaully wash parts to clear any possible mold release
Rounds Complete!!
Humm… looks like I’m the ‘weird one’ here. [(-D] I dunno, something that I’ve always done… figuring that it’s gonna do more good than harm. I believe that there are mold release agents on any molded parts and well, there’s certainly a lot of dust when I get done building something. I also give my work bench area a good cleaning prior to painting.
I have been acused of being a ‘clean freak’ many times in the past… Always washing my hands and not wearing anything more than once. I guess that’s just my MO. [8-]
Brush off the loose dust?!?! But that adds character. [;)]
But seriously, I don’t wash either.
I wash my parts when I remember to do it. Recently I scored a few boxes of alcohol swipes (gotta love working with corpman) And I sometimes give the plastic a quick rubdown with one of those.
Jeff
i’m with the majority,however washing my hands is an aboslute.
no mini your not the weird one. the only time i wash my parts is. after i have any heavy sanding done to it but thats the only time i wash mine.
No parts washing here. I will use a wet paper towel to wipe down after sanding the filler that I use but thats about it.
Have NEVER done this and as far as I can tell have never had any issues of not doing it…
I dont participate in washing on the sprue - I dont see the point as the parts will get contaminated by handling during construction. Before painting is wise to help adhesion, usually with some suitable thinner/spirit type stuff, wiped down though, not soaked.
The only kit I’ve ever washed was an ICM T-28 and that was because the mold release stuff on it was so heavy and everywhere you could actually feel and smell it on the sprues! As a rule though, since I work with enamels, I don’t wash the parts either before assembly or before painting and haven’t encountered any problems along the way. Been doing that for years and don’t feel it’s a necessary thing with the current crop of modern kits. Either they wash before packaging or whatever they are using to release the sprues doesn’t interfere with the paints I use. [;)]
I never wash and showering is an occasional option [:-^]
A nice heavy-duty shop towel or lint-free rag (that’s what they said they were, honest!) and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, maybe some q-tips, for most of the “wipe down”. As far as “washing” the parts on-sprue, I put the sprues in some warm water with a bit of dish soap, and kinda swish them around. I don’t really WASH them per se, just try to get any realeas stuff off them that way. Oh, I also rinse the parts off afterwards, since they will get some soap on them no matter what.
I started doing it because I read somewhere that it’s needed. I keep doing it (MOST of the time [:)]) because of a concern I have about paint sticking. I’ve gone to acrylics - mostly out of need - and I don’t know how well they will adhere to the model IF there is release agents present. I suppose I could just wipe them down before painting, and hope there aren’t any problems with the glue (never had THAT problem).
I don’t know. Maybe washing them before building is over-kill. I’d be interested in knowing other’s experiences using acrylics w/o washing the kit. (Ignore cleaning up after sanding…that’s pretty much a given, unless you need extra texture.)
Michael
I don’t wash my styrene at all, except for my car bodies. Mostly I do the car bodies because I lightly sand them. In which case I just use water. I don’t wash any other styrene though.
I don’t have much experience with resin, except for the few parts that have come in kits, and one small stowage set I bought from Verlindon. They probably would have taken paint a little better if I’d washed them.
Now my own resin stuff that I cast myself, no I don’t wash them. My source for mold material and resin itself, is such that I don’t need to use, nor do I waste the money by using any mold release agent. The parts pop free immediately. The only thing the mold material sticks to is itself. So if I’m making a 2 part mold, yeah I’ll use mold release, to keep the mold from sticking to itself when making the mold only. Then I wash the mold, and I never use mold release on it again. I’ve never had to pry anything out or had any trouble. Just open the edges slightly and push lightly from the opposite side, and out comes the part. Just barely enough pressure to push the part from the undercuts.
For those who cast their own stuff and are in awe of this lack of mold release, it’s simple, I use products manufactured by Tap Plastics. I use their standard silicon mold material with the blue catalyst. As for the resin I use their Quick Cast Polyurethane resin. There might be a shop local to you, or if not they do mail order.