Alright. I got caught up in the Hobby Lobby sale and per my oldests urging, ended up buying a 1:44 scale b1 bomber that was originally $80 for $40. He wanted something big that we could hang from the ceiling. After opening it, I think I may have gotten myself in over my head. It is a level 5 model and we haven’t done one above level 2.
Reading the instructions, I see some very complex paint directions.
My question is do I really need these complex paint mixtures or will I be ok just simplifying it?
An additional question is should I invest in an airbrush kit or is that something that a rookie should steer away from and just stick to the spray cans.
Lastly, what do you recommend on spraying versus brushing? Do you brush small things and spray large or what is the general recommendation?
Craig,
My opinion is that an airbrush is an investment. If you’re planning on staying in the hobby for a while, then it’s worthwhile getting one and start using it. It takes a while to get the hang of it, so the more practice the better. If you’re just planning on building one or two kits, spray cans can do a pretty good job.
My opinion is to paint it how you want it. The color you pick will likely be ‘close’. If you want a ‘contest-winner’, then you might want to research the colors a bit more and get something more exact.
Your thoughts on spray vs. brush are pretty accurate. I generally spray as much as I can, and do various touch-ups and details with brush. You can spray ‘everything’, but that generally requires lots of complex masks and other things that can really be time consuming. Use your judgement and build it the way you want.
Sounds like the project is going to be a ‘BIG’ one, so spend some time looking at the instructions and figuring out how everything is generally going to go together. Sometimes it’s better to assemble things ‘different’ than what the instructions say. Focus on building several ‘assemblies’ rather than one big model. At the end, you just put all of the ‘assemblies’ together to complete the kit.
Do some research on the net to see if there are ‘build-up’ articles about your kit. They can be handy and give you a head’s up on future problems you might have.
Excellent advise from mkish. The only thing I could add to what he said is to take it slow. Don’t try to complete it in one day. Walk away if you get frustrated. But most of all, enjoy building it.
The most important thing is to have fun. Some people think building a museum quality model is fun. Others like to put one together in a day. I fall somewhere in the middle and it works well for me. You need to identify where you fall between these two extremes and go from there.
One benefit of tackling a hard project is, that you walk away a better, more skilled modeler than when you started.
If you have a model club that meets in your area, go to a meeting and ask if anybody has any experience with that kit. Club meetings have been a great source of help when I’ve had problems with kits.
I’ll echo what claymore68 said-- make sure you understand how the pieces fit together before you apply cement. It’s really simple advice, I know, but I have to repeat it to myself every now and then to avoid problems with my efforts!