I’m building a model aircraft that needs gunners & pilots in open cocpits. I found 1/72 air crew figures that will work…I need to reposition arms to hold guns. but paint & glue will not stick to soft plastic figures. any help on what to use. [?]
When doing “plastic” surgery, it’s always good to use some sort of pin to shore up joints. Drilling the holes will be easy and fine guage wire will do for a support.
CA, superglue, shoudl work.
Painting hte figures is a bit harder. After you reposition them and are satified with the joints being nice and smooth, prime them with enamel paint. Use an airbruish if you have one, a rattle can in several light coats if you don’t. Let this dry touroughly. You should be able to paint with any type paint, the adhesion will still be fragile.
All that being said, do you really want to put figures in the aircraft? Perhaps putting the energy into detailing the visible areas would be a better use of your time.
But it’s your model, your time, have fun with it.
Post pics.
when I was painting my soft plastic figs, I saprayed them with black gloss enamel paint and that seemed to work.
try something flat, that might work better
Yet another tip that I’ve read and then used sucessfully is to prime the figures with Future floor wax and then paint them with flat black acrylic. After that, use can use any acrylic paint you want.
Regards,
[:D]Thanks for the Info…I’m building the Zveno WWII Soviet long range bomber It has a pilot & co-pilot a nose gunner &2 gunners midsection. All are on top of the bomber in open cockpits with only a windscreen for protection. It carries five aircraft on & under the wing, each one has a visable pilot in open cockpit. I have the five aircraft finished with pilots … but was having trouble making the paint & glue stick . I will try you’r advice on the bomber crew (5) Thanks again
Here’s a couple of useful guides for 1/72 figures.
http://www.angelfire.com/id/macp/techniques.html
This second link is especially good. Once you get past the pop-ups, there’s some excellent step-by-step photos for painting soft plastic 1/72 figures.
Regards,
By the way, what plane are you working on, and what figures are you using?
I’m working on a post WWI bomber, the Glencoe Martin MB-2, and I’ve found that the Orion pilots of the First World War set is pretty good: http://www.michtoy.com/MTSCnewSite/newplastic_folder/orion_1-72/dds72003.html
Regards,
[:)] The figures i’m using are 1/72 nato air crew, some of the figures have goggles on which works out because they are supposed to be in open air cockpits. the plane i’m building I informed everyone in my earlier post Thanks for the post I need all the help I can get .I would send pictures but I don’t know how,[8]