Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiu_fan
Why not go with the recommended mixture stated from the manual: Cobalt Blue(80%) + Sky Blue(20%)
I've got a question for the pros here at this forum: I've got a REEEEEEEEALLY old kit(5-6years) at home and I want to give it new life. So I want to start learning on how to modify/customize kits. Can you give me tips? And what are the basic tools and materials that I would be needing for a beginner like me?
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That kind of depends. What is the state of the kit right now? Is it painted, and if so, how (brush/airbrush, water/oil paint)?
Aside from the usual (sharp knife, clippers, fine sandpaper), you'll probably need some liquid polystyrene cement to fix any parts that have or will be broken during disassembly. If the kit is painted and you want to redo it, some kind of appropriate stripping agent is also neccessary. The cheapest options for that are break fluid (buy at an auto supplier) or oven cleaner. Be careful with these, though, since they might do odd stuff with the plastic, such as making it brittle.
If you want to add detail that wasn't in the original kit, you'll need strip- and sheet styrene. Get several different thin strips, and a couple of different grades of sheet styrene. Also, that styrene cement comes in really handy here, since it's kind of neccessary to bond the new bits with the kit. Also, a steel ruler might be a good idea if you're going to be cutting straight edges.
New paint schemes will most likely require primer, to make sure the underlaying plastic doesn't shine through. It's kind of difficult to paint red on top of gundam-blue, for example. :-) A lot of people swear by a brand named Krylon, though I haven't tried it (not sold in my country).
Hope that helps,
SP