Author Topic: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit  (Read 2810 times)

commandercool

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[Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« on: October 27, 2015, 12:07:42 AM »
As I mentioned in another thread, I ordered a garage kit (it's Reimu) and it arrived today. I'm going to make this thread to chronicle my progress. Apologies in advance for my shitty pictures, I'm using my phone. Any advice would be tremendously appreciated, because I have no idea what I'm doing.



Looks real complicated, which is fair, I knew I was getting into some shit. So I don't actually really know how this works. I paint miniatures sometimes, but they usually come pretty close to pre-assembled. Right now my plan is to figure out a shopping list and an order of operations.

I already own a shitload of acrylic paint, an airbrush, and a variety of kinds of hobby glue. I'm thinking I'll need at least this additional stuff:

-Green Stuff
-Blowdryer
-Dental picks
-Super-fine sandpaper
-Cookie sheet*

Is there anything else major that I'm going to need? Eventually I need a stand for the finished model, but I assume that's a while from now.

*I have a small work table and like three separate projects ongoing right now, so my plan is to buy some wire shelving and a some cookie sheets and just be able to lift up entire projects and stow them while I'm working on something else. I don't know if it'll work because it doesn't really help with dust, but I can't keep boxing and unboxing tons of stuff constantly.

I'll update as stuff happens, but the process might be slow, since I don't have a ton of project time right now.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2015, 01:16:15 AM by commandercool »
I made a PADHerder. It's probably out of date though.

commandercool

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2015, 04:13:24 PM »
I watched some how-to videos last night, and I didn't account for pinning the model for assembly. That means I'll also need armature wire (bought this morning) and a tiny drill to make the holes.

Looks like the first step is cleaning up the flash, seams, and bubbles. There's a fair amount of flash on some of the smaller pieces and some bubbles in the larger pieces, but I can't really identify any seams anywhere. A more experienced person probably could, and maybe I'll notice them as I work on the other parts. But I've got some sandpaper and tools to pretty everything up. Don't know exactly how I'm going to deal with the bubbles yet.
I made a PADHerder. It's probably out of date though.

Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2015, 02:58:51 AM »
If you're looking for a tiny hand drill don't buy the Chinese one off of ebay, its janky as you'd expect. Mine stopped working after only two uses.

commandercool

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2015, 09:05:33 PM »
I bought a pin vise off of Amazon. It wasn't the absolute cheapest one on there, but it also wasn't expensive. I expect it (as well as some epoxy) in the mail tomorrow or the next day.

I soaked the kit in Purple Power and scrubbed it down with a toothbrush, so hopefully that takes care of any weird residues. I used a screwdriver to scrape off some of the flash, but there's still a lot of it left, especially around the lace bits. I'll buy some picks and a file this afternoon and hopefully that'll take care of the rest of it.
I made a PADHerder. It's probably out of date though.

commandercool

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2015, 02:07:20 AM »
Got my tools in the mail, and yeah... I don't even know where to start with this. I guess first I should fill in all of the bubbles, but I don't really know how to work with epoxy so I'll have to learn that from scratch. Then actually pinning the model is a complete mystery to me. Certain parts, which is to say pretty much just the legs, will obviously have to be wired in place, but everything else looks to me like maybe it's design to be held in place with epoxy. Most of the connection points seem too thin to drill, even with a very fine bit, and some of them seem like they won't even touch because of the way the clothes line up. But I should finish the cleanup of the resin before I worry about that too much I guess.
I made a PADHerder. It's probably out of date though.

Ragathol

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2015, 12:31:05 AM »
Cool, I've got that one too. I really should finish building it...
I have a bit of experience with garage kits and model work, so I'll do my best to answer any questions.

You'll want some epoxy glue to assemble the parts properly, but that usually dries pretty slowly, so you might need some clips and rubber bands too, to keep things together while it dries.
For epoxy clay (green stuff), you usually mix two equal parts until the color is smooth and even, then stick it on and shape it. Use water or oil on your tools to prevent them from sticking while you work. Depending on the type of clay, it can be sanded more or less well after it has dried. Usually brown/gray stuff cures harder then green stuff.
As you've found out, some parts will need pinning, and it can be a bit of work, as the resin can be hard.

First, clean all parts as you are doing. It's also a good idea to wash them carefully with water, soap and a soft brush, to remove any grease from the molding process. Otherwise the paint and/or glue might not stick properly.
Always dry fit parts before you assemble with glue so you can see if it fits together properly or needs more cleaning or filing. Sadly, resin parts are sometimes warped, and will need some additional work. They can usually be bent back into shape if you hold the part under hot water a while and then carefully bend it back (but it's quite brittle, so be very careful). Or use a heat gun for larger parts (and be even more careful with that).
Always keep doing continuous dry fittings as you assemble to see what you can piece together at once, and what you will need in parts to be able to paint everything.

I've only assembled the skirt and legs so far on mine, but it was a bit of work. The skirt needed quite a bit of trimming to fit together, and then to make it stay together for the gluing...
The legs were no big problems, but as you can see I made two pins for fastening the foot to the bottom plate. I drilled those all the way through the shoes and into the foot for maximum stability. I don't remember if I pinned the hip joints, but I don't think it's necessary if you use epoxy glue. I will put a pin through the waist though, since the hip and torso will be assembled with the skirt in between them.
After this, I will need to fill in the gaps in the joints and sand it down smooth.


commandercool

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2015, 12:24:12 AM »
Cool, I've got that one too. I really should finish building it...

Oh cool! If you work any more on it be sure to post pictures so we can compare.

I have a bit of experience with garage kits and model work, so I'll do my best to answer any questions.

Excellent, that is very useful to me. Thanks.

You'll want some epoxy glue to assemble the parts properly, but that usually dries pretty slowly, so you might need some clips and rubber bands too, to keep things together while it dries.
For epoxy clay (green stuff), you usually mix two equal parts until the color is smooth and even, then stick it on and shape it. Use water or oil on your tools to prevent them from sticking while you work. Depending on the type of clay, it can be sanded more or less well after it has dried. Usually brown/gray stuff cures harder then green stuff.

I have epoxy now. I was recommended to use Tamiya Basic Putty, so I have a tube of that. I haven't really messed with it yet but it seems to be one part (the two-part puttys intimidate me). Do you know anything about it?

As you've found out, some parts will need pinning, and it can be a bit of work, as the resin can be hard.

The pin vise I've got does drill resin, but it feels pretty sketchy. Even with an extremely thin bit and going slowly I still feel like I might drill too deep or crack it.

First, clean all parts as you are doing. It's also a good idea to wash them carefully with water, soap and a soft brush, to remove any grease from the molding process. Otherwise the paint and/or glue might not stick properly.

Do I need to clean them with soap as well as using Purple Power? I thought that's what the Purple Power was for (it's a degreaser). I only soaked it for ~8 hours because I kept getting conflicting reports as to whether it softened resin or not, so I hope that was long enough.

Always dry fit parts before you assemble with glue so you can see if it fits together properly or needs more cleaning or filing. Sadly, resin parts are sometimes warped, and will need some additional work. They can usually be bent back into shape if you hold the part under hot water a while and then carefully bend it back (but it's quite brittle, so be very careful). Or use a heat gun for larger parts (and be even more careful with that).
Always keep doing continuous dry fittings as you assemble to see what you can piece together at once, and what you will need in parts to be able to paint everything.

Didn't occur to me to use hot water, I was planning on just using a blowdryer. That does seem safer.

I've only assembled the skirt and legs so far on mine, but it was a bit of work. The skirt needed quite a bit of trimming to fit together, and then to make it stay together for the gluing...
The legs were no big problems, but as you can see I made two pins for fastening the foot to the bottom plate. I drilled those all the way through the shoes and into the foot for maximum stability. I don't remember if I pinned the hip joints, but I don't think it's necessary if you use epoxy glue. I will put a pin through the waist though, since the hip and torso will be assembled with the skirt in between them.
After this, I will need to fill in the gaps in the joints and sand it down smooth.

The skirt on mine looks like it should fit together fairly closely, but I guess I don't really know what to look for, so maybe it will take more work than I think.

So how much bubble filling did you do on mine? I have quit a few tiny bubble holes, but I don't know how large of holes to expect to be filled by layers of paint.
I made a PADHerder. It's probably out of date though.

Ragathol

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Re: [Art] commandercool does a garage kit
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2015, 03:10:25 PM »
Quote
I have epoxy now. I was recommended to use Tamiya Basic Putty, so I have a tube of that. I haven't really messed with it yet but it seems to be one part (the two-part puttys intimidate me). Do you know anything about it?
I haven't used any one-part putty, so I don't know how it will cure etc. Usually epoxy putty is one part resin/putty and one part hardener, and you mix them equally and it cures fully in a few hours to a day. Different brands can cure to different hardness levels. F.e., green stuff usually stays a bit rubbery even after curing, while Magic Sculpt cures rock hard and can be filed and sanded without tearing up.
The same goes for epoxy glue. Mix up equal amounts (unless they say something else) until it's fully blended, then apply. Drying times may vary.

Quote
The pin vise I've got does drill resin, but it feels pretty sketchy. Even with an extremely thin bit and going slowly I still feel like I might drill too deep or crack it.
There's no risk cracking it, unless you drill very thin bits. Still, it's best to be careful. You'll want a pretty thick wire, at least for the foot support.

Quote
Do I need to clean them with soap as well as using Purple Power?
No, I didn't see that part. If you've already degreased them, that's fine. When I checked my parts, I wonder if I actually washed them...

Quote
So how much bubble filling did you do on mine? I have quit a few tiny bubble holes, but I don't know how large of holes to expect to be filled by layers of paint.
I can only see two or three small bubbles on mine, so it seems like a very good cast. Fill in all you can see, you won't want your paint thick enough to fill in holes...
You can easily shape resin putty if you dip your tools (or fingers) in water or oil, so they don't stick. But be careful that you don't get water/oil on an area where you actually want the putty to stick.
To fill in holes, the easiest way is to stick on a small blob of putty, dip your finger in water and then rub it smooth. Remove any excess and rub it again(just be sure not to leave a fingerprint), then you can sand it after curing if any irregularities remain. Always wash your hands with soap after handling putty.