Extremely fine detailing

[kuririn]

I took my dad to his optometrists' appointment today and was leafing through some magazines, killing time. I was amazed at the fine detailing on some of the plastic models in Fine Scale Modeling magazine. So I would like to know if any of you utilize plastic model finishing techniques in your rocketry builds. I know some of you use the airbrush, but what about weathering, washes, photo etching, etc.?
PICTURES PLEASE!

 

[James Harechmak]

I generally use the same automotive primers and paints that I use on car models and R/C hard bodies. I don't think I've weathered a rocket since the Buck Rogers Marauder was still in production. I've got a Colonial Viper on the build pile. It'd be a good weathering subject.

 

[Zeus-cat]

Modeling is very different than rocketry; at least the level of detail that I do in rocketry.

If you really want to see some great models look for a Verlinden book on dioramas. I have several and the level of detail is superior to what you will see in Fine Scale Modeler and they do entire vignettes in the Verlinden books. Of course, almost everything in the dioramas is made and sold by Verlinden so they are kind of like big advertisements.

 

[MaxQ]

I have been involved in both activities for decades, and I have always thought rocketry and scale plastic modeling were on opposite ends of the spectrum - except for NAR scale model competition.
The international scale model rocket competitions are indeed extraordinary and I suspect some of the folks involved in that can expound on the similar techniques that cross over.

I always felt I can get away with much less concern over having a flawless paint finish on a HPR, with no need for weathering and minimum detail for a model that for the most part the sits on a pad a couple of hundred feet way or thousands of feet in the air, and then gets dragged around on the ground on a windy day

That said, I think growing up doing plastic scale modeling has helped me do HPR scratch build rocket projects.

 

[lakeroadster]

I took my dad to his optometrists' appointment today and was leafing through some magazines, killing time. I was amazed at the fine detailing on some of the plastic models in Fine Scale Modeling magazine. So I would like to know if any of you utilize plastic model finishing techniques in your rocketry builds. I know some of you use the airbrush, but what about weathering, washes, photo etching, etc.?
PICTURES PLEASE!

I'm with Kuririn on this.. great idea for a thread.

I'd like to do a weathered steam punk approach on my current scratch build... but I can't seem to find much information on techniques to make that happen on a paper and balsa based scratch build rocket.

My only personal point of reference as a Faux Patina paint job I did on my '65 pickup a few years back... basically painted the primer on the truck with a paint roller, applied color, then color sanded.

But somehow using a paint roller to paint a rocket just doesn't seem the right approach...

I documented all the stuff I did on the truck using a build thread... more here: https://talk.classicparts.com/threads/lakeroadsters-build-thread-65-swb-step.13928/

 

[kuririn]

Cool looking truck, Lake. I'm thinking that a plastic or scale modeler's forum would be the place to go. I have a Space Monkeys V2 plastic kit and the Apogee conversion kit in the build box. There are fine details molded in, like panel lines and rivets, that would disappear with a regular spray painted base coat. Would like to highlight those somehow. Will keep searching for info.

 

[James Duffy]

I use plastic modeling techniques extensively when building my scale models, frequently using techniques stolen from the magazine you were reading at the optometrist's office. Here are a couple of links to build threads on this very forum:

1/12 Scale Little Joe

1/16.7 Scale Bumper WAC

Since the Spacemonkey Models V-2 was mentioned earlier in this thread, you should take a look at the series of tutorial videos that I shot to guide people through the construction of that model:

https://www.spacemonkeymodels.com/pages/v-2-a4-build-tutorial

In particular, take a look at videos #4A, which covers putty application, and #11, which covers weathering of the airframe joint. The weathering technique shown there can also be used to highlight the panel details on the fins and the rivet details on the forward airframe.

James

 

[Rockyt]

Honestly, using modelling techniques on rockets can be helpful, but modeling is all about fine details. What does this mean? It means that most of the modeling techniques work best on shelf queens. Things like washes, masking, greenstuffing make a gorgeous appearance, ...what can be lost burnt, or over fiddly for a flyer.

One technique from miniature painting (a specific sub-genera of modelling/wargaming) that I like to use on my rockets is "Zenithal Priming." basically, when you are priming, you prime a darker color (usually grey) over the entire model/rocket and then spray a lighter color (usually white) from a fixed location, creating the illusion of a 'spotlight.' It can be really helpful for rockets, to include the Saturn V, that have lots of gribblies to show off, but it doesn't work if you use the 2 primer technique to ID hi/low spots when sanding. you then try to use thin coats of your primary color allowing the difference in primer colors to create a gradient of color.

 

[neil_w]

One technique from miniature painting (a specific sub-genera of modelling/wargaming) that I like to use on my rockets is "Zenithal Priming." basically, when you are priming, you prime a darker color (usually grey) over the entire model/rocket and then spray a lighter color (usually white) from a fixed location, creating the illusion of a 'spotlight.' It can be really helpful for rockets, to include the Saturn V, that have lots of gribblies to show off, but it doesn't work if you use the 2 primer technique to ID hi/low spots when sanding. you then try to use thin coats of your primary color allowing the difference in primer colors to create a gradient of color.

That is really interesting, I never heard of that technique before but I understand exactly what you're saying. Do you have any pics that capture (a) the process as you're doing it, and/or (b) the end results?

 

[James Duffy]

Here's another project that folks here might find interesting. This is the Black Brant IIIB that I flew in scale altitude at the World Championships in Poland last year. Some simple panel shading was used to accentuate the bevels in the fin faces as well as to simulate the panel line break between the fin can and the motor casing. The launch shoes were also lightly weathered.




James

 

[lakeroadster]

..... There are fine details molded in, like panel lines and rivets, that would disappear with a regular spray painted base coat. Would like to highlight those somehow. Will keep searching for info.

I'm contemplating buying the Estes Mercury Redstone Capsule Plastic Parts for my Lifting Rocket. The sole reason is because it has the detail that makes it look realistic. But, just as you pointed out, the fine details will disappear if I use my typical "spray it with Testor's" painting technique.

Please share anything you find during your searches..



Some interesting links:

There's a lot of articles here: https://www.scalemodelguide.com/category/painting-weathering/​

The article on paint washes is really interesting: https://www.scalemodelguide.com/painting-weathering/weathering/paint-washes/​

Detailing model cars.. https://www.themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk/detailing-model-cars.php​

 

[kuririn]

Thanks for the links, James. They will be a big help when I start building it.

 

[James Duffy]

... the fine details will disappear if I use my typical "spray it with Testor's" painting technique.

For this particular part you might hit it with the final overall color, and then drybrush it with a lighter color to bring out the details. Silver or a medium grey color would work well on the black Mercury capsule.

I could struggle to write out a long description of drybrushing that would shed little light on the process, but a search of available YouTube videos would probably be far more illuminating.

James

 

[Rockyt]

Sadly no rockets, and no pics of, my own but I found this on google images, the whole thing (with the exception of the back of the hands) is painted the same color but I'm guessing this is white primer painted striaght over head on top of black primer ...again pic not mine, for reference only...

 

[kuririn]

For the Maxi Brute X-Wing in my build pile, I was thinking something like this would be nice:

But then I would have to build up my model finishing skills to achieve anything near this level. Work in progress.

 

[Rockyt]

Sounds like a great idea, but just so you know, that is a close up of a figure that is probably 3 inches long or less. . That's done with a lot of washes.