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Hi All;

I have been a lurker for a while. The forums are fascinating and the quality of the work in the threads is amazing. I have built many models..some years ago, mostly ootb and not built or painted accurately. I am now amassing tools and stuff to try to build a few models to a better standard. So a question... what is best assemble subsections and paint....or paint all items on sprues and then assemble?

 

Thanks

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Glad to hear you've come out of the shadows Maybach_man:thumbsup: :hi:

 

I started doing the same thing a few years ago when I joined the forum. For the most part with aircraft I've found it best to paint sub-assemblies. If a sprue gate is attached to a point that won't be seen at all, not even an edge, then I will leave it on the sprue to paint but those are few and far between. Then occasionally you have to paint in sections, like the fuselage behind the intakes on an F-18. There's just no way to get in there once the intakes are on so you have to spray some primer and top coat in that area ahead of time. I look for natural break points like panel lines to make my tape lines at in these cases. I've seen other guys make up parts in groups and then attach them at different point in the build process. I've tried to follow this method lately. Reason being it got complicated trying to tape things up, like landing gear, while spraying the body of the plane. That's been one of the valuable things about the forum, being able to see the many ways people go about things. The process has been as important as the painting because it's kept be from creating "collateral damage" and ruining something I'd already done.

 

Chris

 

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Welcome to the forum! It’s a brilliant place to be, to ask questions and to learn. I’ve been modelling since I was 7 years old (that’s 64 years but don’t tell anybody!!) and I’m still learning almost daily.

 

I tend to paint at different stages in the build, depending on what the aeroplane is. On my bench right now is a Hawker Hunter which I started painting without the undercarriage being added but otherwise almost complete, mainly because of ease of handling, and an Fw44, a 1930s German biplane which had paint applied much earlier in the build process. There’s no hard and fast rule, it’s whatever suits your MO. 

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7 hours ago, mozart said:

There’s no hard and fast rule, it’s whatever suits your MO.

 

Second that, it's what suits your MO and the configuration of the model.  I tend to build up a sub-assembly, fully or partially, paint a bit, build a bit more, and so on.  If I have to paint a part on the sprue, I tend to remove as many attachment points as possible, so there's less touching up to do later: but of course, the risk is that the last attachment point will break, and that's the last you'll see of the part. (Until a few months later, long after the model is finished, that is!)

 

The best advice I can give is to spend some time studying the instructions, and planning a build/paint sequence to suit you, before starting: it will pay dividends.

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Glad to have you aboard. This is a great group that is always willing to help.

 

After you build a few you will find a method that works well for you. I tend to take parts off the tree so I can clean up the seam lines and such before I paint them. I hold the small parts with blue tack and a toothpick. Just have fun and work your way into more complicated kits. Keep it simple at first so you don't get frustrated. 

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Here is another technique that is sometimes helpful.

There are cases where you have to paint close to all sides of a part or an assembly and they will stay visible (such as a fuel tank in a biplane). In that case the typical question is how to hold that part or subassembly? Here's how you can solve that:

1. Find the least visible spot of the part, this may even be inside it if it is hollow. 

2. Look for a long and thin bamboo stick. 

3. Put a very little bit of CA glue on the tip of the stick and glue it on the part area you selected. 

4. Hold the stick to paint the part(s) 

5. Press the stick free end in a block of foam to wait up to the full drying of the paint. 

6. Take the part with a soft cloth to avoid damaging the paint and twist the stick to release it from the part. 

7. If the area where you have some glue residue is not visible and should not be glued to another one, you should not bother, otherwise remove the residue cautiously with a blade or a little bit of sanding. 

 

Voilà! 

 

Hth

 

Thierry 

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