Hi,

Just starting back into the to the hobby. I was just wondering about priming those flexible plsatic scale figures - 1/72. I've scared up some airfix ground crew and want to make a small diorama.

I've researched about priming them, and it seems the standard plastic primer isn't the go as it isn't flexible enough, and the paint can crack off. I've seen a site that recommends using watered down PVA glue, but that seems a bit fussy to me. Anyway easier recommendations would be welcome.

Also any tips on good diorama threads in the forums here? Something simple, just some hard standing and a bit of grass. I also want to do a WWII pacific theatre airfield diorama at some point.

Here are a couple of WIPs, they are rough, but they were better that the first couple !

Hi Jeremy

First off, welcome to Aeroscale and nice job on the '109 and the Boomerang!

Painting polythene figures? I have to admit I haven't tried since I was a nipper in the '60s and, yes, the paint always flaked off easily. I do remember reading somewhere that soaking them in bleach (and then rinsing thoroughly) gave a better surface for the paint to adhere to. Anyone else heard of that trick or know if it actually works?

All the best

Rowan

Hi Jeremy, and welcome aboard !!

I would maybe try giving the figures a wash in Methylated Spirits to get rido of any residue, then coat them with Pledge One-Go (available at Coles, our version of Future Floor Polish). The clear finish should stick to the figures, and pretty much any paint will stick to the One-Go.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, D

Hi there from the United States! How are you? Glad to have you onboard the site.

Thought I would tell you what I do for bases. I will post a some photos so you can see what they look like.

I simply take 1/2 inch, in your case 12 mm, ha ha, plywood and cut it into various size squares. I then airbrush the squares flat black.

Then I liberally apply some Elmers white glue to one surface and go at it. I often use the small different colored grass "mats" which are available at most well stocked hobby stores. Cut to size and glue onto the plywood. Then I will use Elmers or super glue to glue more foliage or even trees onto the grass mat. See how that helps you. Russell








P.S. In the case of the Flying Wing. I took that flat black painted plywood and applied Elmers glue to one side. Then took some ballast, that you buy for model railroads, colored sand and sprinkled onto the wood. Did so liberally and let the glue take up what it wanted. Then shook the excess off and put it back into the bag! Easy enough and it looks like the wing is sitting in the desert out at Muroc air force base in California. Any more questions? Don't hesitate to ask, this site is very civil and people like to help others from all over the globe! Take care.

Also Jeremy, google Scaleclone. A model aircraft site run by some of your fellow countrymen out of Perth. They are a new site but have some nice features. You might check them out as well as Aeroscale. Russell

Also, you can't go wrong with some Tamiya warbird series kits or some good old Hasegawa kits. Academy are good as well just watch out for the decals. Cartograph is printing the newer ones and have worked just fine for me; however, some of the older kits don't have cartograph decals and are problematic at best. All these kits are 72 scale, the scale of build in but it holds true for 48 for the Tamiya and Hasegawa as well.

Thanks for the tips and sharing your models. That Messerchmitt was an ICM kit, and it was pretty good I thought. Now finished in fact




Just a few fit problems, and the styrene was a bit bendy. I am working through a Hasegawa kit at the moment, a RNZAF. I did the usual it seems bought a heap of kits when I first got back into it with no real prospect of finishing them. Have a quite few hasegawa kits, plus some other odd ones.