Painting parts while on sprue

[jeffdeoranut]

I've been meaning to ask this question for a very long time. I see lots of modelers painting their parts while they're still attached to the sprue. Doesn't that mean though that when you remove it from the screw you have to touch up the little spots the paint didn't cover? To me that seems like it would be much more time efficient to remove the parts from the sprue and paint them that way. Thoughts?

[Rick L]

You’re going to get two different answers on this question and neither one will be wrong. 

[Deathgoblin]

I think the best answer is whatever works best for your process.  Personally, I'm all over the place.  I'll primer most of the kit while it's on sprue then take things off and paint them, sometimes I'll paint things and then have to unpaint a little to assemble, Small parts will sometimes get painted on the sprue because I have hammer hands. 

[jeffdeoranut]

50 minutes ago, Deathgoblin said:

I think the best answer is whatever works best for your process.  Personally, I'm all over the place.  I'll primer most of the kit while it's on sprue then take things off and paint them, sometimes I'll paint things and then have to unpaint a little to assemble, Small parts will sometimes get painted on the sprue because I have hammer hands. 

It might just be my OCD but I remove all parts from sprues, glue everything together that's going to be painted the same color and sand down every seam on every part and then I put them on scrap sheets of cardboard with tape and paint them let it dry flip them over paint the other side except for car bodies where I put them on a paint stand. Those I'm getting older I'm getting a little less concerned about all the same marks on parts that are not going to be visible unless you pick up the model and examine it which almost never ever do once it's complete.

[Straightliner59]

I take 'em off. They're way easier to treat for mold lines, sink marks, etc., when they're loose.

[slusher]

I take mine off put them on tape in a drink carton box then flip them over and pair the other side. Been doing it that way since before magazine and computer for me any way..

[bobss396]

6 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

I take 'em off. They're way easier to treat for mold lines, sink marks, etc., when they're loose.

I do the same exact thing. One guy in my club preached that every part of the model is a model itself. For example, a steering wheel has to measure up on its own, etc. It takes time, yes but pays off in the end.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I haven’t painted a part on the tree since I was about 12 years old!

not only do you have to touch up the parts after removal, but exactly how do you remove mold lines, etc.

It’s a question of how much realism or detail you want to incorporate into your projects.

Pretty hard to make your model look like something other than a collection of plastic parts when you have mold lines running the entire length of the exhaust system, radiator top, etc, etc, etc.

Virtually every part in a kit has mold lines, ejector pin marks, etc, that should be removed if you don’t want the model to look like a cheap toy when it’s finished.

 

 

 

Steve

[NOBLNG]

It depends on the parts. I will sometimes spray a coat of primer on a tree full of small parts. Then remove them and clean up the now easily visible mold lines. Then paint them individually. Whatever works…but mold lines and ejection pin nubs MUST be removed and sink marks filled. Touch-ups must be done if needed. That said, I am not trying to win any trophies.?

Edited August 4 by NOBLNG

[Bills72sj]

I always remove them. I like trimmed, detailed parts. For painting I will build sub assemblies that shall be all one color. For everything, I CA glue a stub of sprue to a hidden portion of the part which gives me full 360 degree access while painting. This includes bodies. They are easy to snap off later.

Edited August 4 by Bills72sj
spelling

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

It depends on the parts. I will sometimes spray a coat of primer on a tree full of small parts. Then remove them and clean up the now easily visible mold lines. Then paint them individually. Whatever works…but mold lines and ejection pin nubs MUST be removed and sink marks filled. Touch-ups must be done if needed. That said, I am not trying to win any trophies.?

Trophies or not, mold lines are just one of those things that I will never again be able to abide.

It’s one of those things that you learn to address through experience, and once you start, it’s pretty hard to go back.  
I can’t imagine myself ever building a model again with a seam running through the middle of the oil pan, or down the middle of the radiator.

the seam on the radiator has got to be one of the biggest indicators of a rookie that there is.

 

 

 

Steve

Edited August 5 by StevenGuthmiller

[bobthehobbyguy]

23 hours ago, jeffdeoranut said:

It might just be my OCD but I remove all parts from sprues, glue everything together that's going to be painted the same color and sand down every seam on every part and then I put them on scrap sheets of cardboard with tape and paint them let it dry flip them over paint the other side except for car bodies where I put them on a paint stand. Those I'm getting older I'm getting a little less concerned about all the same marks on parts that are not going to be visible unless you pick up the model and examine it which almost never ever do once it's complete.

Also if you are doing a large number of kit reviews the intent is to show what's in the kit.

And it's ultimately your choice when you build, how you build, and what you build. What are you happy with.

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

I will sometimes spray a coat of primer on a tree full of small parts. Then remove them and clean up the now easily visible mold lines. Then paint them individually

That's how I typically handle the small items , especially starters, distributors, carburetors, alternators, oil filtres, and other easily lost parts. It's easy to touchup tiny spots of plastic colour after 99% of the work has been completed (removing parting lines, etc.)

[Straightliner59]

18 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I do the same exact thing. One guy in my club preached that every part of the model is a model itself. For example, a steering wheel has to measure up on its own, etc. It takes time, yes but pays off in the end.

Exactly. I try to make every assembly its own model. That's how I ended up with a mag transformer that consists of around 30 pieces! Sometimes, I might get a little lazy, though.?

[Dave G.]

I knock off any easy flashing with parts on the tree. Then prime everything. The body is a separate issue or pieces that very obviously need more work than can be done on the tree, I don't prime bodies while on the tree. But I want everything primed for a couple of reasons. The first, is it gives realism to the shape of the parts and takes away the plastic glow or semi opaque look. The other is I can get a better view of what more work may need to be done to each part.

From there, Some pieces may get color coat on the trees, minus the body as already mentioned. But I also do some sub assembly work before color paint as well.

[bobss396]

11 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Trophies or not, mold lines are just one of those things that I will never again be able to abide.

It’s one of those things that you learn to address through experience, and once you start, it’s pretty hard to go back.  
I can’t imagine myself ever building a model again with a seam running through the middle of the oil pan, or down the middle of the radiator.

the seam on the radiator has got to be one of the biggest indicators of a rookie that there is.

Steve

This is why I wind up making my own radiator tanks or even entire radiators from scratch. I save spare radiators to cut up just to make a presentable radiator.

[Ace-Garageguy]

16 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I haven’t painted a part on the tree since I was about 12 years old!

not only do you have to touch up the parts after removal, but exactly how do you remove mold lines, etc.

It’s a question of how much realism or detail you want to incorporate into your projects.

Pretty hard to make your model look like something other than a collection of plastic parts when you have mold lines running the entire length of the exhaust system, radiator top, etc, etc, etc.

Virtually every part in a kit has mold lines, ejector pin marks, etc, that should be removed if you don’t want the model to look like a cheap toy when it’s finished.

Exactly.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, bobss396 said:

This is why I wind up making my own radiator tanks or even entire radiators from scratch. I save spare radiators to cut up just to make a presentable radiator.

You can certainly go to that length should you choose, but just simply removing the part from the tree and filing and sanding away the mold lines is a major improvement.

This goes for virtually every part.

Not just radiators.

 

I know I'll draw flack for this, but I've said it before.

Items such as removing parts from the tree and refining them individually before paint are the kinds of things that separate those that are serious about the hobby, and those that just want something to toss together over the course of a weekend.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but in my opinion, painting parts on the tree is not really a technique.

It's a short cut designed to get the job done fast rather than well.

 

 

 

Steve

[Muncie]

15 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

It depends on the parts. I will sometimes spray a coat of primer on a tree full of small parts. Then remove them and clean up the now easily visible mold lines. Then paint them individually. Whatever works…but mold lines and ejection pin nubs MUST be removed and sink marks filled. Touch-ups must be done if needed. That said, I am not trying to win any trophies.?

I've never primered or painted on the tree... But, I always find things to fix after primer.  I've been planning on using this method on the next project.   A light coat of primer on the tree would really help these old eyes.

[NOBLNG]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Items such as removing parts from the tree and refining them individually before paint are the kinds of things that separate those that are serious about the hobby, and those that just want something to toss together over the course of a weekend.

 

 

 

Steve

I think there is a wide spectrum of modelers between those two extremes. 
JMO, Greg.

Edited August 5 by NOBLNG

[StevenGuthmiller]

6 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

I think there is a wide spectrum of modelers between those two extremes. 
JMO, Greg.

Of course, but just like any other endeavor in life, the usual goal is to improve and progress in your craft.

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t imagine doing anything that I don’t want to get better at as time goes on.

Whether that’s making bird houses, playing golf, cooking, or building models, in my opinion there’s no point in doing it if you don’t want to get good at it.

Painting parts on the trees serves no advancement purposes at all.

It serves no purpose other than getting things done faster, or easier, which almost never equates with better, that’s all that I’m saying.

But if it gives someone joy to throw a little paint on some parts trees and slam together a kit in a day or two, then by all means, that’s what they should do.

In the end, as with most other things, you get out of it what you put into it.

 

 

 

Steve

[bobthehobbyguy]

However it's a hobby and there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes getting a quick and dirty build is needed to  get revitalized. 

I've also seen builders get burned out with the every model has to be better than the last.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

You can certainly go to that length should you choose, but just simply removing the part from the tree and filing and sanding away the mold lines is a major improvement.

This goes for virtually every part.

Not just radiators.

I know I'll draw flack for this, but I've said it before.

Items such as removing parts from the tree and refining them individually before paint are the kinds of things that separate those that are serious about the hobby, and those that just want something to toss together over the course of a weekend.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but in my opinion, painting parts on the tree is not really a technique.

It's a short cut designed to get the job done fast rather than well.

Agreed completely, and as with many things, it simply comes down to what an individual wants to achieve in terms of quality craftsmanship.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Of course, but just like any other endeavor in life, the usual goal is to improve and progress in your craft.

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t imagine doing anything that I don’t want to get better at as time goes on.

Whether that’s making bird houses, playing golf, cooking, or building models, in my opinion there’s no point in doing it if you don’t want to get good at it.

Though I personally agree, it's reality that many people do NOT hold this philosophical approach to what they do.

But it's OK to simply enjoy putting models together with a minimum of effort and "stress" in the pursuit of "fun".

It's not the way I approach life because I wasn't wired that way, but nobody engaged in a hobby has to live by my rules.

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Though I personally agree, it's reality that many people do NOT hold this philosophical approach to what they do.

But it's OK to simply enjoy putting models together with a minimum of effort and "stress" in the pursuit of "fun".

It's not the way I approach life because I wasn't wired that way, but nobody engaged in a hobby has to live by my rules.

Of course.

I suppose that every individual has different degrees of enjoyment.

Some enjoy looking at pictures of a mountain in a book.

Others enjoy climbing the mountain.

 

 

 

Steve