Newbie questions

[ferrariscale]

Hey fellas. Well I've just picked up a Tamiya 1:12 scale Ferrari 312 T4 off ebay at a good price. I'm very much looking forward to getting started but as this will be my first 'official' build I will need some newbie help along the way. Probably not a great choice of model to get into off the bat, but i do prefer the larger models and intend to get this right.

1st Question: Before you start assembling the gear box etc do you need to paint the individual parts first (prime) or can you build the section and then prime/tape/paint?

I mean..does the liquid cement (Tamiya thin/ Testors) still bond the painted parts?

2nd Question: Is it better to brush the paint on the smaller parts or spray? Acrylic or Enamel?

Can't wait to get started..And post pics and updates.

Cheers. Brett

[bobthehobbyguy]

You will want to assemble all the parts for the engine that are painted the same color and then paint. Any glue that works by melting the plastic will not work properly if there is paint on the surface.

Brush painting is fine for small parts. Paint type can be either enamel or acrylic.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I agree with Bob that you will definitely want to assemble things like the gearbox, that have visible seams, prior to painting. You'll also want to look at photos of the real parts, and remove the seams from places they don't belong on a real part. Same with mold lines. Especially on a larger scale effort, glue seams and mold lines that have just been painted over really take a model down a notch.

I disagree about brush painting small parts, especially in larger scales, if you want top-notch results (which depends on your expectations, no one else's). Removing flash and mold seams and marks from where the part was attached to the sprue is important to do before painting, and then attach the smaller parts to something making them easy to handle for spraying. Some modelers use double-sided tape, toothpicks inserted into holes in the parts, wire, or something like a toothpick temporarily glued the a hidden side of the part.

[crazyjim]

I glue (Testors) small parts together before brush painting, but I build only 1/24 or 1/25 scale.

[ferrariscale]

Thanx for the heads-up. So if I'm glueing the axle sections together and they are different colours ie aluminium/semigloss black I would first build it, then slight sand, then spray prime, and then brush paint the individual colors?

[Mike Kucaba]

I suggest you check out Automotive Forums internet group. There you will find build after build of 1/12th and other scales of F1 models.

[ferrariscale]

I suggest you check out Automotive Forums internet group. There you will find build after build of 1/12th and other scales of F1 models.

Ok. Do you have link?

[Mike Kucaba]

Automotiveforums.com ?