Tamiya Honda S2000
Discussion
Meoricin said:
dr_gn said:
The lights?
Yes - it's something I've struggled with a lot. Yours look realistic. The best I've achieved has been when painting a mix of paint and gloss varnish directly on to the clear bits, but that wasn't for a car, and the same technique would look odd on one.Simply painting plain colours underneath the clear bits doesn't quite seem to produce the results I'm after - for one I struggle to match the colours. I was wondering what you've done with yours, so I could try to steal the techniques.
I just followed the instructions and hand painted the pre-plated silver parts with satin black (leaving the reflectors silver). Then I added the projector bulb lenses (transparent plastic). This sub-assembly is then stuck into the body, behind the headlamp openings. The clear covers were then dipped in Klear to make them appear more transparent, before sticking them over the headlamp openings with canopy glue (dries clear).
The rear lamps are slightly different: Satin black backgrounds with chrome silver reflectors hand painted into the circular sockets, and solid red on the sidelight surfaces. The lenses were either left clear or painted with red:gloss varnish 20:50 to make a transparent paint. These lenses are then stuck over the chrome painted reflectors before adding the rear lamp unit covers which were also pre-dipped in Klear and secured with pva canopy glue.
Go for a quality kit manufacturer like Tamiya or Revell, and you'll be hard pressed to end up with a crap result!
dr_gn said:
The headlamps: On this model they comprise three parts each - a clear cover, a pre-plated reflector and a small lens for the projector bulb. They form a unit that is like the real cars' lamp assembly, so you ca't go wrong.
I just followed the instructions and hand painted the pre-plated silver parts with satin black (leaving the reflectors silver). Then I added the projector bulb lenses (transparent plastic). This sub-assembly is then stuck into the body, behind the headlamp openings. The clear covers were then dipped in Klear to make them appear more transparent, before sticking them over the headlamp openings with canopy glue (dries clear).
The rear lamps are slightly different: Satin black backgrounds with chrome silver reflectors hand painted into the circular sockets, and solid red on the sidelight surfaces. The lenses were either left clear or painted with red:gloss varnish 20:50 to make a transparent paint. These lenses are then stuck over the chrome painted reflectors before adding the rear lamp unit covers which were also pre-dipped in Klear and secured with pva canopy glue.
Go for a quality kit manufacturer like Tamiya or Revell, and you'll be hard pressed to end up with a crap result!
I suppose that's the reason mine aren't working so well. The two car kits I've built have both simply had an open section which is then covered over by the clear lense, so it's been up to me to experiment with filling in what goes behind.I just followed the instructions and hand painted the pre-plated silver parts with satin black (leaving the reflectors silver). Then I added the projector bulb lenses (transparent plastic). This sub-assembly is then stuck into the body, behind the headlamp openings. The clear covers were then dipped in Klear to make them appear more transparent, before sticking them over the headlamp openings with canopy glue (dries clear).
The rear lamps are slightly different: Satin black backgrounds with chrome silver reflectors hand painted into the circular sockets, and solid red on the sidelight surfaces. The lenses were either left clear or painted with red:gloss varnish 20:50 to make a transparent paint. These lenses are then stuck over the chrome painted reflectors before adding the rear lamp unit covers which were also pre-dipped in Klear and secured with pva canopy glue.
Go for a quality kit manufacturer like Tamiya or Revell, and you'll be hard pressed to end up with a crap result!
To get around it a bit with my current kit, I've cut them out, and put an LED circuit in, but the PVA glue I've used, contrary to the info I've found online, has most definitely not dried clear. It looks ever so silly
Thanks for your info on the finish, I'll have to see what the other kits I have are like.
Meoricin said:
dr_gn said:
The headlamps: On this model they comprise three parts each - a clear cover, a pre-plated reflector and a small lens for the projector bulb. They form a unit that is like the real cars' lamp assembly, so you ca't go wrong.
I just followed the instructions and hand painted the pre-plated silver parts with satin black (leaving the reflectors silver). Then I added the projector bulb lenses (transparent plastic). This sub-assembly is then stuck into the body, behind the headlamp openings. The clear covers were then dipped in Klear to make them appear more transparent, before sticking them over the headlamp openings with canopy glue (dries clear).
The rear lamps are slightly different: Satin black backgrounds with chrome silver reflectors hand painted into the circular sockets, and solid red on the sidelight surfaces. The lenses were either left clear or painted with red:gloss varnish 20:50 to make a transparent paint. These lenses are then stuck over the chrome painted reflectors before adding the rear lamp unit covers which were also pre-dipped in Klear and secured with pva canopy glue.
Go for a quality kit manufacturer like Tamiya or Revell, and you'll be hard pressed to end up with a crap result!
I suppose that's the reason mine aren't working so well. The two car kits I've built have both simply had an open section which is then covered over by the clear lense, so it's been up to me to experiment with filling in what goes behind.I just followed the instructions and hand painted the pre-plated silver parts with satin black (leaving the reflectors silver). Then I added the projector bulb lenses (transparent plastic). This sub-assembly is then stuck into the body, behind the headlamp openings. The clear covers were then dipped in Klear to make them appear more transparent, before sticking them over the headlamp openings with canopy glue (dries clear).
The rear lamps are slightly different: Satin black backgrounds with chrome silver reflectors hand painted into the circular sockets, and solid red on the sidelight surfaces. The lenses were either left clear or painted with red:gloss varnish 20:50 to make a transparent paint. These lenses are then stuck over the chrome painted reflectors before adding the rear lamp unit covers which were also pre-dipped in Klear and secured with pva canopy glue.
Go for a quality kit manufacturer like Tamiya or Revell, and you'll be hard pressed to end up with a crap result!
To get around it a bit with my current kit, I've cut them out, and put an LED circuit in, but the PVA glue I've used, contrary to the info I've found online, has most definitely not dried clear. It looks ever so silly
Thanks for your info on the finish, I'll have to see what the other kits I have are like.
You can get specific pva glue for canopies, which dries clear:
or Araldite clear epoxy:
dr_gn said:
What kit are you building?
You can get specific pva glue for canopies, which dries clear:
or Araldite clear epoxy:
The one with the lights is a Toyota Corolla AE86. I think I was actually being a little impatient with waiting for it to dry, as it appears to be pretty clear now, after two days. I'd only given it a day when I was complaining.You can get specific pva glue for canopies, which dries clear:
or Araldite clear epoxy:
One of the lights is lopsided though, and I really should tidy up around them a bit. As well as cutting a hole in the bottom for the switch, since getting the shell on to the body was a nightmare with the electrics in there, so I don't really want to have to disassemble it to switch the lights on or off.
Meoricin said:
dr_gn said:
What kit are you building?
You can get specific pva glue for canopies, which dries clear:
or Araldite clear epoxy:
The one with the lights is a Toyota Corolla AE86. I think I was actually being a little impatient with waiting for it to dry, as it appears to be pretty clear now, after two days. I'd only given it a day when I was complaining.You can get specific pva glue for canopies, which dries clear:
or Araldite clear epoxy:
One of the lights is lopsided though, and I really should tidy up around them a bit. As well as cutting a hole in the bottom for the switch, since getting the shell on to the body was a nightmare with the electrics in there, so I don't really want to have to disassemble it to switch the lights on or off.
I suppose if theres no detail behind the glazing you're stuck with experimenting with bits of tin foil and/or old LED's. Sounds like you've at least had a go, so I'm sure you could find a good solution.
BTW, is this something ike it?
It's this kit, though the box is different.
http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ18321
I'll do a little more work on it tomorrow, and see about posting up some pics.
http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ18321
I'll do a little more work on it tomorrow, and see about posting up some pics.
Meoricin said:
It's this kit, though the box is different.
http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ18321
I'll do a little more work on it tomorrow, and see about posting up some pics.
I guess you could have glued the headlamps in the down position. That would have solved a few problems.http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ18321
I'll do a little more work on it tomorrow, and see about posting up some pics.
dr_gn said:
I guess you could have glued the headlamps in the down position. That would have solved a few problems.
Ah, but I decided I wanted them up to put the LEDs in. This kit wasn't so much the one I'm struggling with lights on (though the rears look pretty rubbish). It's just it's something I've struggled with a lot lately, and I was really impressed by how yours have turned out. The advice was more for my next kit than this current one, I was just taking the opportunity to complain about the issues with my current one as well 
meoricin
the doc has said there are plated relectors in his model and that is the effect you really want, so how about faking the look for yourself.
I use the reflecting shiny inside skin of medecinal tablets or capsules as the reflectors
You know the pop a pill packets that protect individual doses, well I take the shiniest inner foil ones I can find and form the dish in the foil using a "mould" pressed into the foil against the flesh in the palm of my hand
The mould could be simply a curved section on the end of a pencil or suchlike and that will deform enough to take a concave shape
Trim that with nail scissors and fit behind the lens (with PVA)
Might not (OK Will Not!) look as good as properly moulded parts but it is a technique I used on the landing lights on my Typhoon model and I'm quite happy with it
Better than nowt anyway
Might be nice with leds in front of them, good for extra shine
the doc has said there are plated relectors in his model and that is the effect you really want, so how about faking the look for yourself.
I use the reflecting shiny inside skin of medecinal tablets or capsules as the reflectors
You know the pop a pill packets that protect individual doses, well I take the shiniest inner foil ones I can find and form the dish in the foil using a "mould" pressed into the foil against the flesh in the palm of my hand
The mould could be simply a curved section on the end of a pencil or suchlike and that will deform enough to take a concave shape
Trim that with nail scissors and fit behind the lens (with PVA)
Might not (OK Will Not!) look as good as properly moulded parts but it is a technique I used on the landing lights on my Typhoon model and I'm quite happy with it
Better than nowt anyway
Might be nice with leds in front of them, good for extra shine
So...I happened to look at the S2000 yesterday, and guess what? The Zero Paints Lacquer has crazed, completely ruining what was my best car model. It took a few months to happen, but it got me in the end. What an absolute bag of crap.
I should have chucked the whole lot straight in the bin when I saw how rubbish the metallic silver looked in the bottle...
I should have chucked the whole lot straight in the bin when I saw how rubbish the metallic silver looked in the bottle...
Red Firecracker said:
It's certainly a strange reaction with the colour coat, as normally with a paint mismatch it will crinkle, rather than craze in such a fashion.
The Zero metallic silver was so appallingly bad that I ended up using Citadel silvers. They were definitely dry before overcoating, and the weather was very warm when I sprayed the varnish.You're not alone, I've had a similar reaction but when using Halfords Appliance White on a Tamiya 206 WRC - everyone seems to swear by it as a hard wearing "pure" white but on my Pug it just crazed and it wasn't just over plastic, it did the same on an MTB frame .......... Appliance white - never again!!
dr_gn said:
The Zero metallic silver was so appallingly bad that I ended up using Citadel silvers. They were definitely dry before overcoating, and the weather was very warm when I sprayed the varnish.
There must be a reaction between the (water based ?) Citadel/Revell mix and the Zero clear coat, which it has to be said, like all automotive paints is quite aggressive. Interestingly, I've never had this issue with spraying over Tamiya acrylics when I have accidentally done so (I would never plan to clear coat anything painted with Tamiya acrylics with Zero clear). However, saying all that, I would normaly expect to see a reaction, if there was to be one, within 24 hours and certianly not for it to look like it had been slashed. It's a very salient warning for us all though, be sure of the paint systems you use and their interactions between each other.
I look forward to seeing the restored back to glory S2000
Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff