SM/CSM Rhino painting help

[awilden]

Kinda strange question but im about to start bulk painting up all my CSM Rhinos/predators (airbrushing btw), and wanted to make the whole process as painless as possible, how assembled should i have each rhino before i start painting? i was thinking of painting the interior of the rhinos (not the predator since it doesnt need to open), so i assume at a minimum i should leave off the roof and superglue that on after doing the interior, does the front visor need to be done separately? or can that be safely painted while its attached without causing any problems? (also do most people tend to let it 'flap' freely? or glue it in the closed/open position?).

Thanks.

[Lucien Eilam]

You can paint the visor in place and loose, just be careful not to let any paint bead up in the gap between it and the hull. Even if you're going to glue it in place, it's easier if you do that after painting the windows.

 

Don't glue any of the hatches in place. Then you have the option of easily switching the same hull between Rhino, Razorback, Predator and Whirlwind.

 

If you want a display quality interior, it's much easier to paint it before assembly (you can build both sides first, but that's about it), but a lot more work masking things off when you paint the rest, and it takes some care not to damage the paint job during assembly. Watch out for superglue fumes frosting the paintwork in particular.

 

For gaming standard, I just brush paint it after assembly through the top hatch/rear door.

[awilden]

What would you recommend to do about the superglue fumes frosting the paint up? would it be better to leave sections clean of paint (where parts join, and need to be glued) and use plastic glue instead? i had thought about either, but wasnt sure whats the normal/best method

[Lucien Eilam]

You could mask the joins and use plastic glue. Be careful you've judged it right though - an unpainted gap will look far worse than anything superglue could do.

 

You could use a two-part epoxy. They can be tricky to use with any precision but they don't cause frosting.

 

Even PVA will work in some cases - if there's no load on a component, you don't need a particularly strong hold. I use it for aircraft canopies, for example.

 

Or just be very careful: don't use any more superglue than you absolutely require, leave it in front of a fan while it dries, and be prepared for a few minor fixes.

[awilden]

Thanks for the advice, i might look into the epoxy/PVA option see what sort of epoxy i can get a hold of.

[JennifertheRedeemer]

Concerning glue? You'd probably be good using some of the old Testors cement. Epoxy is okay, but about as messy as a horse stable (at least in my experience.) so I dunno about it. 

 

Oh, by the way, be careful when buying Citadel paint: It's not always as reliable. I bought a brand new pack once, and lo and behold, it was already dried out. How? I have no clue. But, when you get it right, Citadel is among the best I've used.

[JeffTibbetts]

Concerning glue? You'd probably be good using some of the old Testors cement. Epoxy is okay, but about as messy as a horse stable (at least in my experience.) so I dunno about it. 

 

Oh, by the way, be careful when buying Citadel paint: It's not always as reliable. I bought a brand new pack once, and lo and behold, it was already dried out. How? I have no clue. But, when you get it right, Citadel is among the best I've used.

 

Email them and they'll send you replacements. Best customer service just about anywhere. I had a pot of Averland Sunset that was dry and a little grainy and they sent me a new one with zero questions asked. :D 

[awilden]

Ive mainly been using Vallejo Model Air for the airbrush, probably could use Citadel really watered down but the Vallejo paint seems to work well, though for brush work ive been using Citadel so i can match the colours in tutorials/guides, and try to get a more standardised look, the Vallejo isnt as compatable with citadel (eg i cant seem to find a direct match for certian colours between Citadel<-->Vallejo Model Air), but it seems to be a good option for the basecoating with the airbrush, or to do highlighting/OSL on weapons etc, as long as i stick with a consistent scheme and dont mix/match with different models.

Btw i had really good experiences with their customer support too, returned a few packs of resin shoulder pads, and no questions, got the full refund, they were really great help.