Starting to build motorbikes

one man clappin

Hi, due to being unemployed, I have decided to go back to my youth and start building model motorbikes again. I used to use paint brushes to paint these before, but now I want to finish them properly. I bought a beginners airbrush set from Revell but have read that this is not the best way to go (cans of compressed air). Looking for advise on what is the best way to paint etc, is there any websites for tips etc.

The Doktor

As it happens bikes are one of my favourite things to make.....
heres a couple o mine...





If you want to look at the detailed builds there are two threads somewhere here, or you can look at the kit build section on www.ipmsireland.com

Id advise you get a decent airbrush and compressor, for bikes id recommend the following
https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_9_46&products_id=3&osCsid=0bb5c041a8a5f543316354a83e14359c

and the AS186 compressor here
http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/AS_Series.html

Id recommend Tamiya Acrylics for most finishes. And Alclad 2 paint for metal finishes.

The Doktor

have a look through these...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055046327

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055174645

one man clappin

Thanks a million for that The Doktor, seems I will have to splash out a few more euro so. .
Just one more question, do you prime everything before you airbrush?

The Doktor

one man clappin wrote: »

Thanks a million for that The Doktor, seems I will have to splash out a few more euro so. .
Just one more question, do you prime everything before you airbrush?

Yes. However on most of the parts only a light haze of primer just to help the paint.Using primer makes it much easier to airbrush the paint, as it will be quite thin (70% thinner).
On the fairing parts you will do a proper coat of primer and wet sand it before painting.

I use Halfords or similar primer in the spray can. I decant it from the can and spray it on with the airbrush.
(put a straw or pipe about 8inches long up against spray can nozzel, spray paint gently down pipe/straw into a small container. Allow to rest for 10 mins so propellant evaporates from paint )

one man clappin

Hello again. I have delved into the credit card and purchased the airbrush and compressor, just waiting for a few more bits and pieces to arrive.
I see from your posts that you use Alclad paints for the metallic parts. Would you recommend these above the Tamiya paints?
If so, could you recommend colours and also where to buy them?
Thanks for the advise so far.

The Doktor

Hi,
Yeah, the alclad are the best metallics I have seen. I use these almost exclusively for metal parts. These are the main colours:
Chrome (for engines, aluminium frames, forks, exhausts etc)
Pale Burnt Metal (light gold colour for fork legs, brake calipers .. see brembo calipers above)
Steel (for some darker engines)
Copper (for various parts, sometimes clutches, some steering heads)
Aluminium (to roughen up various parts when you don’t want them too shiny)

For preparation of a part to make it a nice shiny metal, you need to first finish it in gloss black. The best way to do this is using Halfords primer first, then Halfords Gloss black (see build of above models)

Now the thing is.. the Alclad paint is great, but you can only airbrush it. So you still need to have paints the you can put on the old fashioned way, So you still need to get your Tamiya Acrylics in the metallic colours.

Id recommend you get yourself the following colours to start with:

X 1 Gloss black
XF 1 Matt black
X18 Semi Gloss Black
X2 Gloss white
XF2 Matt white
X4 Gloss blue
Xf8 Matt blue
X8 gloss yellow
X6 Orange
X7 Gloss red
XF 7 Matt Red
X11 Chrome silver
X12 Gold Leaf
X31 Titanium gold
X32 Titanium Silver
X13 metallic blue
Xf6 copper
Xf 28 Dark copper
X10 GunMetal
XF 60 Dark Yellow
Xf56 Metallic grey
X27 Clear Red
X26 Clear orange
X23 Clear blue
X19 smoke (clear black)

Now that may look like a lot, but most of them will last you for years, and you will only find youself getting replacement blacks and chrome silvers from time to time, and when you do, you might order 2 or 3 new colours , like greys etc (for now you can mix them) Also get yourself one of the 250ml tamiya thinners .. or even 2.
For the fairings of bikes I use the tamiya TS colours, these come in spray cans, and I decant these and spray on with the airbrush. But these give you a lovely finish, and are usually mixed for specific models, eg. All the colours for a repsol Honda (oranges and blues). I just order these when im ordering a kit.

As for doing exhausts, and getting the heat staining, there is some alclad colours out for doing this. But I haven’t tried them yet (they are on the shelf waiting for the next bike!!). I shall report when I try them out!

Also get yourself some Microset and Microsol for doing your decals. I couldn’t live without this stuff!
And maybe some Halfords clear Laquer if you want to do a clear coat over the decals.


I usually get my tamiya paints and alclad paints from www.hannants.co.uk


then cut up your credit card!!

one man clappin

Thanks again TD for the reply.
Unfortunately I have tried everywhere to get the TS paint but it is not available yet. I emailed Netmerchants and they told me that they are waiting for paint to arrive from Tamiya for a long while.

I still have a long way to go to max out the credit card, then I will just ring the bank and tell them I cant pay:D

The Doktor

yeah, i think there was some issue with the labels in the TS paint... somthing like it didnt say "dont eat".. and some one ate it.... somthin silly like that.

One place that does have it is Models in motion. However i stopped using them a while ago, after i ordered somthing that showed as in stock on the website. They ignored emails, bull****ted me and were generally very bad. Even though up to then i would have always used them for RC and plastic stuff. Not a good way to treat a customer who has spent thousands with them!!

I have enough TS paint to do all the bikes i have to build. But obviously ill need to find a source for the future!!!

one man clappin

Just to give you an update on the paints TD.
I rang models in motion, they dont have any TS paint left. They hope to have it by the end of the year :eek:
Also X11 and X12 are completely out of stock in this part of the world until the end of the year.

The Doktor

one man clappin wrote: »

Just to give you an update on the paints TD.
I rang models in motion, they dont have any TS paint left. They hope to have it by the end of the year :eek:
Also X11 and X12 are completely out of stock in this part of the world until the end of the year.

Honestly... for now you will get away with out the TS paints.
As for the silver and gold leaf. Im lucky i have a stock of them!! But Just get somthing like the Mr Hobby paints.. or Vallejo... all are good. Infact, I really want to try the Mr Hobby stuff, I hear a lot of good stuff about it.

one man clappin

Found a very good store online for paints and photo etch parts.
http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/
They do not have the Tamiya TS paints but have similar paints mixed for you.

The Doktor

Ive used hiroboy in the past to get stuff, found them good. I must try out their colour match paint.
They are basecoat paints, which means they need laquer to make them shiny. I like that idea, and havent seen that kind of thing for models before. Though it would mean you would need to put on a clear gloss coat before putting on decals.