A couple of questions for the experts

[adin]

Hiya,

Two things have been bugging me since I started my Tamiya build.

1, I'm guessing that you varnish or protect your beasties in some way after you've finished painting them. After I've finished I am off down the  park to show mine off for sure. So what do you guys reccomend?

2, Any tips for running in the engines/gearboxes ? I read somewhere to use toothpaste on the gearboxes, how do I go about it? and how do I clean it off afterwards?

Many thanks in advance

Adin

[fleshpedler]

Hi Adin
Please do not use toothpaste it will act like a grinding paste and you will require a new gearbox
very soon!
As too running in motors up you, i do not personally do it, and please take care if you are going to gloss
your paint job that it does not silver on you because thats hell !!!!!
I have not glossed any of my tanks and they stood up to the battles the other week.
Pete..............................

[Rocketman]

Hi Adin

Cant comment about gearboxes, I just liberally soak in wd40 and they have always run fine. As for Varnish yes this is an absolute must. If you dont your carefully worked on paint job will be stained in minutes in the rain. I currently use the Humbrol varnish but you have to be veryvery careful with it.

1) It must be a dry windless day
2) Spray out of direct sunshine
3) shake the cans for a minimum of five minutes
4) Ultra light mist coats to be applied. If your model look wet when you spray your in trouble.
5) 2 misting coats will suffice, any more and you get a whiting effect

All my kits are done in this and they have been in rain and snow with no water staining whatsoever.

Hope this helps

Rckt

[fv432]

I use Johnsons Klear on my tanks

[tankman]

Hi Adin a tip I picked up while modeling plastic kits was to add varnish to the paint mix before spraying. If you have already painted yours you will have to go down the road of laying down light dust coats over the finished model. As for running in gear boxes I do use grity toothpase and using a como drill transformer run them for about 2 hrs  1 hour forward 1 hour backward adding toothpaste when needed. Just make sure you try and keep it on the gear wheels  NOT on the shafts. After the 2 hrs you have to strip the gearboxes right down and wash everything in warm water then dry everything fully. Then it's put it all back together whilst greasing bushes, shafts and gearwheels with a plastic safe grease of your choice. Hope this helpes, all the best for now
Alan

[oz]

the best varnish i know of is ronseal  outdoor or indoor clear Matt varnish, it comes in acrylic and enamel based types and it goes dead flat i did my tiger with it and also most of my other models  without any problems at all..........

[[ICE]monkey]

i give mine a few good coat of johnsons klear floor polish , then a top coat of acrylic matt varnish, as to gearboxs on the h/l  i use valve lapping paste , run both ways for a hour on a battery drill, then i strip the boxs and use a degreaser , then reasemble, then give them a good coat of lithium grease,

[adin]

Cheers guys - food for thought there for sure.

Hmm I shall have to look into this some more 

[Norse]

Cheers guys - food for thought there for sure.

Hmm I shall have to look into this some more 

i will also have to look into this when im finished building The Bridge and after ive fitted elmod into my tiger

[adin]

So if you are using clear floor polish, how do you apply it? 

Just wondering