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Any tips for building Pheonix metal kits?


WyckedWood

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My Mom bought the metal 40s metro gas cooker kit for my bday which Im really excited to have (thank you new england miniatures:-) and Im wanting to start building it this weekend. Any tips? Is it ok to use acrylic paint with these? Id like mine a minty green color and Im spray paint challenged.

Also, the kit says to use epoxy cement? Whats the best brand of that to use, or is there another glue anyone would recommend?

post-185-0-17201000-1345312683_thumb.jpg

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Yes, get yourself a good standing magnifying glass, some fine paintbrushes, some model paints for any "metal" colored parts (that works better than acrylics) and a good epoxy for metal. I've done tons of these kits and the key to a successful kit is to work carefully, put on thin coats of paint, and finish it off with a good gloss finish once it's completed.

You will need the magnifying glass to do a lot of the painting and extremely fine brushes for small parts.

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Thanks Sally. So do you recommend painting the parts before assembly or after? I'm looking for a brand name on the glue cause I don't even know what epoxy cement is.. Is it just the regular 2 part epoxy that you mix together?

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I would think E6000 would work well to assemble the white metal. I haven't made up metal miniature kits in so long I forget what I used that was good. I would give the pieces a very light spritz of flat gray spray primer and they painted up beautifully with acrylics.

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If you don't have a standing magnifier, Harbor Freight Tools has an inexpensive one with extra "hands" (see link). They also carry an inexpensive magnifier you can wear (see second link). I use both of these. My daughter says I look like a "dork" with the head strap on, but the lights are helpful and being hands free is great. I know other places carry these, but HFT is inexpensive and has a lot of other great little tools.

http://www.harborfreight.com/helping-hands-319.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/magnifier-head-strap-with-lights-38896.html

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I have painted them with acrylic paint to good effect. Can't remember what glue I used. I painted after assembly, so that I wouldn't have to worry about the paint changing the way the pieces fit together.

They have such beautiful detail, don't they?

:)

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Thank you all very much for the advice and tips...Im holding off on this until I can gather a few of these supplies. Thanks again:-) Also if anyone knows of any pictures of this particular stove in the gallery or elsewhere Id love to see one that has been built and painted.

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I built a similar style stove from scraps of foamcore, craft sticks, empty disposable razorblade packet, old wristwatch parts and cocktail pick handles; it' in my sec tion of the Team Westville building blog.

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If you wear eyeglasses HF also carries an inexpensive jeweler's loupe that clips to the earpiece of your glasses; I wear one for such detailed painting, as well as mini needlework.

I'll have to look for that...it sounds excellent for small work!

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