Icarus's blog: "Hurts to watch."

The following is a guide with commentary on a completed kit for my benefit and notekeeping.
You can read it if you would like, but seriously, its a process list.

You really
really
really
really

need to do a full disassembly on your kit before clear coating.

Moving parts and what is essentially a very wet, very reactive glue

doesn't mix.

Also
hobby knives hurt when they dig straight into your finger.
But I already knew that
and I prefer the term precision knife.

The clear coat does have some perks though.
Like filling up and sealing seams, smoothing nibs
but the problem is
in order to get that benefit of sealant you have to leave the limb whole.
That
glues the damn joints.

Also
seriously don't fuck around with this stuff with joints and sockets
makes your life a bit unliveable.

I'm going to watch some more tutorials... *sigh* in japanese I bet.

The 1/144 is zaku is finished.
And simoultaneously ruined.
Added surface area to sockets and joints have made some of them less reactive, or downright useless and sealed.

What I'm-thinking of doing is labeling each god damn piece somehow (either with an internal mark, or label it per dowel)
and doing a complete disassemble for all custom work

but...
that's kinda stupid because the way this stuff clicks together makes it kinda difficult to pull it apart again, especially the way paint seals the seams

so...

its a question of which comes first

do you paint, cut, paint, assemble?

or do you cut, assemble, disassemble, paint?

No

The smartest thing to do is:
1.) cut (remove from the part sheets)
2.) label and issolate
2a7a subsurface effects
3.) base coat plates (not moving parts and joints)
4.) dry
5.) color
6.) dry
7.) Detail (Line,effect,distress)
8.) clearcoat (could be considered the final step of 7)
9.) Dry
10.) Assemble

I know a lot of modelers do a vanilla assemble and THEN do their custom process, I say
if you want a god damn vanilla assembly
buy 2 kits.
Or look at the fucking box art.

Phase 1

the sheets are categorized by color
not region of the body
so
you'll have hand parts on the same sheet as hips, because its a single piece of molded and cast plastic

When you cut, you have nibbing and edges
get them off!!
This is where the wire cutters and precision knife come in
and maybe
MAYBE some fine sanding... once I figure out a hand tool and a good way to get superfine sandpaper on a q-tip

Phase 2 Issolate
Set aside each piece on a neutral surface issolated and labeled probably by sheet.
2a7a
At this point, before any basecoating has been done, any colored subsurface effects (actual modification of the plastic surface) desired (IE custom paneling, screws, additional divets and countours) should be added PRE basecoat.
/end2a7a
when the surfaces are cut clean and arranged by color you can...

Phase 3
basecoat (or clear coat in my case since I'm not set up for color yet)

this will clean any harsh edges or surface damage and lay the ground work for all additional coloring, this could be applied to joints as well if you are going to change joint color
however
there is NO clearcoating of joints
I want a MOLECULE of color not a big thick glob of clearcoat on moving parts.

Phase 4
Dry
pretty self explanatory. But I think I'll add that I need to rework my drying racks so that now colored surface is toucing ANYTHING, or perhaps assemble a fully working suspension rig for the multi-surface parts that can not be effectively propped.
Also- fans, ventilation, and such, and dealing with excess material on surfaces with perhaps compressed air. (get the globs off) It may be necessary to mask any surfaces that have interlocking parts before clearcoating and adding extra surface

Phase 5
Color- now that the basecoat is dry, apply the desired color and color effect (metallic, iridescent, etc) to the whole piece. All pieces should remain in their designated issolation and label

Phase 6
Dry. ... again, dur.

Phase 7
Detailing, lining, distressing and effect.
This is the part
where things can go from a simple paint job to

oh
I dunno

a clusterfuck, but I'm fairly confident in my process here.
countours and divets gets lined, either by the drip/sponge method or penning
then I'd say decaling

2a7a
Now
if I were going to say
ADD subsurface effects I should've done that before the coat was on
/end2a7a
anything I want in the cracks ABOVE the primary color I can distress and fill at this point.

Phase 8
after any decal or above custom-color effect should then be sealed with clearcoat. This would finalize any inking/lining, dry transfer or even adhesive decals.
And thank god really. Those fuckers are a bitch. You have to place them in a low acid solution, drain, place them on the surface, and clear coat just for them to adhere
but they adhere seamless and virtually surfaceless.
The -problem- with the clearcoat I'm using right now, is that it adds too much surface area to sockets and interlocking parts, this could be an issue with my drying process, my application process, or the product itself. This step will require additional monitoring and adjusts.

Phase 9
Dry.

Phase 10
Assemble.

It's the path with the fewest repeated steps, and fewest trouble shoots like... gummed pieces. If a seam is too thick it can be carved and fit.
I really hope any painting I do comes on very very very god damn thin.

I'm gonna go roast a duck now.