F/R, Enamels bond to plastics by eating into them and chemically bonding to them. They dissolve the top layer of plastic and bond with it at the molecular level. That weakens the plastic. If the plastic is thin enough already, it'll go right through it. ABS is more tolerant of it, but other plastics are not, particularly styrene.

 

Dude, your trying to convince the guy who makes customs better then God made humans. Thats just a clever quip I whipped up, not a proclaimed belief in God :P. Anyways, listen to what F_R says. He can't steer you wrong. I used the guides on his website to make a few of my customs (testors enamel paints, magnet joints, etc).

 

Thanks for the support Breaker. Glad my tutorials help you out. I have a "revamp" for my site coming soon, which will go into great depth different processes/technique in customs.

 

Hey looking forward to it. I've been checking periodically for more tutorials.

 

F/R, Enamels bond to plastics by eating into them and chemically bonding to them. They dissolve the top layer of plastic and bond with it at the molecular level. That weakens the plastic. If the plastic is thin enough already, it'll go right through it. ABS is more tolerant of it, but other plastics are not, particularly styrene.

 

Dude, your trying to convince the guy who makes customs better then God made humans. Thats just a clever quip I whipped up, not a proclaimed belief in God :P. Anyways, listen to what F_R says. He can't steer you wrong. I used the guides on his website to make a few of my customs (testors enamel paints, magnet joints, etc).

I have to disagree with you on that. He's a good repainter, but I know several other kitbashers who are a lot better.

 

Have you ever seen his work!? Go to his site, look up Defensor, Autobot X, Omega Supreme and tell me F_R doesn't have the shit to make you squeal like a fanboy freak.

F/R, Enamels bond to plastics by eating into them and chemically bonding to them. They dissolve the top layer of plastic and bond with it at the molecular level. That weakens the plastic. If the plastic is thin enough already, it'll go right through it. ABS is more tolerant of it, but other plastics are not, particularly styrene.

 

Dude, your trying to convince the guy who makes customs better then God made humans. Thats just a clever quip I whipped up, not a proclaimed belief in God :P. Anyways, listen to what F_R says. He can't steer you wrong. I used the guides on his website to make a few of my customs (testors enamel paints, magnet joints, etc).

I have to disagree with you on that. He's a good repainter, but I know several other kitbashers who I think are a lot better.

 

fixed.

You (again) don't know what you're talking about, yet apparently think you do. Yeah, some guys scratch-build more often than me, but for my 1st year (not even yet) cranking out all the customs I have, c'mon Tramp...lol - get a clue and stop sounding jealous.

No, not I "think are better than you F/R, that are better. Being "prolific" doesn't make you the best. There are a lot of kitbashers who are significantly better more skilled, and far more experienced, and I can name several of them. That's not opinion, that's hard fact.

I'll add some advise, with an exception of his initial advice, ignore Tramp. He's the type that if you say something against his mindset, he'll end up bringing a good topic down with constant back & forth, on points neither side is usually willing to back down on.

 

ETA: See? :roll

No, not I "think are better than you F/R, that are better. Being "prolific" doesn't make you the best. There are a lot of kitbashers who are significantly better more skilled, and far more experienced, and I can name several of them. That's not opinion, that's hard fact.

 

I never stated I was better than anyone, where you went and spun off into that direction, no one knows...

It's not about me being more productive. I should take the advice and just leave your comments where they belong (your world maybe) ...But you don't seem to understand the definition of opinion. Especially coming from a guy like you, as little as I know, seem to think your opinion is a "fact" ....you started off saying "enamels eat plastic" which is already stupid.. then come back saying it's fact there are "a lot of kitbashers who are significantly better more skilled, and far more experienced"

 

I will bet anything that these people you think are "better than anyone else" would be the first to disagree with your statement. Experience doesn't mean shit (although I have more than 25 years experience bashing, and have done more customs in the past year than the next 2 you can name)

 

I think your customs look like ass. Do I state that as "hard fact" of course not, because I know the definition of opinion. Read up buddy.

F/R, Enamels can and do eat certain plastics. This is hard fact, and has been evidenced by several people, as well as by professional movie model makers with decades of experience working in the industry who swear against enamels. There are a number of kitbashers on the various boards who have said that they have had enamels destroy their models. My instructor in Movie Miniature Model Making back at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, many years ago, who was himself a professional movie model maker with over 30 years of professional experience, specifically warned against the potential damage enamels can and do cause. Enamels contain harsh petroleum based solvents which dissolve plastics. It is those solvents in which the pigments are suspended. The solvents that make up the thinners are even more concentrated and damaging to the plastics. Enamels bond to ABS and Styrene based plastics by breaking down the top layers of plastic and bonding to them chemically. That is how the enamels cure. Acrylics don't do that. Acrylic paint is itself plastic. That is what acrylic is. It's a type of plastic. It's water-based, which means no harsh solvents which can even potentially damage the underlying plastics. It can be applied to any type of plastic and cure fully, even urethane, vinyl, rubber, etc. The paint hardens on the surface of whatever it is applied to creating a shell of acrylic on top of it without any risk of damage to the underlying plastic. It doesn't use harsh solvents to dissolve the top layers and chemically bond to it. It dries very quickly, And, if it's allowed to cure fully for a few days to a week or so, becomes very hard, durable, and chip resistant.

 

ABS, which is what Transformers are primarily made from, is more resistant to the damaging effects of enamel solvents because it is a very durable plastic to begin with. polystyrene, which is what most model kits are made from, and what is the primary type of plastic most kitbashers and scratch-builders use, is not as durable and is thus far more susceptible. Styrofoam is aerated polystyrene plastic. IF you applied enamel to that, or, even worse, thinner to it, it would melt completely into goo. I've seen it happen. The only difference between polystyrene foam and sheet polystyrene is that the foam is made up of small aerated beads whereas the sheet styrene is a solid sheet of non-aerated plastic. Thus the molecules are bound more closely together and is thus more dense than the foam. That makes it a bit more resistant, but it is still damaged and weakened by the solvents in the enamels, and if enough is used on the plastic, it will still break down.

 

You may swear by enamels all you want, but every time you use them, you run the risk of irreversibly damaging or destroying a model. Acrylics don't have that risk. That is why they are used exclusively in the movie industry and even by toy companies. You'll notice, Hasbro does not use enamels on their toys. Their paint is acrylic based.

 

You do good work, I don't dispute that, but there are others who are better. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better.

Well, you could send your teacher my contact info, perhaps he'd benefit from some of my tutorials? It seems He should be in school himself to be honest...

 

I've used acrylics many time, and enamels many times. These "potentials" you've "heard about" haven't cause a problem for any of my customs. You can write books about how "bad" enamels are, but the bottom line, is they continually provide my customs with better results than acrylics.

 

I've painted TF figures from EVERY series and line with enamels... and haven't had a problem.

I've painted styrene, PVC (sintra), and rubber with enamesl... and have no problems there either.

 

You do realize that for many many years, the only "hobby paint" WAS enamel, right?

Well, you could send your teacher my contact info, perhaps he'd benefit from some of my tutorials? It seems He should be in school himself to be honest...

 

I've used acrylics many time, and enamels many times. These "potentials" you've "heard about" haven't cause a problem for any of my customs. You can write books about how "bad" enamels are, but the bottom line, is they continually provide my customs with better results than acrylics.

 

I've painted TF figures from EVERY series and line with enamels... and haven't had a problem.

I've painted styrene, PVC (sintra), and rubber with enamesl... and have no problems there either.

 

You do realize that for many many years, the only "hobby paint" WAS enamel, right?

You've been lucky, and you probably prime your models first. Am I correct in this last part? If so, then the enamels are bonding to the primer instead of the underlying plastic thus protecting the plastic. And yes, I know that for a long time Enamels may have been the only game in town. A lot of ruined models followed. I used to build model cars and such as a kid, just as most kids did growing up. We had enamels in the house too, and I have used them much to the detriment of the models. They didn't survive very long before breaking. And me and my brother even used them on rubberized plastics, and, guess what, enamels don't cure on rubber or vinyl. It remains tacky and gooey. Enamels can't bond to urethan, vinyl, rubber or similar plastics. The only thing enamels are good for is metal like Hot Wheels cars, and even then, acrylics do a better job.

 

I have used acrylics exclusively for over 13 years to wonderful effect. I have had very few incidents of chipping after the paint has had ample opportunity to cure fully. I've never had to prime a model or figure (I used to customize Star Wars figures as well) and have not had any problems with acrylics not curing fully or anything. Acrylics win hands-down.

 

For whatever reason, you may not have had any incidents, but several other people have and have gone on record at the old Transtopia, Seibertron, here, and other boards, about them. You may like the short term results, but since you don't keep you customs, you don't know the long-term effects. There is a reason why more and more model builders are foregoing enamels in favor of acrylics. Acrylics are better for the plastics, are easier to clean up after, and work on more types of plastics than enamels can.

you really don't know what you're talking about, do you?

Actually, I know exactly what I am talking about.