About ready to pack it in. Somehow, I will persevere.

We have all been there, believe me.

Even having been active in the hobby for more decades than I care to enumerate, my capacity for sometimes blithering mistakes had remained relatively constant. 'Equipment failures' (i.e., almost always operator errors), moments of inattention or wandering concentration -- and sometimes simple impatience -- all get their licks in. [The last one was a small...but surprisingly critical...step in the kit instructions that I simply managed to overlook. ("Instructions??? I'm an old hand at this. I don't need any instructions....")]

But you've already figured out the answer. Try to learn from your mistakes (and...for those of us who are aging...try to remember what you learned that way), take a deep breath...and remember that this is supposed to be FUN. As my dad was fond of saying..."It beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."

Also hope you get your AB problems sorted!

Cheers.

(Also...my first automotive love was a 'Plum Crazy' '71 426 'Cuda. So I love your project, even before I've seen it! )

Every build is a learning experience, some more so than others. And like Greg said above, I've been been building non stop for decades. Some builds have more to teach than others. Introducing new glues, paints, tools, techniques, etc. into the mix alters the formula, and until each new addition is mastered or discarded, there is the learning curve for each item. Even such "non modeling" things beyond your control like relative humidity will have its own teaching moments in the hobby. 
Assess your last build for what you have done well, what needs improvement, and incorporate lessons learned, good and bad, into the next build. And don't forget to enjoy the time spent on the builds, even if they do tend to be anything but relaxing at the time of effort. In time, you will see a progression of improved results.

mightypudge

I have been working on my first model for several weeks, a Revell '71 Hemi Cuda. I've hit my share of bumps in the road and I just need to vent for a hot minute...

Welcome to the Shelf of Doom!

I have at least a dozen builds that I started over the past 10, 12, 15 years, that all got stuck for one reason or another-usually a technical issue, but sometimes, just a loss of interest.  Those each got laid aside as I picked up something I really wanted to work on, at the time.

We all hit this, in one way or another, and to greater or lesser degrees.

Sometimes it's a good idea to put down the build that's giving you....fits (pun) and pick up something else, finish that, and come back to the first build.  Do something else for a while, and eventually, usually, you get the urge to come back to it.

I pick up a build from the SoD occasionally, resume it, and finish it, too.

Okay!

  I was beginning to think I was the only one on that Bus! The RIO(Papermodel ) and some othet stuff like planes and such. I got stuck on Atlantis's release of the 57 Caddy Eldorado Brougham. It's an old Revell Repop-Repopped in a different color with some fit issues fixed!

 The Dakota Red is so beautiful for this car I am determined NOT to paint the body. Problem though. This has to be the hardest plastic I have EVER tried to polish out! But, it is slowly working. I am determined to make this work! I read all day every other day and that clears my mind. 

    The Caddy is almost looking like it came that way. Many nights just polishing while I watch T.V.and Read and occassionally get up for coffee. I put my Kindle in it's stand Read and polish. I guess you could call it" Mindless Model Polishing.". Now I have to see what's on the shelf to restart, because when the Caddy is shiny enough I go back to Paper!

I'm 80 and have been building all types of models for 74 of those years (and hopefully many more). As you can see from all the above posts, the main theme here is "Don't give up". Learn from your mistakes. The road gets easier (somewhat) but now you have an advantage that you didn't have before. You have these forums to help you anytime you have a question/problem. We've been there done that. Check out the different sections in the forums and you will see that every type of problem has a place to go for answers. The particular problem you stated above can be posted in the Auto section and the Painting section also. Help is available. 

Almost forgot (remember I'm 80). Getting older starts giving you problems too. They sometimes can't be fixed but sometimes the members here have found ways to help make things easier while building. When that happens, just ask and help is there.

Good luck.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

Oh yeah, it's not a nice feeling... I think small children have it easier when they are just experimenting around and maybe not caring THAT much about the end outcome... Sometimes it helps a lot just to take the pressure down a little...

Maybe it would help you to buy another 'Cuda... This way you would already know where the pitfalls are - plus you would have a lot of spare parts in case in case something goes wrong - and a test mule to help with paint practice and so on...

I'd also like to offer some pointers - maybe they would help you some...

- that headlight panel.. - sounds like you need to do more "dry fitting" before you glue... And try finding your way to filling seams - my favourites are super glue and "dissolved sprue", but everybody's got their favourites

- cordless airbrush? Sounds funny - but if it can spray water and thinner, then it definitely can spray "dirty water" and "dirty thinner" - I mean you really have to thin your paints a lot for spray painting. And when you break out a "real" airbrush it's good to practice with water soluble paint on paper - this way you can't really break anything... Then switch to model paint on paper and then model paint on some plastic.

- painting parts on sprue is not such a good idea as it might seem... You need to cut those babies out to clean them up. Sometimes it's quite a good idea to glue them where they belong. And if you want to paint them separately put them on holders - wires, toothpicks, popsicle sticks - stuff like that. My favourite is to use masking tape rolled with the sticky side out to fix parts to the holders.

Hope those will help you - good luck with your build and please post some pictures!

Have a nice day

Paweł

That was the first kit I build when I got back into the hobby 15 years ago. Painted mine sublime lime.

Treat this one a a mulligan.

Every build is a learning experience, so if you get another 'cuda' you will know how not to make the same mistrakes, but you will maker other 'learning opportunities' 

In my experience painting planes & cars with a gloss finish is the hardest painting technique for me, your milage may vary.

Now you have a MULE, a target to practice on. Watch [only] a couple of YouTube videos on basics of painting cars.

Read and ask specific questions in the appropriate cars/painting forums.

Get comfortable with spraying food colouring or water soluable inks, use kids colouring-in books to practice in.

Get comfortable with cleaning the airbrush.

Clamp/mount your mule on a block so you can handle/move it without touching it.

Get some Badger StyNylRes, or MIG one-Shot, (is the same).

Shake it like you are at the disco & don't thin, you need a higher pressure than usual for eg acrylics to spray primer.

The gloss black, sands/pinks are easiest to spray, then the darker greys, with the pale grey and white are thickest. 

Once you are comfortable with the above steps:

There are dozens of paint brands, so it depends on what you can get local to you.

To start with, always use the branded thinner for the paint.

There are those that say use Dollar/Hardware store slosh paint around and to thin & clean with.

These can save you a few dollars at the cost of buying a (modelling) lifetime supply and introducing a huge heap of other variables, keep it simple to start with, (as in: anthing with a hint of alcohol/IPA in it will turn Vallejo into instant rubber goo!)

Get some Tamiya Gloss acrylic or lacquer in your colour choice.

Stir very well.

Transfer enough into a seperate lidded container, 35mm film can, graduated measure cup, etc.

Thin the Tamiya acrylic or lacquer paint with Tamiya Pink Top LACQUER thinner, add  25% ratio (3 drops paint, 1 drop thinner) stir & drip, add a few drops of thinner, untill you are happy with how it flows.

Tamiya likes 25%-35% thinner depending on the paint, humidity, heat, time of day, how much hurry you are in, if SWIMBO has got a 'honey-do' list on the go...

Other paints have slightly different ratios.

Let Us Spray.

If you don't like you spray job, dump the whole thing in IPA or appropriate, strip back, clean up & start again.

If the above sounds like a lot, it is only small steps, & practice takes time, Sadly skill & experience isn't included in the box!

Well mightypudge, as the others have said, we've all been there. Back in the eighties I considered myself a 'gun' modeler. Was mostly out of the hobby for a few years and a year or so got back into it. Naturally I expected to turn out top models first time back, after all, I knew all about building/painting models didn't I? Wrong, wrong, wrong....... I've had to learn a lot of basic stuff all over again. Lots of frustration, lots of mistakes. Hang in there mate, we're all with you.

Cheers, Ferg

I remember a few years back when I came into enough money to finally buy a decent airbrush and compressor set.  IWATA ECLIPSE series gravity feed and siphon feed brushes, and a sparmax compressor.  Yep i went all out and spent about 700 bucks for comp and brushes.  I was scared to death to use them and they sat in my hobby box for months afterwards.  But once I picked them up and started practicing with them I would never go back. Start by painting some FREE water bottles and learn the technic that works best for you.

As far as mixing ratios go : Im not an expert but

FOR TESTORS enamel I use 50/50 and spray at about 9P.S.I.

For TAMIYA 35% works great for me same P.S.I.

For Vallejo: Steer clear if you are a begginer. These paints require a good primer coat,  almost perfect mixing ratios, and airbrush enhancers To prevent constant clogging of your brush and after you learn that,  there is the LOTS of drying time.  They are wonderful paints to use,  once you learn to use paint, and I use Vallejo paints Alot more now than I used too. I spray acylic paint at around 22 P.S.I. This helps (a little) to prevent cloggig my nozzle

As for brush painting I have learned from years of advce from reading modeling forums that brush painting is 30 percent skill and 70percent the brush you are using. Do some research on the forums and shop around hobby lobby for a nice brush that will suit your needs. Certian brushes will level paint easer than others Brushes. If you buy a six back of brushes for 10 bucks you will get poor results. everytime

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone. Certainly glad to know we've all been there. 

I did wind up getting another 'cuda model. Some day down the road a bit I am going to take another stab at it and see how it compares to my first. 

Just want to say if this is the hobby you enjoy then go with it, nobody here is the ultimate artist if you build a kit and are happy with it than there you go I have built dozens of kits that I am really proud of but woudnt win any model compititions. so what I smile as I look at my display. Thats all that counts for me

Pawel

- painting parts on sprue is not such a good idea as it might seem... You need to cut those babies out to clean them up. Sometimes it's quite a good idea to glue them where they belong. And if you want to paint them separately put them on holders - wires, toothpicks, popsicle sticks - stuff like that. My favourite is to use masking tape rolled with the sticky side out to fix parts to the holders.

Definitely agree with this.  I like to clean all the flash, parting lines, and pin marks from each part before painting.  For small parts, I use toothpicks and stick the parts to them with a little dab from a hot glue gun.  Then I just jab the pointy end of the toothpick into the edge of a cheap roll of masking tape...it acts kind of like a dart board.  Then you can take the parts one by one, off the roll of masking tape to paint them while holding the toothpick...then put the toothpick right back in the roll of tape to let the painted part dry.  Also found that attaching "larger" parts such as cockpit buckets and ejection seats to a brass bar using double-back mounting tape and putting that bar in a vise gives me a good, stable platform to hold the part while I detail it.  That lets me use my free hand to steady the hand with the paintbrush.

This is definitely a thinking man's hobby.

Each kit needs to be treated uniquely.

Thinking ahead is your best tool.

Eaglecash867

 

 

 

Pawel

- painting parts on sprue is not such a good idea as it might seem... You need to cut those babies out to clean them up. Sometimes it's quite a good idea to glue them where they belong. And if you want to paint them separately put them on holders - wires, toothpicks, popsicle sticks - stuff like that. My favourite is to use masking tape rolled with the sticky side out to fix parts to the holders.

 

 

Definitely agree with this.  I like to clean all the flash, parting lines, and pin marks from each part before painting.  For small parts, I use toothpicks and stick the parts to them with a little dab from a hot glue gun.  Then I just jab the pointy end of the toothpick into the edge of a cheap roll of masking tape...it acts kind of like a dart board.  Then you can take the parts one by one, off the roll of masking tape to paint them while holding the toothpick...then put the toothpick right back in the roll of tape to let the painted part dry.  Also found that attaching "larger" parts such as cockpit buckets and ejection seats to a brass bar using double-back mounting tape and putting that bar in a vise gives me a good, stable platform to hold the part while I detail it.  That lets me use my free hand to steady the hand with the paintbrush.

 

I find newer kits have really small sprue attachments that are easy to clean up.  I paint small parts on the sprue, especially when they are one of the main colors.  It can be a lot easier to hold small parts for painting by holding the sprue. Holding small parts like 1:72 wheels or guns can be awkward.  A little paint touchup with a small brush after mounted is pretty easy.

Whether to paint parts on the sprues or not isn't carved in stone, but it really depends on the situation.  Sometimes it's an advantage to do it, sometimes you could make more work for yourself.  So I wouldn't express it as an absolute, "I always/never do it".

the Baron

Whether to paint parts on the sprues or not isn't carved in stone, but it really depends on the situation.  Sometimes it's an advantage to do it, sometimes you could make more work for yourself.  So I wouldn't express it as an absolute, "I always/never do it".

Yup.  Its all a matter of personal preference and how it fits into your building style.  For me though, I will express it as an absolute...I never paint parts on the sprue. 

Eaglecash867

 

the Baron

Whether to paint parts on the sprues or not isn't carved in stone, but it really depends on the situation.  Sometimes it's an advantage to do it, sometimes you could make more work for yourself.  So I wouldn't express it as an absolute, "I always/never do it".

 

Yup.  Its all a matter of personal preference and how it fits into your building style.  For me though, I will express it as an absolute...I never paint parts on the sprue. 

 

There was an earlier comment that stated it's not a good idea.  That's what I mean when I say I wouldn't say it's an absolute.  There is no right or wrong here.  Each of us has his own preference.

Hello!

Sorry to return to this - I wrote: "...not such a good idea as it might seem...". It's widely recommended, even in some instructions, but there are IMO better ways to do it. If somebody wants to paint parts on the sprue, who am I to forbid it?

Good luck with your painting and have a nice day

Paweł

Yes, there are often multiple ways to arrive at the same destination. For some small parts, I often like to do mold seam clean up with needle files, while the part is still on the sprue. The part is often much easier to manipulate that way. Certainly more so than with my fingers alone, or parts launching tweezers. After the clean up, paining can easily be done as well, and for the same reasons. It's then a simple quick matter to clean up and touch final sprue attachment points afterwards.