Model hygiene

[GrahamB]

Hi,

in the course of doing the Roland (and previous models) I seem to be constantly battling dust and debris. This time I noticed that my bottle of Micro Sol was contaminated with dust/microfibres etc that must have come off brushes - apparently clean and dry - that are dipped in. Similarly with Kleer.

I use a soft Tamiya cleaning brush (good for eliminating static) and try and keep the bench top and the 'linoleum' floor of my man-cave clean.

What techniques or procedures do other's here use to combat the menace of dust/fibres getting onto the model, especially when airbrushing and decal-ing?

Cheers,

GrahamB

[uncletony]

I don't really seem to have the problems you are encountering, or maybe I am just not that obsessive about micro particles. In general --

1) always clean brush before dipping into bottle / pot etc
2) always cap containers while working
2) filtered spray booth with exhaust to outside
3) windows closed while working with stuff that could be contaminated
4) I keep a bottle of compressed air with a small nozzle to clear dust while drilling etc
5) I am not a fan of using a hair dryer for anything near my workbench as it tends to kick so much dust up, even when things seem very clean

[Modelnut]

We have cats. One is my little modelling assistant. I have given up on trying to eliminate hair and dust.

[ALBATROS1234]

i have tryed some of the above suggestions but i always seem to get little sqiggly fibres as you put it and debris. my solution is to fix em post. of course if i notice and i can i brush off the lint or whatever. what i do is when im done i usually do a few coats of dullcoat. when that dries i use fine sanding sticks to sand out granules and fluff. finally i hit it with a final mist of matt clear. done deal.

[GrahamB]

Hi,

yes it's a matter of better organisation on my part too. I need to de-clutter my bench top and I'll start to segregate my paint brushes by use - decals, Kleer, detail painting, and dry-brushing pigment powders. I've just found an alternative to the paint-mixing vessels I've been using for years (old Aztec color cups - difficult to clean) - little push-in plastic closures for sample vials. These are plain and smooth inside and easy to clean; just large enough for routine jobs.

A spray booth would be nice but I'd have to reorganize my space (and the cost!). Wearing woolen sweaters is probably a no-no too.

Yep, Albatros1234,   I also spend quite a bit of time looking at the fibres etc that get attached and can often remove them with point of a cocktail stick or scalpel tip - sometimes having to touch up after. Best to catch them before any final clear coats!

Things can get better but it's never going to be perfect.

Cheers,

GrahamB

[Buccaneer]

I saw someone on Youtube a few days ago saying they sprayed a fine mist of water in their paint booth before they started to work, and that seemed to settle most of the particulates out of the air.

But...they were using a paint booth, of course.

[OEFFAG 153]

I saw someone on Youtube a few days ago saying they sprayed a fine mist of water in their paint booth before they started to work, and that seemed to settle most of the particulates out of the air.

But...they were using a paint booth, of course.

I do this when I'm about to spray any top-coats. Seems to work OK – I use a water spray bottle for potted plants. I also try to change the protective underlay when I'm about to do top finishes...

Mikael