Modelmaking Support

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FUTURE MENU OPTIONS:

• Model Type Guide
• 2D to 3D tips and tricks
• Guide to ADBE materials and equipment
• Working with plastics (including 3D prints)

Order of finishing a generic plastic model is:

1. Sand down unwanted positive texture
2. Degrease
3. Fill unwanted negative areas (dinks, voids, spaces between layer lines, etc) with a suitable filler
4. Lightly sand filled areas until smooth
5. Degrease
6. Spray thin coat of primer
7. Check surface for imperfections, repeat above stages as many times as necassary
8. Glue any primed components together that share the same colour / finish
9. Spray multiple thin coats of coloured spray paint (lighter shade if doing multiple colours)
10. Optional stage of masking off areas to spray a different colour / finish
11. Optional stage of spraying second, third, fourth colour etc
12. Optional stage of spraying matte/satin/gloss lacquer (clear coat) if different parts requitre different finishes
13. Glue seperately-painted components together (without getting glue on painted surfaces!)
14. Spray any combined pieces with final lacquer (clear coat) if not sprayed seperately earlier

Yes it seems like a long process - that's because it is! Expect to be going back and forth between these various steps multiple times before achieving the finish you are happy with. Expect to be: sanding for hours, waiting for batches of filler to dry/cure over several hours, waiting for coats of spray paint to fully dry, sanding back spraying mistakes like dry-spray/over-spray, putting aside time to meticulously mask areas off to protect alread-painted areas etc etc.

People ALWAYS underestimate how long this important set of tasks takes - they leave the finishing of their models to the last week and are horrified when they're not finished in a day, getting more and more stressed right up until their deadline or final show, often taking short-cuts and ending up with a result that really doesn't do their design/idea justice. Please evaluate your model as early as possible and try and predict which parts might be the trickiest to make/paint/finish so these can be started early and technician-guidance can be utilised.

Introduction to modelmaking, general tips and tricks:

This video covers many aspects of modelmaking that you may find useful. Please be aware that some methods/tips in this video are for people who do not have access to certain pieces of equipment. As product design students at NTU, you have access to the following things, rendering some work-arounds in this video unnecessary: fully extracted spray booth, strip heaters and formers for thermoplastic bending/shaping, safe and efficient steam-bending equipment (leave your kettle at home!), a range of wooden rasps and files (available from the workshop tool store),.

3D Print Finishing: GLOW UP session - full process graphic:

Below is a flowchart-style reminder of the process for successfully turning a raw 3D printed part into an object that looks good enough to be part of a final presentation model or working prototype. (Remember that this level of finishing is not required/not unnecessary for early-stage making such as sketch modelling and design development models). HIGHER QUALITY VERSION OF GRAPHIC AVAILABLE HERE

Card modelmaking series (for early sketch modelling):

Acrylic modelmaking - full series (ignore 4th video)