can someone direct me to beginners forum? I am helping my daughter build the HMS TITANIC, I need paint tech help the most.

Hi Dave,
And Welcome to Model Shpwrights, mate!

We really have no "beginners" forum, per se, my friend, we all like to give help and direction where necessary...we have a multitude of skill levels around in these waters, all willing to help when necessary. And you won't find a friendlier bunch of salts around, either!

Tell us a bit more about the project, mate, and yourself as well...what's your modelimng experience, and your daughters?...first ship kit for both of you (if it is, get ready, because ship building is quite addictive! )?

How are you planning on painting the model?...airbrush, rattle-can, brush paint?...trust me Dave, don't be afraid to ask any question at all here, albeit the most simple or most difficult...we LOVE to talk about ships, both large AND small!

Cheers,
~Gunny

I have little experience neither does my 11 year old with model building, this is an intro for me and am preparing to build my own models eventually, letting her do as much on her own as possible, I purchased a new testors mini blue air compressor and a single action aztec airbrush, we carefully washed all parts in a tub of soap water....dried with a hair dryer, I plan on next priming the hull and deck, question is should I assemble hull and airbrush before attaching deck parts......airbrush and handpaint deck before glueing it to hull? how do I suspend the hull to be painted? the model is hms titanic by revell 1/570th scale, using non toxic glue to keep my daughter safe and I am handling all the airbrush painting for now, I am aware of the need for primer and will be using acrylic paint, thanks so much for your help, there is a beginners section I have been useing on aeroscale, did not want to bother anyone with my rudimentary questions in the shiprights forum..thanks for your patience.

No such thing as a rudimentary question here, mate!

We'll take 'em all on, easy and hard...ok, you've got a decent set-up there for your airbrushing, and I can guarantee that you're going to get a few different answers as far as building technique goes...I personally have my methods, which work good for me, but may not work for you, know what I mean...since you're just starting out, it is best to do just what you're doing, and that's asking questions! Do as much reading and research as you can on the subject, and then all that you can do is jump in (and trust me, you WILL make mistakes, but don't get discouraged...it's supposed to be fun! )

My first piece of advice is, study the instruction manual, and understand all of the steps before you attempt any...also, on this point, you may find that certain steps should be "re-arranged" by you, because they make better sense...for instance, there may be deck fittings or other parts of the ship that is instructed by the manufacturer to be attached at a certain step, but need to be delicately hand painted different colors, and would be much better left off from the build until a later time...so, as you're working on step 1, think about step 2, 3, etc, BEFORE you do step 1...as long as you arrive at the end with the same results, ignoring the manufacturers suggested building steps is no big deal (we do it all the time! )

I always build the lower hull (if it is a full hull ship, not a waterline model), and attach the upper hull/deck section before painting...this way any seams and bad fits can be taken care of where they will be the most noticeable...you can fill these seams with various putty's and seam fillers, or sand and dry fit until you achieve success...then I will prime the entire assembly with a light coat of the ship's base color (usually some shade of gray).

Then I mask off the upper deck well, and shoot the lower deck colors (as far as suspending the assembly, an old shoe box works fine for me...I just turn the assembly upside down, and let it rest on the upper hull/deck section). For the upper half, I use the kit's supplied stand to rest it on.

When I'm satisfied with this finish, then i proceed to the upper half...if there is a "boot top", or a division stripe between your two hull colors, you need top mask off both top and bottom at this point, and shoot this part (and use a good, modelers grade masking tape...Tamiya is the best)...
After the paint is cured, I'll then mask the bottom section, and shoot the upper hull color.
Most of the time, I hand paint the deck color on...all deck fittings, and super-structures are built away from the main ship assembly, painted, and then attached to the main ship.

When it's complete, I'll seal the entire ship with a couple light coats of a clear matte sealer, and display...always take your time when you're building, and enjoy the process...some ship kits can take a loooong time to build (I've spent years on some models), so have fun with it...this way both you AND your daughter will be opening up the door for many mnore pleasurable ship model builds!

Hope that I was able to help you some, mate, and please, don't be afraid to ask any questions here...and keep us posted of your progress, as well...do you have a digital camera? If so, you can start your own BLOG (build log) here at the site, and post photo's of your build to follow along with the success (and problems ) along the way!

Here's a nice build of the model that you're working on:
Titanic

Good luck!
Gunny