Halcyon Nostromo

lucavigg

lucavigg

New Member
Just acquired a built, badly painted Nostromo model and I need to remove the paint, fill some seams and start again.
I started removing the paint with X20A thinner but then it occurred I might be damaging the soft vinyl underneath.

Any thoughts? Anyone done this before? Also would welcome any source for colors once I start repainting.

Thanks
 

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OMG! like a bad penny this kit keeps popping up!

I was asked when it came out to build one for the LHS and finally gave up!

As for paint stripping, I use easy off oven cleaner for everything and have not yet had a problem!.......Back in the day these kits/material was popular I stripped paint off Iron man and the Creature from the black lagoon and it worked pretty good and didn't mess up the vinyl.
 
Hi Sithman66

It's worse than I thought. The black paint used for the engine inlets looks like some kind of lacquer that just smears when I try to use thinner on it. Also, there isn't a single surface made from the soft vinyl that isn't concave or convex, bowed, misshapen or with really bad seams. It's a shame cos it could've been a really good model. Most of the parts are glued with super glue that is so brittle that it just comes away, so I can take most of the thing apart. So now I'm thinking to take it all apart and try and correct some of the mis-shaped surfaces.

I'd heard of Easy Off before but I don't think it's available in the UK. I'll have a look for an equivalent. I wonder if any small model companies are doing low volume alternatives to this model, made from a decent material?

Luca
 
Here's another kit for Moebius. I mean, since they're in a wonderfully retro mood these days. Best of luck, Luca.
 
"Easy Off" is an aerosol (spray can) oven cleaner. You can probably find something like it over there. I'll warn you that products like that are extremely caustic, and can give you chemical burns and damage wood & other materials, so wear gloves, be careful and (ideally) use it outside.

If you do feel like rebuilding it, you may be able to build some internal 'bulkheads' to force the warped parts back into shape. You can soften the vinyl somewhat with warm water, that may help you get it apart and un-warp it.

On the plus side, since the Propstore of London had the real one restored a few years ago, we have excellent references now.

Good luck :)


-MJ
 
Thanks Mike. I hadn't thought of warm water to make the vinyl more flexible. Excellent idea.
I've managed to get the two main engine pods off with very little fuss. I now need to get inside these pieces to reinforce the misshapen panels.

I recall using Dettol, which is a disinfectant, to remove paint on a styrene kit a while ago. The smell was terrible but it did the job. Vinyl is not something I've had much experience with.

Cheers

Luca
 
Vinyl is pretty forgiving, you can pretty much throw anything at it. The only problems I've experienced are when leaving it soaking for a day plus in some strong solvents which tend to make it go a bit soft, but it usually "dries out" again fine. Never had it actually dissolve.
 
Thanks Antsnest, I have removed the vector plates around the two main engines. I may try one of those in Dettol to see how it copes.

If there is a God, he or she should have made a large Nostromo kit available by now.

Luca
 
If you want to correct the shapes that are deformed, just use a hairdryer! Heat up the part, and push it back to shape, then run it under cold water until it firms up. You may have to repeat it a few times but this method works great!
 
I have one i'm repainting atm,depending on what it was originally painted,try methylated spirits(ethanol) for acrylic paints, if enamels, use the oven cleaner, the shape can be kept true if you use balsa wood blocks to fill the interior of the parts.
 
I'll be interested to see how you get on, I have the vinyl Space Jockey I'd like to strip and repaint. I had my eye on the Halcyon Nostromo for so long but the price has always bothered me for the size it is and the warped problems it has.

There was someone on propsummit a long while back who had produced a great kit, decent size, not sure on the current status, might be worth dropping by though.
 
About seven years ago, there was someone offering built Nostromo models that took four months each. All quiet now though. There was also a guy from Germany scratch building a large Nostromo. I'm not capable of such a thing.....yet.
 
The toy company NECA is going to release a small scale Nostromo soon...and by small I mean it's going to be maybe six or seven inches long. Part die-cast, part plastic.
 
I will be keeping an eye on that. Not because I like doing small scale stuff, but because I am always planning, drawing and collecting photos for a possible Alien refinery in the future and this could be ideal as the starting point.

Thanks
 
blipper said:
I'll be interested to see how you get on, I have the vinyl Space Jockey I'd like to strip and repaint. I had my eye on the Halcyon Nostromo for so long but the price has always bothered me for the size it is and the warped problems it has.

There was someone on propsummit a long while back who had produced a great kit, decent size, not sure on the current status, might be worth dropping by though.
Click to expand...

Is anyone running that place? I tried to register a week ago and still no approval and no answer to a follow up email.
 
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