Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Ddms

Members
  • Posts

    206
  • Joined

  • Last visited

1 Follower

Previous Fields

  • Scale I Build
    1/24

Profile Information

  • Full Name
    Tom Kelly

Recent Profile Visitors

5,753 profile views

Ddms's Achievements

MCM Friend

MCM Friend (4/6)

  1. I'm building an old Monogram "Mercedes Classic Coupe" from Monogram - it's a 540K. Has anybody ever built one of these, or the roadster version? There's there are a couple of things that really have me stumped. 1) I can't figure out where to mount the fan/belt/pulley assembly. The instructions don't show it clearly. The one-piece fanbelt assembly has two holes on the back. One is behind the pulley, and it logically would fit over a pin on the front of the camshaft housing. But there's NO MATCHING PIN for the hole on the back of the fan. There's a 1/16" gap between the fan and the front cover. Makes no sense; it just hangs out there. How is the assembly supposed to be attached to the front of the motor? 2) There's a similar problem with the cam/intake manifold assembly. The two ends of the u-shaped manifold tube seem intended to fit into holes in the block, but there aren't any holes for it! How does that little assembly attach to the block? Seems unlikely they'd want the modeler to drill holes to mount a part. I've got photos of the engines on real 540k's, but nothing seems to match.
  2. Eh? How does that work? I'm seeing a bib with a strip of velcro along the bottom.
  3. Is it the same as Press n' Seal? Looks different.
  4. Follow-up on my ball bearing post: I just bought some 1/4" inch ones and they cost .50 each! Wow! Is there a cheaper substitute? Used bearings would be ideal, but who sells used ball bearings? Off the subject, but since I mentioned Alclad: I just tried Krylon gloss black as a base for Alclad II chrome, and it works great. It dries faster and it's a lot cheaper than Alclad black base.
  5. I try to use the mildest products that will do the job. Ordinary isopropyl alcohol will strip most chrome, and for paint, just about any strong degreaser - like Simple Green - will get 'er done. If I have to leave a part in the stuff overnight, that's no big deal. Sometimes it takes a brass brush to get residue out of the crevices; that's okay too.
  6. Good one! I've tried using Tamiya Yellow Clear, but yours looks better. Maybe I can find somebody in the neighborhood who's into beading or jewelry. I really like those French models, too!
  7. I agree with everybody about using water-based acrylics over Alclad - and avoiding anything that has alcohol or lacquer thinner in it. The same applies to kit chrome. Tamiya makes an acrylic called "Smoke" that will work. But I've run across something I like better. Future, aka "Pledge with Future for Floors," can be tinted with dye-based inks and used as a wash. Future is a water-based acrylic, so it's safe on Alclad and on kit chrome. I like it better than the Tamiya clears because it's not as thick and you can adjust the tint. It's also glossy. The inks come in a range of colors, so you can use this method to tint headers blue, brown and orange. You can also blend colors by using a brush and dipping it into different mixes or clear Future. I use dye-based inks. You can buy them at any art store. You can use ammonia to remove dried Future, but not from kit chrome. It dissolves it. I actually like kit chrome pretty well when it's tinted with this method.
  8. Alex is great. I especially like the way he preps and paints. No unnecessary steps and fantastic results.
  9. This illustration was inspired by an old photo in a book. All the elements, including the driver's face, were constructed or re-constructed in Photoshop. I tried to capture the feeling of the early days of road racing, as seen through the mists of time.
  10. The time-honored rule is "Never ever put lacquer over enamel," but some of the hobby synthetic lacquers are pretty good that way. Nonetheless, I'd test a similarly painted part before risking the entire paint job.It's important not to spray it too wet. Lacquer thinner HATES enamel, and will make a big mess of it.
  11. Actually, I think kit chrome looks pretty good, but ONLY IF it's "washed." I add acrylic ink from an art store to Future and dip the kit chrome pieces in it. A tissue is good for wicking off the excess.
  12. I don't have any good examples, but here's a bad one: the sprue I mentioned: http://i148.photobuc...colorChrome.jpg It's rough, but there was no undercoating or other surface prep. I've gotten smoother results on smaller pieces by undercoating with Alclad black base or Future. I'm working on a Moebius '53 Hudson. I'm going to throw the dice and use Duplicolor over Future on the unchromed bits like the door handles and all that thin window trim. I've already "detailed" the factory chrome bits by dipping them in Future tinted with black acrylic ink. They really look good. When the Hudson is done, I'll upload photos of the completed model and you can judge for yourself.
  13. I just tested Duplicolor spray chrome again, and tried rubbing my fingers on it, and it didn't tarnish. Maybe it tarnished because I used Tamiya polish on it. I tried painting some sprues with it, and they came out looking pretty good. So... most people recommend either BMF or Alclad II. But only rarely does anybody recommend Duplicolor chrome. Why is that?
×
×
  • Create New...