Ace-Garageguy

2:30 PM I slipped the leash, went for a 3.5 mile hike at my favorite close-ish spot. Got far enough from civilization to not hear any evidence of it except the occasional jet flying over, which I kinda like. Weather had been overcast all day, but after about 15 minutes the sun came out and brought a nice breeze with it. I felt like the sky just grinned and said "glad you're here, and thanks for coming". Not very fast, but not too bad, and not much pain...and I feel great now. THEN...after slow-charging her battery and letting it sit for a few days to see if it would hold, my little PT fired up on the first twist of the key after sitting almost 6 months. Air even still blows cold. So I washed it. Altogether a pretty good day, even though I have a slow-pay client who's never been late before. Oh well. "The check is in the mail".

"Check's in the mail" repeated endlessly for decades is the reason I finally started billing monthly, and at 60 days, I file a lien.

I don't either. Old neighborhood, some semi-slum houses that have really gone downhill due to a change in "demographics" in the last ten years, some getting bought cheap, resto'd and yuppified, sold on by Sotheby's and other hotsy-totsy realtors. Clown just bought the ex-rental house next to me, came by with a master plan to get streetlights put on all the slightly dark spots, and trying to get a new HOA up and running. I wouldn't sign his streetlight petition, telling him one reason I don't live IN THE CITY anymore is that I like it DARK at night. Then he starts whining on about how I'll feel safer. Listen mister...even though I look like an old fossil to you, the only person not safe on my property is someone I didn't invite. And...I've lived here 10 years without having anyone telling me what color I can paint my own dammmmmed mailbox, and he can take his HOA and stick that with the streetlight proposal. I don't think he likes me anymore.

Paint it pretty much like you paint a real one. If it's a solid color, no worries. Just shoot everything separate, making dead sure you get full coverage on every panel, and that you shoot the same number of coats on every panel. If it's a metallic or a pearl... Shoot the jambs and edges. Let that dry. Scuff any overspray on the main body...and be sure to sand out any orange peel. Then tape your opening panels in place and shoot the whole thing. Then shoot a coat of clear over everything. Then take it apart and shoot the rest of your clear. You MIGHT find it works better to very carefully mask the jambs to keep dry overspray from building up inside them...just like we do on the real ones.

Yucky paint jobs with bug tracks, pine cone bits, and dirt all over them seem to be pretty much the norm on a lotta "pro built" models up for auction.

Thanks. Most helpful. Do you have a photo of the results? Thank you too. Good to know from somebody's personal experience. That grill shell looks good. I'd be happy with it.

So glad you didn't say "impossible".

Posting is easier on a horse than just sitting there like a sack of potatoes.

Missed this one earlier. Very nice upgrading here, one of the nicest builds of this kit I've seen. Great color too. Much very good.

Engines are among my favorite things on Earth.

Often, wind doesn't blow, and when it stops, wind turbines stop generating.

You can make hinges like this from brass tubing and sheet, but it takes skill in soldering and the ability to handle very small metal parts during fabrication. EDIT: I just looked back at some notes and test parts I'd made a few years back, and it's possible to make up simplified hinges like this, just slightly larger than exact scale (1/24-1/25) using styrene rod and sheet stock, with wire hinge pins. Again, it's an exercise in very fine, precision fabrication, but they would be capable of supporting the doors adequately...if not played with by children...and lasting indefinitely...and again, if operated carefully, assuming the doors fit their openings accurately and no undue force was placed on the hinges.

Salad days are behind a lot of us who post on this board.

Winners and wieners are sometimes the same thing, so be sure to check your mailboxes kids, 'cause you may already be a wiener !!!!