peteski

That thing belongs in the "Blade Runner" movie. The paint job also makes it look less like a dumpster.

The PerlEx powders I have seen are not pigments which dissolve in paint but metallic or pearl particles. They will be similar to what is in any metallic or mica paints.

Thanks chaves pah! What had me worried was his apparent lack of replies to emails. Good to know he is still around producing all those very nice 3-D printed parts. I'm also curious if you are located in USA or elsewhere.

That Tamiya kit is plastic - not diecast metal.

Aren't emergency channels scrambled nowadays? Is all the nasty stuff happening at the "new" supposedly serene place you moved to recently? Or are you still ad the "old" location?

That came out quite well Dom. The black master tire appears to be 3D printed. Couldn't you just print or buy more of them instead of going through the complication and hassle of casting them out or urethane resin?

You did say "rod". Unlike metal (aluminum copper or tin) rods , polystyrene rod when bent will not retain the formed shape. It will try to flex back to its original shape. A "rod" by definition is solid material(not a hollow tube). But a polystyrene tube with a metal rod inserted in it would retain its formed shape much better.

As far as solder being "saggy", if using solid core solder (no flux) and at a diameter large enough for 1:24 exhaust headers, the solder wire will be more than stiff enough to hold its shape, especially the more recent lead-free plumber's solder.

Directly pasted links will display differently depending on what the link points to. If it is an image or a MCM forum thread, it will get expanded. If not, it will just be a clickable text link. If you use the "insert link" button, those will always show up only as clickable text link, regardless where they point (images or MCM forum threads). Again, this is on a computer, not on a smart phone.

What I should have also mentioned to Momin, is that on his first model forget things like clear coats (and if using plastic compatible paints), you can forget primer too. Just prep (sand) the bare plastic and spray some glossy paint of your choice, It will be more than sufficient for a first model. Primers and clear coats are for when you get into more advanced modeling. As a kid I used to brush-paint my models. Then, as an adult I got back into models I started with spray paints (those Testors enamels) on bare plastic. You don't need any advanced modeling tools or finishes to build decent models. Some of my early models (enamels over bare plastic and no clear, no sanding, polishing or waxing) look like this: These are all 1:32 scale models. Photos taken over 30 years ago with my Nikon 35mm SLR camera (and more recently the 4x6 prints were scanned on my computer)

Yes, this very simple and basic question has turned into overabundance of of hints/ideas (for becoming an instant master modeler). Didn't we all start small with very basic set of tools and materials? All the other stuff comes later with experience. What if Momin realizes that model building is not for him. What will he do with his hobby-shop-size amount of tools/materials? Yes, I'm exaggerating, but I think his idea to just start with some basic tools/supplies makes the most sense. All the other fancy stuff can come later. That's how I see it.

I don't know how you are doing it but I always use the "link" icon at the top of the compose window. That opens up a popup where I copy or type in a link, and it also allows you to type in the alternate text to show up in the message. I also use Windows ^C and ^V to copy/paste the link text (not the copy/paste pulldown menus). You didn't mention, but if this is on a smart phone, I have no idea. If one copies a link directly into the message compose area, depending on the link, it might expand automatically (if it is a link to a photo), or post the alphanumeric representation of link itself. But for links which can't expand to a photo, I prefer using the method above. https://www.modelcarsmag.com Above I just copied the MCM URL directly into the compose area and it did remain a clickable link. So it works for me.

To each his own. I didn't find that to be a problem for me, but it seems we now live in instant gratification times. We want it ready yesterday. Actually Testors enameled didn't take very logn to dry for handling, but as with any other enamel paint, they take much longer time to fully cure hard. That is how enamel paints work. I don't sand or polish my models, so I have no issues with the paint taking longer to harden. If you are old enough, all we (the modelers) had back in the day were plastic compatible hobby enamels from Testors and Pactra. We all dealt with them without complaints about the hardening times. Momin is a new modeler. I think he would be ok going with the the basics before doing any advanced modeling. As I see it, none of us started as (or ever became) instant award-wining modelers.

Another vote for Tamiya (Washi) tape instead of the hardware-store masking tapes which are made for masking large things like walls in a house. Yes, per foot it is pricier than generic tapes, but it is much thinner, more pliable, and has a less aggressive adhesive to make it easier to remove from a model. I'm also not sure why so many modelers recommend the Frog Tape. Frog tape is just a regular masking tape with its edges coated with a substance which swells up to seal the edge when exposed to water from acrylic/latex house paints. Not something that is beneficial in painting models. Other than that Frog tape is just another tick and stiff tape. Well, except I just recently found out that Frog tape is also now available as a Washi type tape which is similar to Tamiya tape, but the water-expanding seal is not very useful for painting model cars. Don't get me wrong, I still use standard "blue" masking tape for covering larger areas, but the edges of the masked area will be done using Tamiya (or other types) of Washi tape. I also don't understand the aversion to Testor's paints which were designed for model kits. Perfect for someone starting to build models. That is how majority of my models were painted. Testors enamels. But I have not used those paints for some years and there seem to be lots of online complaints about the quality of those paints due to some change in their chemical formula. I don't know how true that is and if the problem is with the paint itself or the painting techniques of the modelers, so I can't really say "yes" or "no" for using Testor's paints. The only thing is that Testors enamels I used did take a long time to fully harden. They would probably be ok for someone who is just starting and does not use the esoteric paints many now use for painting plastic models.

I guess my eyes and brain picked up the similarity. Thanks!