Dave Ambrose

I may well be in on this one as well. I'm currently building ICM's Model T Speedster kit. It's a very nice kit. The only thing I don't like about it is that the plastic is a little too soft and pliable.

We saw the eclipse! Our plan A site was going to be clouded out, so we relocated to Llano, TX. We had some disturbingly thick clouds. It wasn't looking promising until about 15 minutes prior to totality when a big hole showed up. We got to see all of totality, albeit through some high, thin clouds. Lots of prominences for this one. The city was well prepared for the influx of people, and we got to support some local organizations. Here is one of my better shots:

I rebooted again, but it still seems to be misbehaving. Unfortunately, I won't get back home until later this week but will dig into it when I get home.

Rebooted the server, and that seems to have resolved the problem.

It's behaving strangely for me too. I'll take a look at it.

My Christmas present finally came. It's an ornithopter from the new Dune movie. Nice detail and pretty simple too. Built the Harkonen version and will tackle this one soon.

I agree this is very sad. I've crossed under a lot of bridges on a sailboat, and they always seem so spindly from underneath. I'd find myself a little anxious until we cleared the bridge.

I'm going to disagree in this particular instance. I've seen high vacuum systems defeat some of the best people on the planet.

You can chrome plate plastic like you do metal car parts. They apply a conductive coating to the plastic before the first plating step. The electroplating process uses lots of toxic chemicals, and is probably why the EU banned it. "Chrome" parts on plastic models are actually vacuum deposited aluminum with a clear overcoat. It doesn't use toxic chemicals, but does need high vacuum systems and plating chambers. This type of vacuum system is something of a black art, and difficult to maintain. It doesn't surprise me that nobody wants to pick up the mantle when people leave the business. It's hard. We have a similar contraction in the world of telescope mirrors.

They're probably harvesting the images, and selling them. Where did you find your images?

Yes, you're getting the Chrome notifications because push notifications are turned on. Apparently, when you turn those on, email gets turned off.

Unfortunately, we can't do that. You can order back or current issues from Burbank Hobbies, Spotlight Hobbies, and Hobby Round Up.

I looked at your notification settings, and when you activated push notifications, it deactivated the email notifications. Just go back and reactivate the email notifications, and you should be good. Let me know if you need help with that.

You used to be able to tell a lot about a person by their bookshelf. (mine still work that way) E-books don't afford you that opportunity. Have to say they take up less space and won't get lost in a house fire.

As much as I'd love to, I cannot claim credit for the phrase. I first encountered it in an article about books. Apparently, avid readers have the same problem we do, just with a different medium. I realized that the same thing could be said about our kit stashes, so the term stuck in my head and I've used it ever since.

PM sent

Send an email to subscribe@modelcarsmag.com and they can answer that question for you. Be sure to include your mailing address.

My canary copy came yesterday. I'd like to think the USPS delivery will be okay for this issue.

We got this yesterday with a request to pass it on: March 5, 2024 Dear Friends and Customers, Due to a greatly increased workload, advanced age of the machinery and its operator, the Little Motor Kar Company is closing the model car rechroming operation after twenty-eight years of operation. Therefore: Any orders received postmarked after this date, March 5, 2024, will be returned unprocessed. Any orders already in house will be completed and returned as soon as possible. This abrupt notice is necessary to prevent a long and lingering shutdown that has happened to others in the past. We will, however, continue to deal in the sales of promotional model cars, updating the Price and Color Guide, and participate in regional toy shows. In the last several years I have encouraged numerous others to take up this business but, to date, no one has accepted the challenge. Now is your chance. Your understanding of this decision will be greatly appreciated. Dale Horner Little Motor Kar Company.

My stash is fairly unorganized right now. I have cars, model railroad, scifi, aircraft, and real space subjects. It complicates everything. Plan is to pull the entire thing out, and take inventory. I'll keep that inventory in a Google sheet. That way, I can access when out shopping so I don't pick up any unintended duplicates. Probably set up several areas and track that in the spreadsheet too.

Polystyrene, the typical kit plastic, is not resin. It's polymerized by a different process, then mixed with other chemicals to give it flexibility (aka plasticizers). The molder gets it in little pellets, and they heat them to inject them into the molds. Resin sets via a catalyst, which is why it's two part. Resins aren't generally vulnerable to solvents like plastics. You have to use super-glue or epoxy to bond it.

Negative camber, used wisely, can be your friend. We used to have a lowered Miata. Speed bumps were not our friend, but the undercarriage liked to get friendly with them. It also had mild negative camber all the way around, but it was right at the limits set by the factory. That car handled like it was on rails. Best $5k I ever spent on a car, that's for sure.

My goodness. This is a veritable NorCal reunion. My wife was born and raised in Marysville.

My wife and I saw the eclipses in 1979 and 2017. Also the annular eclipse in 2012. We're traveling to see our friends in Texas. They're in the path of totality, but we'll try to get closer to the centerline for another 2 minutes of eclipse.

I'll make it official. This section is a catch-all as many of us do not live by model cars alone. Trains, both finished and in-progress, are fine. Looking forward to seeing your builds. I'm a bit of a McCloud River Railroad fan myself.