David G.

It's time for the weekend update! I've been using Alclad chrome paint for nearly a decade now and I still find it challenging to achieve consistently good results. Most of the time I can make it work well enough but it frequently takes me several attempts. For me the problem is in obtaining a good base coat. I do my prep work, prime the piece and use the recommended Alclad gloss black enamel and everything looks fine. That is until I spray the chrome paint. That's when all the previously unseen flaws in the surface texture become visible and the piece wins a free vacation to the Purple Pond. For as long as I've been using paint, enamels and I just haven't gotten along together. I've always had difficulty in getting enamels to lay down with the smooth, even glossiness for which they're known. Brush, airbrush, spray can, roller or Q-Tip, no matter how I try to apply enamel paint, I just can't seem to make it work properly. Lacquers, on the other hand? I get on quite well with lacquers. So the next logical step is to try Alclad over a gloss black lacquer instead of enamel. Another down-side of enamels is their drying time. Nearly every enamel I've ever used seemed to require at least a day to dry, let alone cure. Most lacquers will dry within minutes and sufficiently cure within a few hours. This allows me to do the prepping, priming and base coat then spray the chrome all in the same day, one session even. The only problem with lacquers is that occasionally they are a little too hot for styrene plastic and may cause some crazing. Use of a good primer can, most times prevent this. I think, for me, this is the way to go from now on. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Like the title says, I'm looking for an aftermarket source for 1:25 / 1:24 side view and rear view mirrors. Three of the last four kits I built included no side view mirrors (AMT, I'm looking at you. :D) and one had no rear view mirror. Needless to say, my parts-box supply is dwindling quickly. I have done a bit of searching both online and within this forum with little success. So if anyone knows of a good source for side view and rear view mirrors in 1:25 / 1:24 scale, I would be grateful for any information you could offer. Thank You, David G.

A great way to bring interest to an otherwise mundane vehicle. Well played sir, well played! David G.

Excellent work, great color combination, solid build, everything just looks spot-on. David G.

Beautifully done Snake! Well worth the effort. David G.

Looks like a great replica! I love your idea about modeling the fiberglass texture on the body shell, it really adds to the realism. I wish I'd thought of that when I built mine. David G.

Your interior work is very convincing. I especially like your weathering on the exposed chassis in the rear passenger area. I've known for quite some time about the use of foil for simulating damaged body panels and I've always wanted to try it. One of my main concerns was the structural integrity of the work after completion, your use of CA and styrene strips is a great response to that concern. Thanks for sharing it. I'm absolutely going to give this technique a try. After all, as the saying goes: "Nothing looks more like metal than metal." David G.

Smoooooth and Deadly! David G.

Wow! That's a beautiful example of what can be done with this kit. David G.

Nicely Done! David G.

That's an excellent solution to the vent problem! Nicely done. David G.

Well Done! Love the paintwork. David G.

The dashboard looks great! David G.

Somehow I missed this one but I'm glad I found it. Impressive work so far... as always. I'll be watching with great interest. David G.

Impressive work so far, everything looks great! David G.