Kit Basher

I got a little update. Here is that bumper. Hours of work but worth it (I guess!) Under the hood: advice and comments always welcome. nuff for now, more later

Yes Roger. Thanks for asking. I finally finished that blue blinkin' bumper just today. I've also been working on some paint touch ups and started putting the cab together. I hope I will have something to show in the next few days.

Thanks for upgrading the forums. It is noticeably faster now. Hopefully that will be the end of the dreaded "pink screen". This is a great place to hang out, thanks again for making it better!

It was truly wonderful what a cherry bomb would do to a plastic model!

After almost 40 years as a woodworker, a little piece of plastic has no power to irritate me. Wood, on the other hand, has a mind of its own, and is sometimes downright evil! After all that practice on something REALLY frustrating, modeling is pure pleasure.

It's not a good reason, but I have Testors, I don't have Alclad black, and I'm cheap! Dan, did you polish the black, or leave it as airbrushed?

Yeah, that's why I asked the question. I have had Alclad rub off in my early attempts. I'm doing a bumper and would like to get results like Dan's. I've heard of using Future over Alclad. Anybody tried that? Thanks all.

I have seen several recommendations to use Testors gloss black as a base for Alclad chrome. Does that mean MM black (which I don't have) or Testors square bottle (which I do have)? The square bottle is notoriously slow to dry, if I use Donn Yost's method of thinning it with lacquer thinner, will it dry faster, and still be OK for the Alclad? I have also heard to polish the black. I have Meguiars Ultimate polish, it doesn't say anything about silicone. Anybody know if it would be safe to use? Thanks in advance.

Dang, Matthew, that's tough. I also have a little fur buddy who "helps" me with the computer, so I really feel for you. I hope things get better for both you and your fiancee real soon. I'll miss your advice and good humor. Hang in there, Hugh

Sok jo! (Sorry if I'm spelling that wrong) We don't often see people in model cars here. I like it.

Thanks, Jeff. Ohio could be on Mr. Boone's map as well! I think I'm gonna go with a variation of Roger's idea. The channel on the 1:1 bumper is barely 3/16" deep. In 1/24 that's only 1/128". So I took strips of the thinnest styrene I had, and laminated them on the bumper leaving the channel. I already sanded the top strip flush with the top of the bumper, it looks pretty good. I think I can feather the bottom strip into the bumper as well. I won't be able to work on it until after the 4th, but I'll update as soon as I make some progress.

Hey you guys notice we've got a regional thing going here? Kentucky, West by god, Vajanya, and Maryland. Sounds like a map out of Daniel Boone's pocket.

I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure I need one!

Bill, you keep on trying to help. Everybody that knows me says I need help! (I think they mean the psychiatric kind)

"Totally useless" may be a little strong, but it does reflect why I brought this up in the first place. As a rookie, I hate to keep asking questions that I know have been answered many times before. I know most of what I would ask is already here, but finding it can be difficult. I was hoping to help make things a little easier for everyone, but I see now that it's not so easy in practice. Then again, maybe if us newbies didn't ask a bunch of questions, nobody would have anything to do!

I've got it covered, Matthew. There's an '88 Bronco sitting in my shed that has that bumper on it! It was pretty easy, Roger. I have "Photoshop Elements", which came with my scanner, and is kinda like Photoshop "lite", but it is good enough to turn a photo into a decal right quick. Course that doesn't count the hours I spent trying to figure out how to work it! Don't quit watching this thread! I need your input.

Hey Bill. I think your bumper idea is the same as what Matthew (highway) was considering. The problem we face is that the molding on the bumper is twice as wide as the channel, so using it as a cutting guide will not work. Thanks for thinking about it, tho, somehow this is going to get fixed!

Thanks, Roger. I did make the decals. I took a photo of my 1:1 tailgate and photoshopped it a little. Still no work on that bumper, I'm definitely procrastinating on that one!

I see your point, Harry. You would know better than anyone, considering what you have to deal with. Too bad, tho.

I want to support the idea of a knowledge base of basic modeling info put forth by boreham in this thread. It would be a great way to open the "How do I" section. It would save a lot of search time and repetitive questions. When you opened "How do I", the first thing you would see is: "Basics: sanding", "Basics: detail painting", "Basics: airbrushing", "Basics: glueing" etc. etc. Or maybe leave "How do I" alone and make a new category for just Basics. What do you think, guys and gals?

Hey Bill, that's looking great. Love the colors. When I saw your first step of weathering, I thought that looks like the underside of my 1:1. After seeing the completed weathering, yours is in much better shape than my truck. Your weathering looks real, tho, keep it going!

Just a quick update. The bed is finished. The grille and "Step Bumper- Argent" (That's what they called it on the window sticker) Advice and comments always welcome. nuff for now, more later

Britney and Beetle? Stee-rike Two!

Jon is exactly right. I use mine for wood and steel. It cuts steel pretty fast. Imagine what it would do to plastic!

Thanks for the "3 second" explanation. Sometimes you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.