Seasons Greetings

[Nox]

Hello everyone,   My name is Logan, I'm 34, I am in law enforcement, married, and have a bunch of dogs. I just recently moved out to the country, with no cable and limited (satellite) internet, so I find myself with a lot more free time that needs occupied. I've always been artistic (was practically teaching the art classes at my high school) and was pretty good with paints and a canvas back in my earlier years.  I have a love of creating things and seeing the finished product. I like to build things and do things with my hands, whether it be putting together a shelf from IKEA or cutting/building/staining a cabinet by hand. Also, it should be noted, I love cars but I am in no way a car buff in the sense a lot of you are. I change my own brakes and oil, small things like that, but those are things I've taught myself how to do (thanks YouTube) over the past five years or so. I love working on my vehicles myself, but I am very limited in mechanical knowledge. I don't know the cubic inches of every classic muscle car or how the fenders were supposed to look from one year to the next. That was initially the only thing that made me hesitant about making an account on here, but after looking around for a bit, you lot don't seem the type at all to make fun of someone for something of that nature.   Which brings me to how I actually got here...   I found this forum because I recently picked up a 1:25 Revell '68 Chevelle SS 396 kit at our local Hobby Lobby (AND ONLY LOCAL HOBBY SHOP PERIOD). This will be the first build I have done since I was a teenager, so I was looking up similar builds to see how others have turned out. I found Geoff Brown's work in progress post on here and probably spent a solid three hours last night reviewing his photo progress. Mine is the special edition box, but appears to be identical to his in nearly every way (I believe my kit has four or five additional pieces...so I'm assuming it may be something optional/cosmetic in nature).   Since the last time I built a model, apparently a lot of things have changed. I went with the old tried and true Testors enamels I grew up with and planned to hand paint the entire thing...because that's all I've ever known. Turns out they make spray cans now and airbrushing is a thing, who knew??? So after a few more hours on this forum (at 6am I called it a night) I discovered I actually know nothing about this hobby anymore. I have gained an overwhelming amount of knowledge from this forum in the past day alone, but it definitely seems to be where I need to be to keep learning and improve my techniques (and probably make things a lot easier on myself, too!) I know I most likely need a better work area, because right now I'm essentially using my computer desk and sitting with my keyboard in my lap while building the car. I probably also need to re-evaluate my equipment ("$4.99 Model Brush 4-Pack", rubber cement, retractable blade utility knife I've already cut myself with while removing parts, a pair of my wife's tweezers, some form of well-aged paint thinner that looks like milk...). No primer, no putty, nothing other than paints and the items I listed above. Not the most ideal setup.   I've decided (after research on here) I am going to spray the body and some other main group items like the engine block and suspension, but will continue with hand painting everything else. It may look like a trainwreck, or it may look perfect. Regardless, it's going to be my creation, and I'm gonna have fun with it. So I look forward to getting to know everyone, and definitely look forward to expanding my knowledge. I am also going to try to post my progress on the workbench, if nothing else than just for me to be able to document how things are going. I take criticism like a champ, so please feel free to chime in and nitpick about anything and everything. Suggestions are always welcome in my book, especially from those, like yourselves, who are WAY more experienced than I!

[Ramfins59]

Welcome to our plastic playground Logan.  We all started out as newbies to this hobby and we've all learned a lot along the way.  Take your time and eventually each model will get better as you learn new methods and techniques.

[iamsuperdan]

Welcome!

This place is a wealth of knowledge. Lots of people here with ridiculous skill. Mindblowingly good.

If you have questions, just ask. Everyone here is happy to assist.

 

Looking forward to seeing your pics and builds!

[PappyD340]

Welcome to the forum Logan, my youngest son is also a law enforcement officer not but a couple years older than you.

[LL3 Model Worx]

19 hours ago, Nox said:

Hello everyone,   My name is Logan, I'm 34, I am in law enforcement, married, and have a bunch of dogs. I just recently moved out to the country, with no cable and limited (satellite) internet, so I find myself with a lot more free time that needs occupied. I've always been artistic (was practically teaching the art classes at my high school) and was pretty good with paints and a canvas back in my earlier years.  I have a love of creating things and seeing the finished product. I like to build things and do things with my hands, whether it be putting together a shelf from IKEA or cutting/building/staining a cabinet by hand. Also, it should be noted, I love cars but I am in no way a car buff in the sense a lot of you are. I change my own brakes and oil, small things like that, but those are things I've taught myself how to do (thanks YouTube) over the past five years or so. I love working on my vehicles myself, but I am very limited in mechanical knowledge. I don't know the cubic inches of every classic muscle car or how the fenders were supposed to look from one year to the next. That was initially the only thing that made me hesitant about making an account on here, but after looking around for a bit, you lot don't seem the type at all to make fun of someone for something of that nature.   Which brings me to how I actually got here...   I found this forum because I recently picked up a 1:25 Revell '68 Chevelle SS 396 kit at our local Hobby Lobby (AND ONLY LOCAL HOBBY SHOP PERIOD). This will be the first build I have done since I was a teenager, so I was looking up similar builds to see how others have turned out. I found Geoff Brown's work in progress post on here and probably spent a solid three hours last night reviewing his photo progress. Mine is the special edition box, but appears to be identical to his in nearly every way (I believe my kit has four or five additional pieces...so I'm assuming it may be something optional/cosmetic in nature).   Since the last time I built a model, apparently a lot of things have changed. I went with the old tried and true Testors enamels I grew up with and planned to hand paint the entire thing...because that's all I've ever known. Turns out they make spray cans now and airbrushing is a thing, who knew??? So after a few more hours on this forum (at 6am I called it a night) I discovered I actually know nothing about this hobby anymore. I have gained an overwhelming amount of knowledge from this forum in the past day alone, but it definitely seems to be where I need to be to keep learning and improve my techniques (and probably make things a lot easier on myself, too!) I know I most likely need a better work area, because right now I'm essentially using my computer desk and sitting with my keyboard in my lap while building the car. I probably also need to re-evaluate my equipment ("$4.99 Model Brush 4-Pack", rubber cement, retractable blade utility knife I've already cut myself with while removing parts, a pair of my wife's tweezers, some form of well-aged paint thinner that looks like milk...). No primer, no putty, nothing other than paints and the items I listed above. Not the most ideal setup.   I've decided (after research on here) I am going to spray the body and some other main group items like the engine block and suspension, but will continue with hand painting everything else. It may look like a trainwreck, or it may look perfect. Regardless, it's going to be my creation, and I'm gonna have fun with it. So I look forward to getting to know everyone, and definitely look forward to expanding my knowledge. I am also going to try to post my progress on the workbench, if nothing else than just for me to be able to document how things are going. I take criticism like a champ, so please feel free to chime in and nitpick about anything and everything. Suggestions are always welcome in my book, especially from those, like yourselves, who are WAY more experienced than I!

Welcome, I'm new here as well.

I'd be happy to help you comprise a "shopping list" of the essentials and other supplies you will need to get you off to a solid and more ENJOYABLE start.

If it's one thing I am good at, its compiling and hoarding tools/supplies! I have made it a point to find nearly every deal or"freebie" I can find that is applicable to this hobby, as I am married to the most frugal woman on planet earth, and I have managed to accrue/ build what I would consider a very respectable "setup" and stock of needed materials.

When I started really getting back into the hobby about 9yrs ago I found I was vastly underequipped in the tools/supplies department and it had led to more frustration/work/ and overall less enjoyable experiences and quality of models produced. I had a acquired alot of kits that I would have surely doomed to failure had I not stepped back and realized the tools/products I had were not nearly adequate to produce a decent model.

I think for around $100 you could put together a fairly respectable "setup" that will be far more enjoyable from a building standpoint and results wise.

I'm sure many others would also help in this area, as we have all been at that place where we had either very little to work with or the wrong stuff to work with in the first place.

I will advise staying away from both the Testors ENAMEL spray cans, as they are a disaster waiting to happen more often than not. The paint inside is great stuff, I use it almost exclusively (decanted for airbrush use) , but that mode of delivery should almost be criminal. Not saying good results can't be had, but if you have little or no experience with them, you are setting yourself up for costly and extreme disappointment.

This is one of the most rewarding pastimes/hobbys I have ever been a part of in my life, and up until these last few days, no one has really saw my work but me and my wife, friends and immediate family.

If I can be of any help, just let me know. And I know the fine folks on this forum are more than happy to help with anything they can.

Welcome, and happy modeling!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I think you're on your way my friend.

It sounds to me like you know exactly where you're heading and are definitely beginning with the right approach.

Personally, I think one of the absolute best tools at your disposal is free, and one that you mentioned in your post.

Putting your build in "on the work bench" will help immensely with your first foray back into the hobby.

Cruise around the forum, look for information, and ask lots of questions during your build.

You'll be surprised at what you can learn.

 

Good luck Logan!

Welcome, and I for one will be happy to help in any way that I possibly can!

 

 

Steve

[Nox]

20 hours ago, Ramfins59 said:

Welcome to our plastic playground Logan.  We all started out as newbies to this hobby and we've all learned a lot along the way.  Take your time and eventually each model will get better as you learn new methods and techniques.

Thanks Rich, I figure it will take me a bit to work out the kinks, as there seems to be a bit of learning curve I'll be battling starting off. Also, I've looked at several of your builds and I can only hope to someday be able to pull off what you can do. You are definitely very talented individual.

20 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Welcome!

This place is a wealth of knowledge. Lots of people here with ridiculous skill. Mindblowingly good.

If you have questions, just ask. Everyone here is happy to assist.

 

Looking forward to seeing your pics and builds!

Thanks Dan! I will definitely post my progress, but I feel I'll be doing a LOT more reading than posting. I'm actually kinda floored at the amount of info I've found on here so far.

16 hours ago, PappyD340 said:

Welcome to the forum Logan, my youngest son is also a law enforcement officer not but a couple years older than you.

Larry that's awesome, what kind of LE is he? City, county, state, fed? I am a deputy sheriff in a pretty rural county, so LOTS of driving . Your '70 Challenger is awesome, by the way!

6 hours ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

Welcome, I'm new here as well.

I'd be happy to help you comprise a "shopping list" of the essentials and other supplies you will need to get you off to a solid and more ENJOYABLE start.

If it's one thing I am good at, its compiling and hoarding tools/supplies! I have made it a point to find nearly every deal or"freebie" I can find that is applicable to this hobby, as I am married to the most frugal woman on planet earth, and I have managed to accrue/ build what I would consider a very respectable "setup" and stock of needed materials.

When I started really getting back into the hobby about 9yrs ago I found I was vastly underequipped in the tools/supplies department and it had led to more frustration/work/ and overall less enjoyable experiences and quality of models produced. I had a acquired alot of kits that I would have surely doomed to failure had I not stepped back and realized the tools/products I had were not nearly adequate to produce a decent model.

I think for around $100 you could put together a fairly respectable "setup" that will be far more enjoyable from a building standpoint and results wise.

I'm sure many others would also help in this area, as we have all been at that place where we had either very little to work with or the wrong stuff to work with in the first place.

I will advise staying away from both the Testors ENAMEL spray cans, as they are a disaster waiting to happen more often than not. The paint inside is great stuff, I use it almost exclusively (decanted for airbrush use) , but that mode of delivery should almost be criminal. Not saying good results can't be had, but if you have little or no experience with them, you are setting yourself up for costly and extreme disappointment.

This is one of the most rewarding pastimes/hobbys I have ever been a part of in my life, and up until these last few days, no one has really saw my work but me and my wife, friends and immediate family.

If I can be of any help, just let me know. And I know the fine folks on this forum are more than happy to help with anything they can.

Welcome, and happy modeling!

Thanks for the info, Bo. Yeah, I think expanding my supplies will definitely help things. I would love to get into airbrushing, especially seeing some of the paint jobs on here. I spent a few hours the other night working out plans for a DIY paint booth (I can't justify spending $80-$100 on something I can throw together myself for way less - I also am very frugal). Having no experience with airbrushing though, I would benefit from input from a veteran prior to jumping in headfirst and not having a clue what I'm doing.

I actually ordered a few of the Tamiya spray cans (primer and flat black for the frame and other large part groups), a tube of Vallejo plastic putty (I read it was great for seam work and applies very easily), assorted pack of wet/dry sandpaper, a cheap hobby knife kit (yes, it was probably a little too cheap, and I may have to replace it later, but you should see the nightmare I'm working with right now...) and an actual cutting/work pad. I could have gone back to Hobby Lobby (again, only "local" shop) and gotten most of those things, but it's literally an hour away from where I live so it's hard to make that trip only for a few hobby supplies. Amazon Prime is a lifesaver for me in most cases. I have a designated pair of side-cuts as well, as I was trying to cut pieces loose with the "nightmare" knife I mentioned. I accidentally snapped the rear sway bar doing so, but luckily I was able to cement it back to a nearly perfect state.

Also, loved your '66 Nova project. That was awesome. The reason I am doing the '68 Chevelle is because I like the car, but I was actually planning on doing a '66 for my dad. It was his first car and he loved that thing. Unfortunately, my mother decided it was not a family car and made him sell it for the '84 Cutlass Calais T-Top (which my brother decided to wind test on the interstate when he was little...those glass panes are expensive apparently). I have a very poor quality picture of the Chevelle (it's tiny, like a 1x2" picture which is pretty faded) but I want to re-create it for him if I can. So I'm doing the '68 as a sort of "practice run" before I start into the one that has a lot more meaning. My mom also had a '75 Cutlass Supreme we used to call the black widow, it started silver but got a half-cocked re-paint and somehow ended up mostly primer black, and sold shortly after. I can't elaborate any further on that because I don't actually know the whole story, nor have I ever been able to get it out of her. Would love to find a kit for it and try to re-create that piece of childhood nostalgia as well though.

So as you can see, I've got some ideas, just need some help getting them implemented. I appreciate the info you've tossed out though, and don't be surprised if I hit you up for some advice.

4 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I think you're on your way my friend.

It sounds to me like you know exactly where you're heading and are definitely beginning with the right approach.

Personally, I think one of the absolute best tools at your disposal is free, and one that you mentioned in your post.

Putting your build in "on the work bench" will help immensely with your first foray back into the hobby.

Cruise around the forum, look for information, and ask lots of questions during your build.

You'll be surprised at what you can learn.

 

Good luck Logan!

Welcome, and I for one will be happy to help in any way that I possibly can!

 

 

Steve

Thank you, Steve. I will try to get something posted up on the workbench within the next couple of days. And the detail on your current Olds build is amazing! I will gladly take any advice you can give when it comes to those little extras.

[thatz4u]

what Steve Said^^^^ we are all happy to help, what part of the frozen tundra (Ohio) are you from?

[Ramfins59]

Thanks for your very kind words Logan.  I've been back in this hobby since 1992 and have learned a lot from all of the very talented people on this Forum, and all of the great modeling friends that I've made over the past years.   

[Nox]

18 hours ago, thatz4u said:

what Steve Said^^^^ we are all happy to help, what part of the frozen tundra (Ohio) are you from?

Southeast Ohio. It's not a bad area, just not a lot of selection for most things other than the local Wal-Mart, unless you wanna take a pretty decent drive.

[Nox]

16 hours ago, Ramfins59 said:

Thanks for your very kind words Logan.  I've been back in this hobby since 1992 and have learned a lot from all of the very talented people on this Forum, and all of the great modeling friends that I've made over the past years.   

Hopefully I can leech some of that knowledge off of you as well. Not to downplay anyone else's skills, but your builds are extremely impressive, and I will definitely heed any advice you share. Great to see how helpful everyone is here though. Definitely a friendly community and glad I joined.

[Tom Geiger]

Welcome Logan!

As you figured out this is a friendly community and the guys here will do anything to help you with your projects!

I got back into the hobby some 30 years ago when I was your age!  Back then we didn't have the Internet, so I found a club and the guys there helped me expand my skills greatly in a short period of time.  But back then there was that month void between meetings,  now a days you can learn here daily and get instant feedback.  So use it for all it's worth!

[Nox]

On 12/1/2019 at 1:41 PM, Tom Geiger said:

Welcome Logan!

As you figured out this is a friendly community and the guys here will do anything to help you with your projects!

I got back into the hobby some 30 years ago when I was your age!  Back then we didn't have the Internet, so I found a club and the guys there helped me expand my skills greatly in a short period of time.  But back then there was that month void between meetings,  now a days you can learn here daily and get instant feedback.  So use it for all it's worth!

Thanks Tom. I've already learned enough to effectively make me realize I had no idea what I was doing years ago!

[Tom Geiger]

5 hours ago, Nox said:

Thanks Tom. I've already learned enough to effectively make me realize I had no idea what I was doing years ago!

Isn't that the truth!   When I got back to modeling at 30,  my results were the same as when I was 15.  Why?  Same skill level, same tools, same techniques.  Once I found a club, I learned a whole lot.  It's not raw talent, but the tools, materials and tricks.  And a lot of practice once you are on the right track!  

[crazyjim]

welcome Logan.  We all started somewhere.

[gasser59]

Welcome aboard Logan. I, myself, got back into model building about 15 years ago because I wanted to build a replica for a friend. It came out OK but I also found I was really behind the curve when it came to tools and techniques. As for tools, one place I've found to be indispensable is MicroMark. Their tools for working on small scale stuff is outrageous.

We're glad you're here and I, too, will be happy to assist anyway I can.

[moparfarmer]

I just keep plugging along with what I have and skill I've got..At 71 you don't really develope new skills, you just refine them..Hadn't build much in 25 years and do now(not many) but still enjoy the hobby..When I can't build clean or paint and put too many glue boogers building then I will quit..Rite now its okay..Still enjoy the fumes of paint and glue and plastic..

[Nazz]

 Logan,  it looks like you and I have similar philosophies when It comes to models. From what I've seen these are a great bunch of guys who will give you the advise you need to help you along. Great taste in cars! I'll be looking forward to seeing it when it's done! And your a fellow dog guy ,cool!

[eldiablo78]

Welcome and have fun continue hope will some of work.