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Going to try and start modeling again . . .


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I've built car models on and off since I was a kid.  When I moved from Arizona to Missouri, I lost all my kits and didn't really model at all from 1991 through 2003.  Then, in 2003 I found a 1/18th scale Bburago Mercedes-Benz  300SL Gullwing at Big Lots.  I bought it, not really knowing what I was going to do with it.   I have to explain that when I was building plastic kits, they rarely got finished, because I am not very talented when it comes to painting the body.  So I would have lots of detailed and painted chassis and engines with no bodies on and that's the way they would sit.  With the diecasts, I could simply disassemble them, do the detailing I wanted to do and then re-assemble them.  My wife and I had to downsize, house-wise in 2011 and I gave the 200 some-odd diecast cars I had done to my son.  Here recently, after my hobby being old computers the last 9 years, the itch to build some car models has returned.  Although I still have my tools, I don't have any paints, or my old stash of detail wiring I had before, so I am starting over from scratch.  Not sure why I decided to go another way from the diecasts, maybe because they are now so expensive, but I got to thinking about some of the old Pyro 1/32 scale cars I had as a kid and early teen.  So I bought both a SMER and PYRO 1/32 scale Mercer Raceabout off of eBay that should be here next week.  We'll see how it goes.  I thought I would post some pictures of the diecasts I detailed, just for fun. . .  I'm not new to the forum experience.  I was a very active member at DiecastXchange back when I was building the diecasts.  Hope to have some fun here. . .

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Edited by Eddie Cremer
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Hi Eddie.   Plastic, die cast or resin? It matters not what your preferred modelling medium is. Main thing is enjoy coming back to the hobby. I must say that your die cast detailing is excellent, so why not take advantage of having a pre painted body and retail up the rest? Regarding spraying perhaps appearing to be a bit difficult, it will come with a bit of practice. Try out by using some automotive paint aerosols on some odd bits and pieces. The basic is be patient and build up coats gradually, and making sure that you start off each pass clear of the job and finish each pass likewise. You will get to know by practice, what best distance to hold the aerosol from the job being painted. Generally there is a recommended distance on the can that can be used as a starting point for experimenting. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

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35 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Hi Eddie.   Plastic, die cast or resin? It matters not what your preferred modelling medium is. Main thing is enjoy coming back to the hobby. I must say that your die cast detailing is excellent, so why not take advantage of having a pre painted body and retail up the rest? Regarding spraying perhaps appearing to be a bit difficult, it will come with a bit of practice. Try out by using some automotive paint aerosols on some odd bits and pieces. The basic is be patient and build up coats gradually, and making sure that you start off each pass clear of the job and finish each pass likewise. You will get to know by practice, what best distance to hold the aerosol from the job being painted. Generally there is a recommended distance on the can that can be used as a starting point for experimenting. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

I'll paint models.  I painted about 10 or so of the diecasts that I did, if they were just in primer, or I wanted them a different color, but I'm just not happy with the results, and that isn't where I want to spend my time, since it isn't my strong suite.  Same reason why I never built a huge amount of "beaters."  Too time-consuming.  I stopped building for two reasons:  The biggest one was my wife & I were one of the victims of Bank of America's house foreclosure grab, and I didn't have the room anymore.  Second, I was going way overboard on the detail.  Wiring.  Brake lines.  Fuel lines.  Carpeting.  Scratchbuilt seat belts.  On the '69 Mach I above, that I bought as a kit at Big Lots, my goal was to built the car how it would look fresh off the car hauler, before it had been dealer prepped.  So I tried to replicate every factory paint daub, inspection sticker, etc.  It got to be too much.

This time, I don't want to go overboard on the detail, just have fun with it, and not be so serious about it.  I've got the two Mercer's on the way and last night I discovered a 1:32 Matchbox Mercedes-Benz SSKL that I put a bid in on for $19.99 and I couldn't believe I won it.  I may be making a mistake going down-sized in scale, but I can't afford most of the diecasts I want anymore and I can't afford the classic kits I'd want in 1:16th.  So we'll see what happens.  Here is a MotoMax Buick I did paint, since it was primered, and turned it into a lowrider.  It was a kit.

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Edited by Eddie Cremer
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18 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Eddie, I think you are being a bit hard on yourself. That metallic green finish looks perfect to me!

There is a bad spot on the trunk where I evidently rubbed it up against something before the paint was completely dry.  It isn't really noticable, but it bugged me.  Plus, I noticed this morning after I posted the pics that I never painted the trunk lock!!!  I should take some silver paint over to my sons house next time we go and paint that . . .:lol:

Edited by Eddie Cremer
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