Ridge Rider

I'm liking this thread, nice work guys and thanks for sharing.

My local HTUSA seems to cater to the RC hobby and doesn't seem to restock aftermarket supply's but does have a decent model selection but at full retail. Right now I would imagine the hobby is stagnant, meaning even though the population of the world is increasing, the young modelers are starting to replace the the first gen baby boomers(modelers) Unfortunately, like society itself, we are going to be losing this generation and not replacing it. The hobby will live but the future will most likely be e commerce and a dwindling market. Most kids today will never be exposed to the hobby unless it's through an adult or projects such as your 4H and the recently posted school project. But for now the hobby is in a resurgent because of the boomers and we are all benefiting so let's enjoy the ride.

For small parts and thin joints I prefer Tamiya extra thin--also similar are Tenex and Ambroid. They weld the joint and dry fast, workable in minutes unless it's very fiddly parts. The thicker tube type work well for big surface areas like wide flat plastic areas but do take longer to dry. The super glues are contact surface only and have different curing times so I would research for your needs. Personally I don't like the super fast so I can adjust the fitment as well as not accidentally glue my fingers together. This has been discussed before and a forum search should give you some more answers.

We are our own worst critic but I would be proud to display that as is and learn from my mistakes. Hope the next one takes at least half the time.

I remember a lot of the vague instructions from my youth, it was frustrating. (pre internet) Some were very lacking in location placement points as well as the sub par instructions. On the other hand some were very informative in naming the parts and some historical dialog about the subject. It seemed to be hit or miss and I never understood why there wasn't more consistency as it seems all brands were guilty of this. Keep at it, use the internet for research, but above everything--have fun.

Looks very nice, you should be proud. Thanks for sharing.

I have to agree, I went to the Tonight Show in 03 and 06 while in town for the Supercross. The show is recorded at 4:30 direct to tape to be broadcast later in all markets. It was worth the waiting in line and the whiplash received after being rear ended on the freeway on the way to the studio. Nobody will replace Carson, but he did a pretty good job.

I love Tamiya spray primer but don't like the price. After some experimenting with different box stores, I've come to like the Rust-oleum 2x ultra cover in white and grey. It covers quick, dries fast, needs minimal if any sanding and is under 4 dollars at Home Depot. It is the closest to Tamiya, in my opinion, that I have found in a spray can at a reasonable price. Obviously you can go 1:1, but for the hobbyist these these have worked well for me.

I think most of us get the creative juices flowing and then have life happen, which includes work, family, and social obligations. Then the model it'self can run into a problem, especially when scratch building, and needs to sit till the ideas come to fruition. Believe me i know, I'm getting close to finishing my first custom since getting back into the hobby 6 yrs ago. I will post post pictures, but It has been a long wip with many problems and lot's of staring and trial fits. Don't rush it but I do look forward to seeing how this turns out and am appreciative of the builders that build customs and share knowing how long it can take. Thanks again for sharing.

This seems to be part of my problem. Having lack of space and getting creative is just half the battle. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but when I acquire spare parts and builts I want to put those parts and pieces as a group so if I ever try to rebuild or reconstruct I have an Idea of what goes where and whats its from. This creates a sub category of individual parts that i want to keep separate from the general parts stash that seems to keep growing. I'm not complaining, it's like saying I have to much money from different sources. Other than making a big spread sheet and trying to keep kits and collections together it is a big task to stay organized. I use drawers and model boxes at this time but would like to be more organized, it just takes away time from a 27 hr day that only has 24, at least that's how it feels.

This is a problem of bankruptcy, or rather a company that should have gone through it . Chrysler did this and produced a lot of junk through the eighties with there fair share of recalls. Economic turmoil effects the quality of the product and the people producing it. Without getting into politics, there is no such thing as to big to fail. Failure is just that, time to restructure or cease to exist,

Would you take $2500, it needs a little work? Nice job with the weathering, someday I want to start experimenting with that and hope it looks as nice. I just seem to have too many shiny ones in the works.

X2 This is a forum to share things like this. Inquiring minds want to know.

I've been following your progress and want to thank you for attempting and sharing this project. You have done an excellent job of detail painting with the scale reduction and should be very proud of the outcome. Thanks again for sharing.

I agree, they are already unusable in your eyes so try to shape them as it's no big deal if it doesn't work. Then go to plan B and trash them if it doesn't work. Good luck.

A great singer Dio and a great guitarist Malmsteen doing Aerosmith's Dream On. Again not necessarily better but a pretty cool cover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0xM65cVh0E

"The dry time never bothers me as I let all sit for a period of at least a week." Same here Carl, I acquired lots of Testors enamel and let them dry several weeks, or years but I have been on the lookout for a reasonably priced dehydrator (free or close to it). I do have projects that it would be nice to move along quickly but there is never a shortage of things to get done. At least for me. Thanks for sharing Matthew.

Nice work so far, it's looking great. I picked up 2 of this release with the intention of building what you're doing , with one of them. Also thanks for the input Tom, good to know.

If I were a model company, I would offer pickup kits with many options, similar to the 3n1 kits for cars but more like 10n1. I would create the model as a 2 wheel drive shortbed standard cab with the common stock motor. The frame would be engineered to saw cut in one spot and add one extension piece that would be at full length for a crew cab long bed or could be shortened to the appropriate build. Like a short bed crew cab or extended cab or a long bed or any combo there is. I would have optional 4x4 parts with wheels, tires and a different motor. The cab would be standard but the kit would contain a crew cab back half that with minimal cutting, with the supplied templates, could be made into an extended or crew cab. Or just have the extra cab in the kit if feasible. It also would contain a short bed, long bed, and dually option. It's a simple and advanced kit rolled into one. This has never been done but I think it could be and would sell. With the Meng F 350 MSRP at $75 i would think you could price it about the same and have parts to trade or keep for future projects. Just a thought, any ideas positive or negative are encouraged if it furthers the discussion.

Rok, you have a nice website, thanks for the link. I would never have guessed your collection would be as big and comprehensive as it is. Quite impressive and welcome to the forum.

Is that a transformer? But seriously I have always liked the art deco designing and the obscure . A quinella. Thanks for sharing.

I've always liked this Pink Floyd cover. Queensryche is from my youth and I have seen them several times in concert, but it might be the saxophone that makes it a not better but enjoyable cover. Youtube sound quality per copyright infringement sucks but you get the idea.

I have enjoyed your creativity and artistic style for several years now and just want to say WOW and thanks for sharing.

I have won millions and I'm still building models and on this site. Oh wait, it wasn't me. Life would be different in many positive and negative ways, but I would hope that answer would be true. I don't want big homes in exotic locations but I would enjoy a 2000 sqft home with a 10,000 sqft shop on acreage. I know in my heart and have already told everyone I know that the best part would be to give it away to to the people I love and causes I care about. This is after taking care of myself first or whats the point?

That turned out great Jonathan, despite the problems. Thanks for sharing.