Olle F

That reducer is the only special part you need, you can find the rest in pretty much any hardware store. As Brendan said, most compressors have 1/4" fittings, but they also have a quick coupling so you don't really need to mess with the compressor. All you need to do is to pick up a male coupling with male 1/4" thread and put this on your reducer, then it's ready to snap into the compressor. Just make sure you get the correct coupling. If you go to for example Lowes, you'll find two kinds: automotive and commercial (they may use other names for them in other stores), and the compressors are usually equipped with the commercial type. If you don't know which one you need, just buy both and try them, they're cheap. There are also universal female couplings that makes it possible to use both types of male couplings, this is what I use on my compressors and hoses. Edit: I'm a bit senile... It could be "industrial" type, instead of "commercial". In any case, they don't interchange unless you have a universal female coupling.

I agree, you do need a tank, period! Look for deals at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace or whatever you have around you, a good "nail gun compressor" (for example a Bostitch) can often be bought for about $100 or less, and they come with tank and pressure regulator. Haven't seen any with moisture traps though, but on the other hand: I have never used a trap and have never had a problem with it. One significant bonus is that a good compressor can be used for a lot of things around the house, like inflating tires, cleaning stuff (to be able to dust the inside of a computer in seconds is priceless!), carpentry, work on cars and a lot of other stuff, once you have one you'll find a thousand uses for it. I have two compressors, and I can't live without any of them. It's kind of an addiction, I just love to use air tools and once you start using nail guns, staplers, die grinders, impact wrenches etc you'll be hooked too! My airbrush is a Badger 200 that I bought about 30 years ago, and I must say that it has served me well. You can pick them up for around $50-60, so that together with a $100 compressor, trap and some fittings should fit within your budget. Whatever you decide to get, buy a well known brand so you can find parts for it if something gets damaged or lost. The Badger 200 has been around forever, so I feel pretty confident that I can keep mine running for another 30 years.

Thanks for the detailed answer, you actually answered my next question as well. And no, I didn't suspect you of suggest something unsafe, I just wanted to make sure that this tip wasn't for laquer only. I have already been there and done that, that model I mentioned was waxed 10-15 years ago and the surface is still tacky...

My wife only allows me to do some simple cooking, like frying an egg or opening a beer. I do know some pretty good Swedish recipes though, if you're interested.

Are Novus, Scratch X and similar products safe on enamel? I had a real nasty experience once when I tried Turtle wax on a model painted with Testors enamel, and I don't want to repeat that mistake...

That's something I have learned the hard way, there's nothing more aggravating than cutting a long, straight piece of trim without having a good, crisp line to go by! There are other ways to make it easier as well. For long straight lines, you can use Dymo tape as a guide. If you stick it to your clothes first to make it less tacky, you'll have a nice, adhesive backed straightedge to guide the cut. Another thing I cooked up in desperation is to tape an Xacto blade to a toothpick, and adjust the width between the tip of the blade and the tip of the toothpick to be the same as the width of the trim. This works great for window trim, you just use the toothpick as a guide to get a perfectly even cut around the perimeter. It works so well that I'm thinking about getting one of these, and replace one of the blades with a piece of thin brass rod to convert it into a designated window trim tool.

My favorite for simulating rubber is Testors "Black Chrome Trim". It has the right sheen, and you can get a pretty realistic rubber color if you add a tad of white (straight black is "too black", IMO). I use this for hoses and belts in the engine compartment, but it should work on tires as well.

Whoa... Yeah, that is indeed scary! But it seems like you do work for others, and that is a little bit different. At least you can recoup your money, while mine vaporizes through the airbrush.

When I see what you guys spend on paint, all I can say is: "Get an airbrush!" I use enamels, and it doesn't take more than maybe 1/2 bottle to paint a car body. Of course, I have to add a little bit of miscellaneous colors for engine, chassis, interior and so on, but I have a pretty good assortment of the basic colors I usually use and the total is probably no more than another 1/2 bottle anyway. Add maybe a cup of laquer thinner, and the total paint cost for a model will be between $5 and 10$, tops. Granted, I don't build much nowadays, but my airbrush has sure paid for itself several times over.

Ed, I'm not a custom expert, so I don't even know what those cars looke like. But I visited Starbirds museum about a year ago so if you could post pictures, I can look through the pictures I took and see if they are there.

That's basically the same method as I suggested, but I would apply the putty first, then use a suitable tool to press the pattern into the putty, one line at a time. I haven't tried it, but it seems like it would be too easy to mess it up if you apply the putty after making the pattern. If you use something like Tamiyas "Play-Do" sticks, you should have plenty of time to get it right before it sets up.

You might be better off saving for a while and buying a 110V or cordless Dremel. Batteries are pretty darn expensive nowadays, so you'll probably end paying (and keep on paying) more for a battery powered tool in the long run. There are some pretty inexpensive cordless 2-speeds, but you'll probably like a variable speed tool better. Still, you can pick up some really cheap battery powered units. For example, my wife bought a Dremel pumpkin carving kit at Walmart for $20, and that's probably as cheap as they come. Wait, I'll take that back... If you can wait, it's more than likely half that price right after Halloween.

Humbrol's Metal Cote is thicker and dries slower than Testors Metalizer. It's an enamel and you can brush it on just as any other enamel. Airbrushing will of course still give you a better result, but it works way better for brushing than the Metalizer. I have used a few different colors of this, and it's really nice and easy to use. It's also a bit more forgiving than regular metallic, as most of the brush strokes will disappear when you polish it. The only downside is that it's hard to come by, I usually have to order it through my LHS.

It's pretty thin and dries quickly, so brush painting can be difficult and you will have to use an airbrush if you paint bigger parts. However, you can actually dip smaller parts with good results, the paint is so thin that it won't build up like other types of paint do. Just glue the part to a piece of sprue, dip in the paint, tap off the excess and let it dry. As there's pretty much no build-up, it will show any imperfections so the surface prep is very important. Once it's dry, you can leave it as is, or buff it with a piece of soft cloth. You can also create some cool effects by a light polishing that leaves some areas dull. It adds a lot of depth to the engraved details (kinda like a wash does, but more subtle), and depending on how you do it you can make parts look worn, dirty etc. For example: When I painted the rims for the model in the pictures, I added some pastel powder before I buffed the paint, which created a grimey look. This works well with other parts too, like carburetors, aluminum valve covers, exhaust systems etc.

Thanks for the info, guys! The Cookeville show is a no-brainer as it's 30 minutes from where I live, but I hope I'll be able to go to Knoxville as well.

Have you got any more info on the show in Knoxville?

I have seen the military builders do similar things by rolling a thin sheet of epoxy putty (like Milliput, Tamiya etc), attaching it to the part and applying the desired texture with knifes, pieces of wire, wood sticks or whatever works best.

Or figuring out how to glue the seat that came loose after you glued the interior tub to the body. Seriously, what I enjoy most is the creative side, the decision process, finding the right parts, colors etc. Of course, it's also fun to learn the new methods and skills it takes to pull it off.

I use 0.5mm galvanized baling wire for fuel lines. It's already the right color, and it also cuts and bends easily.

Unreal! Not only is it an outstanding model car, the technology is also awesome. Seems like the bar has been raised again for the detail oriented builders, I can already see Mr. Obsessive sharpening his X-Acto knife!

"Trying"? Don't tell me this is your first attempt!

That sure looks promising! Now get the tape off so we can see how it turned out!

You could use a photoetched set. They are not all that easy to assemble, but they look good.

I love it! And I have to agree with previous posts, those headers look great! I have a gasser project on the workbench right now, and this is good inspiration! You know, that was my first thought too. It would look even better with a sponsor name on it, for example a small, local business like "Leroy's Muffler Shop" or Bud's Auto Parts".

Hey, why not build a diorama? OJ's Bronco and about 150 cop cars...