10thumbs

Hello Joe, sorry to read about your dilemma and your frustration. Considering all of the steps needed to finish a model, the paint gives me the most worries and I'm usually scared to the bones about getting color on something. I have lots of respect for good paint jobs. Your work looks excellent, no way I could even attempt this level, you'll get it right. Michael

Guys, Tim has a real big dime too that he can impress us with! Looks fantastic Tim. Is there a special reason for doing this step in brass? I really like the contrast in the metal pieces when fitted together, some shiny, others real smooth, brass and aluminum together looks cool. I can't imagine that you'll paint any parts of the drive train. What's the plan? Michael

Hi Bruce, I'm real interested in info that may come up here. I was able to get a halfway decent look with these Revell 2 piece slicks, but only partially, not around the whole tire. The shiny glued area (CA) still pops up in the areas where the seam was a little bit lower, meaning more toward the tire center, than the footprint area. I'd like a better result, but i have no experience with these funky two piece slicks. The "good"areas I'd just turned by hand on 220 grit paper. Michael

Nice paint job. Those Rallye Wheels look excellent.

That's it guys. Tim uses a "giant penny". Clayton, good that you cleared this up for us, now we can go back to the bench understanding more how he does it. How does he do it? Excellent fabrication Tim! Will you be running wires through the joints when you assemble the drive shaft? This drive train will be out of this world. Michael

Hahaha, at first I read "girly brakes"! They look fantastic. Once again, I'm seeing but can't really believe what I see. Magnificent technique! Michael

Hi Randy, these are pics I just keep coming back to look at. Every time I see a new detail, it's just perfect. I really enjoy checking your models out! Real perfection, and thanks for sharing! Michael

Hi Tim, the tank looks very good and has an excellent finish, really smoothly milled with zero waves on those straight flanks. Good stuff. What's with the brass lid? P-E or sheet fabrication. I'm looking forward to the plumbing of this assembly as I haven't a clue how it's done 1:1. Well, not in 1:25 either. I'll be watching out for updates. Michael

Hi Chris, excellent! Super clean work and fine details. I love the slightly visible valve cover and head gaskets! Very nice touch. Michael

Hi Tim, Now you're talking! I love the plating idea. I tried bluing on some brass parts. Like real gun metal. The brass came out immediately nice and deep black, but it was not as durable as I'd need for a build in progress. Plating. This thrills me! Why make the effort to do a frame in brass, only to have to paint as if was styrene! I ask myself this often. What could look more like metal than real metal! Please show more. Michael

Sledsel.

I've used black gold from H of K. It's more like a very dark anthracite gray though, not quite black. @Mike, that's a nice collection of paint! Good looking paint jobs too. Michael

Hi Tim, beautiful result, and very delicate, clean workmanship. I don't even know what the piece will do, but I like the way it looks. Michael

Guys, Do you use Alclad2 as a primer? Is it the Aclad2 Primer, or can the regular Alclad2 be used as a base coat? Do you spray lacquer on it? I'd like a copper base coat with a lacquer paint job but I don't know which copper I could use. Alclad2 has a copper, and a pale gold that I could use but I have no experience with the stuff. Anyone? Michael

I read about the HP unit, nice piece! If I can get an i7 Dell notebook with a good software package installed, I'll jump on it. An i5 will more than likely be good enough. I just think 4gb ram is a must. I'm looking at replacing with this endeavor my desktop PC too.

Very clean models. Did they really exist? Like the Tempest. Geez, short wheelbase and a brutal motor, the car sits high. They must have been a handful to drive. Like the Falcon too. I always thought they were cool. I saw Hubert Platt and his Falcon run a match race once. There was a T-Bolt from not far away that ran regularly too, nice car. Great times. Good looking models! Michael

I found a Dell forum over here and it looks as if there are issues to deal with, for sure. Also some remedies available, meaning tutorials. Some corporate notebooks can be had for cheap, and modern enough for me. I just want to be able to install a OS if I get a hot rod that has no software installed. Mike, is the i5 platform quick? Does it feel quick and responsive? I can get these, lots to be had here. No modern gaming, just usual office stuff and internet and music. I'm sure a i5 would do it too.

Mike, well it looks like I've been bitten again by ebay dealers. Matter of fact is, I bought a year or so ago a legal Win7 64bit Full CD. Great. New HD, I was hoping to finally become somewhat up to date. The episode turned out to be total frustration. Absolute no worky. So here I read if I get a snappy Dell Professional Notebook, like a 6520, with an i7 cpu and 8GB ram, the sucker won't work with my Dell-type-Win-7 super-disc. I've had it for awhile with PC's on the cheap. I ain't buying nothing new either. So I'll stick with super fast DSL internet, but with a PC from yesteryear. I'm going to dig up the dealer who I bought the software from, and see what he lies to me.

Mike (blunc), that's the way I'm thinking now too. I did some researching on the weekend, plus ebay. For just a bit more than what I would spend to upgrade the old biscuit, I can get a nice 3 yrd. old power notebook. I like the Dell Latitude line, because I have some Win 7 software from Dell that I could easily use. They seem to be robust and quick, so I'll put my Desktop PC to rest too. Michael

I like using dental instruments too.

I agree with Mike. I don't know what sizes are used for real cars, but a model needs smaller jets. I use 0.5mm for the best results, with lots of line pressure, and the paint fairly thin. Actually I have best results when the paint is real thin. Use the H of K reducer, the one that's fast drying. I don't have th number at hand. Depending on the consistency of the paint I have at hand, I use at least 1:1, then start from there. Sometimes 2 parts thinner and 1 part paint are needed. You'll see what's best as soon as you hit the go button. When it's too thick, I just pour it back into the bottle I mixed it in, add more reducer, run cleaner through the airbrush and get back at it. Experts will probably cringe at my shade-tree technique, but as soon as I became less afraid of an airbrush the easier it became. Again, my experience is the thinner the paint, with an 0.5mm nozzle, the better the job. But that's just me. As far as I know, there is only 1component, or the urethane 2 component clear. The 1 component is to be thinned out just like the other stuff, maybe even a tad more, with the same reducer you used before. You can also clear the primer or base coat! Yep! Good huh? Fills up fine sandpaper scratches fairly well. Michael

That's a good point. All of the "airbrush ready" small quantities I've bought needed reducing to spray with a brush. Some, especially the base coats, were in a small can and were really thick (too long in the small can??, which show original H of K label), others were thinner, but still needed to be thinned. The first batch I received was from a renowned custom paint shop here in Germany. The rest was from an airbrush online supplier. The Kandy Konzentrates need a boatload of thinner anyway so I don't know if the thickness is right or not. Can't say. I do know a small bottle will go a long way. I only use the 1 component clear as I see no necessity for a 2 component clear for a plastic model. Personally, I really like working with the lacquers from HofK and the results make them in my opinion a no-brainer. I actually feel that I know how to use an airbrush in the meantime!

Good topic here. Strangely enough, the biggest fear I have in building models is using the glue! I mess up everywhere. I will follow the advice here. Thanks guys.

As I understand, a dealer will break down the larger quantities if he sees a market for the smaller orders. There's an airbrush specialist or two in Europe that sells small bottles, (I think 4oz.) and he has good business with the H of K original paint. I'm sure in the US there are lots of dealers doing the same. The stuff is fantastic and very easy to use, and it's a thrill to mix about any color you've ever seen and would like to re-produce. The paint dries very quickly and the following coats can be, even should be applied within 10 to 15 minutes. Later, the clear coats are a breeze too. Lots of guys cringe at the price, but a lot of plastic can be painted with 4oz.!

OMG! That car is totally sick. What a beauty, paint, details, the wheels, simply a dream. No chrome around the windshield either. You are a lucky fellow! Michael PS: I'm sure folks have made lots of comments to you about this vehicle. I'll bet there were some really outstanding comments too. Like, "does it have a Hemi", or "what about gas mileage". Can you share any of these with us?