Pete J.

Might be there. Waiting to hear if the 935's engine will be there. If so, I am bringing the rest of the car. Pete

I know it sound a bit cowboy, but if it were me, I would find some protection. Not a firearm, 'cause they have two modes off and dead, but maybe something like a tazer or a good bottle of pepper spray or tear gas. Perhaps a good club. Sounds like you need something like that in your neighborhood. It is really tough when you really can't protect your self from such hooligans.

I just reread your opening post and realized that you were in the market for another camera. First thing you have to do is define "low end" For some people, under $1,000 may be low end. I am a photography hobbyist and I have several great cameras that are in the $300 range and they do amazingly solid work. Sony makes some really nice pieces with quality lenses that get real close and also shoot high definition video. If you give us a range, that will help.

gbk1 has given you just about everything but here are a couple of additional pieces I gleaned from your owners manual. This is a fixed focus camera which is why the macro mode has such a narrow range of focus(7" to 8 1/2"). To get an in focus shot your model has to be that distance from the lens. You have a digital zoom, which means the model must still be in that range, but you can "zoom" in to get closer. Unfortunately it looks like you do not have an adapter for a tripod which would make this a lot easier. Next is the white balance. Auto will work, but if you can set up some lights, that would help. If you are inside and using regular incandescent bulbs, set the white balance to tungsten. If you use florescent, set it to florescent. Auto sometimes has trouble distinguishing light in macro mode. Last, don't be afraid to experiment with white balance, lighting, and picture quality. You aren't burning film so play with it and see what happens. You might also experiment with non-macro and move back to three feet and use the zoom. See how that works. I use this method when I am getting distortion from being too close to my subject. Have fun and experiment. You will surprise yourself with the quality you can get out of any camera if you use is correctly.

That it can, but if you can avoid it with proper painting techniques, it makes building a little more pleasurable. Well I suppose there are those who really dig sanding but I'm not one of them

I'm going for a model on this one. Another of those 1:8 scale beauties that Harry keeps coming up with.

Happy Birthday indeed! - I am getting to the age when history becomes an important part of life and things that I remember are now considered history. I am of the opinion that looking history in the eye from time to time is a good thing. Here is a reminder of that. This the the document that started it all. It is a good reminder of why we celebrate. Read and remember the reason for this season. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

It has been a very long time since I had them do some work for me, but they did a very good job. However,(don't ya hate howevers) like any contractor, if you leave it up to them, they will do the best they can, but they can't know every model. It is not that difficult to mount the parts to their specs. Get the instructions and do it yourself if you want to guarantee the results, plane and simple. If they need to redo the mount, they they will at least have your example to follow. Good luck.

I don't know of any in that area of town but Philip's in El Cajon is pretty decent. http://phillipshobbies.com/ A little further north by Mira mar is Discount Hobby Warehouse at 7644 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Further up north is Value craft on El Norte in Escondido. They have a very nice selection of paints and supplies. Mostly trains though.

At this time there are no plans though I would love too. Kind of wasting a lot of vacation time recovering from some health issues so getting time off is going to be an issue, so I guess we will have to see.

I originally had Sci-Fi but figured that they all fell into one of the three categories. All real space vehicle go through air to start with and the Sci-Fi falls into each of these categories in some fashion. The only thing I have any trouble with if Figures, but for the most part they are "land" except for Fantasy stuff. So maybe we need Land, Sea, air and all the other stuff as categories. P.S. Steve- I didn't know you did space vehicles?

Harry - Perhaps a minimal division such as air, land, or sea would be helpful if this actually comes about. Kind of give it a little bit of direction.

I concur! Lets get names and faces on the web and ban these thieves from every model show we can. They need to learn that thieves are not welcome!

Thanks - The P38 was inspired when Red bull announced that they were restoring "White Lightening" a rather famous P 38 that had crashed. This was my humorous rendition of what I thought it would look like. If you are a fan of P 38s you have to see this video of the real thing. This is beyond a shadow of a doubt the most beautiful war bird on the planet. It should be the pride of the Red Bull air fleet.

Harry, I build mostly cars but I do have other interests, mostly aircraft. There is a "but" attached to that, in that I generally build non-mainstream type stuff, e.g. egg planes, photo etched aircraft, and other unusual models. Here is my current work bench to give others an idea of some of the stuff that exists. Here is another of my stranger pieces.

I agree to some extent. Just because you are building for a purpose, does not mean that you are not building for you. Building for yourself can have a very broad range of meanings but to Quote Shakespeare, "To thine own self be true..." A good look in the mirror tells you what brings you pleasure. If trophies are the end, then so be it, but find what it is that keeps you in the hobby. Build things that you enjoy and you will by nature do a better job. If you enjoy the research, then have at it. High detail is your thing? Good on ya, Bob! The other side of this and this is probably what causes all the discussion, don't judge others motives because they do not share the same set as you have. Recognize that each of us is in this for our own reasons and being critical of others motivation is counter productive. Take what everyone brings to the table and share what you bring.

So I assume that you photos shopped out the big "1904 Oldsmobile" on the side panel?

If you are working with bare metal, solder is the best. Very clean if done right. On small parts it is almost mandidtory to use a resistance soldering unit.

Boy Harry, that is a tough one. A lot to like and dislike. I chose Model just because I don't like the way the light plays off certian parts. On the other hand that front suspension is very delicate. It would take a lot of patients to do that in scale. I also think a period correct would have brass in a lot of places that there is polished nickle like the head lamps and the top rails. Now that I have voted I will have to do some research an see what I can find.

My 29th. Kids are grown but are still my kids!

Microscale Krystal Klear - dries clear, cleans up with water and is flexible but strong. Great stuff.

For the most part nail polish is lacquer. Treat it as such and you should be ok.

Well, that is three fur... Harry, I think I've learned that if it looks really really real, then it is probably a model. It is the either way ones that get me. Thanks for the great looking model!

91% alcohol will do the trick. You can get it at most drug stores for a couple of bucks a quart. Acrylic thinners are mostly alcohol so this will work.

Dave, you are of course right, but I can only afford the coffee, so that is what I go for first. The rest is just drooling! By the way, what is the the nomenclature of the red 'benz? Great pictures. I need to go by there someday. Pete