Pete J.

Tim, I think you mean Johnson & Johnson. Masters and Johnson were the sex researchers in the 60's. Regardless, heck of a job on the parachute! I have never seen one with so much attention to detail. This thing is going to be drop dead gorgeous! I have seen many discussions on this board about what constitutes a "Master Modeler". Frankly, there is no doubt that you are a good example of what one would expect from that designation!

I think your key word here was quiet. Did you mean quiet or silent? The reason I ask is my compressor is pretty quite for a garage but would never bring it in the house. It runs gas a 2.5 gallon tank and fills to 175 psi. Once it is filled I shut it off and can paint most of the day on one fill. So for about 5 minutes it is really loud and then silent for the rest of the day. Others have mentioned CO2 and scuba tanks absolutely silent also but need a fill. At one time Badger made a connection to attach to a spare tire. Also most compressor companies make a auxiliary tank which is just a tank with a valve. You take it to a compressor and fill it and then paint. So you really have to answer the relative question of what is quiet to you first.

Ok, here's a different thought. Have you ever been in an auto paint shop and seen a display with a bunch of small oval plastic shapes that sort of have a car shape on the wall as paint displays? Well they are called speed shapes. They are widely used by auto paint companies to test paint. They are ABS plastic and with a little research can be found quite inexpensively. I was lucky some years back to find an online paint supplier who was clearancing a bunch of "Mini" speed shapes out and bought a hundred for about $25 if I recall. I like them because they are about the size of a small model car body and have the curves to see what the color will look like as it plays over the various curves of a body.

I'm a little late to this party but will throw in a couple of tips from my experience. I have a little differant approach. I use Micromesh sanding sticks. http://micro-surface.com/index.php/products-by-type/nail-buffers/micro-mesh-nail-buffer.html You can get these from a lot of places like MicroMark, but this is link is to the manufacturer and you won't get them cheaper. To start you could get a few three grit, and use it to figure out what works for you. I would suggest the 2400/4000/12000 initially. Once you find out what works then order single grits of each. I only buy single grits anymore because the multigrits will have one wear out well befor the other and you wind up with a lot of half used sticks. I use these first to take of parting lines and major imperfection and always use them wet. I have a small spray bottle with 50/50 alcohol /distilled water. The alcohol acts as a wetting agent/cleaner. After the initial sanding, I dry the body and spray it with a very light coat of Tamiya white primer(gray if the model is molded in white plastic). I then re-sand it. This will bring up any defects no matter how small. Small sink marks or scratches will pop right out. Also any mold lines you may have missed or not eradicated completely will also pop out. If this shows any defect that are really too deep then some filler is called for and a re-prime and sand. Once you have it sanded down with the finest grit ,then you are ready for another light coat of primer to make the surface uniform and then your color. Good luck.

Buy the way, the ones I get from McMaster are made by Kyocera. Super quality. They also all have a 1/8" shank, which also makes them work on a Dremel or regular chuck even at very small sizes.

In a nutshell, it was ugly even for the time. It was expensive. It competed in the Ford line up with Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln, slotted somewhere between Mercury and Lincoln not to mention competing with the real competition of GM and Chrysler. People at the time were very brand loyal even within manufactures. My Dad was a Olds man and my uncle was a Chevy man and they would never consider buying the others car. Try adding a entirely new brand to that mix! Just didn't work.

I'll second Chris with McMaster Carr. If you want really good bits look up circuit board drill bits. https://www.mcmaster.com/#circuit-board-drill-bits/=1bilazv They are much more expensive but they are carbide bits and are much better quality. They stay sharp longer but will snap easier if you get a little off center. I use them for making little bitty holes in little bitty parts. That piece of brass in .020" wide!

In addition to a water trap(critical) get a good pressure gage and valve. By good, I mean one that will read 40 PSI at the high end. This will give you a more accurate reading on pressure. Then go to the store and get a box of cheap white plastic spoons. Painting the back of them will be a good representation of paining models. Another good item to have is a cheap digital thermometer that also shows humidity. Last and not least is a notebook and a pencil. Now if this is all starting to sound like a science experiment, that is because painting is just that. Start with putting columns in your notebook to record paint brand and color, temperature, humidity, pressure , mix rate and results. Start with a 1:1 thinner mixture and see the results. If you get orange peel or a flat paint(assuming you are going for gloss) then increase the thinner and record the results. If you get runs then decrease the thinner. Once you have the mixture right then start adjusting the pressure. Too little pressure and you will get blobs of paint because it is not atomizing. Too much and you will get a fine mist but a lot of overspray. Do not, I repeat, Do Not try to adjust both at the same time. That is a recipe for disaster because you can't determine the result of varying more that one item at a time. Temperature and humidity also will play into results. Higher temperatures require more thinner and humidity can cause slower drying and runs and sags. Do this every time you paint and you will find certain sweet spots that work best at a given temperature and humidity. This book then becomes your bible for painting and takes the guess work out of painting. I know there are a lot of painters out there that adjust there mixes by eyeball and use word like "thickness of milk" which they have learned to do with years of experience. I don't disparage them and their work because they get the results they want, but this method take a little longer up front but takes the guess work out of paint. When you go out into the shop to paint you will have fewer failures over time. Unfortunately there is no "Published" book like this because there are so many different paints and airbushes that the book would be an encyclopediac volume to cover all of them. On top of that manufactures change their formulas or introduce new paints and that adds to it. Variations in paint are the reason most builder have a brand that they prefer and they stick with it. Good luck and enjoy your new airbrush.

Hasegawa Tritool has been making these sets for at least 20 years. I bought two sets(one as a back up) and have never had to crack the second one open. There are two different sets. Set HSGTP-4 About $10- This set is very thin and you need to be careful using them on the pull only. These can cut so thin that you can actually reglue the piece back in without filler. Here is the link to Hobby link Japan https://hlj.com/product/HSGTP-4 Set HSGTP -3 Same price but a thicker set for when you need something a little sturdier. https://hlj.com/product/HSGTP-3 If you don't like HLJ I am sure you could find them here with a little looking. As I say, one set has lasted me far longer than I thought they would.

I resize all my photos to 6" with 100 dpi resolution. This seems to give a good photo for most applications. I use Photoshop but Microsoft photo editor(depending on which version of windows your running) is free and will do this without any issues that I'm aware of.

A quick look on the internet and you are correct to some degree. Drain cleaner, oven cleaner and toilet bowl cleaners all contain similar ingredients and are listed as the most toxic chemicals found in the home. Here is a list of what most contain and the issues with them. Ethanolamine causes eye damage and severe skin burns. It’s harmful if swallowed or inhaled, and it irritates allergies. Morpholine irritates allergies and skin. It also damages skin and vision and irritates the respiratory system. Liquified and Sweetened Petroleum Gases may cause cancer. Butoxydiglycol affects respiratory systems, and may cause cancer and reproductive effects. It also may damage vision, the digestive system, the nervous system, as well as irritate skin. Sodium Hydroxide irritates allergies and skin. It also can damage vision and irritate the respiratory system Not an issue when used with due caution, but they need to be handled like the toxic chemical concoctions that they are. By the way, Sodium Hydroxide is the main chemical that strips the paint off and is a main ingredient in Super Klean as well.

Well not quite true, but you have to read the label and follow the directions. Super Klean is biodegradable and water soluble. The problem becomes what you use it to clean up. Old motor oil(which as an engine degreaser, is what it is designed for) is very toxic, so the label has a warning for that. But to your point, READ THE LABEL AND DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY.

A lot of choices and each comes with it's own hazards. Chemical gloves, eye protection and caution needed for all. One other comment, I use brake fluid for Tamiya lacquers. I have a junk body I use for testing and after 3 or 4 trips to the dunk tank, it has become brittle. Each of these chemicals will take a little something out of the plastic, but then I suppose if you need to strip it four or five times, you really need to look at your painting technique!

floating on pudding

uphill both ways

with dirty shorts

I do know what it is for, I have just never seen it, so it took me a bit by surprise. Not that I have seen every GT40 ever made but on a MKII I know the dual quads weren't use as much as the singles. Not sure that I remember what the issue was but Lee Holman said they tried them and didn't get them to work well until the MKIV's. He also mentioned that the common clear acrylic trumpet was removed on a number of engines because in some circumstances the engine produced more HP without it. I did find a photo of this car and was also surprised to see the exhaust painted the same red color. I also noticed that this one doesn't have the luggage holders. Interesting car to say the least. Very nice build.

from your friend

Without a doubt the center of car culture is California. The center of that is southern California. The Epicenter is LA. I drive from San Diego up the 405 to see my grandbaby in Ventura often and the exotic and unusual expected. In addition to the Aventador and the BMW previously mention, the drive yesterday included a Ferrari 350 coupe, an Audi R8, an early Duesenberg, and a AMG GT coupe. Teslas are really common and going through the gap by UCLA there is a McLaren, BMW, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes and BMW dealerships on opposite sides of the freeway. Exotics are really quite common, not to mention customs and other collectables. We are spoiled with the plethora of exciting cars in the area.

of lard!

You'd think so but not so much. If you consider that California is about the size of the east coast from South Carolina to New York we don't get anything that area doesn't have comparable except nasty weather. I've lived here 30 years and have only occasionally felt a little shake from and earthquake. Only twice anything more than comparable to a train going by. I have never been evacuated because of a fire, though I have been close twice. I've never been anywhere near a mudslide or flood or tsunami. Hurricanes? Don't get them here. Neither do we get hail or tornadoes. Blizzards stay up in the mountains were they belong. Unless you are out in the desert you only see thunderstorms at a distance. Traffic? Oh heck yes and some other craziness, but no more than you would see in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, D.C. or any other heavily populated area. Pay dearly for the dream? Na, it really doesn't seem like much of a price to pay most of the time. I've shared your life. I spent 5 years in northern Michigan and have no need to go back to that area. You couldn't drive me out of here with a wildfire.

Ok, this one if for all those driving through the snow and slush. I was on my way home last night on the 405 just south of LAX(Los Angeles airport for those not fluent in ICAO) and 8:30 last night and saw this dude livin' the dream. Southbound in February in a shiny new BMW convertible with the top down, doin' 70 mph, just enjoying the night air! Yup, that's the reason I moved to SoCal 30 years ago. Oh and by the way, about a minute later we were both passed by a silver Lambo Adventador doing well over 70. Wasn't quick enough to snap a photo of that.

Humm, that is and interesting build. I did know about the Mercury car, but I have never seen a bubble in the rear window. Nice build.

completely off!

Polishing the plastic is a great way to go some times but there are problems that I see. First and foremost you are stuck with the color the kit is molded in. That is rarely the color I want to build. Second, you can't really fix defects such as sink marks. I suppose you could melt a little sprue into the depression and polish that, but I have never been able to do that an have it not show. The other thing I have noticed is that certain colors of plastic are somewhat translucent and it looks weird without painting the back of the body with either black or white. Any other comments?