StevenGuthmiller

I suppose I agree, but the result is the same. Inconsistent judging, which is why I won’t return to some shows. Steve

Just my opinion, but I would never skip primer for a number of reasons. You could open yourself up to all kinds of problems depending on the formulation of the paint. Steve

Well, there’s that, and then sometimes I wonder if it’s just a case of whether or not some of the people that are judging really have any idea of what they’re looking at. I like to think that it’s more of just a case of inexperience rather than bias, but I’ve absolutely seen the results of one, or possibly both. Steve

My question would be, how many categories does the chapter have for their military and aviation subjects? Having just one automotive category kind of proves my point about the apparent disdain for car modelers at many IPMS events. They certainly don’t seem to have a problem with “29eleventy7” categories for those genres. Why isn’t there just one aviation category? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people win a gold because they were the only “1/48 multi engine prop” entry, or the like. Steve

I think it might be pretty simple. Create a 3D print category. If the model has major components that are printed, (Meaning other than a few minor detail pieces such as wheels, carburetor or other small components) it can compete with other similarly constructed models. Makes sense to me. They often have separate categories for large scale, small scale, etc. One more category isn’t going to make a difference. The only problem might be that you wouldn’t really want to create separate print categories for every genre or class, so you’re printed ‘57 Mercury might have to compete with Sherman tanks, P51 Mustangs and fantasy subjects, but being as the sky is the limit with 3-D printing detail, I think that’s absolutely fair. In all honesty, it seems more fair than competing against a promo based AMT 1961 Ford. Steve

I agree completely. Steve

I see a LOT of them. Gundam and figures are becoming increasingly popular at many shows, and a good number of them are created by young modelers. My biggest gripe about some IPMS shows is their lack of seriousness with automotive modelers. There are certainly a lot of military/aviation snobs at these shows, even though some of the shows I have attended display upwards of a third of the entrants being automotive subjects. All one needs to do is observe the category lists for the shows. You might have three or four automotive categories, but there are often dozens of military and aviation subjects, sometimes with some of the weirdest distinctions. Do we really need an entire category for “post war eastern block artillery?” Steve

I don’t necessarily have any issues with 3-D printed parts, but I do feel that a distinction should be made in a contest between 3-D printed parts and scratch made parts. I think that that should at least be disclosed. I would want to know as a judge if a part was made from scratch, or printed. Just my opinion. Steve

Here’s a few more of my “holy grails” that I’ve obtained and built over the years. Steve

This is the pearl that I use. Steve

A good number of cars from the 60s had metallic, or more accurately, pearl interior upholstery. In some cases, I've been able to mimic that finish using a pearl, or fine metallic paint. In others, I've used a pearl acrylic craft paint lightly dusted over the color to create a fine metallic finish. The '64 Bonneville that I posted above was finished using a custom mix of MCW metallic enamel. In these cases, the acrylic pearl was used. Steve

Must be a resin bumper from an aftermarket resin ‘60 Dodge wagon. As far as I know, a ‘60 Dodge wagon was never produced in styrene, and it’s a different bumper than the Johan ‘60 Dart. Steve

Correct. If you're ordering wire on line you're not going to be able to tell what "looks right" until you get it. The best rule of thumb is to get several different sizes, and once you receive them, you'll be able to tell which applications they'll work best for. If something doesn't look like it's going to work for anything, send it back. Or worst case scenario, you'll know what not to get next time. Fortunately, wire isn't all that expensive. Shoot for stuff in the 26 to 36 AWG range. You should be able to find uses for pretty much all of it. Steve

30 AWG is a good place to start. Generally a little too large for plug wires and too small for heater hoses, but it will work well for vacuum lines, battery cables, power steering hoses, etc. If you get the type with a single strand silver wire inside, that will work great for fuel lines, brake lines, etc. Go a couple of gauges smaller for plug wires, (32-34 should do the trick) and a couple of sizes larger for heater hoses. (28 AWG) should be about right. Steve

I’m actually kind of surprised that they still make the blue tube glue. The stuff was trash right from the beginning. I’m pretty sure that you’d have better luck just using Elmer’s “Glue All”. Steve

I use the “finger oil” technique for vinyl tops, but I rarely use it for interiors, as I almost never use flat paint for interiors, and if I do, I generally give it a coat of some sort of matte or semi gloss finish. Steve

Funny thing is, even the old acetate “warping” promos had styrene bumpers. Go figure. Steve

I’ve started using a “friction fit” procedure that not only helps the glass conform to the correct shape, but also makes the inside of the glass frame look SOOOOO much cleaner and more realistic. In a nutshell it involves add “cleats” to the A-pillars that create a fine channel for the glass to fit into. These cleats serve double duty as a device to hold in the glass snugly, as well as serve as A-pillar trim. Then, when the film is cut slightly wider than the opening, the glass will form into the opening with tension, meaning that glue is not required on the A-pillar areas. Then I can just glue in the glass with some clear epoxy at the cowl, and possibly the header if required. Anyway, when it’s all said and done. It gives you a much more realistic look from the inside of the car than thick kit glass glued to the perimeter of the opening. Of course if you’re less anal, you can just tape and clamp the film into place and just epoxy the perimeter. I don’t know if these photos will help with what I’m trying to describe, but they show the “cleats” and channels that the glass slides into. But I think these photos illustrate how much better the interior of the glass looks when finished using this “friction” technique. Steve

Thanks for helping to answer questions everyone! I tried using a thicker (.01) clear styrene sheet from Evergreen on my ‘68 Coronet, and while I managed to get it to work, the thinner .007 film would have been much easier. Especially on that funky shaped rear window! Steve

I use .007 “Lay Film” for glass all of the time. Steve

I consider anything that I use for a particular model building purpose a tool. Steve

That’s something that you’ll have to decide for yourself. The only thing that I apply foil to prior to paint is the occasional script, and I don’t do that until just before the final color coat, so it’s over paint, not on the primer. Ultimately, whatever you decide to use to remove adhesive is up to you. I’m just making a suggestion. And contrary to popular belief, WD-40 is not some evil elixir. It’s just another tool. As with any other material, if you use it correctly, it’s not going to create any problems. Steve

Another variable between Japanese cars and American subjects might be engine option availability. A Japanese car may have had a couple of engine variations, but American classics, (especially in the 60s) usually had a whole host of options. There was almost always at least one 6 cylinder option, followed by small blocks, and big blocks, with sometimes a large number of induction variables, (ie, 2 barrel, 4 barrel, dual quads, 3 deuces, fuel injection, etc). Engine configuration was indeed a large consideration with American classics, and in fact, one of the first questions asked about them was inevitably, "what's under the hood?" Just my opinion, but Japanese power plants were pretty boring, so representing them in a kit may not have been much of a priority. American cars, especially in the muscle car era, had much more interesting and diverse engine variations that the manufacturers probably felt were worthy of representation. Steve

We do get it. That doesn't mean that WD isn't a completely viable alternative for removing adhesive, and it's something that almost everyone already has on hand. As I said, regardless of what I use, whether it's a lubricant or a solvent, I for one am not going to apply anything over it, (ie, paint or decals) without cleaning the surface first, so what's the difference? WD-40 washes right off with soap and water, which is what I'm going to use for whatever. In any case, when I apply foil, it's the last thing that's going onto the model. There's no reason that I can see why one needs to apply clear or decals after foil. It's a matter of doing things in a prescribed order. If you must do additional work after applying the foil, and you don't feel comfortable using WD to remove the adhesive, then don't. By all means, go out and buy additional materials that you have no other use for. No skin off of my backside. By the way, many of the other suggestions that I have seen, such as polishes and waxes can be much more difficult to remove than mineral oil, which is basically what you have in WD. If you plan on doing anything to the model after foiling, I certainly wouldn't use a wax. But then again, I find no need for waxing a model anyway. Steve

Not something that I obsess over, but sure, you want to have the layout as closely as you can to correct. This is the type of thing that is worth exploring if you're building a highly detailed model, but I certainly wouldn't give it too much thought if you're building a basic, or curbside model. Some of the old annuals have all sorts of interior layout problems with their shallow tubs and molded in, well, everything! If you're not going to address all of the other issues, it doesn't make much sense to me to worry about whether or not the steering wheel touches the seat. Steve