StevenGuthmiller

I suppose. But for a genre that proclaims to be growing by leaps and bounds, it certainly seams to be underrepresented on the show tables, at least as far as I’ve seen. I sometimes wonder how much of it is going to end up being just another passing fad. I know that statement will probably irritate some, but with all other genres there is some sort of historical reference. With Gundam there’s really none of that. Steve

It seems a little weird to me that apparently the interest in Gundam has grown so exponentially in recent years, yet when I attend an IPMS show, which allows for all genres, I see very few of them, at least in my locality. In all honesty, the last show that I attended boasted over 500 models, and I don’t think that there could have been any more than a half dozen Gundam subjects displayed. Then again, I’m not 100% certain of the number as that was the only table that I petty much passed by. Although I build exclusively model cars, I can really appreciate the other genres for the most part. Some of the Military and ship models are absolutely fascinating! Aviation models to a lesser extent for me, but the fantasy and Gundam subjects just leave me absolutely cold. I guess it has to do with my disposition that a “scale model” has to be a scaled down representation of something that has actually existed at one point or another. Just me. Steve

Steve

I used many of the parts from the Revell 1968 Dodge Charger kit, including the firewall. I dressed it up a little. Steve

We’re praying for you folks down there. Hang in there. Steve

Almost every AMT kit that has it’s origins as a promo or annual kit has those top mechanism wells, unless the vehicle was not offered simultaneously in hard top and convertible configurations. There were a few kits that had that detail added to the top boot instead of the interior tub, or as I said, models that were not offered as convertibles, such as the ‘64 Pontiac Grand Prix for example, didn’t have them. The vast majority of kits were molded with convertible interiors regardless of the body. Steve

I agree. Never rely on instructions and the hope that everything is going to go together and fit as imagined, because it almost never does. The only way that you’re going to get everything to assemble and look as you want it and that’s with plenty of mock-up and test fitting throughout the project. Resist the temptation to make painting the body or any other parts the priority. It always amazes me how often I see complete assembly failures, to the point of the modeler throwing the model against the wall, and then exclaiming that the kit “is junk”. Those problems can be avoided EVERY TIME if the builder would have been more careful and had just taken the time to inspect, test fit and mock-up prior to jumping in without any idea of how things are likely to go together. Steve

I didn't widen the rear seat on the '65 Plymouth interior as the seat shape allowed me to just add a little material to either side and still keep it believable. The shape of the rear seat as it correlated with the shape of the rear package shelf prohibited widening the seat without involving reshaping the rear package shelf as well, so it seemed to be the most logical fix. I did however, have to widen the rear seat on my '68 Coronet project. (This was before the new Round-2 '68 hard top was issued) My solution was to split the seat and add material down the center, as well as adding some material to the ends of the seat as required. Some added piping was then needed as well Not an entirely accurate solution, but it appeared to be the easiest approach. This interior was of course much more involved to correct as the door panels were much "busier", but I somehow managed to persevere. It pretty much required that I make the door panels basically from scratch. In this circumstance, by the time I had finished the modifications to the interior, the only original parts to the kit remaining were the seats themselves. (modified of course) and a very small portion of the upper door cards. Steve

Yeah, I think sometimes people feel that if they come up with some sort of wild, elaborate base that it's somehow going to sway the judges into giving their project more consideration. Any judge worth his salt is going to zone out what the model is presented on and give all of his attention to the model itself, as should be the case. The ONLY reason why I included a simple mirrored base with with my model in this season's shows, was so that people would be able to at least somewhat view the chassis without picking up the model. Anything else is just unnecessary window dressing if you're competing in a reputable show. Steve

Very doubtful. The huge majority of these old annuals had, and still have, the convertible top mechanism wells so that the manufacturer didn’t have to tool two different interior tubs for coupe and convertible. But of course, all is not lost, as it is entirely possible to convert the door panels and rear seat to a coupe configuration, but not without a considerable amount of work. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it to you, or not. Personally, after doing a couple of these conversations, those top wells have become something that I can no longer “un-see”, so it’s always part of the modification list for me when building a hard top. Steve

I lost Lucy about 4 years ago after a several month long battle with intestinal cancer. She was my baby and followed me wherever I went. when she passed, we had her cremated and her ashes sit on a table in a window where it can absorb the sunlight all day, every day. (One of her favorite pastimes) Now my Marcy has taken the baton and picks up where Lucy left off. It might sound a little bizarre, but even after 4 years, I still put my hand on the box holding Lucy’s ashes every night on my way to bed and whisper “good night. I love you”. It’s my way of making absolutely sure that I think about her every day and never forget our time together. Lucy. Marcy. Steve

I could just open my patio door and smack one in the back of the head with a stick!! ? Steve

Understandable. Not "blaming" anyone. It just is what it is. I have had to deal with these kinds of issues on numerous occasions with re-builders. As a matter of fact, my current project has numerous areas of "glue rash" that I have to deal with. You just have to work with what you have. Sometimes it's repairable, sometimes it's not. Steve

For $800.00, I would have been more than happy to lose. Steve

More turkeys. Our cat waits for them to show up every night. ? Steve

If they used Testors tube glue, you’re pretty much out of luck. You can soak it in whatever you want, and while it might take off a flake here or there, most of what remains is melted plastic, and it’s not coming off. This is part of the reason why I use solvent glues very sparingly. Once you start melting the plastic, especially on something like upholstery, there’s no going back. Steve

I have a similar problem with my neighbor “all summer long”. He’s one of those guys that has to have his lawn looking like a pool table at all times, which means he waters and fertilizes the snot out of it, which in turn requires him to mow his lawn 2 to 3 times a week. No problem. I have other neighbors who are also as anal about their lawns, but this creep waits until about a half an hour before dark before he starts mowing. In the middle of the summer, this means that he’s beginning to mow his lawn with his big *ss zero turn mower at around 9:00 at night when everyone else is trying to wind down for the evening and would like a little peace and quiet instead of listening to that noisy turd for an hour. To make matters worse, on the weekends, he for some psychotic reason has to drag his mowing out for the whole freakin’ day! He’ll putz around half of the morning in his front yard with his bagging push mower making sure he gets those perfect diagonal lines. Then he’ll go play golf, or whatever the hell he does in the afternoon, and then come back and run that friggin’ rider until after dark! I tell my wife that if I ever lose my mind and go postal, he’s gonna be the first one to get picked off of that rider! I also tell her that if I ever get to the point where my lawn is one of the most important parts of my life, to just go ahead and kill me. Life’s not worth living anymore at that point. Steve

Same reaction I have when I see someone butchering an American car from the 50s or 60s. Why should Porsche be immune? Steve

The moral of the story is that any spray can nozzle can go haywire on you, and they often do......all of them. But when working properly, nobody will ever convince me that there’s a better one on the market than the adjustable Duplicolor fan spray nozzle. Steve

I’ll admit that I have had plugged cans or nozzles with Duplicolor, but I don’t remember it ever having to do with a stuck rod. Steve

Well, in that case, I know for a fact that I’ve never had it happen. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall ever having that issue, regardless of the brand. Steve

Apparently my luck has been holding for a looooong time. Just seems odd as I would expect that if the rod is stuck in the depressed position that the paint wouldn’t stop spraying. If it’s just a little sticky and sticking somewhere in the middle, with the exposed rod would be pretty easy to lubricate and get ahold of with a needle nose to work it loose again. But, I wouldn’t know because to the best of my memory, I haven’t seen it since I started using Duplicolor products back in probably the mid 80s. Steve

Of course. That’s why I said it has it’s uses. Just offering a much easier alternative for the vast majority of applications. Steve

That’s strange. I’ve been using Duplicolor primers as well as their paints for decades and I’ve never had that happen. Not once! I’ve had very limited occasions where I’ve had damaged nozzles or plugged cans that wouldn’t spray at all, (had that happen with every brand of paint I’ve ever used) but I’ve never had one stick in the depressed position, even with cans from this vintage. (some of which I still have) Steve

I would imagine that this technique can have it’s uses, and I’ve done something pretty similar in the past, but it’s so much simpler today to just buy a set of resin door handles from Fireball Modelworks. the door handles he offers are extremely realistic and soooooo much easier to deal with. Steve