StevenGuthmiller

I don't believe that there's been much argument that Duplicolor isn't a good option when it comes to spray cans. As a matter of fact, along with Tamiya, it's generally one of those that's recommended by people that have used it. It's an entirely different animal than Rustoleum, without question. These are some that I've used Duplicolor paint on. I usually shy away from using Duplicolor metallics as I find their metallic particles to be generally too large for 1/25th scale, but their solid colors are just another automotive lacquer and work well. Steve

There are a multitude of good reasons to at least contemplate adding an airbrush to ones collection of hobby tools, the availability of colors being one of the most obvious. Ease of use and cleaning is easily addressed with a simple and basic single action, siphon feed brush. All you need to do is adjust the needle via a simple thumb screw to adjust the amount of paint flow you want, (which by the way, is a monumental advantage over a spray can) and push the button. Cleaning such an airbrush, at its most advanced, consists of removing the needle and tip and cleaning in a little lacquer thinner, the entire operation from start to finish taking less than 5 minutes. Also, with a couple of extra fittings and a designated hose, any compressor will work just fine for airbrushing. A special hobby compressor is totally unnecessary. As far as color mixing goes, with the availability of pre-thinned, ready to spray paints from a number of providers, it makes mixing your own colors completely unnecessary unless it’s something that you find that you want to do. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people say, “I LOVE that color. Who makes it?”, and as soon as I tell them MCW or Scale Finishes, you get a disappointed “Oh. Okay” because they have limited themselves to what’s available in a spray can. Do I expect everyone to add an airbrush to their arsenal?.......nope. But should they be considering it, they should understand that’s it’s not necessarily as complicated or expensive as they may have been led to believe. Steve

I’m a little more particular than that with my proteins. Squirrel is much richer and more refined. ? Steve

I once left an electric deep fryer still full of oil in my garage overnight to cool. I suspected that a woodchuck had gotten into my garage at some point but had not seen him. Guess how I verified that he was in fact sheltering in my garage! Steve

And I’ve seen on numerous occasions where people who share the same attitude towards building as I do are referred to as “rivet counters”, or “trophy hounds”, or are somehow incapable of enjoying what they do, or are not “building for themselves” because of that philosophy, so you see, none of us are immune from “attitudes”. Steve

Certainly. You do you. Chad's question was "why does using spray cans seem to be more prevalent with car modelers"? Just giving one person's observations.......mine. What others think is their opinion. Steve

That's not a discouragement. It's how I would expect a 12 year old to build. It's how I did it, and it's entirely normal. Steve

I too have a kit of the car that I owned in high school. This also remains on my short list. My car was bright red with a black vinyl top, with a black bench seat interior, and a 440 with an automatic on the column, so some modification will be required. An interesting side note: I will have to substitute the wheel covers from the ‘68 300 for my model. The hub caps for these cars varied depending how early or late in the season that they were built. The wheel covers included in the ‘67 kit, (on the left) were correct for 1966 and early 1967 cars. The one on the right, (included in the ‘68 kit) were correct for late ‘67 and ‘68 models. My car had the later ‘68 hub caps. Steve

Never said a word about people who use rattle cans being 12 year olds. I use plenty of spray cans. what I implied was people that hose on a coat of paint and throw together a kit in a weekend are using exactly the same build philosophy that I had when I was 12. That might rub some folks the wrong way, but it is a fact in any event. Steve

Probably just because you like it? As good or better than any other reason! ? Steve

No, they’re not mine, although at one point, I believe I had almost all of them. The jewel in the crown was of course the HUGE Tyrannosaurus Rex! Steve

For me it’s cars, cars and cars! I’ve been a car guy since I was old enough to push around a Matchbox car, and when I got a little older, it morphed into model cars. Since then, it’s just been a way to stay immersed in the classic car scene without having to spend boat loads of money, and spend every waking moment working on the real thing. That’s it. Nothing at all having to do with looking for something......just any old thing, to keep me occupied or busy, or to exercise my brain or hands. Nothing more than an outlet for my love of 50s and 60s American iron. Steve

The only one that I EVER remember that actually grabbed my attention was the same Revell ‘57 Nomad that Tom posted. Although I do remember quite a bit of excitement when I was a kid when a new one of these popped up In the stores. Steve

Yeah, I hadn't even thought of that. Apparently box art was of very little importance at the dawn of the model car kit era. The early boxes were pretty much all the same, regardless of what was inside, with only a small sticker or some additional print on an end panel to indicate the contents. That was pretty much the norm from about 1958, through to the mid 60s. Steve

I'll say it......They're cheap!!!! But in all seriousness, I think while "frugality" may be part of it, I will always believe that there are a number of different factors. One seems to be the strange desire among what appears to be a large segment of the model car building community, to build something.....anything......as fast as possible. If you can go to Home Depot right after lunch, buy a can of paint, and have the body of your new kit painted before dinner, you're doing great! I guess that I have to confess that that is pretty much the same attitude that I had when I was twelve, but it appears to be a difficult thing to shake for many. Steve

Well, I appreciate that Jeff, but in the end, even if I were building simple, straight OOB models, the picture on the outside of the box still would have no interest for me. This is the only picture on the box that means much to me! Steve

Oh, don't misunderstand me. Some box art is fabulous! But in the end, I'll never base a purchase upon it, or pass on a purchase because of it. Steve

Sure, but my understanding of the question was....... .....And I guess by now you know what my answer is. Steve

In all seriousness, does it matter? Neither one shows any indication of the contents, so it’s a wild guess in any event. The box art could be a complete ruse. We’ve all seen this reincarnation as of late. Beautiful box art of a pretty suspect kit. The picture on the box means nothing for all intents and purposes. Steve

At least it’s “actual” art work instead of retouched photographs of a mediocre build. If you really want to talk about pretty nice kits with highly uninspiring artwork....... Steve

Too bad the kit wasn’t anywhere near as nice as the box. Granted, advertising makes quite a difference as you said, to the “casual buyer”, but even with other items, such as food products, if you’ve been around longer than 15 minutes, we know that it has no indication of what’s within the packaging. As an example, I know that I like Heinz ketchup, so It’s the product that I’m looking for, even if Hunts has a Van Gogh painting on the label, and the Heinz is in a crumpled plain brown wrapper, I’m still buying Heinz. Steve

I might have been somewhat influenced to buy a kit by box art when I was a kid, but I’ve been around long enough to know that it has nothing to do with the contents of the box. I’ve seen some kits that have been re-issued numerous times, sometimes with nice box art, and other times with terrible box art. In the end, I’m a builder, and what is depicted on the box can often have no correlation whatsoever with the quality of what’s inside. Sure, some box art may be well done and pleasing to look at, but at the end of the day, unless you’re buying as a collector, you’re going to have to deal with what’s inside, and when I build something, my intention is to make it my own unique creation. I’ve never done a “box art build”, and have no intention of ever doing so. When I finish building the kit, regardless of the quality of the box art, the box is either going into the dumpster, or it will be recycled as a parts receptacle. That’s all that it’s worth to me. Steve

Nope. Box art means absolutely zero to me. It’s nothing more than a vessel to carry the parts. I feel the same way about any product packaging. It serves absolutely no purpose to me other than identification of what’s contained within. Steve

Yeah, they moved from Ohio to North Carolina quite some time ago. whatever site the OP was accessing must have been defunct for quite a while. Steve

As have I. Those paint jobs have usually been done with a very heavy hand with the clear, and in recent years, 2K clear has become the rage and has made that phenomenon all too common. In my opinion, the main reason why it has become so common is precisely because of the fact that far too many builders are seeking that super high gloss finish, and rather than taking the time to do a little cutting and polishing at the end, they're looking for ways to avoid it, and instead are trying to achieve it by hosing on massive amounts of clear. Sometimes it pays to apply a little extra time and effort and not always look for the fast or easy solutions for everything. Steve