StevenGuthmiller

This is why you throw everything else in the trash and use a good automotive lacquer primer for EVERYTHING! There's absolutely no need to have a half dozen different primer brands laying around for this, that, and the other thing. One good primer can be used under any type of paint, and you won't have to ever deal with this sort of nonsense again. My go-to is Duplicolor sandable primer, in several colors, and Duplicolor primer sealer. Of course there are others, but find one that's intended to withstand automotive lacquers and stick with that, and that only. Bouncing around between a bunch of different products is almost guaranteed to create issues at some point. Steve

That's the way I've always done it. I'm not going to get into those stupid bidding war games and end up spending more for an item than I intended to. Decide what the item is worth to you, bid the highest price that you're willing to pay, and walk away. Let the guys whose hobby is trying to win every auction fight it out. I don't need that aggravation. I bid mostly on vintage kits, and I think I have a pretty good handle on what they're worth from a builders stand point. If I win, I win. If not, no big deal. I have no problem letting someone else pay way too much for an item because their goal is to win rather than to get a decent deal. Steve

Just a guess, but I’m gonna say “Rustoleum” is your problem. Strange how that name comes up with about 90% of paint issues. Steve

The one that spent all spring pecking on the fascia of my roof isn’t gonna make it another spring unless he moves on to someone else’s roof!!! Steve

You’ve got a good heart Bill. I worry about every cat that I see wander through my yard, even though there’s a good chance that they might belong to someone. Especially in the dead of wnter. It hurts my heart to think of some poor cat huddled up under a tree in 30 below weather with a 40 mph wind, trying not to freeze to death, when he should be comfortably curled up in front of a warm fireplace. Steve

If you want my opinion, there is such a thing as a display being “too busy” and “distracting”. Of course, in a contest atmosphere, maybe some people are looking for something to distract attention away from the model......if you catch my drift. Personally, my philosophy is to keep it simple and let the model do the talking. Steve

I must admit that I kind of stole that line from Bill Engwer. Steve

Let’s put it this way. Nothing is “necessary” when building a model. You can brush paint it with latex house paint and glue it together with cheese whiz if you want. But, if you want to do it right?......well, I’ll just say that there are a number of reasons for priming anything that you’re going to paint, whether that be a house, a real car, or a model car. Primer doesn’t exist just to sell primer. Of course, if your spraying a benign paint such as an enamel or a water based acrylic, if you can get it to look decent over bare plastic, it’s not going to hurt to skip the primer. (That is if you’re not worried about the paint falling off down the road) But if you plan on using a lacquer of some sort, you darn well better plan on priming unless you love taking unnecessary chances with your expensive models. As I’m sure you can tell by my attitude in this post, priming is one of the processes that I would NEVER skip, but hey, you do you. Steve

Oooo, None of us want to see that! Steve

Just a few of the best, (or at least some of my favorites) from last weekend's show. Steve

Of course. There always seems to be a "legitimate reason". Steve

I'll go along with that! Steve

It's a cut throat world, but there we are. Steve

Thank you John! Steve

I live in Minnesota, close to the North Dakota border and within a couple hundred miles of the Canadian border, and I can certainly attest to that! It's not only been this year, but the past couple of summers. The US government should begin sanctioning Canada for polluting our air! Steve

Yeah, the discussion seems to me to be a little bit closer to investigation than hysteria. Topics like this are how things get hashed out and the truth gets discovered. Steve

In all honesty, it's not their job to be police men. They're a selling and auction site. Unless something they're selling is obviously or completely illegal, they're not going to waste time and resources trying to make sure that every item that goes through their system is a legitimate or genuine article. I've bought articles that were obvious knock offs through eBay, (I bought a very nice NFL jersey knock off from China a few years ago, that was every bit as nice as a domestic one for a third of the price) but I was completely aware of that fact. If you consider how many items come through their system on a daily basis, it would be a near impossibility to monitor who or where it comes from, and whether or not it's genuine or not, especially when it comes to something as inconsequential as a model part. Whether it's fair or not, it all boils down to the old adage, "buyer beware". We can't expect anyone else to do that work for us. Steve

If they did that, they would have no reason to exist. it’s their only purpose. Steve

I use one of those. Steve

My ‘64 Bonneville continues to do pretty well! I entered her a in the NordicCon show in Inver Grove Heights Minnesota yesterday and managed to bring home a couple more goodies for the trophy cabinet. Gold in the “Factory Stock” category, and a best in show for non-competition cars. All in all, this model has produced pretty well for me, picking up 6 awards in 4 different shows over the summer months. Steve

Playing in the kitchen, and it paid off! Pan Roasted Tilapia with Moroccan Tomato Sauce and Crispy Fried Shallots, Golden Potato Gratin with Farmhouse Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano, Sautéed Green Beans with Sweet, Sticky Sesame Glaze, and Olive Fougasse Bread, washed down with a cold Miller Highlife. ? Steve

So, I guess my question would be, if you've had good luck with so many other alternatives, why switch now? My guess would be that MCW has the exact same color in their line. If you're familiar with their product, why mess with a good thing? I guess the way that I see it is that it took me decades to find a reliable painting process that can net good results for me every time, virtually eliminating the "fun" of having to strip and repaint bodies. If I can find the color that I desire through one of the providers that I have experience with, I can't think of a good reason to deviate away from that. No offense to you personally Tom, but sometimes it appears that people are just looking for trouble. By the way, just looking at the photos, my guess is that the areas where the paint stayed wet for a longer time, somehow and for some unknown reason to me, the pigment drew away from the wet reducer before it could gas out properly and set. No science to back that up, but it certainly appears to have only happened where the paint would have a tendency to "pool". Steve

Unfortunately, if your work isn’t protected in any way, it’s going to be fair game. I don’t know why anybody would be surprised. There have been thieves and pirates since the dawn of humanity. You can complain, but it unfortunately isn’t going to get you anywhere. Steve

Tomorrow!!! Steve

Neither of them have been produced for many years, and my guess would be that they are relatively rare. The closest to recently produced kits from this series is the ‘56 Cadillac, ‘56 Chrysler, and the ‘56 Lincoln Continental. In spite of the fact that they are small scale, multi piece bodies, and don’t include glass, they’re actually very well detailed and really quite nice kits. The bodies are quite accurate, (except for some badge and script size issues) and fit together pretty well, the interiors are quite detailed, and there is a full engine and opening hood. I’ve often thought about building one of mine. Don’t be fooled, these 1/32 scale kits are in actuality much nicer and better detailed than the Revell ‘57 Eldorado Brougham kit. Steve