StevenGuthmiller

Aunt Matilda can go pound sand! Personally, I've gotten to the point that I enjoy detailing engine compartments just as much, or more, than other aspects of the model. It's become a real point of pride for me, and I get more compliments on some of my engine bays than anything else. Steve

I don't know how, but we somehow got along with red tail lights and integrated red turn signals for decades in the US. Thank God the Europeans came along and straightened us out on that. Steve

Part of my decision to build a model with, or without an engine depends somewhat on the car itself. I build almost exclusively factory stock, so my decision is often based on how interesting the engine configuration is to me. A Mopar with a Hemi or a wild intake system, such as a long ram dual quad, an Oldsmobile W-30 package, or a Pontiac tri-power will certainly get more consideration than a standard Chevy or Ford V-8. Hard for me to get excited about a basic Chevy with a 4 barrel. Steve

Not that important to me. If the model comes with an opening hood, it’s getting an engine in any circumstance. If the hood is molded shut, I’ll make the determination based on how much detail I want to put into a particular build. I’m no stranger to kit bashing, so the decision to open the hood on a curbside body is solely based on my interest in the subject, and what’s available for parts from other kits. Steve

100% Steve

This is why I've begun resorting to replacing kit glass with very thin, (.007) clear lay film whenever possible. Not only does it virtually eliminate any fitment issues, but it also addresses the usual "way too thick", "distortion" appearance issues. Is it a little more work? Certainly. But in my opinion it's well worth the extra effort. Steve

Depends on the paint, but I virtually never buy anything from a hardware or home improvement store. Most of them are enamels, and I've had pretty much nothing but trouble with most of the big box store brands. If I'm buying anything from a brick and mortar store, it's almost always lacquer based automotive paints such as Duplicolor from an auto parts store, and that's generally primers and clear coats. As far as body colors goes, I don't use anything anymore except premixed, ready to spray, air brush lacquers from one of the many hobby designated paint providers, such as MCW or Scale Finishes. The paint itself is WAY better than any of the excrement, (sorry, that's just my view) that you find in most spray cans, and the color pallet is endless. I like being able to choose any color that I desire without having to rifle through 15 different brands of rattle cans and still not be able to find the color that I want. Plus I know that the paint that I receive will not be some unusable garbage. Steve

In all seriousness, I've been driving for more than 45 years and I've never once cared about the color of rear turn signals. I have 4 cars in my possession today, and I couldn't tell you what color any of them are, (except my '69 GP), without going out to the garage right now and looking. As long as people use them, I don't care if they're red, amber, or green with purple polka dots. Steve

While mock-ups certainly have value depending upon what your goals are, and they’re absolutely crucial when doing major modifications and parts swapping, they will help you little with items such as I stated with hood fitment. The hood may fit perfectly fine prior to paint, (and this philosophy can apply to many assemblies) but after paint, it could very possibly fit very poorly. Mock-ups and subsequent modifications are often required for many assemblies such as engine or chassis fit, etc, but in some circumstances, good old fashioned forethought and planning are the name of the game. In some of my recent builds, I’ve used old annual kit bodies with sometimes heavily modified substituted engine, engine bay, chassis and interior parts from other kits, and by doing those kinds of builds I’ve realized that everything, and I mean every tiny aspect of the project, has to be intensely scrutinized over and over again to insure proper fit long before any painting is even considered. Of course, when building basically out of box, this high attention is not quite as important, but it’s certainly a good idea to use the same type of scrutiny just to be certain that everything is going to go as planned. The idea of thinking of every sub-assembly as a separate model can help considerably as well, but determining how those sub-assemblies correspond with each other is the real trick. Steve

You don’t need to assemble the entire kit, but it’s almost a requirement to test fit, and test fit often. Check tolerances between parts, such as between the body and hood and be certain that you have ample space to allow for paint thickness. If the bare plastic parts fit tight, it’s too tight. The type of paint and the number of coats is a big factor as well. If you’re using thick paints, such as enamel, or multiple coats, regardless of the paint type, you need to allow more space. Steve

Of course. I suppose that every individual has different degrees of enjoyment. Some enjoy looking at pictures of a mountain in a book. Others enjoy climbing the mountain. Steve

Of course, but just like any other endeavor in life, the usual goal is to improve and progress in your craft. Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t imagine doing anything that I don’t want to get better at as time goes on. Whether that’s making bird houses, playing golf, cooking, or building models, in my opinion there’s no point in doing it if you don’t want to get good at it. Painting parts on the trees serves no advancement purposes at all. It serves no purpose other than getting things done faster, or easier, which almost never equates with better, that’s all that I’m saying. But if it gives someone joy to throw a little paint on some parts trees and slam together a kit in a day or two, then by all means, that’s what they should do. In the end, as with most other things, you get out of it what you put into it. Steve

You can certainly go to that length should you choose, but just simply removing the part from the tree and filing and sanding away the mold lines is a major improvement. This goes for virtually every part. Not just radiators. I know I'll draw flack for this, but I've said it before. Items such as removing parts from the tree and refining them individually before paint are the kinds of things that separate those that are serious about the hobby, and those that just want something to toss together over the course of a weekend. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but in my opinion, painting parts on the tree is not really a technique. It's a short cut designed to get the job done fast rather than well. Steve

Works just fine for me. I use it quite often, including for posting photos on this forum. Steve

Brand is of no consequence to me. As a matter of fact, I’m quite partial to old AMT and Johan kits. I’m not building them out of the box anyway, and Tamiya is never, ever going to do those types of subjects. Steve

Trophies or not, mold lines are just one of those things that I will never again be able to abide. It’s one of those things that you learn to address through experience, and once you start, it’s pretty hard to go back. I can’t imagine myself ever building a model again with a seam running through the middle of the oil pan, or down the middle of the radiator. the seam on the radiator has got to be one of the biggest indicators of a rookie that there is. Steve

I haven’t painted a part on the tree since I was about 12 years old! not only do you have to touch up the parts after removal, but exactly how do you remove mold lines, etc. It’s a question of how much realism or detail you want to incorporate into your projects. Pretty hard to make your model look like something other than a collection of plastic parts when you have mold lines running the entire length of the exhaust system, radiator top, etc, etc, etc. Virtually every part in a kit has mold lines, ejector pin marks, etc, that should be removed if you don’t want the model to look like a cheap toy when it’s finished. Steve

Why would you want to remove a superior product, and replace it with an inferior one? Steve

I agree. There’s so much disinformation based on what people use for their particular circumstance, that might be completely useless in another circumstance. I always chuckle a little when I see people warring over materials commonly used for paint removal, (most often I see these geniuses on Facebook) when someone has tried unsuccessfully to strip paint with Super Clean, and inevitably you’ll get a dozen bozos suggesting Easy Off oven cleaner, like it’s gonna work any better. If the Super Clean didn’t work, what good is another lye based product going to do? I try to make people understand that a good majority of these products contain exactly the same active ingredients, although in varying amounts occasionally, but people inevitably retreat back into their corners and put their hands over their ears rather than understand the properties of the stuff their using. It’s more important to them to have the absolute solution, whether it’s correct or not. Steve

This is why I avoid brake fluid, and for that matter, alcohol as a stripper. I've heard enough horror stories about them drying out the plastic, making it brittle. Not worth the risk in my opinion. Steve

I appreciate the kind comments everyone! Thank you! Steve

It's been particularly bad for the past couple of weeks for me. At first, I thought it was something with my I-phone, but then I realized that it was doing the same thing on my desk top, so it's not on my end. It's gotten so bad at times that I'll abort my visit to the board because it takes too long to load. This is one that has to be addressed before we begin losing members. Steve

It's horrible! Doesn't matter if I'm on my desk top, or my smart phone. At first, I thought it might be something on my end, but it's certainly not. Steve

No engine in this one. Strictly a curbside build. Steve

Thanks everyone! Steve