StevenGuthmiller

That's my thought, but I'm just trying to sift through some of the threads & my own mind to see if I can find an individual who has expressed a real interest in one of these kits & a desire to build it. I just don't want it to go somewhere where it will just sit for another 30 years. Maybe I'm just over thinking it. I will give you all one hint. It is a mid '60s Mopar. Steve

No. Looking for a worthy individual to give a nice old vintage kit to. Steve

We do Dan. I have had this sort of thing happen to me before and have done it myself, but this time, it just seemed correct to do something about it. In the past, I have been on the receiving end of this sort of thing, but it was usually in response to a desire to find an item on my part. I have also gifted items to individuals who have expressed a need or desire for something that I happen to have that I don't have a particular or immediate use for. This one was just out of left field and has kind of left me at a loss........but in a good way! Steve

I finished the first one basically stock. At this time, I don't want to post any photos because I don't want this thread to turn into a "I want it" thing. I'm more looking for advice at the moment. Steve

I have a little bit of an issue that I need to resolve guys. Maybe you can help. I recently sold some vintage parts to a forum member whom I won't name at this time. He very promptly sent me the money order in exchange for the parts, but to my surprise, he also included a model kit! But not just any model kit. It's a relatively rare kit that is at least 95% complete and completely restorable! I promptly contacted him & informed him that the kit that he had sent me alone was probably worth as much as the parts that I had sent him, never mind the money. He replied that he felt that it had my name all over it, thought that he would never build it & said that he figured that I would appreciate it more than he would. I responded that I felt bad & that I had already built the same kit, & would likely not build a second one & would immediately send it back if he would like. He told me "No. Sell it, trade it, part it out, whatever you want. It's yours now." So now I have a rather pleasurable problem that I need to take care of. I feel guilty just thinking of filing it away along with the many other kits that I will likely never get to, & I would feel doubly guilty if I profited from it in any way. My first thought is to "pay it forward". I would absolutely be interested in giving it to another individual, but I really want to make sure that it's going to someone who will also not just stick it into a corner with 1,000 other kits never to see the light of day again. I would like someone to have it who not only would really desire it, (ie. a Holy Grail kit) but will build it sometime in the very near future. My only other thought was to try to trade it for something that the "gifter" would desire, or sell it and buy something for him that he would like. Problem is that I will likely get no help from him in that regard. So, help me out guys. How do I deal with this situation. Steve

I haven't posted here in a while, but I have taken a few photos. "Pear & Blue Cheese Pizzas". A little too "foo foo" for my taste, but I will admit, it wasn't bad. Pears, mozzarella & blue cheese, caramelized onions and smoked almonds. "Rigatoni with Tomato Cream". This one looks a little bland, but it was really rich! Rigatoni, mushrooms, garlic and red bell pepper in a cream sauce made basically from tomato paste, cream & vegetable base. Croutons are ciabatta bread cubed & toasted with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Steve

Jimmy Flintstone casts several resin El Camino style bodies including the '59 Buick in Greg Myers' post, as well as a '53 Hudson and '62 Pontiac. And, of course, the '57 Ford Ranchero in stock & custom trim. Steve

Do you have anything to trade for one Rich? I have a spare. PM me if you're interested. Steve

Nothing to be nervous about Paul. Their work is generally okay. I've just found the quality of the plating from Kustom Khrome to be better & the turn around time to be faster. The last time I had Chrome Tech do parts for me, I had some minor quality issues, mostly involving the fact that they have a tendency to spray their base coat too heavily which can obscure some fine details. Plus the fact that I have waited as long as 8 weeks to get my parts back. But they are reliable & if you rack your own parts, they are the cheapest alternative. Steve

Luckily, they are not too difficult to find. There's a complete, pristine kit on ebay right now with a "buy it now" price of less than $50.00. I just have to decide how badly I want one. Steve

No doubt. Steve

Since the Molotow pens came along, I no longer have any use for the Testors Chrome silver. A little Molotow ink on a brush works the same & looks better. I only use Sharpies on the very rare occasion that I need some gold trim or something. Then I "might" use a gold Sharpie. Steve

It is an original AMT '58 Buick Roadmaster annual kit. Found it on ebay as a built-up & restored it. Steve

Beautiful Hans! I really need to get my hands on a couple of these Johan snappers. This one and the '72 Torino are a couple I would love to find. Steve

Most of the posts That I'm seeing here depict items which are not molded to the body. I agree, the Molowtow pens work terrific for separate parts, whether air brushed or applied directly from the pen. I use them all of the time for mirrors, antennas, interior parts & details, touch ups, etc. But You will notice that you are not seeing many photos of molded on body trim being done with these pens. I don't want to step on anybody's toes, but the vast majority of photos that I see of body trim being done with the pens show obvious flaws upon close inspection. I see no way possible to get clean, sharp, straight lines on body trim short of masking, which in my view, ultimately defeats the purpose of not using foil. Let's not forget, The OP's question was "How well do the pens work with trim & scripts", not with separate parts. I find the pens extremely useful for the types of loose parts that most of the posters here are showcasing, but I don't think that they are all that useful for something as fine and intricate as body moldings & scripts. I agree Mike. There are things that would be very difficult or nearly impossible to do with foil. I don't want to be a pain in the "you know what" but I have enough experience with foil to where I would have been able to foil this part. Compound curves like this are difficult, but not impossible. That being said, I would have used the same method that you did! The tail light bezels on this '60 Dodge & '60 Plymouth have more compound curves than you can shake a stick at, & while they were not easy to foil, it was entirely possible. No you are not Tom! I'm not certain that I would call it "relaxing" but if you take your time & do it right, there are few things that will "transform" a model like a good foil job. Steve

Many auto parts stores carry it. I buy mine at "O-Reilly Auto Parts". Steve

That might be the most feasible way of using the Molotow ink, but when I think of all of the masking that would be involved to do the trim on, say a '58 Impala, you would be way ahead of the game just using foil. And then there is still the question about the durability of the ink. For all we know, the stuff could disintegrate after a year or two. There are a lot of unknowns. Steve

I picked one of these up about a year ago. So far, I love it! Steve

I used to love Testors enamel clear, but the yellowing that tends to take place scares the hell out of me! I learned years ago to never use it over light colors. Maybe things have changed since then, but here is an old example. The color on this '37 Chevy was originally a very pale cream color. After clear coating with Testors clear enamel, it is now a wonderful bright yellow! Steve

I'm not trying to disparage anybodies methods Gary. I'm a firm believer in everybody using what works for them. I'm just trying to offer my opinion on the Molotow pens. I personally think that they are greatly over rated. I have seen & tried nearly every method including silver paint, Sharpies, Molotow & have yet to see a better result than foil. My experience with the pens has been that in order to get a reflective "chrome" finish, the paint/ink needs to be applied quite heavily. When applied heavily, it has a tendency to pool & run & go places where you do not want it to go. Even the 1mm tip is too cumbersome for many applications and it's very easy to make a single error & wind up with ink flowing all over the place. My suggestion for anyone proficient with a brush who wants to use the Molotow ink is to avoid the pen itself & apply the ink with a brush. You will achieve much better control with a brush. I have not tried the eraser trick. I believe that I would not be as satisfied with the result compared to the "foil under paint" technique. It's very hard to beat. Steve

I stopped using Testors clear lacquers some time ago. Nothing having to do with orange peel. I always had pretty good luck with the leveling & shine. My issue was cracking. The '60 Imperial pictured above was originally painted a different color. After finishing the paint & clear coats, (which was Testors Wet Look Clear) I noticed some mild cracking in the clear coat. As time went on, the cracking became more and more pronounced. After several weeks of curing & several attempts to polish out the cracks, it became obvious that it was not repairable. The more time that passed, the worse the cracks became. I had this same issue with at least one other build. Since abandoning Testors clear in favor of Duplicolor clear, I have had zero issues. I will never look back. Steve

Personally, I don't trust using these pens for body trim at all. Aside from the obvious durability question, even with masking, one small spot where the tape is not perfectly sealed & you have bleed under, potentially ruining a perfect paint job. It is virtually impossible to make a mistake with foil. If a piece doesn't meet your standards, you simply pull it off and apply a new piece. Fool proof, and it will last essentially forever. Steve

I find this whole argument absolutely pointless. Who is convincing who? It's on the same level as a disagreement on religion or politics. One side will never convince the other, so just do what you do. If you want to fix any imperfections in a kit, be my guest. If you find them acceptable, build them as is. All of this pontificating about a kit that hasn't even exited the womb yet is asinine! Steve

True. If you airbrushed it and thinned with lacquer thinner, it will shorten cure time dramatically. Steve

I guess this is one more excuse for me to get involved in Facebook & Twitter. I never really had any interest in all that nonsense anyway, so why start now. Steve