StevenGuthmiller

I hear ya. I just don't have the patience for the 6000 to start. That's pretty fine. Especially now that I'm using the Duplicolor clear. The Duplicolor seems to be a lot harder than the Testors clears. It takes long enough as is to grind it smooth with the 3200. With 5 coats of color & another 4 or 5 of clear, I don't worry too much about burning through the paint. Although it can still happen. Steve

I start with the finest grit possible Roger. That usually is the 3200 depending on how much orange peel or other imperfections I need to remove. I know some guys are okay with a little bit of orange peel but it drives me crazy! I have to get it down as smooth as I can before I shine it up. That might be part of the problem. Steve

I use pads usually starting at about 3200 to sand away any orange peel & then working my way up to 12000. The problem seems to be the heavier grits. Sometimes I'm missing deeper scratches from the 3200 grit that are not really noticeable until I've gotten through the finer grits. Not wanting to go all the way back through the process, I'm usually able to get them out using liquid polish. But it requires a little rubbing. That's why I thought a little polish on a polishing wheel for the Dremel @ 10,000 RPM, (5,000 is too slow) might save me some work. Steve

Thanks Bill! Working on"little brother" right now. A '65 Chrysler 300. Steve

Thanks guys. I was just curious more than anything. I've been using "Micro-Mesh" polishing pads for quite a while & occasionally have a bit of an issue with getting out fine scratches after polishing with them. They're not too hard to remove, but it does require some elbow grease & I thought if anybody had good luck with doing a light final polish with the Dremel, I might give it a shot. I am a little nervous about it as there are a lot of things that could go wrong so I'll probably just stick to the old elbows! Steve

I agree that it makes things a little "messy", but it will all go back to normal soon & anyone who is worried about a buried build can always re-post if they feel it's warranted. Steve

That should be an easy one! Steve

One thing that I do occasionally is after a build is finished & is no longer of interest to anybody, I delete the photos & replace them with a link to my Fotki account. That way I open up space for down loading new pics & still leave photos for anyone who wants t go back to see something. Steve

Go to the top right hand corner of the page & click on your name. Then click on "My Settings". In the left hand column of the page that comes up, you'll see "Manage Attachments". Click on that & you'll be able to see all of the pics you have posted. Click on the boxes to check & then click on "Delete Selected" to delete which ever ones you care to get rid of. Then go get a Photobucket account. Steve

Anybody use a variable speed Dremel for polishing bodies? Steve

I've used this website for resizing the occasional pic & it works well as far as I can tell. Check it out anyway. Steve http://shrinkpictures.com

You'll have plenty of time in later life Erik. You're still young. Enjoy you're time with your kids. There are ways to spend time with your family & still do a little building though. When my kids were smaller, we used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen in the evenings, so I would do a little work @ the kitchen table. That way the kids could hang out with us, watch TV & still talk about the day while I did a little building. Even now I'll polish on a body while I sit & watch something on the tube with the wife. I have more time now. My kids are 21 & 26 & aren't around as much, but you still have to juggle build & wife time. I remind her on a regular basis that a lot of guys are hanging out with their friends in the bars & such, & at least she knows where I am & what I'm doing. That usually goes a long way with a woman & in general, she's good with my hobby. Steve

My local Hobby Lobby has those pinewood derby decals. Steve

Thanks Guys! I always like to build my convertibles with up tops if possible Ed. For one, I really like the look. And second, it helps hide the "less than stellar" detailing on the interior of these old annual kits! Steve

I use mostly enamel with a few acrylics on other parts as well. just not on bodies. Steve

The only ones I'm looking for any time in the future are old annuals; AMT 1960 Ford pickup AMT 1967 Ford Galaxie Johan 1965/66 Plymouth Fury MPC 1967 Pontiac Bonneville That's about it, other than the new Mobius kits when they start coming out. Other wise, I have more than enough to keep me busy for a couple of years. Steve

Thanks David! Steve

That's all I did this year was restorations as well! Loved every second of it! Nice work Raoul! I especially like the T-birds. Steve

I stopped using enamels because of the cure time. It's more like 3 months before it's really cured! Steve

I agree Harry. Regardless of who took over or bought out who when, or who's fault it is, it's sad when these American icons just go away. Steve

Wow! Great gig if you can get it. I've been pushing for that title for years but the boss/wife isn't buying it! Steve

I'll see what I can do Dave. Thank you! Steve

Just another mile stone in the slow slide of the American automotive industry into the dust bin of history. You could see this coming over the years as monickers such as Plymouth, Oldsmobile & Pontiac disappeared. Who would have ever thought that those names would just vanish after all of these years? & now Chrysler. Pretty sad. Steve

Thanks Bernard!! Steve

I was just about to ask if you were going to leave it in a "satin" finish. I think it looked pretty cool like that! Steve