StevenGuthmiller

As can be seen by posts such as this, there are plenty of parallels between the modeling forums and Facebook. Negativity can be found no matter where you choose to spend your time. Steve

I'm sure that there are some forums that are thriving, or at least holding their own, but they're certainly not as prolific as they had been in the past. Steve

You just have to understand what you're entering into. I see a lot of very nicely finished models, have met a lot of "new friends" and have even picked up couple of new techniques that I had never even heard of on any of the forums, so there are definitely advantages to belonging to Facebook groups. There is constant activity, and new stuff to see all day long, every day. I like to think of it as a collection of quite active forums. The down side is that they are social media groups, so as is the case on any social media, you're going to get a few hacks and trolls perusing the groups. Although, I do have to say, I have personally seen very little of that in my daily visitations there. In most cases, whenever I post on the groups, I receive virtually nothing but positive feedback. However, having over did it, and joining way too many groups to start off with, (I just checked, and I belong to 49 model car groups! ) it's impossible to keep up with what's going on with all of them consistently. But it is fun to check out as much of the stuff as I have time for, (which is very often limited) Many of the groups have daily "themes" where they ask you to post photos of various aspects of model cars, which can be a fun diversion as well. Probably the largest down side, as others have mentioned, is the difficulty of returning later to find specific content such a the forums provide. The overall setup is of course much more fluid, so that aspect of the groups is of course more difficult, but it doesn't really affect my enjoyment of them too much. At this point, I don't consider Facebook groups as a substitute for the forums, but I don't really see them as an adversary either. Just like any tool in your shop, it's better to have them all around in case needed, rather than throwing out your 7mm open end/box end wrench because you don't use it much. Steve

I belong to several "Pro-Boards" model car sites, but you're correct. In most cases, the traffic is very limited, to nearly non-existent. I told myself some time back that I likewise would avoid Facebook, but have since joined probably 30 different "Facebook Groups" and enjoy the extensive volume of activity there. You're correct. Individual boards and forums are slowly dying, and there's probably very little that can be done to reverse that. Everything has moved into the social media realm, and unless something drastically changes, that's where it will continue to move towards. Steve

I have no idea what the stuff that I use is actually chemically made of, but it's called ".007 Clear Lay Film". Just to clarify. Steve

Now that's sweet!!! Steve

Well, not so much “the better the results are”, but the easier it is to get there, and the more time that you can dedicate to tinier, more intricate details. It’s easier to justify concentrating on chassis spot welds when you don’t have to dedicate the time and resources to scratch build an entire engine bay. That sort of thing. Steve

I just recently did the upper and lower hose on my '64 Bonneville project, and as always seems to be the case, it took a little more monkeying around than anticipated. Of course, I never use kit supplied hoses as I feel they're not worth the effort of sanding off all of the mold lines and then hoping that they'll fit right. I use appropriately sized wire, (I believe this is old Detail Master wire, but I've had it for years, so I'm not certain) and then create my own clamps, etc. One of the steps that I never really enjoy doing, but I feel that the hoses are a necessary step on a fully detailed build. In this instance, the lower hose was easier as there was plenty of space to install it, but the upper hose was a bit more difficult to get routed correctly around the alternator, etc, and to keep it in the right position/ height to ensure that the air cleaner sat in the right position. Steve

While this may not be a technique that everybody may want to employ, I feel that it might be worth bringing up. It's a little difficult to describe if you have never tried it, so bear with me. For some time now, I've been using a technique that I picked up somewhere, (I'm not certain who it came from initially) but I consider it a kind of "friction fit" solution. I start by creating interior A-pillar pieces glued to the inside of the A-pillars of the body, leaving a narrow "channel" wide enough for a very thin piece of clear plastic to fit into. (I use .007 clear film) Then a piece of the film is cut slightly larger than the window opening so that once slid into place, the friction of the fit will create the curvature of the glass to some extent, and doesn't require any glue at all on the sides of the glass. A very thin bead of glue, (I use epoxy) along the top of the glass, followed by some careful taping, clamping and gluing along the bottom edge will hold the glass firmly in place. This technique as several advantages over kit glass. First, kit glass is inevitably too thick, causing distortion and appearing toy like and unrealistic. The thin film gives a more in scale appearance. Likewise, the addition of the A-pillar trim and the manner in which the glass is installed gives a much more realistic finish to the inside of the model, as opposed to the thick edges of the kit glass inevitably exposed on the inside of the window opening. This is especially noticeable on a convertible where the inside of the window areas are nearly as visible as the outside. It's a bit of a time consuming solution, but then again, as always, it's worth the effort if you want your model to exhibit the best detail and finish possible. Just another option that is available. Steve

It'll be easier to add one once it's full size. Steve

I don't know if it's the "best" or "most detailed" model I've ever seen, (actually, I know it's not) but what people have to take into consideration is the starting point of this model, and the kinds of thought and engineering that had to go into it to achieve this level of detail. This started out as an extremely rudimentary 1964 screw bottom kit. Not much better than a promo. It's exceedingly easier to achieve this level when you're starting with something more modern with a much higher level of detail to start with. Not only that, but it's my opinion that in many cases, factory stock models get a bad rap as being "easier" than other genres. I feel that this attitude is absolutely false, although I suppose that I could be a little biased. Other genres, such as customs, rods, and many racing subjects afford much wider leeway as far as what you are "allowed" to realistically do to the model. Factory stock, if it's to be accurate, requires a great deal of discipline and research to get everything as close to correct as possible. Myself, I strive to be as correct as I possibly can when building factory stock, but I almost never completely achieve that goal successfully, for various reasons. Another factor is aftermarket parts availability. Very often you'll see a model at a show that is exceptional and just crammed with after market parts and accessories. In a circumstance such as this '64 Grand Prix, and being built in a factory stock configuration, there is virtually zero aftermarket parts availability, so basically every improvement made has to be either found via another kit, or scratch made or modified. I take this kind of work into consideration when viewing models on a contest table. Regardless of the level of detail, the actual thought invested and work involved must be a factor in considering which models are a better "skill" example. No disrespect to the modeler in the above videos, but in the opening seconds, you can already begin to see the advantages that he has with the BMW. Separate belt line trim is a big plus, then followed by simply opening a box full of 3-D printed parts for the engine bay. My point is that after watching less than 2 or 3 minutes of the video, he already has a vast advantage over the work that will be required for a somewhat accurate engine bay and body trim for the '64 Grand Prix. In any case, in virtually every build, there is room for improvement, and Bob's '64 is no exception, but he is certainly a top notch modeler, and there's no way that anyone can say otherwise. Steve

Man, I haven’t bought a tube of Testors glue since I was about 15 years old! ? I hated the stuff back then, I can’t imagine that it has improved. The only thing that I’ve ever used a Sharpie for was a gold Sharpie over foiled scripts to make them look like gold anodized scripts. Steve

I’ve been guilty many times of omitting the lower radiator hose. I only add one when it’s “possible” to get it in without making a friggin mess of everything. By the way, Sharpies for trim and Testors tube glue is still taboo! ? Steve

Yeah, it's usually around $10.00 a gallon when I buy it at a store. Steve

Hmmm, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. ? Steve

Nope. Not even close. I’ve used them both and Purple Power doesn’t work nearly as well. I still have a half a gallon of it that I bought several years ago when I bought it at a store that didn’t carry Super Clean, and it was a disappointment right from the beginning. Steve

I can’t imagine that there would be any difficulty swapping chassis between a ‘63 and a ‘67, as long as the kit is the same scale. They were basically the same car with a few minor differences, none of which would have been basic chassis differences. Steve

Just guessing, but toluene? Steve

I think some of the larger big box stores like Walmart supposedly carry it, but yes, I always get mine at one of the larger auto parts stores such as O-Reilly’s. I haven’t had to buy any for several years because I very rarely have to strip anything. I now use it mostly for cleaning airbrush jars and such. ? Steve

Yeah, that or even strips of BMF, which I’ve used in the past, works fine. Steve

I used thin strips of aluminum from a soda can with a short piece of plastic rod glued to it and painted silver to represent the screws. Just what popped into my head at the time, and it did the trick. Steve

I know Jim. Just funnin’ with ya. ? Steve

It’s actually pretty easy. You just gotta learn to piss off the right people. ? Steve

Put it in a box. Steve

Way above my pay grade. I’m just a lowly model car builder. ? All I know is that it’s 30 AWG “wrapping wire” that I picked up on eBay. Steve