mikemodeler

Nice job on that Chevelle! I built the snap version as a weekend quickie and it is in gray like yours. I like the color so much I have to remember I have plenty of other colors as I have 3 models in that gray color since I built the Chevelle! Keep them coming.

Donn, my wife would love to have hardwoods throughout the house but when I explained our "arrangement", she understood why we can't afford the floors if I am sending checks off to PA ! HA HA HA I was obviously kidding about the bootleg DVDs as I hate when my own work gets copied without any renumeration. Besides, your DVD is worth more than $20, but I understand your passion for sharing your tricks and you would rather work until you are in your 70's than to charge the true worth of your product! In a related topic to this original post, I understand the pros/cons of clear and which types are hazardous and what not. I hope others will consider the cost involved in using urethane if you are not among those that work with it on a regular basis. The extra equipment and precautions necessary to work with it successfully might cause some to cut corners or take risks. While it is great that some have said that they spray it outside, consider where that overspray is going when doing so. My 17 year old son used my spray paints in the garage to spray something and didn't consider that Mom's new car was 10 feet away when he hacked out a quick spray job on some school project. He knows now that the car has to be removed from the garage because I had him clay bar and hand wax the whole car to get the overspray off!!!!! While I like to kid that "There's no high like a lacquer high", a term told to me by an old painter 30 years ago, the truth is that any amount of paint, regardless of the type, inhaled is dangerous. As I stated earlier, I recently tried Future floor wax as a clear coat applied with a 1/4" brush and was amazed with the results. I plan to use it exclusively moving forward as it is less toxic and easy to use. The cost is significantly less and the amount needed means a regular sized bottle will last a long time! Like the Life cereal commerical..Try it, you'll like it!

Donn, I believe I have your address off the DVD I bought at the show in North Carolina a few months ago so look for an envelope with the money in it towards the end of next week. For those of you interested in helping me pay Donn, I offer you a bootleg copy of his DVD "The art of airbrushing quality model cars" for the low price of $10, a savings of 50% over buying it directly from Donn! In all seriousness, Donn does offer some helpful advice in his DVD and I highly suggest picking up a copy. I have been painting model cars for nearly 40 years and his DVD was quite informative.

Jeff, You ain't playing fair ! I thought it might have been you but the ageing process is playing a bad trick on me! Send me a link and I will get one ordered, PM me or be obvious and put it up here! Thanks.

That sure is some shiny paint there Lee! I love the reflections in the front fender from the pictures you took. (I didn't forget about our 442 trade, just been hectic with the holidays, I will get it out soon!) Keep them coming, I am liking them!

A very entertaining series of postings,not to mention informative as well. I think the biggest thing we can take away from this has been pointed out by a few of the "sane" voices here: 1. ALL painting and clearing can be considered hazardous and proper precautions should be taken to ensure we do not harm ourselves or others around us when painting. 2. We all have different opinions on what processes or types of product one should use to achieve whatever degree of "shinyness" we are after. 3. Not all cars deserve the same clear coating as they differ in real life too. 4. Find what works for you and master it (a nod to Donn Yost!). 5. If you are a trophy hunter, determine what degree you have to master to achieve your goal of a full shelf of trophies. If you build for your own enjoyment (like me), get them to your satisifaction and be done with it. 6. Work on improving your skills as that is a natural part of "growing". Something I learned about on forums was the use of Future floor wax as an alternative to spraying a clear coat. I was skeptical at first until I saw a few examples in person. I then researched it a little more and have finally attempted it on a model this week. I am pleased to say that I may have found a new way to clear coat models without much difficulty and it dries MUCH faster than any clear I have ever sprayed before. Add in the fact that I can do it inside the house without offensive odors or special equipment and it becomes an even bigger bonus (if any of you tell my wife I am using Future and I have to start doing the floors at home, I WILL hunt you down! ). Hope everyone has a safe and happy new years!

Recently was surfing Ebay and saw a resin '66 Ford shortbed pickup and it didn't say who the caster was. Does anyone know who is casting it and where to order one? I think it is a neat subject and have a few ideas kicking around in my head if I could find one. TIA Mike

That looks great George, that Chevelle shouldn't take too long to bring back to showroom condition! Careful pulling that trailer, sitting high like that a sharp curve and that Chevelle will be headed to the scrapyard!

To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any kits of the current generation Toyota Tacoma available here but one place to check would be Hobbylink Japan. They export kits from Japan and if there was a kit, that would be the best and first place to look. The older Toyota pickup you seek (1983)was probably available in a snap fast kit and those pop up on Ebay from time to time. You can also check with some of the old kit sellers- Dean's Hobby Stop, Fred's Model World and JiminOhio as they might have that kit or could point you in the right direction. The '64 Chevelle is not currently available in a kit from one of the manufacturers but there are a couple of options. If you can find the Revell '65 kit (a nice kit by the way), then you can set about picking up the needed pieces to back date it to a '64. I don't remember exactly what the differences are between a '64 & '65, but The Modelhaus offers replacement grilles, bumpers, and other parts for a '64. Keep in mind that they are typically made for the promo models of that time so a little work may be needed to get them to fit the Revell kit. Your other option would be to buy a complete '64 Chevelle resin kit from The Modelhaus. It goes for about $53 and has a molded closed hood, so you couldn't have an engine unless you wanted to cut the hood open and do some scratch building of an engine compartment. It also requires the '65 El Camino kit for the chassis so there again is another $10-$20 on top of the resin kit. The Modelhaus product is among the best in the business and is often the one others are compared to ("That piece is on par with Modelhaus quality"). Don and Carol are some of the nicest people to do business with and can answer your questions on their product before you buy. Hope this helps, let us know what you find.

Looking good so far Curtis, I like the black paint. At the rate you are going, it will be done before New Years' day!

I am not a huge Mustang fan but I do like this year/body style and you have done an excellent job! I like the details and the interior is very nice! Thanks for posting!

The day after here in Charlotte saw about 2 inches of snow at our house. Got the call early this morning that church was cancelled so we hung out at home. My teenage kids looked around for friends and their winter gear to go out and play in the new snow before it melts (calling for 60 degrees by Friday!). I headed upstairs to the model area and worked on some projects for most of the afternoon while I watched/listened to the Bears/Jets game. The family kind of went their own way throughout the day and we got together to eat dinner at 6 PM. I didn't get much for X-mas and that is fine as I have been blessed to have most everything I need. My birthday is this Tuesday and I really do not need anything. My wife is saying how she HAS to get me SOMETHING and I remind her that I don't need a thing. I would rather spend the day with them or tinkering on my hobby desk than to get another T shirt or pair of socks. Like so many others have stated, I have plenty and really need to simplify my life. I have discussed with my wife the need to cut back on our spending and start saving more, and reducing our holiday spending is one area we agree on. She found some great "day after" deals online today and she is proud that she has about a third of next years' X-mas shopping done and saved 50% in the process. While I wanted to argue that we shouldn't spend the money 364 days ahead of time, she was able to convince me to do it and save the money now. She has a hard time some days with my model building because I am content being alone "in my own little world" while she craves for interaction like playing a board game or cards. It is a hard balance to achieve as there is something to be said for marital harmony!

Ed, I have never bought a case of one particular model in one fell swoop, but I have bought 5 or 6 of them over a given time period. Case in point, the Revell '69 Camaro, both the glue kit Z-28 and the new snap kit, I have bought at least 6 of each and I have only assembled 1 of the glue kits but have done 4 of the snap kits! I have about 6 different variations of the AMT Jeep CJ-5 that have been offered over the years. I have several started and am planning on finishing them in 2011. While buying a case might be easier, I agree that given the economy it might not be possible.

Jim, The Revell snap kits are nice representations of the actual cars, they just are simplified versions. The recent '69 Camaros have the correct proportioned bodies and can be built quite quickly. I have built 4 of them this year and the nice thing is that after painting the body, it is only a matter of minutes before they are done and ready for the shelf! I would suggest picking up one of them or any of the other Revell kits, I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Merry Christmas

Nice haul, I didn't get much besides dress socks and a couple of shirts. My birthday is this Tuesday (28th) and hopefully a Hobby Lobby giftcard or 2 will come my way. Of course I have been saving my spare change and lunch money to support my model habit so I am not lacking much.

Nice one there Frank! Ironically I opened up this same kit today (dang modellers ADD kicking in!) and started on a replica of my Father-in Law's old car. He had a 2001 ex-police car that was fun to park in the driveway of our old house as it slowed the speeders down! His eventually caught fire (a problem amongst some of them I am told) so I don't know if I will build it as a "before" or an "after".

Like Harry stated, planning is futile as I build them as I find them. With over 300 in the stash I can go without buying more but why? I have a bunch of WIP that need finishing, some more than 10 years old ( I know! )and I plan on getting to them. I also have been thinking of eliminating some of the stash as I have many kits that I won't build or have changed my mind about. But I do hope to get more kits done in 2011, all part of my plan to reduce stress and focus on better living habits.

Thank you for posting that Wayne. All Americans owe our veterans and current troops a huge "thank you" for allowing us the freedom to celebrate Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)without fear of harm. May everyone have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the time spent with family or friends.

That came out great Clay! You have been busy lately cranking out the builds! Merry Christmas to you and the family.

Absolutely incredible, well detailed, perfectly executed, awesome- need I continue?????????? Nice job and be sure to show us more of your work. I am not jealous, just envious!

Bill, Nice job on that build and I like the simple wheels! I have built about 4 of those Revell snap '69 Camaros this year, mainly because I can slap them together pretty fast and they detail out nicely. I still have one of the glue together Revell '69 Camaros awaiting final assembly, something about the last 10% of building a model getting in the way! Thanks for posting, maybe when it warms up here in Charlotte I will get another '69 body painted and go with the steelies and hub caps!

There might be a few differences between the years of '73-76 but the biggest would be the larger government mandated bumpers that all 1974 model year cars were required to have. As was stated, the reissue of the '76 kit is out there, I would pick one up to see if the body is accurate for what you are looking to build. The Modelhaus has replacement bumpers and grille available to convert it to a '73 if needed. I did see the '76 Chevy kit on the shelf at a Hobby Lobby and with their 40% off coupon, it could be had for around $10-$11! Best of luck!

You are really cranking them out Clay, this one looks great! I would think you would have the models packed up for the move North by now but am glad that you haven't ! Keep them coming, I need some motivation! Thanks again for your service and have a Merry Christmas.

Looks Good! Don't sweat the details Don, just keep working on them and you will improve with each one. Give the bare metal foil a try on the next one, you will be amazed at the difference it makes. Choosing black to paint a car shows some confidence in your abilities, keep at it!

Wayne, Sorry for your loss, hopefully the good memories will last and soon you will forget how he passed. We had an officer here in the Charlotte area recently kill his wife and then himself and the officers he worked with are at a loss for answers much like you are. How everyone handles the stress or difficulties is probably the hardest thing for anyone to figure out. No matter how bad it seems, there is a way out. Take care and be strong!