mikemodeler

To add to Casey's comments, sometimes those older topics have comments from builders no longer members here or who have passed away since they posted. There is a ton of valuable information in the archives here and sometimes researching it will yield useful tips that a new topic won't. We all have a bunch of pet peeves and reading this and some of the comments ring true for me. I get intimidated by the quality of the work here and other places that I roam to the point I wonder why I even try. Then I remember those that are posting some of the models I envy had to work to get that good and if I am willing to take the time and put into practice the tips learned here, I may be that good too. I won't be the guy who mills his own parts on a lathe or casts parts in resin, but I can surely do detail painting and clean assembly to get a nice model. Someone recently mentioned that they were going to go back to building models for the fun and just do basics and not get caught up in minute details and custom parts and I want to try that myself. Just build a kit and not worry if it will get a trophy, but if it will look presentable. This place is for learning and having interaction with like minded individuals. Many of us grew up building models with friends and as we grew older, our lives changed. This forum, and others like it, allow us to build with our "friends" again and while we might not be at a card table in our parent's basement, we do have the ability to share. There are some great tutors on here who share their skills and know-how to help us all become modelers.

Yeah, I might be to blame for that.....I have several of them just for the wheels and engine.

Yes, sadly. The whole car is rather cartoonish if you ask me. If this was available as a stock version I think it could do well.

Earlier this week it was announced that the founder of Ollie's had passed away unexpectedly. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Ollie's chain and if they continue to offer closeout merchandise or if they transition to more of a traditional retailer like Big Lots has done. It's entirely possible that Ollie's cut a deal with Round 2 to run some model kits because if you look closely at the inventory at an Ollie's store, there are some things ALWAYS there in stock and not really "closeout" items. Could be a once/twice a year thing for them, could be that Round 2 knows they can always dump excess inventory if needed to clear the warehouse or free up some capital. Whatever the reason, us cheapskates in the hobby should be glad that we get the occasional "great deal" on some kits. Much like the Wal-Mart thread, maybe $19.99 isn't a great deal compared to a 50% off coupon at Michael's, but if it's the only game in town, then you do what you have to do.

Nice! Great details and of course the color!

That is looking great Donn! The paint and details are outstanding.

I remember setting up at a hobby show/swap meet a couple of years ago, about 2-3 weeks after Ollie's had a bunch of Revell models on clearance for $7.99. There was one vendor who obviously thought the rest of us didn't know about the sale because kits he paid $7.99 for he had marked as $15 and up. It was quite obvious someone thought they could make a fast buck but they walked out with those same kits they walked in with. If I buy up some kits at Ollie's or HL on clearance, it's because I will either use them for parts, build them or use them in trades but don't buy them in the hopes of doubling my money on eBay or at model show, not worth it.

Now that makes sense! I am guessing A.C. Moore probably had an inkling they were going to close shop a while ago and those kits were cancelled and that's how they ended up at Ollie's.

You need to make friends with a couple of the clerks who work that area so they can give you a heads up when it comes to clearance sales and new stock.

I believe I saw it there last week when I stopped in. If you don't see it, ask a clerk, they could be out of stock and they might be able to tell you when orders come in.

That looks great Tom, not everyone can show up at the track in a $150,000 toter home setup!

Glad to see you working on this, looking great!

Mega Hobby has them both on their pre-order page; Tower Hobbies has the long bed shown as a January arrival. Tower doesn't offer the Model King versions from Moebius.

x2 ! I have one to complete and hope that it comes out half as nice as yours!

That is very nice, thanks for the info on craft acrylics and how to use them. Very clean build, nice color choices.

That is looking spectacular and the details are so well done.

Incredible build, the details and accuracy render me speechless. I am in awe of your scratchbuilding skills and ability to see this to the end. That is modeling to another level, for sure!

Thanks for sharing and I agree, looks very nice and crisp. Now if they would only get around to re-issuing that SWB Landy I would jump at one of them!

Not the most accurate looking models but they did pick some overlooked vehicles to tool up. I just wonder why they couldn't get them more precise, I remember the Monogram bodies being closer to the 1:1 they were modeled after.

Actually, the California market is probably larger than all of Canada and considering the early smog rules were developed in California and it represents the largest market for non carbon fueled vehicles, there will be a demand for them. There is a worldwide demand for these types of vehicles and development is continuing to bring new types of powertrains.

This resin conversion was mastered by Brian Croft and it is a beautiful piece. Kris Morgan is casting them and they run $15 plus shipping and I have a couple set aside for future builds. I have not tried one on the Revell kit to see how well it may fit, but would hazard a guess it will be off due to scale differences.

Nice work, but then that is what you do! Love those two, especially the extended cab!

Wasn't there a model kit that featured the Sweathogs of Welcome Back Kotter?

The only way to minimize dust is to have a clean spray area. Static electricity will contribute to the problem as well. Back in the days when I worked at a dealership with a body shop, the painters would wet the floor of the spray booth to keep the dust down as well as limit who could come into the booth. A suggestion I have seen some utilize is to line the spray booth with wax paper or saran wrap to collect the dust and overspray that comes with painting and to change them often to keep the dirt to a minimum. I too am looking at a spray booth and this topic is timely!

Going back about 5 or 6 years ago, I had placed an order with Norm and among the items was a resin copy of the snow plow set up that MPC put in some Jeeps back in the early 70's. I had a couple of Jeeps laying around and thought it would be cool to get a plow from Norm. It was around this time that Revell came out with the GMC Pickup that has the snow plow in it. When I got my order from Norm, he wrote me a note saying how the plow in the Revell kit was a much nicer piece and that he wasn't going to cast his any more because of it and he included a check for what the plow cost. Now most people would have tossed the plow in and called it a day, but Norm went out of his way to steer me to a better piece and write a note detailing why. If that alone doesn't speak to his integrity and the quality of his product, not sure what does. Going to miss his products when he retires, much like Don and Carol.