peteski

According to the post earlier in this thread (March 12), this floor coating has been discontinued. Discontinued products show up on amazon and eBay, but usually at ridiculously high prices.

The way I look at applying multiple layers of paint is that the solvent in the paint being applied softens (or melts) the surface of the previous (dry) layer, so no "extra tooth" is really needed. To me sanding just to get some "tooth" is not needed. But if the dry paint has some schmutz in it, sanding will be beneficial to sand the flaws out.

I've entered 1:160 (model train's N scale) models in small scale categories in contests (and placed in the top 3). I actually had tiny "NO SNEEZING" signs posted by the model (as a joke). This is one of the models (Photoetched brass kit by Micron Art).

Looking at the subject line of this thread made me cringe. "Smothered in honey" is exactly the kind of glossy paint job you *DON'T* want. Thick, "honey dipped" paint jobs look very unnatural. Well, it looks like the model was actually dipped in honey. the body details/features get smoothed out, the door lines disappear. Key to a good realistic looking paint is to get it glossy, while keeping the paint thickness to the minimum.

That would also be my high recommendation. Yes, it is 1:32 scale and curbside, but it is very cleanly molded, has good proportions, and low parts count. Chrome is nice, has rubber tires (and metal axles). Due to the smaller scale, it could even be considered as cute. It was a pleasure to build it (back in the '90s). it was my first model on which I used BMF.

I thought about this some more. I think part of the problem is that some people are just less fastidious than other, and that is reflected in the quality of their work. I see examples of that here. It is in their nature. and if they decide to produce and sell product, it will not be top quality. There are (or were) casters out there like Don H., Norm V.,Paul Hettick and others. But there are also many other casters whose products are not as good as the ones I mentioned. They are probably ding their best, but they are just not as fastidious as others. I suspect that they think that they are producing the best quality of product they are capable of (and they are probably correct). They just don't have in them, to take their work to the next level.

To me "classic rock" is before the '80s, but I might be getting old and living in the past.

Please let us know how well the paint sticks to the soft vinyl tires. Many military models (to which this set is likely geared to) have tires made of hard resin (same resin used for other parts of the kit).

If that resin kit is the only game in town, and people will still buy the parts with pinholes, there is really no good incentive for the caster to improve casting quality.

Looks good. You did a great job paining the wheels

Few weeks ago I had to take a photo of this incredible sunset (taken at Manchester, NH airport)

The post I linked to in my previous post is evaluating that chrome foil. It is also rather thick.

Sorry to hear of your loss Joe. Pets are family members, just like humans. My cat passed away at 20 years. It was very sad. She was paralyzed (probably from a stroke) I was also present til her last moments and it was just like losing a close relative. I still get choked up thinking about it (and it was quite a few years ago). Just remember all the good times you all had with Fmeep.

I would recommend regular JB Weld epoxy. The slow-setting stuff. Or whatever epoxy Ace recommended would likely work even better. The key to a strong bond is absolute cleanliness of the joint (both styrene and metal) and light scuffing of the surfaces. I would scuff the metal (brass, aluminum, or other) and styrene with some 180 grit sandpaper, then clean/degrease the metal using acetone or lacquer thinner. For plastic I would use a milder solvent like Naphtha, or even 91% (or stronger) Isopropyl alcohol. After doing all that you should have a strong bond.

Interesting. It is labeled as specifically for photoetched parts. Is it possible that it is just repackaged canopy glue?

Few years ago I ordered couple of Scale Finishes paints (Enamel). When I did the spoon test they dried, but remained soft. After couple of months I contacted Scale Finishes about the problem and I was given a bottle of hardener. So it does need a hardener to fully harden. I found surprising that this was not mentioned anywhere on the website. At that point both projects were mothballed, so I never actually tested the hardener. It eventually hardened in the bottle. This is what I have:

True, we have been involved with Alps MicroDry printers, and decal design and printing for many years.

Agreed.

While I have no way to measure the height of the raised lettering either on the model or on 1:1 tires, I will venture a guess that the model tire lettering protrudes more than if it was scaled exactly from 1:1 tire. But sometimes we have to do that in a model for tings to work out correctly.

So what exactly is the difference between ink and paint?

Ah, more backhand comments. Really?! LUKE- GET OFF MY BACK! I have enough of you badgering (in public and in PM) to show off my work. Besides, why is it so important for you to see proof that I am building some automotive model now? If you really want to know, I have not built any car models for few years. Last one was my Monogram Ultimates 289 Cobra. I am currently concentrating on another one of my many hobbies, but that doesn't mean that my model building kits skills and experience have just evaporated. I can still build them, discuss techniques and ask inquisitive (annoying to some) questions. But thank you for the Scale Riders link.

Hey Rob, thanks for very informative tutorial. Next time I have to cast something I'll give it a try (since I already have vacuum pump and chamber I use for de-airing the RTV. Vacuum method seems simpler than pressure casting, and simpler (since only vacuum is needed). I wonder how it would work for things like car bodies (which need 2-part molds)? I'm just theorizing since I have only been casting using single-piece open molds (like like what you are using). I hope Wick doesn't mind me butting in on his thread asking my own questions.

Their website has good photos of the items they sell. Here is the VW set's page: https://www.zoomonmodel.com/product-page/zd017

A member of this forum referred me to that company (in Hong Kong) for some metal sticker Mercedes scripts and logos. Their website is https://www.zoomonmodel.com . They have a fairly wider range of model details and supplies. The website is fairly easy to browse, and ordering is also easy. They take PayPal. Don't let the prices scare you - they are in Hong Kong Dollars. For example the sheet of those Mercedes scripts is priced at HK$32.00 which is currently about US$4.08 (which is rather inexpensive for this type of item). I ended up ordering a bunch of items. Shipping cost (to USA) was HK$140.00 (US$17.84) and it took about 2 weeks to arrive. What a great find! Here are some of the items I ordered. The relief-etched set to 50 US license plates looks really interesting, but the decals seem a bit thick, so I don't know how well it will conform to the plate's surface. But make sure to order 2 sets since only single plate from each state is included. I didn't, so I'll have to get another set.