peteski

Michael, I gave your post (above) a "sad face" rating. That's what I see when I look at the bottom right of your post. Before I did that, there was a "heart" showing, so I know others gave you "hearts" (yeah, I know, that is just like the thumbs-up). Then there also is a green square with a number in it "3". That shows others also rated your post. But since I can only see the sad face from me, how can I find out what the other ratings were? I don't see a way to display those other ratings.

Hint: do all the major body modifications (like cutting out doors) *BEFORE* applying primer or paint.

These are water-based acrylic paints. If you were using solvent-based paints in the past, you will have readjust your way of thinking. It is a whole different world of paints. Solvent-based paint thinners and water-based paint thinners are not compatible. Methods of cleaning your paint equipment is also different. Thinners are not compatible. I'm still firmly into using the old-style organic-solvent based paints. I have used some water-based paints for some small tasks (brush painting only), but not very much.

Exactly. I'm glad I was able to help out. For symmetrical (or repeating) designs only one needs to be drawn then it can be mirrored/flipped/rotated as needed. I make my own decals using Corel Draw and the Alps printer.

It was mentioned earlier in the thread.

1973?! Wow! That's really old! Good to see example of the longevity of this product. I'm curious: what model is pictured on the cover? BMF's website shows: "Bare-Metal Foil was invented in 1970 by Eldred Mason because of his desire to have a more natural finish on his model aircraft." Your foil is probably one of the original batches.

I guess I should rephrase my question. By looking at (or a photo of) some outlandish model which would not work in real life, how do you tell whether the modeler was clueless, or knowledgeable, and being creative?

Since both types of modelers build outlandish models which would never work in 1:1 scale, how do you distinguish between those 2 types of modelers (not taking under consideration the kind of model they are building)?

For this type of decal the best is to put some masking tape over the side of the model, then roughly sketch the stripes on the tape. Then scan the sketch on the masking tape into the computer, then use a graphic program (like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, or Inkscape) which is capable of layers to put the scanned image on a locked layer, then draw the actual stripes over the scan. That will assure that the decal will fit over the body correctly. The other way would be to place the body on a scanner, and scan the side. Then use that scanned image instead of the masking tape sketch to draw the correctly sized stripes. But it sounds like you don't have that capability.

Frankly, whom can you trust nowadays? Remember the good old days where we had 3 TV networks, and we all sat in front of a TV, watching the 6 or 11 o'clock news, and not very often questioned the facts delivered by the news-anchors? Now we have the Internet, zillions of news sources, and everybody has an opinions and "alternate facts".

My BMF is old, but not *THAT* old. Yours is like time capsule! It shows the old address, and no area code for their phone number! Actually on the inside of the cover mine shows "Copyright 1981", so it is just a bit newer than yours. BTW, El Mason, the creator of BMF passed away few years back. Now his son is running the business.

Weathering is an art in itself (and I'm not particularly good at it). Unless you have some undiscovered talent, don't expect your first attempt to look good. I recommend practice, practice, practice (on some unimportant models) before attempting to weather the replica you're building. Also, watch instructional videos. YouTube is full of them. Maybe search for "weathering scale models" to find some.

Since the metal used in that foil is not aluminum (it is some sort of soft alloy), it always has a slightly warm hue,,and can discolor further from long exposure to air. But as others have mentioned, the discoloration cam be rubbed out. JUst use smooth hard surface to hold the sheet for cleaning. You coudl probably even use a little but of whatever you use to polish out paint (like Novus). I have also heard that some people have problem with the adhesive losing it stickiness, but I have not experienced that wit older foil. You can easily check if the adhesive is still good by applying a piece of foil to some surface (like a plastic spoon).

I guess we all read the forum differently. I never used the recent activity thing. I just go to the top page, then visit the forum sections I'm interested in (if the "new content" indicator is showing for that section). Then in each section I clearly see which posts are new, then I only open the threads that interest me. When done I "mark forum read" and move onto the next one.

On a related note, watch the "Once Upon a Time" episode of the original Twilight Zone series.

Problem with pork is that it is not Kosher. I suspect that all-beef hot dogs are result of creative merchandising to the part of the population that does not eat pork (for whatever reasons). Chicken and turkey got added to the mix later again, due to creative merchandising to the health-conscious folks, as poultry is generally considered to be more healthy than beef or pork meat. Now we also have meatless hot dogs. Again, more creative merchandising to vegetarians and vegans among us. Funny thing is that those meatless dogs are usually more expensive than the "real thing". We joke about what goes into hod dogs while there are plenty of authentic Asian dishes which use ingredients that would turn your stomach. And even Scottish people have their haggis. Look it up. And you thought hot dogs were bad . . . Then there is the head cheese. No there is no brain in it, but some people would find what is used unsavory. I'm first generation Pole, and as a kid I used to eat some things like beef tongue, horse sausage, and kidney stew (to name a few) which most American would find unsavory. But my parents and grandparents eat things that seem much more disgusting. Things like fish heads in a chowder (sucking the gills and brains out of them), sauteed brain, tripe, chicken feet, giblets, etc. Especially in poor countries, there isn't much wasted when it comes to food. And no, there was no such thing as "dog food" in Poland at that time, so most animal parts were consumed by humans. Pets got table scraps. Any of you like Jello or gummy bears? Look up where gelatin comes from.

Except for some very minor brush-on application and washes I have no experience with water-based enamels, but reading info on this forum, I believe that you should use a primer under those paints to maximize their adhesion to plastic.

No primer on any of these models. Paints are Testors (airbrushed). These have clear coat (no sanding, no polishing, no wax). Same as above but no clear coat. This is a very old model (built in the late '80s. I don't own it anymore (sold it). I was fairly inexperienced at that time. On this one I did use primer, but only on certain parts. Most of the body parts were white - no primer needed. But the fender flares and, IIRC some front spoiler parts were molded in black. I sprayed white primer on those before gluing them to the body, then it all got spray painted Testors red. It was all from spray cans (before I owned an airbrush). I do use primer/barrier when I use hot paints, but as I said, I skip primer whenever I can. IMO, the thinner the paint layers are, the more realistic the model will look. I also very seldom modify the model bodies, or use putties. If I did, I would have to use primer too, because of the dissimilar materials having slightly different surface texture.

I also just take the cap off and apply it to a rag (um, a polishing cloth). Also remember to shake this stuff really well before using it.

True, the openness of early eBay could go both ways, but as I remember, it was more positive than a negative experience. EBay probably lost some money on the side deals, and some people probably got burned, but I still miss it. The only negatives were few hateful emails go got after sniping some items. People didn't think it was fair. I saw (and still see) nothing wrong with sniping. Never used any automatic means - just my own fingers on the keyboard.

Back in the day when eBay was a much more friendly and open place, you could see the full names of the users (bidders) and even earlier, their email address. That way you could contact the bidders to let them know what's in the box. But I'm sure the unscrupulous seller would not appreciate that.

That's not a "like" button - it is a "love" button.

Yes, too many to list. Besides, why do people always come up with "most favorite" or "best" questions? What is my favorite color? Rainbow! (I like all colors). I also don't have top favorite of anything. I like too many things to point any single thing out. Maybe it is just how my brain is wired compared to the others who ask questions like that? Um wait, I do have a single favorite thing: The BSI brand CA glue accelerator! But it is not a subjective choice (like a color or a best model). It is the only one I use because it has low odor, it doesn't seem to be as aggressive as other brands, and it does not attack plastic or paint.

I see. Hopefully you spray it on in a thin coat. I have seen many models out there that look like they have been sprayed with 1:1 thickness of clear. They look like they have been dipped in honey! At least the color coat is well protected.

Sounds as if you are planning to expose your model to the same harsh environment as the real cars! I have never used the 2k clear, yet I have never experienced chipping or any other kind of paint wear on any of my models. But I usually have them on display (either at home or when I enter contests). I don't play roughly with them (since they are display models).