peteski

It's a Japanese Manga thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_the_Third

I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder. I actually don't mind several of the recent example of badness.

I'm a bit further Northeast (?) from you (Boston area), and we are supposed to get slammed overnight and all day Thursday. Possible 18" or more. At least in my area it is supposed to be fluffy, not the unmovable cement-like snow we have been getting lately.

It is probably not the hard drive. It is what computer geeks call "cruft". Basically all the Windows updates and all the applications (and browser add-ons) that get installed slow the computer down. That is the layman's explanation. Doing a clean full reinstall of the OS would likely get the computer working faster. You could try few simple things to clean things up without reinstall, but I'm not sure if that'll help much: Left-click on the Start menu button, then type in "clean", then select disk cleanup. Run that couple of times. Next, again in the Start Menu type in "defrag" and select Disk Defragmenter, then run it on your drive C. If it is enabled to run automatically and shows 0% fragmentation on the listed drives then there is nothing to do. If not, select the OS drive (probably C or D) and defragment it. If you fee adventurous, there are free hard drive diagnostic programs available. The one mentioned in https://www.howtogeek.com/134735/how-to-see-if-your-hard-drive-is-dying/ looks legit.

No, you can't save installed version of OS from one computer and do a fresh install on another (unless the hardware is identical). Even then, it would likely need some tweaks. What makes you think that you need new PC? I still have a tower-type PC I built in 2004 (yes 16 years ago) and I still use it daily. It runs Windows 98SE and it it has a WiFi card, so it is on my home network. I do not go out on the Internet (browsers are too old to work properly), but I it accesses some network drives with my other drivers and it has a network printer configured (so other computers can print to it). I use it for my hobbies. It has Corel Draw, Helicon Focus, and the Alps MicroDry printer attached. I do all my hobby decal designs on it. I also have couple of older Dell laptops. One Runs Windows XP, and the other one (I'm accessing this forum on) runs Windows 7. It all works perfectly fine. I have to use Windows 10 at work and I'm not a fan if it. XP and 7 are my favorite versions of MS Windows. If you just need to reinstall Windows 7, I'm sure you can find legitimate copies of it on eBay or Amazon. Yours is 5 years old? That's still a "baby" in my book. If it is a desktop, if some components are failing, then can be easily replaced. There are lots of used PC components available. If you like it - keep it!

I built several paper models back when I was a teenager, in POland in the '70s. I remember it being quite challenging. It was "Maly Modelarz" (young modeler) Magazine. Every issue was a different paper model. I did a Google search and it looks like they are online, available for downloads. This one (back from 1975) was the most complex one I built. I remember using cellophane for windows. No, they didn't quite look as good as the cover photo of the real helicopter. It is amazing that not only these are on the Internet, they can be downloaded. I could build some again (not that I want to - I now prefer plastic model kits). Here is an example of other issues: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=maly+modelarz+magazine&t=h_&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

This reminds me when I built the 1:8 Monogram's version of that car about 35 years ago. That was a nice model. When I was moving in 1991 it was too large to deal with, so I tossed in the trash! How I wish I had that model today.

That is the truth - preach it brother, preach it!

Wow Dave, thanks for that explanation. That sheds another celestial light on this subject. I'm curious: what do you do for a daytime job, or are you just a big fan of radio-telescopes?

Duh! That was the first thing you mentioned in the initial post. I need to retake the reading comprehension test! Maybe they did miss applying the clear base coat?

Very true! Also, when I reverse them I take rat-tail file and enlarge and round off the new "nest" for the spring.That makes the clamp's jaws more stable.

I tried couple brands long time ago, and they didn't really work. Also, some are acetone-based and can ruin kit's styrene parts. Maybe they are good for ungluing accidentally glued fingers?

That sounds like a job I would really enjoy! Nice!

Looks good! Few years back I built my own storage cabinet for paints.

Is that standard tan-color tape, or Tamiya tape? Standard tape has a fairly aggressive adhesive - I wouldn't use it on "chromed" parts.

I'm just the opposite - I welcome the capability of having my photos (in the related threads) reside on the forum site. That way (when someone references some old thread of mine), the photos will still be there. Some threads are useless without photos. I hate running into older posts that contain some useful info I searched for, just to have bunch of broken links for photos. Very disappointing. I can see wanting to delete duplicate photos, but why purge other photos, just because they are in old threads? Don't you want to leave here them for posterity?

Look up Tampo printing. It is an old technology which is still used quite a bit today. Even on Hot Wheels cars. It is slowly being supplemented and sometimes replaced by ink-jet printing directly to substrate. If you have spare 6 minutes, watch the video below. It shows how a model boxcar is made - from design to final model. Tampo printing is shown as a paint of its decorating process. That process is shown at the 2:50 mark, if you are in a rush,

Sounds like you have an interesting job Jim. I agree that knowing the entire process (not just the design part) is vital for getting the best results. Same goes for modeling. I don't just use paints and glues - I educate myself about their chemistry. Not to the most minute details - just the overall understanding what they contain and how they work. Makes me a better modeler.

LOL, no kidding! The algorithm depends on identifying positions of facial features, and mask hides few of them. I don't think even Apple is that good (unless they have a camera that sees through opaque materials. But if they did have such a camera, it could be used for more than just facial recognition through a mask. It would be very, very popular, especially with guys!

Ah Jim, so that means you actually know what you are talking about - very refreshing and educational.

I also made those reverse clothespin clamps (using regular and miniature clothespins). I have learned of this technique years ago in some modeling magazine (I think it was FineScale Modeler) - the magazine most members here love to hate.

If they are willing to custom blend inks for one-off job, that would be a game changer. I suspect then that have to flush the ink from the ink path and the nozzle between print jobs. I was thinking more of the ink jets that UV-Curable CYMK inks with white clear ink as an option. Those types of printers are used by companies such as Micro-Trains to print directly on the models. Those excel at factory-applied weathering and graffiti, but they are often used to print other decorations on the car sides.

Oh, I see what you mean - give someone a week to freely edit all of their posts, regardless how old those posts are. That would be an excellent idea. I guess we won't know unless we ask.

Dead? Well, tell that to about 4000 Alps users on the Alps group in groups.io (of which I'm one of the owner/moderators). It is dead as far as no more printers are being produced, but still quite alive as far as the user-base and supplies go. It is a consumer-grade printer, but it was (and still is) used by small commercial decal manufacturers (Kadee is one of them). They simply refused to do your decal, but they still custom print decals. Alps MicroDry printers really are best suited for hobbyists though. I love mine, and the fact that I can custom-print even the smallest one-off decal right in my workshop. As far as the printer mentioned by the person in Germany, that is a fairly new and current technology. That type of printing technology is used by many model manufacturers to print decoration directly on the model. But decals an also be made. But one problem can be that the inks used go on in rather thick and stiff layers, so they cannot be made to conform to uneven model surface, even using decal setting solutions. Also, since they are CYMK printers (not spot color), there will be a dot pattern visible, although much finer than the "fishnet" you saw on those Alps-printed decals. Tichy Train Group uses that type of printer for their decals and model signs. They used to offer custom decal service - not sure if they still do. But those decals were thick and difficult to use. And if you haven't noticed a trend yet: decal manufacturers want vector-based artwork.

While it is not a full week, you can edit your post for some time period. At least a day - might be two. But I agree that a longer time period would be welcome (my fingers sometimes don't "think" the same way my brain does, and it takes me some time to realize that).