peteski

Interesting information. That gives me an idea. I have an aerosol can of "gas blanket" inert gas used to prolong life of uncured urethane resins. It is heavier than air so it should displace oxygen. I'll try to put my uncured UV resin item in a small container filled with that gas, and then try to cure it with UV light.

Ah, OK. "F" means First Class Mail, which is cheaper than "P", or Priority Mail (but usually just as fast). So the seller did minimize the cost by shipping First Class.

Maybe the "shipping partner" (whoever it is) is to blame for the delay?

Thanks Nazz! Probably the last issue. I guess that from now on model contest will have to feature photos online only. It used to be an honor to see your contest model in print - that is changing now too. Actually, I'm not all that upset - my club used to sent our contest photos to the Contest Annual (or Contest Cars lately) for many years. They were always published, but for the last 3 years they didn't even give me credit (I was the photographer). All I hear back was excuses, and that "next year" they will not make that mistake. We'll see . . .

What type of service was it? First Class Mail? Priority Mail? Parcel Post (if that is still an option)?

Ok, fair enough. But like I said, I was thinking of car kits, where the box is usually pretty tightly filled with parts. Then I was informed that the example that was brought up, was for military kits. If those come in large boxes that is mostly filled with air (parts comprise small part of its volume) then yes, flattening the boxes would reduce the volume of the package.

And I'm perfectly ok with that. it is not really about what I'm missing - it is about FB monetizing my personal info and online activities. I understand that since FB is free to use, they need to "invade" my privacy to make profit. That is why I choose not to participate. Plus not being on FB leaves me with one fewer place where my info is vulnerable to hacking. You are willing to expose yourself to FB - that is your choice.

I wonder if they will still produce the Contest Annual issue (or whatever it is called nowadays)? As for online versions of magazines, Model Raliroad hobby magazine have been jumping into the online thing. N-Scale Magazine is availabel in print and online, and N Scale Railroading has recently went all-online (and for free).

Grzegorz, to są piękne modele! Too bad not all of us have the talent scratchbuild models like you. Are you planning on scratchbuilding the '79-'85 Caddy Eldorado? Or have you already made one?

While the photo shows the right car, the link you posted pioints to the 1994 car (which is 2 generations newer).

I own its "cousin": 1985 Eldorado. To my knowledge, no 1:24/25 scale plastic kits of either one have been made. There are however some really nice 1:43 (assembled) resin models of both cars available . The ones I own are from NEO. I guess those are better than nothing. I asked at NEO if I could buy an unpainted and assembled "kit" from them (so I could build and paint it to look like my car). Unfortunately that was not possible. I believe TKM made slush-cast bodies (or even complete kits) of both of those cars , but I really don't consider those as workable. I don't even know if TKM is still around. Bill, Lincoln tried to imitate the bustle-back Seville in the '80s, but I didn't think it was a big seller. Then there was an '80s Mopar car with somewhat similar rear end (was it Mirada or Imperial?). NEO Model:

Coca Cola contains Phosphoric Acid (yes nasty chemical which will remove rust, model "chrome" and has dozens of other uses). But I believe it is too weak to remove the clear coat under the "chrome". You need something stronger for that: Sodium Hydroxide. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/20-unusual-uses-for-coca-cola-that-youve-never-considered.html https://www.instructables.com/id/10-Unusual-Uses-For-Coca-Cola/ I'm also impressed with how this model is progressing, and the level of added details. I especially like the added taillight reflectors. I assume that the holes are for future light bulbs.

Very nice build! However, there seems that there is something odd about the ignition wires and the distributor cap. The wires seem too thin, and the nipples on the distributor also seem too small (too much space between them). This is not a fault in your build - they came from the factory like that.

The most "creative" packaging I have witnessed so far was this: Yes, the seller packaged my item is an empty generic (Stop & Shop brand) facial tissue box! The tissue hole was covered by the address label. Very flimsy box, but it survived the shipping with no damage to the contents. There was some bubble wrap inside to prevent the item from thrashing around much. I guess I got lucky.

How does that save on shipping? Usually automotive-subjects kit boxes are pretty full of parts. How does flattening those boxes, leaving the parts outside, then packign all that in a larger box save on shipping?

I've been subscribing to FSM since the '80s and I have written letter them asking for a wider range of modeled subjects. Of course their reply is "we can't publish what we dont' have" (meaning that they publish what authors send them). To me Fine Scale Modeler should encompass all model subjects: Military armor, aircraft, and ships, civil aircraft and ships, trucks automobiles, SciFi subjects, etc. They can all fit the "fine scale" criteria. Maybe now they will have more automotive articles. One can hope.

So what I'm seeing is not out of the ordinary. I'll try Sun exposure first (it has a wide range of UV wavelengths). I hope I can get it to cure on the surface too - otherwise it is not very useful to me. If Sun cures it completely, I'll try another source of UV light.

When I started using Bondic to make model lenses ans such, I noticed that even when cured, the open surface of the resin remained tacky. Unlike standard 2-part epoxies, which fully cure (including their surface). For example, if I spread some Bondic on a piece on a smooth surface, then cure it using the UV LED light that was included in it, the resini solidifies and looks glass-smooth, but that shiny surface is actually very thin sticky layer of viscous fluid. I can wipe it off with a piece of cloth or paoer towel moistened in alcohol. That gets rid of the sticky film, but now the surface of the resin is dull and not very clear. But only the surface open to air remains tacky, If I peel the cured resin from the surface on which it cured, the surface that side of the resin does not have sticky film! I thought that maybe I had a bad or old batch of Bondic, so I bought a bottle of UV curable resin on eBay (from a dealer in China). It acts just like Bondic - after curing the open surface of that resin also has that sticky film on the surface. I tried another UV light (a much more powerful UV flashlight) with the same result. I suppose I can wipe the sticky film off my cured parts, then apply a layer of clear lacquer or even Future to restore the shine and clarity, but I rather not have to do that. I expected the UV-cured resin to fully harden (even on the open surface). Can any of the Bondic (or other UV-cured resins) users here try to see if yours also remains sticky on the open side after curing? Take a piece of aluminum foil and spread a layer of your UV-cured resin (about a size of a Dime) on the foil, then cure it with UV-light. Then touch the surface. Is is tacky, and your finger leaves an impression in it?

Looking at all the photos of the various parts, I think "molded in color" does not mean the same thing as in the old Matchbox kits. The metallic finish on the engine parts looks to be sprayed on (with areas that the paint did not fully cover the plastic). The frame is also likely sprayed with the green finish (or vacuum metalized). The green ring on the wheels are also likely Tampo printed.

Whenever I am planning on bidding on multiple items from any seller, I first look at their shipping policies (those are part of the listing), If no combined shipping is mentioned I then contact the seller, and simply ask if they offer combined shipping costs. That way I know what to expect.

Shipping costs have been slowly going up last few years and with the pandemic, they have even gone higher. If the USPS label shows $12.90 then that is what they paid the USPS to ship it. If you doubt it, go to the USPS website and use a shipping cost calculator to figure out the price. It sicks, but it is what it is. Kind of makes you wish that local hobby stores were still around, so no shipping was required.

I never heard of Ollies until I've seen it mentioned on this forum. Don't have them in my part of the country. We used to have a similar chain of stores called Building 19, but they went under several years ago. I'm sure the proliferation of the Dollar Stores contributed to their demise.

Judging by the photos and by what Tom wrote ( "Was a good build for me as Avry helped me, but it served as a reminder of why I like building trucks!" ), this project is complete, including the gash in tits hull. Looks good Tom - nice diversion from your other more complex projects!

So do most smart-phone owners. Except for professional DSLRs, most other digital cameras are quickly becoming obsolete.

Thanks for the explanation Pete. Sounds like you're safe! BTW, I'm on *YOUR* side of the "pond". New England is in the Northeastern USA.