peteski

Yes, file card is specifically designed to clean standard size (large) files. That is what I use for my standard (large) files. But its steel bristles are too thick to clean needle file grooves. Or have you found a file card brush made for smaller (needle) files? For needle files I use cheap steel or brass brushes (which look like large toothbrushes). They have much finer bristles which get into the fine grooves in needle files. If some plastic is really stuck in the grooves, you can dnk the file in acetone. It will dissolve the plastic. Then don't forget to spray some WD40 over the file, because acetone degreases the file too (leaving it prone to rusting). Then soak up the excess WD40 with a paper towel.

Tenax 7X fast-evaporating styrene cement was basically Methylene Chloride. Some Plexiglas and Lucite cements are also Methylene Chloride. Yes, it is a strong and fast-evaporating solvent which melts many types of plastics. But it is hard to find nowadays (and it is also nasty chemical hazardous to human health). Where did you find Methylene Chloride for sale?

I don't think the 1:25 vs. 1:25 scale will make much difference in this case. It can be either large or small human skull (just like in real life).

I have a MCG photoetched grille (for a '34 Ford?) and it includes a resin skull. Then there was a series of show rods which included skeletons. I'm having a senior moment remembering the name. I'm sure someone will chime in. I think one was a half-track show rod. Then someone offered bunch of 1:25 skeletons for sale. Again, I don't recall the details.

Hi Jonelle, I also hang around in the Eastern Mass., and I belong to Norteast NTRAK, and Classic Plastic Model club. I attend several model train shows in the area (last one was Greenberg show in Wilmington few weeks back), and all the Classic Plastic model exhibitions/contests in early October. I'm the club's photographer. I also attended the MassCar shows when they were still a club. Have not gone to any of the RTS shows. I suspect that our paths have crossed at some time, without realizing that we are bot active on this forum. You wouldn't happen to know Stu Marcus? He lives in the area, and is also a big fan of full-size Ford sedans. If you are burned out, one possible way to get you excited again would be to participate in one of our Classic Plastic Club meetings, and see in-person what bunch of highly motivated modelers are up to. No string attached. We meet in Lowell, usually on the first Saturday of the month (But it will be 2nd Saturday on January). You could also bring some of your older models for our show-n-tell. Check out our website (see my signature) and the FB page. Maybe you'll get inspired.

That questionable ad is for Erectile Dysfunction remedy. Most of us here (at least age wise) fit their target audience. Unfortunately. :-(

Oh man, I miss my "box", "Fridge", "Toaster", "Pregnant rollerskate", or few other names given to my 2006 Scion xB. The original "box". The 2nd generation of xB was not as cute or handy, but still pretty good. Mine had 140k miles on it and showed signs of rusting (New England winters eat cars), so I traded it last February for a 2019 Kia Soul. While the Soul has lots more of bells-and-whistles than my spartan xB, it is not as roomy inside or even not as easy to get in and out of. Even thought it is a slightly larger vehicle, it is not as capacious as my old xB. Even the rear hatch is narrower. If the 1st gen. xB was still being made, I would have bought another one in in instant!

Looks good Steve. I suspect that "painting" this duct's surface with some 5-minute epoxy would create a nice fillet at the base of the wrapped wire. Or maybe use some of the thick CREOS Mr. Surfacer liquid primer/filler the same way.

Nothing (including paint) will stick to Teflon tape. After all it is . . . Teflon. Remember? The non-stick stuff. even it the paint stays on it, it will rub off the high spots during even light handling.

Thanks for checking again and for the correction. I was surprised because I have couple of Zvezda airliners kits and while I have not built them yet, just from examining the parts they look like high quality kits, with fine details and engraving (do I dare to say "almost Tamiya quality"). I might change my mind if the fit is poor, but I don't think that will be the case. I suppose I could look for online build reviews for them to see what others (who actually built them) think.

That would be fine by me, but the big problem is that they affect lives (and deaths) of other people.

I use all sorts of recycled containers. Apple sauce cups, Chinese food condiments containers (for hot mustard or duck sauce), etc. I also use some blister packs (if they are tub shaped with flat bottoms). Sometimes I also use liquid medicine measuring cups, and other containers I can't remember now.

That Revell kit is a repackaged Zvezda kit? I thought it was a Revell original.

Welcome Blake, I noticed that most of the hints are for priming everything. Well, as a counterpoint, I very rarely prime my plastic models. But I also use paints designed for plastic models (Testors, Tamiya, etc.). I don't think I have ever primed any non-body plastic parts, but I do wash the plastic (either with dishwashing detergent and warm water, or 95% Isopropyl Alcohol). I only prime the body when the plastic is much darker color than the paint I'll be using. So if the body is white plastic - no primer, but if the body is dark blue or red for example, and I want to paint it white or yellow, I prime it for better pain coverage (primer I use will be white or lt. gray). These models featured below were built by me between 20-30 years ago. Built over 30 years ago. It is 1:12 scale. I used all Testors and Pactra paints (spray cans, before I owned an airbrush). Body was white - no primer needed. But the fender flares were black plastic so, I sprayed them with white primer before gluing them to the body, then sprayed everything red. No clear coat. Wheels came with gold "plating". I sprayed them silver without removing the "plating". If you are wondering about the photo quality, this was before digital cameras - it is a scan of a paper snapshot photo. This is 1:8 scale Pocher Mercedes 540K kit. Body was black plastic and I sprayed it with black Epoxy Enamel appliance paint from a spray can. No clear coat. Again, built around 30 years ago, scan of a snapshot photo. This is more recent kit (built about 10 years ago). 1:160 (N) scale, tiny etched brass kit. No primer. Airbrushed the bare brass body with Scalecoat Black enamel paint. Tyres and wheels were airbrushed with Floquil enamels. The 3 cars above are 1:32 scale Gunze Sangyo models. Molded in white plastic. No primer. No clear coat. Airbrushed with Testors paints decanted from spray cans. The Cadillac's Stainless steel roof is Metalizer paint (now part of Testors line). Revell "Can-Do" wrecker. White plastic body - no primer. Testors white paint airbrushed. I did clear coat it (airbrush) with Testors clear, but it yellowed a bit after several years. So, as you can see, some decent models can be built using no primer, plastic compatible hobby paints, and almost no sanding. I do sand all the visible seams, then polish the plastic using a piece of cotton cloth so it has sheen close to the unsanded plastic. But occasionally I do use "hotter" paints and primer. This one was built few years ago. 1:43 scale Monogram Ultimates AC 289 Cobra kit. As you can see in the photo, I airbrushed it with a nail polish. The body was yellow plastic and nail polish is "hot", so I did use Tamiya fine white primer. It also has a Testors Wet Look clear coat. It is nice ans shiny, but it stays soft for a very long time (you can dent it by pressing a fingernail tip into the clear coat). Model building is a lot of fun (even though I haven't been building any automotive models lately - busy with my other hobby: N scale model trains).

Ah, separated by a common language . . .

Foil Under "B"?! "P" maybe?

You got me Mike - you are correct of course! And I even used theavengersforever.tv link! I must have been half asleep. ?

If you have some funds available, and you are willing to bid on eBay (when these kits are ready), you can own one. I would love to get my hands on one too (I owned a '77 T-Bird). NEO also made a built-up 1:43 resin model of a '79.

Wait til the big online merchants start using their own drones for deliveries. Postal Services will likely suffer. I heard that even UPS is looking into using drones.

Well Hermann, we have proven you wrong. Personally, I'm interested in all sorts of cars, trucks. bikes, airplanes, ships, etc. American and foreign. Any miniature model is interesting to me. But what captivated me here is the documentation of your scratch-building efforts. Anybody can put together a plastic model kit. It takes a real talent to scratch-build a very detailed, and what looks like accurate, model. I'm also impressed how you create complex 3D surfaces using simple lamination of flat plastic parts. Reminds me of paper models I used to build as a kid. How are you sizing the parts? Do you have blueprints, or just using photographs of the 1:1 truck? Amazing job!!

True. That is why I mentioned "some clear coats". Not many automotive modelers use Future (or as the FinescaleModeler Magazine calls it :PFM).

According to http://theavengers.tv/forever/index.htm and specifically http://theavengers.tv/forever/cars.htm none of the main characters drove a Lotus Europa. But maybe some of the bad guys did? That website is a great resource for the Avengers info.

Looking good Mike! I've had one of these kits in my stash for years - I'll build it some day. I love the looks of that car (and I do like the JPS scheme, but I wonder how it would look with UPS-brown instead of black, with gold pinstripes of course?). Funny thing is that one of my friends from the model railroad club (whom I have knows for years), owns a 1:1 Lotus Europa! I guess we never discussed cars at train shows. I found out about it couple of years ago when we elected him a president and we held out annual meeting at his place (in Hollis, NH). His is a medium metallic blue. Beautiful car! I know where to go for reference if I ever want to super-detail my model.

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Caution! If the model will be clear coated, some clear coats make Sharpie ink run. Like Ray mentioned, test it on something other than your model first.