peteski

Are you proficient in 3D CAD drafting? If not, I would say that this is the first thing you should be looking into when getting a 3D printer.

Interesting. Not exactly sure what happened there, but I doubt it is a compatibility problem. Cyanoacrylate is cyanoacrylate. I have had some accelerators cause such fast setting of thin CA that it bubbled and smoked, but never increased in solid volume. I also use CA glue (sometimes with styrene shavings or talcum powder) as gap filler. It sure does beat putty. But don't wait too long if any sanding is needed - after about 24 hours the CA (basically acrylic) becomes harder than the typical styrene, so sanding becomes a problem. The BSI brand accelerator is the only one I use now (and I tried about half a dozen). It has a low odor, it doesn't attack styrene, and it acts slower than other ones I tried (but still plenty fast). I can't say I ever ran into the problem you have, but I seldom use thick CA. In most cases I use thin or regular thickens. But I have used gap filling and thick CA on occasion (with accelerator) and never ran into problems. The thicker the CA is, the slower the accelerator works. Also, I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, use the spray pump!! Ever! That is just way too messy. My favorite accelerator applicator is Microbrush. Usually the small (white handle), but sometimes I use yellow or green ones (larger heads). I open the bottle and using a pipette I place a small amount into a thimble-size glass container. Then, as needed, I dunk the Microbrush in the container , then apply the tiny bit of accelerator close to the glue area, the accelerator usually spreads out and contacts the liquid CA, then in few seconds the glue sets. With the thicker CA I have to apply the accelerator directly to the CA. Even if the Microbrush head gets contaminated with hardened CA glue, it can still be reused. Very small amount of the accelerator is needed to kick the CA over. If I can no longer use the Microbrush, I just trash it and get a fresh one - they are inexpensive. In some instances even use a wooden toothpick as the applicator.

Wow!

Oh God, no! Not that grille! Those wheel "covers" must be a murder on other cars and pedestrians! Once you have the design, maybe you could modify it to something more mundane? The Riviera is even more butchered, customized. Where did those headlights come from? Though the paint jobs are beautiful on both.

Yes, Mr. Prestigious is gone! I'll miss him dearly. We had way too many deaths in the club lately.

I thought at first that it was a ship's engine, but it still looks photoshopped to me. The way it is just sitting on the ground supported by few jacks is one oddity. There are also other things that just don't look like a ship's engine, but a smaller engine scaled up to look large. Buit I could be wrong . . .

79-85 Eldo gets my attention.

I don't know about Winnebago, but GMC had one back in the '70s.

Then there is "stellar".

Interesting. I started having the 404 error while trying to post last night, and even got locked out of the website for few hours couple of times. That was when all I was posting was the word "test". This whole computer world is getting way too complicated. Bring back the old-school BBSs! Text only baby - no viruses or malicious code. EDIT: this is the text which I thought caused the 404 errors: Then there is "stellar". There is also "stellar". 2nd EDIT: Um, it works tonight - so whatever was being done last night was causing my problem - not the above sentences. Good!

Yes, the white fuzz is in the areas that were supported by wax. When the model comes from Shapeways, the wax is not fully removed, so those areas look smoother. Alcohol removes the wax, exposing the rough surface. This i normal. Only way to get rid of that is by mechanical means (rubbing/sanding, then a coat of primer should smooth things out further.

Not a Photoshop user, but don't you still end up with a bitmapped graphic file? In the Corel Draw suite I also use PhotoPaint (which is their bitmap image editor) and it also has path and lettering tools, but the final output is still a bitmap. I use older versions of Corel (10 and 12, where the latest is 19). I picked them up on eBay for a short money. But here are also freeware versions of this type of program: Gimp is a bitmap editor, and Inkscape which is vector graphics. I just can't see myself using MS Paint or PowerPoint or MS Word for accurately manipulating graphics, where the tools I use give me much better control and accuracy. It might sound snobbish, but once you start using those tools (geared to what we are trying to achieve here), you will never look back.

OK, that makes sense. I, for maximum sharpness and quality, redraw most of the bitmap artwork into vector graphics (in Corel Draw). That way I can resize and otherwise manipulate the artwork without needing to worry about its print quality.

Bill, I have few diecast 1:24 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint diecast models from Hachette. They came packed in blister pack and were sold for a very affordable price. These kits have excellent wheels and tires (that was the main reason I bought them), but the car also has really pleasing lines so I'll keep one intact). If you want, PM me and I can send one of those your way. They do have a rudimentary engine detail under the hood (just a filler piece with top of the engine molded in) but the wheels are excellent. The grilles might also be usable for the Italeri kit. Like I said, the Italeri kit is also on my to-do list. Here is a photo. The holes in the wheels are actually open, but could use a bit of a cleanup.

Huh? How can higher printing resolution get *TOO* grainy? Are we talking about the same thing? Or something is not done correctly.

I'm pretty sure that either of the Tamiya clears will dull your Alclad chrome paint. Only water-based acrylic coatings should not dramatically change the Alclad chrome sheen.

Beautiful restoration of a gorgeous model.

The first post?! LOL, that was in July 2018!! In the meantime, after 50+ replies, the subject being discussed has changed quite a bit. Just look at the most recent 25 posts or so.

Um, as I see it it is neither the quality or quantity. It is the file size of the picture (image) file. And that is not even a problem because mods told us we have oodles of free space. But it is prudent not to overindulge by uploading huge photo files when they are viewed within the posts (not printed out poster-size). We might have lots of free space now, but it will eventually fill up. Makes sense upload smaller photos. Mine usually don't go over 1024 pixels across (often are 800 pixels across). Another forum I belong to automatically reduces size of huge photos being uploaded down to 1024 pixels across. That way nobody has to even think of needing to resize before uploading.

Cool! they are just about the right size for 1:24 model body, and at 3 bucks a pop are also affordable. Perfect for practicing spray painting!

As it has been mentioned, there are 2 reasons for testing paint. 1. for compatibility with the plastic model 2. to learn how to apply smooth finish. Number 1 has been covered. For number 2 one can use plastic bottles (in all sorts of shapes and sizes). Yes, I know that has been mentioned, but I'm just reiterating it. Speaking of this, I wonder where Alclad got those fluid-looking shapes they use in photos demonstrating their paints (on their website). Those would be ideal for practicing airbrushing model car bodies.

Another modeler here who just shoots paint and doesn't bother with sanding, polishing, rubbing-out, waxing . . . Nail polish over Tamiya Fine White primer and a Testors Wet Look clear. The finish is not flawless (but even polished out bodies usually have flaws - I don't believe that there is a such thing as a perfect flawless finish), but I just can't justify spending all that additional time and elbow grease to achieve almost-perfection, when I'm already close to it. I have sanded and polished out some major imperfections on couple of models, but I did not do the entire body (just the areas with the boogers). I have even glued a chip of paint that came off an A-pillar of one of my models, but unless I point it out, you won't find it (or at least judges never fund it). I agree with Michael that striving to achieve the best finish directly out of the airbrush or spray can should be the ultimate goal. But in the meantime I guess some sanding and polishing will have to be done

Meow Duke! I like the boat - a lot! Hey, even the trailer is cool.

Yes, *AFTER* they are applied to the model, Future (or PFM as the FineScale Modeler magazine calls it now) can be used as a clear coat to protect the decal. But I have not heard of anybody using Future to repair old cracked decals (still on the backing paper).

That's pretty clever! I suppose, instead of the drill bit spacer, you could use a short sacrificial piece of the tubing itself.