peteski

This is a Monogram Ultimates 1:43 scale 2879 Cobra. I drilled out the model's distributor using a PC Board drill bit (those are very sharp Tungsten Carbide bits with 1/8" shanks) held in a pin vise. Those bits are very fragile (but I have large supply at hand). This type of very small and precise work I do under magnification. I use a stereo-microscope (aka. a dissecting microscope). 1:43 scale distributor is quite small.

I don't need anything large. I was just adding some information to what Bill posted about Photon in his post above mine.

Alps MD printer is the only consumer printer I know that can print Metallic Gold and Gold foil. Here is a list of decal makers who use that printer: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/decals.htm#custom

Yes, Anycubic Photon is very popular printer on a model railroad forum I frequent. Several members own them, and they can produce some really high quality items (and this is in N scale, or 1:160). But hat printer can only produce fairly small items (perfect for small scale modeling).

Usually oil-based stains and paints will not distort wood, while water-based will. Was the stain water-based or oil-based?

I had one of those too (I think it was a 1973) as a beater car in the '80s. Mine was metallic blue with white interior. Slant-6. I also had another beater: similar vintage Plymouth Gold Duster. It was cream with a genuine-snakeskin vinyl top, brown interior, and also a slant-6. Drove both to the ground.

Cool. In that case you have an important obstacle behind you.

OK, but that is pretty much 2D drawing. 3D is quite different in complexity. I'm also fairly good win CorelDraw, but when I dove into SketchUp, it was quite a new experience. You have to think in 3D space.

I love to get my hands on one of the T-bird kits, but it looks like it will be an "unobtanium". That sucks!

Of the Modelhaus fame? I wonder if it is one of those special projects he mentioned that he would still take on after closing Modelhaus.

I had a feeling that this was some sort of take on Lotus Europa (but I didn't spent the time to find the actual car). The wheels, and the shape of the door were my main clues. The flat rear deck also has a strong Lotus Europa flavor.

Same here. I often have a 6" x 6" spot on the bench to actually work on. When I do clean the bench, it looks better, but that doesn't last long.

Yeah, those are some photorealistic flywheels! Nice! One very important thing with programs designed for graphic design is that you can easily accurately scale any object to the exact size you need. That functionality alone to me is worth the purchase price. PowerPoint does have some vector graphic capabilities, along with limited ruler, grid, and accurate object sizing capabilities, but it is not really geared towards graphic artwork design. MS Paint does not have those abilities, so you basically keep on resizing until you get it right.

I bought one of those at Michael's few years ago and tried it few times. But I never got used to is, so it just sits in a drawer. Maybe I wasn't "wearing" it properly?

How about Splash Paints? They seem to be a competitor of Gravity. They post on this forum

That technique is quite old. The box art for the old (mid '70s) AMT KISS van model featured a model done that way. The instructions on how to achieve that effect were included in the kit.

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".