peteski

I would *NEVER* advice anybody to get acetone anywhere near a polystyrene model body. If you have enough control of that rag to only take the paint off without marring the plastic then you are a better paint stripper than I am.

Ebay originally started as an auction site. But over the years it has become more and more of a commerce site (like amazon) where the listings are fixed price instead of auction type listings. I guess you have been dealing with the fixed price listings. How bidding works is explained in https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/bidding/bidding?id=4003 , then the automatic (proxy) bidding is explained in the Automatic Bidding section. From what your auction bids list shows, it appears that it is what took place. and why you and the other bidder t***t(1139) lost. Bidder c***c(65) placed his bid of unknown amount, over an hour earlier than you. It must have been higher than your or the other bidder's bids. EBay then was bidding for him, keeping the automatic bids just high enough over the other bids to win the auction. It really is not too complicated.

I thought that Dot 3 (the old one) is glycol-based and works as paint stripper. Isn't Dot 4 silicone-based, and as such will not strip anything?

Nothing screwy about it - standard eBay auction listing. You tried to snipe, but c**c(65) bid more than you did (earlier in the auction), so you didn't get it. Proxy bidding - that is the way eBay works.

You are making a good progress. And yes, those taillights are another reason I prefer the Tamiya kit (but it is a curbside, so it would need an engine transplant from the Revell kit). Spraying the shiny "chrome" wheels with some Dullcote would have produced nice satin aluminum finish.

That is it. These come in several slightly different sizes (but all are pretty much good for model chain). I was introduced to Fusee chains by our own Harry P.

Yes their enamel will dry but remain soft (you can easily dent it just by pressing your fingernail into the finish). But they will provide hardener for it if you request it. Also, the harder will eventually harden, even is a sealed bottle.

LOL! When you add water, you are diluting the concentration of chemicals in it. No wonder it won't work. Just like you having 120 proof vodka which gets you drunk after 10 shots, diluting it with water (making it 70 proof) and wondering why you don't get drunk after 10 shots of the diluted stuff.

I did figure out that it looked just like Ford Falcon, but some details were different - this explains why.

What happened here? No solution given? Will this one be re-run (due to a full mailbox)?

Sounds like things are under control Richard.

When I measured several rims I discovered that the stated dimension is is about 1.5" smaller than the outside diameter of the rim. It is probably the inside diameter of the tire's bead. So a 16" wheel is actually 17.5" diameter.

How did I forget this one earlier?

Hmm, if you are electrician and electronics buff then you are well aware that a fuse is there for a reason. If it blew, then something is not right with the circuit it is protecting. Bypassing it doesn't seem like a smart idea to me.

Exactly! And another problem is that there is nobody out there (with the abilities, know-how, and financial backing) to take over and continue those business - once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Tamiya paints in round glass jars are what I would call "hybrid" paints. Going by the smell, they seem to use alcohol as solvent. So they are not as "mild" as water-based paints, but also not as "hot" as the ones which use petroleum-based solvents.

That is a sad news - another reminder that none of us are getting any younger. While it might sound strange, I can't help wondering if the value of all his art (models) will now increase even more. His creations are so much nicer than any Picasso paintings.

Thanks for the info Bill. I have 3 of those engines (slated for my projects), but I was curious if they were still available. I'm just afraid that like with Modelhaus, RMCoM will eventually shut down (and probably sooner than later). Norm has been making his superb castings for a long time - I'm sure he would like to stop casting and build some models for a change.

Are these engine kits still available from Norm? I thought he discontinued making them.

Warning about 5-minute epoxies: Over the years I used several brands and they all yellow (some really badly) after few years. Also, most epoxies (even if they don't yellow)seem to have slightly amber tint to them.

Thanks Kurt!

Wow! That's some great work! I love the color too! Where did you get that decal sheet of gauge faces? Those look really handy!

Hmm... if the "chrome" is not too shiny, I wonder if he uses the recently-discussed Alsa-chrome paint system instead of the typical vacuum-metalizing?

True, but if the person is elderly (and not technically inclined), the new-fangled TV remote control might be a bit much for them to learn. They like things simple, they are used to their current setup, and the new TV might be a bit much for them. Speaking from experience here. Many of today's TVs are more like frickin' computers than just a TV set.

While that is true (Tamiya is an acrylic lacquer), I'm really surprised. Why? Because both Molotow and Tamiya paints seem to use alcohol as solvent. I would have expected that Applying Tamiya over Molotow would slightly dull the chrome-like shine.