peteski

"Polyurethane" is a very nebulous term, covering many different coatings. For example there is Minwax Urethane which is used for finishing wood, but can be used on models. However it is amber in color. There is also a water-based version of that urethane which is clear. Can you give some specific types or or brands of the polyurethane you are using?

And another hobbyist-friendly etching company: https://www.ppdltd.com/ I have been etching electronic circuit boards since my teenage years. Etching model parts is a similar process. The only photos I have handy now is weather vanes and lighting rods I etched for an N scale (1:160) barn on my friend's model train layout. I designed the artwork in Corel Draw, then printed it on a transparency. Then I took a sheet of 0.005" brass, sprayed with a photoresist and a regular lacquer on the other side. Then I exposed the photo resist to UV light through the artwork (mask). Developed the photoresist and put the brass sheet in Ferric Chloride (etching solution). This is what I ended up with: And here they are after being placed on the barn.

Yes, I too visited the Yellow Submarine during the same trip. Amazing stuff!

Useless? It helps us understand the Universe. Or is that too nebulous for you, and you rather just worry about the more mundane goings on in your immediate neighborhood?

How about a detailed description of your workshop? Or how does your neighborhood look? After all, since you giving us detailed play-by-play (or is it stick-by-stick?) details of your build (including the raw materials you're ordering), why not tell us more about where it is all taking place. And I'm sure somebody will find a photo of that 4.5 lb block of clay very intereting.

Remember Rainbow Ten? They used to have really basic website with basically text-based listings of their stock. You had to email them your order. Well, Rainbow Ten is a wonderful large brick-and-mortar hobby shop which just had some online presence. I was lucky enough to visit them 14 years ago. That was an experience!

Wicked cool model (as we say in New England), and clear and sharp photos! Nice!

They probably don't even realize that the color picture is not real colors (as humans see colors) - they were added to enhance the image which IIRC is not even taken in the visible light spectrum.

That was a nice looking car - sort of BMW-ish. Never heard of it until now.

Correct. See

I'm pretty sure that all nail polishes are lacquers. But that doesn't change the fact that both, lacquers and enamels (the organic-solvent based ones) can usually be thinned with a standard lacquer thinner, acetone or xylene.

Dryer sheets are impregnated with static-dissipative substance which they deposit on the clothes being dried. I suspect some of it is leftover on the used up sheet - that is why it works on models.

Not the baking soda again. we have discussed this here before and the consensus is to use the "real" accelerator. But feel free to use your home-brew solution.

Cheap to buy? Compared to what? The seem to cost in a range of mid $20k US. I just got a 2019 KIA Soul (MSRP $19k US) for $17k. A much more useful small car than Smart for Two. and I'm getting gas mileage in low 30MPG range. Diesel fuel is also much more expensive than gasoline (at least in U.S.). No sale!

They actually don't have *THAT* great of a gas mileage, but they sure make a statement (and I suspect that's what most owners are after). In Europe, in urban setting, this little cars actually make sense. But seeing one on an American interstate, sandwiched between several 18-wheelers, just doesn't seem right.

Sometimes, certain email addresses get tagged as "junk" and dumped in the recipient's SPAM folder. This can happen on either side of the email conversation. That would be one explanation for lack of response. If I want to really get in touch with someone through email, I try at least 3 times (and from 2 different email addresses). Be persistent, be tenacious!

Yes, those tires would be at home on a Jeep or some other vehicle meant to be taken off-road. But there are so many tire options out there that it should be fairly easy to replace these with some more correct-looking tires. Otherwise, the model looks great!

I agree 100%! The correct interleaving of the spokes cannot be done with photoetched spoke discs. That is something that the 3D printing handles well already. I think give it some time for the technology to improve and the printers will be able to print thinner (properly scaled) spokes. We're almost there!

Thanks for the very complete explanation. It is good to learn how life is on other countries. I have visited Japan (Tokyo and Shizuoka City) back in 2005 and I was very impressed with the neatness and organization everywhere.

While without a doubt the overall fidelity of these wheels is amazing, every time I look at them, there is something off about them. I think the spokes seem a bit too chunky when compared to photoetched or metal wire wheels.

Thanks for the explanation, but I'm still a bit confused. So basically you want to see the passenger side mirror while still paying attention to the road directly in front of you, or is is just impolite to turn your head to the passenger side? As far as the rides sharing (Uber, Lyft) go, isn't the liability covered by the companies themselves? And why there is no incentive? Is it because the public transportation is so well developed that it just as fast and convenient to take trolley, bus, or a train?

Interesting . . .

That is an odd one, including the suicide passenger door. I also don't get Japanese fascination for fender-mounted side mirrors. I rather have that mirror closer to my eyes than one mounted couple of feet away from me. It must be like peeking through a keyhole. I also wonder if Uber and Lyft will eventually kill off the "real" taxis in Japan.

Um, one of your friends doesn't appreciate gifts (returned the model you gave them), and now another stabs you in the back (or is it the same "friend")? Seems that you might benefit from a change of friends.

Interesting idea. I think that just squeezing the monofilament in a pair of small pliers (placing it closer to the joint for greater pressure) will flatten it nicely too - no vise needed. I do this to even flatten copper and brass wire.