peteski

Well, Trevor, you just ruined this for all the others trying to guess. But you are new on this forum so you just didn't know any better, and Michael didn't include the usual instructions in his post. Normally you PM your answer to him and then at the end of the week he posts a list of members who provided the right answer.

I always try to fix (shave off or sand) as many flaws in the body when it is still unpainted plastic. That reduces the number of primer/paint coats needed to finish the model (and the thinner the paint is, the more realistic the model will look).

Nice model, and timely too.

Trying to determine colors from color photos (and especially when viewed on a computer monitor) is really difficult and can fool your eyes. There are so many variables which can affect the color. Here is an example of what I mean: I took a screen capture of both of the model photos in the initial post and also of the color chips. I then created a blank (white image) and pasted the snippets of the color chips. Then I took a swatch of the model from both photos and placed it next to the color chips. The swatch of the model's color on the right side of each pain chip is from the top model photo while the left swatch is from the 2nd model photo. They are not even close to either of the 3 color chips I chose. The model color swatches look almost neutral gray. But the model in those photos does have a green hue. So I copied the swatches from the left side of the image (against white background) and copied them on the right side, against a rectangle which has a color of background from the model's photos. Against that warm-hue background now the model colors sufddenly show that green tint. And also neither of those color paint chips is very close to the mode's color.

Many Japanese automotive model kits (current and older releases) did not include either any engine details, or just included a rudimentary plastic insert with the top of the engine compartment molded on it. Many snap kits also do not include engine details (just whatever is molded with the under-body). Those kits are curbside by design. I know an excellent modeler whose models often wins trophies at contests (with super-detailed engines). He sometimes builds the most basic curbside models (perfectly-painted bodies) with nothing more than black-tinted windows and a flat piece of styrene for the undercarriage with the wheels simply glued to it. I guess he sometimes needs a break from detail modeling.

I agree on both counts.

Well, even if that story is true, looks like he did what he wanted to do - eBay is no longer a flea market, but it is now more like Amazon Jr., full of ByN sellers.

To me Skyline Blue seems closer to the model's color.

I agree that they found another way to bombard us with flashy and loud ads. No peace, even when pumping gas! Whatever happened to the full-service stations where the attendant not only filled your tank but also cleaned the windshield and checked the fluids while you were there? What has happened to this country?! Funny, I was just talking to my mother about this Gas Station TV thing. She said that she hits some buttons on the side of the screen and that turns it off. I'll have to try that next time.

There are so many variables that you can't just ape someone's technique exactly. One of the variables is the person who is airbrushing. Every person is unique and does things differently I don't use Tamiya paints (in the little glass jars) much but to me it seems like you thin them bit too much. You have more thinner than paint (12:8 ratio) but like I said, everybody does things differently. The pressure and distance from the object being painted are in the range I usually use for small items like a spoon. I rarely go up over 20 psi. Once I build up some paint on the object being painted I like to spray the paint on heavier to smooth out the surface). The photo of your spoon seems to be lit a bit strangely (back-lit or bottom-lit?) so it doesn't show the paint surface. But if it looks ok to you then it works.

The problem with hollow braid is that it will easily collapse when you bend it. Then it looks like krap, um, a kinked hose. If you replace the center wire you took out with a piece of solder in the approximately same diameter then the "hose" will retain its shape when bent and it will also bend easy (as the solder is soft).

I love my 2006 Scion xB (aka. Toyota bB outside of USA). Tiny brick-shaped car with enormous passenger compartment and oodles of headroom. It is like a clown-car. You should see the look on peoples faces seeing 5 tall guys get out of it. I think it came out before the Cube and Nissan simply copied the idea. Then there also is the similar "hamster-mobile" (Hyundai Soul). When xB first appeared I thought it was the ugliest car around, but it grew on me enough to buy one. I actually like the fact that it stands out of all the soap-bar-shaped around us. It has a conventional 4-speed automatic transmission with converter lock. It handles pretty well too (probably due to the wheels placed at the extreme corners of the vehicle). Like a go-kart. But the Cube never grew on me. With the thick pillars, rounded windows, and asymmetrical rear it to me looks like a caricature of a car. Like it came out of a Roger Rabbit movie. But I'm sure it is just as fun to drive as my "box", "fridge", or "toaster".

Well, that goes for pretty much every plastic-safe paint stripper. I use half a dozen different ones (there is a lengthy sticky thread about the paint strippers) and none are perfect for all paints.

That is one type of ghost flames. But the other one is, like someone already mentioned, to paint the flames over the base color using a pearl or metal flakes. Those will be almost invisible except when the light hits the pearl or metallic particles from a certain angle. Then the flames show up.

I mostly use BSI (Bob Smith Ind.) glues. No specific reasons. I sometimes use other brands too. IMO most CA glues work pretty much the same. But to me the more important question is "what CA accelerator you use?" I exclusively use BSI accelerator for several reasons: It has a very mild (almost pleasant) odor, it does not attack styrene (like many other accelerators do), and it has a gentler accelerating action than most other brands (so the CA glue does not bubble up). I never spray it on but apply it with a micro-brush, just to the area being glued.

Those directional "hands" on the B-pillars look cute. I have no clue what car it is, but the fender-mounted mirrors say something to me. We'll see if I'm correct . . .

Some modelers, years ago, started this silly (and incorrect) usage of the term "acrylic" to mean "water-based acrylic enamel". For some reason that stuck and now everybody is now misusing the term "acrylic". I'm no paint chemist but I educated myself a bit about paints (since I use them in my hobby). For example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint some good basic theory and terms. Paint consists of the pigment (color), binder (the resin which hods the pigment and also adheres to the painted surface), and solvent/vehicle (the liquid which evaporates). The solvent in both, lacquers and enamels evaporates, allowing the binder to dry on the painted surface. That is where the difference between lacquer and enamel comes in. The dry binder in lacquer can be redissolved by applying solvent over it. But the binder in enamels, after it is dry, continues to change (harden or set) chemically. Usually that change is caused by exposure to oxygen. Once fully hardened, the binder in enamel paints will not redissolve when exposed to the solvents. It will soften, but will not re-liquify. It will wrinkle and come off in sheets. If you have some lacquer which thickened in the bottle (because the solvent evaporated) you can add more solvent and the lacquer is usable. But if the same thing happens to enamel paint and oxygen also gets in the bottle you end up with a jelly-like mess and no amount of solvent will bring the enamel paint back to usable state. Enough of the chemistry lesson. What bugs me is that modelers keep using the term "acrylics" for any of the "water-soluble" enamels. Why? Because the acrylic resin can also be used as a binder in organic-solvent-based (the stinky and bad for you kind) lacquers and enamels. There are many different binders (like urethane, acrylic, or other resins) which can be used in both water-based-solvent, and organic-solvent-based paints and enamels. So every time I see modelers assume that acrylic means water-based enamel. I wish people were more educated and used more accurate terminology. The "hot" and "cold" paints is also a broad generalization, but I can live with that. Here - I feel better now!

As I recall hearing recently, GM is not the only company which stated they will go all electric in several years. I think one of the other companies might be Volvo (or whoever owns them now). That is another problem, there were so many buy-outs and mergers in the automotive manufacturing that all the car brand lines are blurred. Going back to the original topic, just because they say they will do something doesn't matter that it will actually happens. They can change their minds or have unforeseen problems fulfilling their promise. It is not like someone will shut them down if they don't go 100% electric. As far as cars being appliances that is true. Most of the Millennials, and even younger crowd, would rather not drive. Gone are the days teens wanted to get away from home and make out in the back seat of their own cars. Instead, they are constantly glued to their smart phone with the need to socialize every second of their waking day. Forget electric cars, I predict that in 20 years people won't need smart phones - they will all receive a brain interface implant allowing direct communication with others by thoughts. No more tiny keyboards and sore thumbs - all you will have to to is think.

But regardless of how you see it, the fact is that the July bill include the cost of that car being charged. However much it cost. If we know how many kW was needed to charge the car you coudl figure out how much of that bill was for the charging. As far as electric cars go, there are a lot of "green" people out there who will buy one of them just because it is electric (even if it would cost them more to drive it than an internal-combustion car). As far as electric bill goes, usage is related directly to cost so I really don't see your point. You use more electricity, you pay more for it. Simple as that. In USA where you can buy electricity from many different suppliers, some of those suppliers guarantee that their electricity is generated by100% "green" sources. They are actually more expensive per kW than most other companies but I have feeling that some of the "green" people sign up with them and pay more for their electricity just to be able to say that they are using "green energy". Go figure . . .

The old Model Master paints were basically the same as old Testors PLA enamels. They could be tinned with Model master thinner (minaral spirits) or lacquer thinner. But aren't the new Model Master paints water-based acrylics? Many of the hobby paint manufacturers seem to be going to the water-based paints.

Hmm . . .how could that be? The charging consumed X-number of kilowatts, so that had to show up on your bill. There is no question about that. Maybe you just happened to use less electricity elsewhere in your house? Does the car's charging system tell you how many kilowatts it took to charge the battery? If you know that then you can easily calculate how much it cost you. For example if the cost for kilowatt where you live is 15 cents/kW and the charging your vehicle consumed 50kW than the cost would have been 0.15 X 50 = $7.50.

Yes, the forum does seem to be much more responsive. Thanks !

For that reason I add one inch to the tire diameter to get an approximate wheel fact rim diameter (since that is what is used on a model). So to me a a 1:1 17" wheel will be 18 inches in diameter.

For laughs, watch these: Someone created bots to keep telemarketers occupied as long as possible.

Um, for how much longer? What if you don't use those browsers?