peteski

I should also mention an alternative to the standard black Sharpies (which are really dark purple) and run when exposed to many paint solvents. There is also a "red label" Sharpie industrial marker. It seems to be more solvent resistant. The stated color is black but it is a really dark blue. You guys might want to give it a try. I just used it the other day to blacken some metal parts. http://www.sharpie.com/markers/pro/industrial/SHIndustrial.html .

I took it as a marker used for annotating X-Ray photo films.

You have a point there. But I hope that you smoothed out that seem on the bottom of the housing.

Calculator is nice, but we are talking elementary school math here. This is the time where we get to use those basic math skills we learned in school but always thought we would never need them in real life. We should be exercising our gray matter more.

Sharpie ink is actually very, very dark purple. I usually don't use Sharpies for my models. But since people like the convenience of using a marker, why not use a black paint marker?

We also have felt-tip pens or markers and calligraphy pens in USA. But those usually use water-soluble inks. Sharpie is a felt-tip pen (comes in several sizes) but the ink is permanent (waterproof). I wonder if the radiography pen uses waterproof ink?

Thanks Bill - it is good to hear from an actual user of the system. The other possible problem is the resolution. I make decals mostly for N-scale model trains (1:160 scale). Some of the lettering can be really small (where the letters are about 0.015" high). I'm not sure if that system is capable of such fine resolution. Plus it really is quite messy when compared to Alps. But as I said, if that is the only viable (and affordable) option, then go for it.

Actually, I misunderstood your post Bill. Not sure what I was thinking. I thought you were using the abrasive powder to scuff the shiny "chrome" finish to dull it down making it look like cast or brushed aluminum. But now I just re-read your post and you are scuffing the surface for the metalized paint to adhere better. That makes sense. I also agree that in some rare instances it might be possible that the masking tape might peel up the "chrome" finish.

Unfortunately no - no place is safe or sacred anymore. That is why many Americans yearn to go back to the good ol' days. But the Pandora's box has been open and we cannot put things back to the way they were. Going to my workshop and working on models (and listening to the music of my choice) makes me forget about the outside world for a while.

I'm puzzled by the way the color shows some fine texture pattern. It almost looks like hammered-metal paint. It is almost like the various paints don't want to be mixed together and they stay separate, creating areas of silver dots with blue halos. At least how I see it on the glossier spoon in the last photo.

And because I'm anal, I just want to mention that the "chrome" on plastic parts is actually vacuum-deposited aluminum. It is applied over glossy clear coat and it is only few atoms thick, so it looks like highly polished aluminum (which is a good substitute for chrome). But also because it is so thin (especially if it is not coated with a layer clear lacquer during manufacturing) it is very fragile, so by rubbing abrasive on it you are risking removing the thin layer of metal, exposing the plastic. I have used Testors Dullcote for dulling the look of "chrome" and I have never experienced any bad effects. But there are also water-based satin or flat clears which should be very safe over the "chrome".

Of course the aftermarket guys buy the stuff in bulk from wire manufacturers or distributors. They often do not deal with individuals. Also remember that if you have the wire diameter, that is not the outside dimension of the insulation.

Can you? Sure! You can do anything you can think of. Anything customizers do to 1:1 cars can be done to models. But (just like it does with the 1:1 customizers) it takes knowledge and practice to get good at it.

As an Alps MicroDry printer owner and a member of couple of Alps groups online I have been aware of DecalProFX system for several years. Alps owners have been looking for something to replace our aging Alps printers. From what we determined This system is quite cumbersome to set up and nowhere near the capabilities of Alps. Not something we found as a viable replacement for Alps printers. But I guess if someone starts fresh, it might be a viable option. Their website is a pain in the butt to navigate, but watch all the related tutorial and videos to see if this is something you want to use. Yes, dry transfers have been around for decades and used for hobby markings. I have used them myself too. I have also applied dry transfers to clear decal film and than applied them to the model as a decal. It is often easier to do that then trying to rub the try transfer directly on a uneven surface of a model.

Not only another fun history lesson from Art - he also taught me that POS doesn't just mean "Piece Of $hit"!

We have discussed this on another thread in this forum not too long ago. These are scams and I report the listing like those to eBay. They usually pull them in less than a day.

I wonder if Tom means "cut-offs"? I used to have a plastics distributor with a small store on the side of the building where they sold cut-offs priced per pound (and very cheap). Some of the pieces were quite large. Unfortunately that place is gone now.

Jeroen PM'd me the link to that Revell stripper. Thanks Jeroen! https://www.revell.de/en/products/colors-glue-co/other-accessories/id/39617.html The active ingredient is 1-Methoxy-2-propanol which I believe is a chemical similar to what is used in the Testors Easy Lift-Off (ELO) paint remover: Dipropylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether, Isobutanol. Still, too bad it is not available in USA so I could try to see how it works.

So, what was the solution. It might be helpful to tothers (more so than just "problem solved"). Funny thing is that I have just been reading the forum for a while (problem-free) until I just into the same issue in http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/127199-big-scale-e100-pickup/?do=findComment&comment=1845300 This is what I see in that post:

Chrome is simply a spyware app for Google that lets you browse the Internet.

Anything Juha builds is inspiring!

Still runs ok - it is not my main PC - I only use it because my Alps printer (about the same vintage as the OS) is very happy and reliable with that OS.

I scratch-built the AUTOLITE battery (and its tray)for my model of 298 AC Cobra. Keep in mind that it is 1:43 scale. I simply drilled through the posts and inserted the cables. It would be tough to make the clamps in 1:43 scale, and besides, once the body is installed the battery is mostly hidden from view.

No, Win98SE will not do anymore. Basically none of the browser versions which will install on Win98SE will properly render most of the contemporary websites. Time marches on and web designers keep updating things just for the sake of doing it without backward compatibility. How do I know? I still run Win98SE on a PC that runs my Alps printer. I have the latest version if SeaMonkey (that supports Win98) installed and it has issues dealing with most web pages. But I still suggest taking the SeaMonkey browser for a test drive - the name is funny, but the browser is very good. https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Good point about weathering. Here are few examples of it done right (not my models but I took the photos):