peteski

I have bunch of 1:43 NEO models and I agree that they are all excellent quality. They also make models of many cars which have never before been produced as models (like the '79-'85 Cadillac Eldorado, or the same vintage Buick Riviera for example).

Maybe I should clarify: I use the paints which are sold in small cylindrical glass bottles. Modelers call them water-based acrylic paints, even though the solvent is mostly alcohol. I don't think those paints are actually enamels. For airbrushing I thin them with the Tamiya thinner specifically designed for them. I also have the transparent blue and as you said, if it sits for a while the blue pigment separates from the clear carrier/solvent. But I expected the blue to still be transparent after application, just like the other transparent colors. The transparent green for example also has pigment which settles down the bottle, but when it is applied to the model surface it dries transparent (not cloudy). Then I think Tamiya also makes a set of transparent paints in spray cans. Those are synthetic lacquers. As far as the glossy finish goes (and even coverage), I agree that it is tough to get. But you can always try and coat the transparent color paint with a layer of plain clear paint.

I'm not a long-time member here but even in the time I have been participating in this forum I can tell that Bill is not someone who is looking for attention or trolling to stir the pot. To me he is a knowledgeable member of the MCM forum who is always willing to share his expertise with others. But sometimes stuff happens - nobody's perfect. We now know that we watched (hopefully) a future model builder building his first model. Hopefully he is alright.

I've sprayed and brush-painted the Tamiya clear red, amber, yellow, and green over clear styrene pieces (like taillight lenses) and they all dried transparent (not cloudy). I have not tried transparent blue. Not sure what the problem is. Did you mix the paint well? Was it brushed or sprayed?

If and when I build mine I'll be sure to take photos of the interior. But don't hold your breath - I have years worth of other in-progress projects in my workshop. I'm also thinking of lighting up the interior, but even then with the small windows it will be hard to see.

Ok, with all this hullabaloo I watched the video. Did any of you check the comments? I also checked out all his other videos. The answer is clear: this video is not a joke. It is for real! It clearly is a teenager. If you want to meet the person you were chewing out, check out this video: That might have been his first (and only) model kit. He used the crappy water-based paints which were most likely included with the model. You can see the vials those paints come in. He obviously is a video game fan (his other videos are all Minecraft), so he was probably excited to actually build some tangible object. That is how I see it. Do any of you remember how your first model kit came out? Need I say more? What worries me (seriously) is that he has not posted anything for 3 years. Usually kids don't just abruptly stop posting stuff online! hope that he is ok. Seriously guys - lighten up! At our annual model contest we have models much worse than that entered in the Juniors class. Let a kid be a kid.

I smell it!

Here are some of the things I do to hold very small parts for painting. I use insulation stripped from various gauge wire (as tubing to hold the parts), masking tape and a thick double sided clear tape (similar to the foam poster tape but clear). You can also see small dowels (pieces of toothpicks). "Roach clips" also work well for some parts.

Not quite. Both Floquil and Testors were owned by RPM for decades. Rustoleum is also just another brand in the RPM portfolio. I suspect that dwindling sales and ever-strigent air-pollution regulations were the main reason for the discontinuation of all those paint lines. I couldn't find any specifics as to when RPM acquired Floquil but I have some bottles from the early '90s with the RPM logo on them (and with the Amsterdam, NY address). RPM owned Testors since 1984. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testor_Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_International All these mergers between companies seem to done to maximize the company's bottom line - not for the customer's benefit. Here is the original letter of discontinuance of the paint lines. It seems that RPM had them all managed under the Testors name. From http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/13972 Friday, May 17th, 2013 Dear Valued Partner, I am writing to inform you about changes that are taking place at the Testor Corporation. For over 80 years, we have provided premium paints and finishing systems to the craft and hobby industry. Today, we announced that we are transforming our business in order to more effectively address the changing needs of our consumers and their interests. We’ve made the decision to exit the following businesses within the Testor® Brand family - Pactra®, Floquil®, Polyscale®, and ColorArtz®. This will enable the Testor Corporation to return to our foundation of success – providing premium, innovative product that inspires creativity. We will continue to accept orders and ship product for a limited time based on available quantities. Going forward, the following brands will be critical to our success and development – Testor®, Model Master™, and Aztek®. These brands will be infused with marketing support, innovation and operational efficiencies. In support of this, we have announced a consolidation of operations at our Rockford facilities. Over the next several months we will provide updates critical to your order and delivery needs as well as product availability. We assure you there will be no disruption to service during this transition. Our commitment to the Testor brand has never been stronger. By implementing these changes, and the ability to leverage all of Rust-Oleum’s world class services, we are more strongly poised to take your business to the next level through product and merchandising innovations, and increased customer intimacy. Please contact me or your sales manager directly with any questions. We appreciate your business! Best Regards, Kristin J. Schiro Director of Sales & Marketing

Well then, we should branch off to talking mules and horses.

I have and use several strippers (depending on the paint). There is a long thread in this section of the forum about using various strippers - lots of good info there. It is a sticky thread, right on the top of the list. Try Testors (ex. Floquil) Easy Lift Off (chemical similar to DOT3 brake fluid) or Scalecoat Wash Away point remover. Keeping the liquid warm while stripping (80-90 F) increases their potency.

Yes Super Clean (the Purple Stuff, etc.) has lye (sodium hydroxide) in it (same as in the original formula EasyOff). It is the lye which does most of the stripping (the other chemicals in Super Clean help too). I was also surprised that Super Clean has not been mentioned yet. It strips the metallic layer and the clear coat under it.. Keeping it the stripper warm also speeds up the stripping action. By warm I mean around 90-100 F.

Sweet! I have that kit too and I might even build it someday. Too bad that the detailed interior cannot be seen easily.

Wow! I want to shrink myself down to 1:24 size so I can check out all the wonderfully aged details!

I have also used Chrome Tech and while I don't recall any lost parts, times the quality of the plating was not as expected. There was fuzz or dust in the clear coat and some of the plating was not even. While free re-plating service was offered, I declined - re-stripping and re-prepping bunch of parts was not something I wanted to do. After couple of those events I decided to take my business elsewhere.

Steve is correct - airbrush propellant can be plain air or even CO2. Speaking of which, a small tank of CO2 would be ideal as an airbrush propellant in an apartment. No compressor noise. While I have not tried it myself, I've heard that the tanks can be purchased or rented (and refilled) from diving supply stores or from soft drink distributors. You would also need a pressure regulator. But it is whisper quiet. With an airbrush there is usually much less over-spray too.

They always were and still are still a class act - even though it doesn't really matter anymore. Good people!

I never thought that Pacers were ugly (in a Pontiac Aztek sort of a way). Pacers to me were just different (in a good way). They sure had an interesting design (like the extremely low belt-line with lots of glass all around, or the asymmetrical doors). But they sure were like a fish out of water when they fist came out (when other cars all looked like the squared-off Caprice-Classic mentioned earlier). But what do I know - I drive the 1st gen Scion xB (the fridge, the toaster, da box . . .). I thought they were just ugly Japanse bricks when they first came out, but it grew on me.

Last time I spoke to Dale (during the 2016 NNL East) they were still in business.

Probably around 2 minutes for me. I only spray organic-solvent paints (no water-based stuff). I do a thorough cleaning and disassembly about once a year (whether it needs it or not). I should make a video of how I clean my airbrush after each use to show the rattle-can-spayers that it is not the dreaded chore they've been told. And no clogged spray-can nozzles or wasted paint.

Neah, we have a teenager member installing LED lights in his models (in another section of the forum).

Who allowed you to use one of those new-fangled gadgets called "computers"?

There are people out there who are more gullible and less paranoid than the average population. They don't really ponder things and will pretty believe (without questioning) anything they hear.

True, they use totally different valve in the can. We have the Testors type of a valve (stem in the nozzle plugs into the can), Tamiya spray valve (the can has a stem on which the nozzle gets installed), and the fan-spray valve (similar to Tamiya but there is also a metal rod which opens the valve). Neither of those 3 types is interchangeable. That is why using an airbrush is the ideal solution: decant any paint you want and have perfect control of the air pressure, paint volume and spray pattern. You can also make your own custom paint mixes. That dreaded airbrush cleanup after painting is really NOT-THAT-BAD! Trust me.

Wow, this post to me seems to show a typical mob-mentality (so prevalent in USA, especially since the Internet made it very easy to communicate one's opinions to thousands or millions of other like-minded people). I did not watch the video at all (with all these comments I didn't find a need to do it). There are all sort of really weird videos on the Internet - you can pretty much find anything. Why don't we comment on all of those? It seems that the MCM mob picked their victim: some unsuspecting person or a modeler who 4 years ago made a video of doing a poor job assembling and painting a plastic model kit. Really?! Maybe we should be chewing-out people who post videos of smashing all sorts of devices, frying them in microwaves, or putting them in a blender? A plastic model in a blender? How's that for a video?