peteski

Just like others I use the Tamiya transparent paints in the little glass jars. But sometimes I feel that I need to spray them on too thick to get the desired darker shades of red or amber. I have just recently picked up a set of Alclad II transparent paints to try (but haven't yet). They seem to have much denser colors and should go on very thin. But Alclad II is a "hot" lacquer so I'm afraid it might craze the more delicate clear styrene. I'll be sure to try them on a piece of clear runner before spraying any actual parts.

I've been mostly buying (but some selling too) on eBay since 1999 and I agree with all you mentioned.

eBay is really F-up, and is is not getting any better.

Free shipping to Massachusetts.

This happened to me few times recently. Even on a listing where seller mentioned that he does do combined shipping. It is probably no seller's fault but some eBay glitch. What I did in all those instances, instead of asking for combined invoice, I went to one of the individual listings and contacted seller through "ask seller question" and asked them for combined shipping. They had no problem sending me a combined shipping invoice. The EBay is getting weirder and weirder - try contacting the seller like I did and see what happens.

Quarterlights? So that is what vent-windows are called outside of US? Good to know.

There is no fixed rules for airbrushing (like paint viscosity, pressure, nozzle size, distance from the surface being painted, etc., etc.). There are too many variables (including the model of the airbrush). Some people use 40psi, others use 16psi (and many other pressures in between). It can even change depending on a particular paint job or paint. Sometimes I even change the paint pressure during a painting session (lower the pressure to get the paint in some tight corners, then go back to higher pressure for the larger flat areas). To me every airbrushing session is different. That is what makes the task of airbrushing so flexible (unlike using a spray can). The way I see it, in order to become good with airbrushing you need to practice and determine what works best for you. Sure, you can pick up some tips from other modelers, but in the end it is really you who will choose the technique which works best for you.

This "parting off model kits and selling the parts at ridiculous prices on eBay" is a subject which comes up here on a regular basis. It is what it is - I don't like it either, but we can't do much about it.

Wow! Impressive!

It would cost a pretty penny to model that scene as a diorama!

The problem is that we cannot guarantee that your account in Photobucket or even Photobucket site itself will always be there. I lost bunch of photos when ImageShack decided to shut down their free photo accounts. I didn't actually lose them since I had local copy but all the posts I made to forums which included imageshack photos now show up as broken links. No, I cannot edit those posts to point them to another photo hosting site I now use. That is why when I see something worth keeping on the Internet, I copy it to my PC (and of course I have couple of backups of my PC too).That way I'll have the info regardless whether the ModelCars forum or Photobucket are there or not.

That is a great thread. The only possible problem I see is that since the very informative photos aren't hosted locally on this forum, in a year or a few there is a good chance that some or all of the photos might disappear. That will make that thread useless. I have seen this happen in threads on many forums. I would recommend to save all the photos and the text on your home computer for future reference.

This car to me looks more like a custom than a factory-stock car. But I guess that is allowed here.

Simple, yet pretty creative idea. Thanks Ray!

Books have to be balanced you know! As far as the teller in the first post of this thread not budging on a penny, unfortunately some people working in customer-facing professions are not the right people for the job. If she was a right person for the job, she would have gladly chip in a penny of her own money. Many places I shop at have a take-a-penny-leave-a-penny holder on the checkout counter. I often take and leave pennies there as needed. But I wouldn't expect to see one of those penny holders in a bank.

That is also what they said after the industrial revolution started in the 19th Century. A similar sentiment is also in a Twilight Zone episode staring Buster Keaton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_(The_Twilight_Zone)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_(The_Twilight_Zone) But after having mentioned that, I also feel that our lives are now way too hectic - we now have more info then ever at our fingertips (on the Internet) and we can instantly communicate with the world, but that somehow didn't make our lives easier, more relaxed, or uncomplicated - it made our lives more hectic.

But are you looking for plain satin, flat,(or even glossy black paint, or some sort of black paint with metallic or sparkly component to it?

Clearing browser's cookies, history, and any other downloaded browser contents also helps.

Several years ago IPMS had a program to sent hobby kits and building supplies to the solders in Iraq. I ended up coordinating the effort for my model club and we sent several care packages to them. I'm pretty sure they did not end up in thrift stores. That program still exists http://www.ipmsusa.org/support_the_troops/index.shtml

That pretty much sums it up. My official title at work is "Master Engineer" but that really doesn't mean anything. It is just one pay-grade higher than "Senior Engineer". But like Harry said, being a Master of your domain is definitely good thing.

Does earning the TamiyaCon Master Modeler title count? While the title was a very nice and unexpected surprise, the trip to Japan was awesome!

I was wondering when this would show up. Sure, you're nor a quitter, but in the long run you might be a loser.

Very nice additions (as usual). So with English Language signs and European-style trailer, does the diorama represent some location in UK? Or are there other countries in Europe where English language is used on signage? The style of the warning signs looks American to me, but maybe it is an international standard. I live in US and until you added the forklift and the trailer, that diorama to me could have easily depicted shipping docks in USA.

Both FedEx and UPS use USPS for the final part of the delivery for certain kinds of shipments. Service like FedEx SmartPost is one such example where FedEx and USPS are both involved in the shipping process. UPS does the same thing but I don't recall the name of that service. But just lat week I have received a package which had a UPS shipping label with both UPS and USPS tracking info on it. UPDATE: I think that service is called UPS Mail Innovations

Warning about masking tapes: some off-brands after couple of years turn brittle, the adhesive dries up and turns into powder. On other brands adhesive "melts" and starts oozing out. If you use masking tape in permanent applications (like seat belts or vinyl tops) at least use brand-name one (like 3M). They have better quality adhesive.