peteski

Future (or whatever it is called nowadays) should not dull Alclad Chrome (or maybe only very slightly). But if you apply Future, I would not recommend removing it afterwards. Not only that the Future removal process (rubbing it with a Q-tip or similar) might damage the Alclad, the ammonia will probably do something nasty to the shiny metallic finish. I think that Cato was thinking of foiling over the Alclad areas. Foil is more durable than Alclad.

WOWski!

My favorite decal paper is Bare Metal Foil paper for my Alps MicroDry printer. I use laser paper with Alps and I don't have experience with ink jet stuff. BMF does also make ink jet decal paper.

I would also not buff it. Alclad is a very delicate finish.

The problem with flat clear coat is the same as with the flat new car paints (Not sure if those are still the cool thing): Flat requires very special care. If you aren't careful it can be easily scratched or repeated washing will polish the flatness out of the finish. Of course you can't wax it either. If you want to see what I man, take some Dullcoted part and rub it with a towel. It'll loose the flat finish and will polish out.

I love the "chain link fence" on the upper deck!

Very cool!

I'm not a subscriber, but I have to say that it was a great idea! Thanks! But seriously, I do subscribe to couple of magazines which are delivered in poly-bags and they arrive in my mailbox perfect condition all the time (which cannot be said about the other magazines I subscribe to).

Even if they were willing to train someone, that doesn't guarantee that the product quality will remain the same. It takes someone who is very fastidious, dedicated and also has talent for this type of work. Not everybody is cut out for this type of work. Even if someone is an experienced resin-caster, their definition of quality might be much lower than Don's. They might for example cut corners and the products will be inferior quality. It seems that nowadays more and more people don't have the dedication or drive to constantly do high-quality work.

You too can become that computer genius. Just go to http://lmgtfy.com/ (easy to remember URL: LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com) then do you thing. Then click "shorten" button and copy the URL above the button.

I guess nobody dared to click on the link I posted on the first page of this thread.

If the plating (vacuum metalizing) is similar to what has been used by model companies for years then any strong solution of lye (sodium hydroxide) like Purple Power should be able to strip it. Maybe there is a heavier layer of clear lacquer over the metalizing and the stripper needs more time to work through it?

There isn't much that can be done with solvent-type glue joints. Why? Because the solvent melts the plastic surfaces and truly welds the parts together into pretty much a single piece of plastic. Before now I never seen any CA debonders which would not also attack styrene. I'll have to try the one mentioned here. If it really works, that will be wicked cool!

Nice bike - well done!

I don't have any of those kits to check but I know that some companies (like Trumpeter) actually electroplate their plastic parts with chrome (or maybe nickel) instead of vacuum-aluminizing like most other manufacturers do. The vacuum-aluminizing deposits just few microns of aluminum over plastic (which is easily melted away by caustic solvents). Electroplated parts have much thicker layer of metal on them and the metal is more resistant to the chemicals we use for stripping plating. Electroplating is also much tougher to scrape off. Maybe that is what you are seeing on Mobius kits?

I'm glad it worked!

VIN number (Vehicle Identification Number) number. ATM machine (Automatic Teller Machine) machine. Most of us use those redundant phrases. And then the infamous:

Some forums do not allow the author to delete their threads or even edit their own posts after some time period.

M V Products makes headlight lenses with reflectors for model railroad hobby. They can be used in model cars too. But they have smooth lens and are fairly expensive. They are simply made by placing some clear resin over an aluminum foil reflector. I usually make my own. One way is to make RTV mold of the kit's headligth (molded with the bumper) Then fill the mold with resun high enough so it forms a dome. That dome will be the reflector. After resin hardens I remove it from the mold and stretch and burnish some BMF chrome foil over the domed part.

I assume the decal has not yet been clear-coated. Take a sharp pin and gently puncture the bubble in at least coupe of places. Ir take a hobby knife with a fresh blade and very gently slice across the bubble. Just a tiny slice will do. Then take some decal setting solution and using a brush dab it over the bubble. Then let it sit and the setting solution should soften the bubble and make it settle down. You might have to repeat the setting solution application more than once (but wait until the previous application is dry). If needed, touch up the decal with the same color paint.

You can take some masking tape and try to pick up the adhesive with it. Also, if you are planning on waxing the model, petroleum-based wax (most of them are) should dissolve BMF adhesive.

The smoother and shinier is the plastic on the body, the better the paint finish will be. Most Tamiya kits have mirror-like finish on the bodies. As long as the plastic is clean and free of oils, the solvent-based paints will stick to it very well. When I use hobby paints on shiny bodies and the paint color is not too different from the plastic I skip the primer. The thinner the paint layer is, the more realistic the model will look.

So you probably hear a lot of "Why?", "Why?", "Why?", "Why?", "Why?". As far as the original question goes, a humorous (and educational) way to answer it is this: http://bfy.tw/4g1u (and don't worry about the strange URL - it is not a spam, malware or a virus).

Thems are called lurkers.

In real life isn't that actually "load and lock"? But that doesn't flow as nicely as the other phrase.