peteski

Using electroless plating you can dump 100 bolts in the plating solution and do them all at the same time. Tinning using a soldering iron woudl have to be done one-at-a-time. Also, plating results in a nice even satin finish. Not so when using soldering iron. But yes, it is an alternative.

That is some really great modeling Brandon! One thing that looks a bit odd to me is all the brass bolts. real car would not have those in brass color (unless someone painted or plated them). They to me would look more realistic if they were silver. When I use brass hardware in this type of application I always tin plate them. That gives them a dull silver finish which to me better. You can pickup the plating kit from http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/tin-plating-kits/electroless-tin-plating-kits.html or also from electronic supply companies. Sometimes it also comes in powder form (to be dissolved by the user) which is easier to ship. Another alternative would be to blacken the brass bolts using one of the chemicals from https://www.jaxchemical.com/products.html I can't wait to see that car in white!

Good thread! What has been buggin' me lately is that some people use the word "ask" instead of "question". So, instead of saying "What was the question?" they say "What was the ask?" Like, WTF! But seriously, that bothers me.

You mean FRED?

and peteski! I grew up with these cars around me.

Nope. It is pure Toyota (made in Japan). All the parts have Toyota markings on it and the xB was sold as Toyota bB in Japan. I read that it shares its drivetrain with Toyota Echo. I agree 100%. The first generation xB was cuter and better than the second generation (2008 and up) xB. I usually get mid-30 MPGs in my 2006.

Decal solvents or setting solutions are usually needed when the decal is applied over uneven surfaces or over complex curves. That way instead of wrinkling up or having air bubbles under it, the solution will soften the decal film so it sucks down close to the surface of the model.

You're Welcome Bo. That website has this info about Sweden: Some members of IPMS Stockholm have been using a product from S.C. Johnson Sweden, called Pledge Klar Polish. It can be bought in ICA and COOP Supermarkets. Dan the Droid Building Viking reported this information for our use - thanks Dan.

What scale? They aren't "fuzzy"? Will they look like shiny smooth metal when painted?

I guess my 2005 xB (aka. "da Box", "the Fridge", "the Toaster", or even "pregnant roller-skate") will be a collectible someday? I have to make sure to save the emblems!

Not sure what that has to do with low oil prices and airlines making record profits. Sounds like that airline wasn't very healthy to begin with, or maybe it declared bankruptcy to get rid of debts (like pensions).

Because it reminds me of my childhood.

I decant paint using spray nozzles with a small tube (like the one in WD40). Only after the can is empty (by leaving the nozzle open until all the propellant is gone) I use a pair of dikes to puncture a hole on the bottom of the side wall and drain the remaining paint. Then I again use a pair of dikes to pry around the top cap which holds the valve. Next, I pull that cap off giving me full access to the interior of can. I then remove the marbles and the siphon tube. Both can be useful for hobbies. Last thing is to put the completely drained and open can in recycling.

You guys are killin' me with all those Polish foods! I'm starving! Anybody ever had kabanosy?

Another easy one for me. I have a model of it.

You should be able to find info about what we call Future in http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html and how to find it in your country.

I have the Triumph. Picked it up at a flea market few years back. I like strange looking models. I wonder if that Mercedes is the same as the old ESCI Mercedes 450SL? I have few of those.

You're not the only one to notice what has been going on for several years now. Just see what Incredible Shrinking Products others see out there. This is a good one. Things like cans of tuna have been shrinking for a long time. Not only is there less product, the cans themselves are made from much thinner steel. Peanut butter packaging seems the same on the outside, but if you look on the bottom of the jar, instead of being flat, there is a deep dome there, reducing the volume and weight of the product! Sneaky tricks! I had to laugh last time I picked up box of Nabisco Chicken in a Biskit crackers. While the box looked normal, there was something strange about it. When I brought it home I compared to the onld box I still had and there was less product in the new one. But the box was slightly shorted and not as deep as the old one. It also does burn me up that when the oil (and gasoline) prices skyrocketed in the early 2000's all the shipping companies and airlines all jacked up their prices due to the fuel costs. Now that we are back at the early 2000's cost of fuel, nobody is lowering their prices. The airlines just announced that they are raising their prices and raking the record profits.

Pro-Weld is similar to Tenax, which is mostly Methylene Chloride (same stuff as the much cheaper Weld-On 3 mentioned earlier). They all have that same sweet smell which will eventually kill us all.

Be careful when using steel BBs in water-based paints. They will rust, ruining the paint. Even some type of stainless steel will rust in certain paint formulas. I use glass beads used for jewelry making from an arts/crafts store (roughly the same size as BBs). BTW, if you ever opened an empty spray paint can, those rattling things inside are actually glass marbles.

That happened a while ago (in 2103) - if you read through The Complete Future it is all mentioned in there.

That's weird. Sounds like a new case of the dreaded Zinc Past! I thought that problem was gone decades ago. Here is a good explanation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest I guess with all those the products coming from China the quality control and the purity of metals used can be questionable. After all, these are just toys.

I often shoot mild (not hot) paints over bare plastic. That minimizes the overall paint thickness (which makes for a better model). But that only works with paints made for plastic models (like Testors, Tamiya, etc.)

The name. Seriously, going by smell and the finish, they seem identical, except for the bottle they are in. I'm assuming that you are asking about the enable paints (not water-based acrylics). I usually stay away from them as they never seem to fully dry, and their bright and shiny finish dulls really easily when handled.

I use a very similar technique to Pete's (the white glue is used to stabilize the emblem while sanding) except I don't used BMF (too thin and fragile). I use regular kitchen aluminum foil. Remember to always make few extras (in case one is lost or broken during handling). Don't ask how I know...