peteski

I didn't translate the text on that webpage - the photos already tell the story! It looks like the model was 3D printed. The only slight hint that the photo is of a model are the headlights: the pattern on the lenses looks too uniform, and the real headlights are way more sparkly. But none of this takes much away from this superb model. Even the windshield wipers (the usual giveaway of a model) look 100% realistic to me. The thin "glass" also greatly enhances the realism.

I've been collecting nail polishes for use on model cars for decades. There are some really good "car colors" available. I usually shop for them with my GF. Plus, like others mentioned, other beauty shop supplies are really good for our hobbies. I use the multi-grit emery sticks and pads and also the resin used for acrylic nails. I have around 100 bottles of nail polish in the stash! Here is a recent model I used nail polish on:

If you send me a sample I can take some good photos (with a ruler for reference) and post them here. To give you an idea (and I can get much closer):

...and now for something completely different... Sometimes when I'm in the mood (while in my workshop, or doing stuff on the computer, or just relaxin') I put on some of the early works of Jean Michael Jarre. It is all good. Albums like Oxygene, Equinoxe, or Magnetic Fields. I like a bunch of his later stuff too, but the early albums are my favorite.

If it is the one I'm thinking of then I do visit there occasionally but I sure don't want to stay there (or look for something that didn't happen in the last few days *NM*) I don't ever recall getting the 404 error here. 404 means that the website you are trying to read from is still online and responsive, but the URL you passed to it is invalid. (it is usually caused by a problem on the website itself - not on the user's end).

Great resource! http://www.smooth-on.com/ Their product range is wider than Aliumilite (although in the last 15 years Alumilite started to catch up to Smooth-On). For most of my casting needs (which isn't much) I still usually go to Smooth-On.

If you're scared of the multi-piece body and don't mind a model being 1:32 scale, Gunze Sangyo made a really nice one (the top retracts too). Here are couple of photos showing the one built (I don't have any better photos handy right now). This photo shows part of the back end (behind the Caddy).

Wow! This one is the real 1:1 bike, ain't it? Don't try to fool us!

I'm loving it in the Boston area! After last winter of the Century I will be happy never to see snow again! Just tonight we again escaped what could have been several inches of snow (it was in the 50's and raining). Christmas day it will be in the 70s! I'm thinking that since I had a metal roof installed on my house in May and I just bought 4 new tires for my car, it's a safe bet that I'll see very little snow this winter!

Often it makes sense to print the parts on a high-res 3D printer then use those parts as master patterns for casting duplicates out of resin. The resin-cast parts can be much less expensive to produce.

It could just be due to whatever substance they used for the clear decal film. Maybe it is simply prone to yellowing when exposed to air or it slowly reacted with the clear-coat on your model.

But that water-soluble glue you mentioned is evenly applied to the entire decal paper sheet (not just under the film of each decal image). IMO, it is the clear film itself that yellows (not the adhesive). Or maybe the adhesive reacts with the clear decal film causing yellowing? Like you, I had success bleaching the unused yellowed decals using sunlight. I have not tried UV-bleaching the ones applied to models.

Funny, this sort of reminds me of the Communist Poland in the 70's (when I lived there). You didn't have to register your flying models, but it was illegal to own a radio transmitter (like a RC transmitter or a walkie-talkie). You had to go through all sorts of government hoops to get a license to operate one of those radio devices.

I wouldn't say "nothing to do with the cost". That is bull. Of course the monetary exchange rate influences the price of imported and exported goods. It is not the only influencing factor, but it does influence the price of those goods. Plus, the price in Japan is not all that much higher than in U.S. Lets take a 1/25 2013 Mustang Boss 302 Revell Muscle. http://hlj.com/product/REV4187/Aut List price in Japan is 4400 Yen ($36). IN USA, the kit has a list price of $26 (see http://www.sears.com/revell-monogram-rev4187-1-25-2013-mustang-boss-302/p-SPM2549009921 ). I would say that this price difference would be reasonable for all the export/import duties). But the Miata has a list price of $49 in US, while the Japanese list price is 3200 Yen ($26) at the current exchange rate. As you see the markup on the Japanese kits in US is much higher than US kits in Japan. I'm using list prices because discounted prices because that is a good reference price to compare.

I prefer the first and second generation Miatas, but I have to admit that this looks like a sweet model! Plus you can't go wrong with Tamiya. Isn't it funny how the US Dollar/Japanase Yen exchange rate has become very favorable (dollar is much stronger), yet the prices of models imported from Japan and sold in US do not reflect this at all? You have to go directly to a Japanese online vendor to reap the benefits of the favorable exchange rate.

To me that looks like some sort of bad reaction between the nail polish and the primer. I use nail polishes for painting model cars and I thin the nail polish with lacquer thinner, or PPG medium temperature reducer. Many (but not all) lacquer thinners contain acetone but each manufacturer uses different lacquer thinner formula. I think that using pure acetone to reduce nail polish might make it a bit too "hot" for painting plastic models. I also use a plastic spoon to test for possible problems with the paint I'm using.

Huh? What is Gregg talking about?! I looked over both pages of this thread and I don't see any photos/cartoons/images posted by SfanGoch.

I just went with what I have and see with my own eyes. I'm not denying existence of generic labels - I guess I just don't own any. Maybe they came from a different production run? I'm puzzled as to the reasons why some company would produce a can of spray paint in a metal can without any means of identifying the contents.

Great looking model! As we say in New England: Wick'd awesome!

Now you reminded me of that Jerry Seinfeld episode featuring a manssiere or a "bro"! Then there was Jerry's GF name rhyming with a female body part -- Dolores? Mulva? Happy Festivus everyone! A non-denominational HoHoHo!

I know there is no magic. I'm amazed at the vast amount of information that is out there on the Interwebz, and the computing power (Google) at our fingertips, which allows us to instantly search all that information.

Sorry guys - I had computer problems and couldn't post til today. Yes, it is a model: the old ROG Peterbilt Stepp's CAN-DO wrecker kit. More photos and a writeup are at the URL theotherunicorn provided. The votes were 41/59 (real/kit). Since the subject of the model was a real wrecker I thought it would be a good challenge. I'm sure that the small photo did help to make the kit look more real. Thanks for the votes and compliments. Ken, I'm curious, how did you find that webpage?

Most of the craziness can be blamed on eBay pricing structure for the listings. IN the old day there was an insertion fee, fee for the amount of opening bid, and then the fee for the selling price. The insertion fee had to be paid even if the item didn't sell. Sellers were much more reasonable and careful with the items they listed and their prices. Fast forward to today. eBay has no insertion or the initial amount fees. If the item doesn't sell, it can be re listed for free again and again. This leads to sellers coming up with some very strange auction listings which they keep on re-listing (if they don't sell) for months at a time. it is all free! I have been watching one listing for over a year. A MotorMax 1:64 diecast car which often shows up on eBay and is usually sold in a price range of $5-$40. But this seller wants $130!! He is simply looking for a sucker. I did contact him asking why such a high price when other examples (in a similar condition) sell for much lower price but as expected I got no reply. Free market baby - looking for suckers. And then there are those sellers who break apart rare old kits, just to sell individual parts from them for big bucks. Don't even get me started on that one.

There are 2 types of spray can caps: one type locks onto the inside collar on the can (the metal part where the spray nozzle is) and the other one locks onto the outside collar of the can. I have only seen the vent hole on the caps which latch onto the outside collar of the can. Maybe the outside collar cap seal is more airtight than the other type (so it needs that vent hole)? Harry, make note to yourself: never decant spray can paint into the cap!

Interesting. No barcodes or part numbers? That has not been my experience. Here is a photo with some cans in my workshop (front and back of the labels). Both One Coat Cans are fairly recent (bought in the last few years). The other cans are much older (around 35 years old) They all have both barcodes and part numbers on the labels.