peteski

Artwork design process is the largest cost in custom-made decals.

I'm far from an expert, but know enough to realize that BTUs (a unit of energy, specifically measuring the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit) have nothing to do with color temperature of light. Not sure how applying btu to light color makes you understand things better. But whatever . . . if you want to measure light color in btus, so be it. Make sure you have large enough furnace!

What you seem to have Russell is a special UV LED flashlight. LEDs which emit long-wave UV light are readily available. They are mainly used for setting UV-cure resins, but they also have plenty of other uses. Here is some info about UV LEDs https://www.broadcom.com/products/leds-and-displays/ultraviolet-leds

Small clarification: light's color temperature is not expressed in btu (British Thermal Unit) but in K (degrees of Kelvin). I also find most of the new LED-based headlights blinding and annoying at night. And the sharp light cutoff is not all that handy. It works well on a perfectly smooth road but if the road has undulations it makes the headlights appear like they are flashing while going over the bumps (or blinding like high-beams when the oncoming car is traveling uphill). And as John mentioned, many of the self-installed "upgrades" result in headlights which are totally out-of-specs, either not correctly illuminating the road, blinding oncoming drivers, or both. The other annoyance is that it seems that more and more drivers drive with their high-beams on all the time.

Good do see that there are more conscientious members here besides me who do resample their huge-size photos to something more reasonable. While nowadays storage space is relatively inexpensive, it still costs money, and this forum is quite busy with hundreds of members uploading photos. The storage space will be filling up and then what likely will happen is some of the photos will be purged (making many threads and posts useless). There really is no reason to upload huge photos which would be printed poster-size. There are different ways of describing size of a graphic file. I usually resample mine to about 1200 or less pixels across resulting in the file size of 200k bytes or less. Russel's description of what he does results in images (4.5" * 150dpi = 675) pixels across. these will probably be around 100k bytes in size. That is perfectly good for photos displayed in an online forum post. Some of the huge photos some upload to the forum take up 3 or 4 Mega bytes each. Way more than what is IMO reasonable for a forum photo.

Unfortunately posts older than few days are locked and cannto be edited. Only the moderators can edit those locked posts.

You might be thinking about the Bondo 1-part glazing putty which shrinks as it hardens (the solvent evaporates). "Catalyzed" is the key word. Catalyzed putty is a 2-part polyester putty which hardens by chemical reaction (not evaporation - no shrinkage).

Yes, there is a rather lengthy thread about this subject, and if you start a new one, you'll get multiple "best" answers - just like what you see in that lengthy topic. But your last question can be answered. Since you are looking for a hobby size compressor, you will never need more than a standard 120V 20A circuit. Even that is likely an overkill. A 15A circuit should be sufficient. if you needed a repair garage size large capacity compressor, that's when you need some higher amperage 240V circuit. I gave my recommendation for best quiet compressor with a 2 gal. tank in the other threads - no need to repeat it here.

If he has to create the artwork from scratch or from a decal scan, that is a time-consuming process. Time is money. As I mentioned, whether something seems expensive or not depends on your hobby budget. I just mentioned that so someone doesn't get a sticker shock. I design and print decals for myself and few friends, so I have an idea of what's involved (especially if the decals need to be opaque or have white or metallic images).

Absolutely no confusion about the Sheline - For the 3rd time I'm posting the link to Sherline history. It is all very clearly explained (assuming someone actually visits that webpage: http://www.sherline.com/about/sherline-history/

Since my question had 3 parts, your answer is ambiguous. Is it yes to the first question or to the second or 3rd question? Do the full-size lathe's self-centering chucks use same design as the Sherline/Unimat chucks?

I replied to your question in the other thread.

I don't know how to make the explanation even simpler. 説明をさらに簡単にする方法がわかりません。 Are you using a computer (Apple Mac or MS Windows) or one of the smart phone flavors (iPhone or Android)?

I assume you are talking about self-centering chucks. I have no experience with full size lathes, so I'm wondering if maybe you know how self-centering chucks are designed in those machines? Maybe they use similar spiral jaw mechanism design?

Haven't you tried to just to to the Magazine's main webpage https://www.modelcarsmag.com/ (not this forum) and then click on the "subscribe" link on the red band?

Well, not quite. There has to be some logic applied to where certain types of weathering is applied. Like oil leak streaks have to follow gravity and go down. Oil pools have to be placed in the depressions in the surface. When mud is flung from the tires across the body, it also has to follow a logical path. These are just few of many such examples. You need to think how the 1:1 weathering looks and apply it to your miniature. There is definitely some logical pattern to weathering. Best way to do this is to look at photos or the actual vehicles and try to copy those patterns. If you just apply truly random weathering it will look weird and unrealistic.

Having custom decals designed and printed is not cheap, but then again, cost is relative to your budget.

Sorry Bill, no, go to the link I provided. Though the Sherline product name was taken from the first manufacturer in Australia, Ron Sher, the designer of the original lathe and accessory line was an Australian engineer named Harold Clisby. He went to electrical engineer Ron Sher for help in the motor application for the lathe. Mr. Clisby’s clever use of extruded shapes, as well as many of his other concepts, have been carried over into the Sherline lathes produced today. In a photo from the cover of Overseas Trading magazine from March 1971, inventor Harold Clisby of Australia shows an early version of the Clisby lathe. Nothing to do with Unimat, but maybe Mr. Harold Clisby's design was influenced by Unimat (since Unimat has been made by Emco since 1953, while Sheline was conceived in 1970).

Yes, Sherline makes really nice line of miniature machining products. I've own my lathe for about 30 years now. Later I also ended up with a mill. Quoting their https://www.sherline.com/about/ page: Sherline exists because of the strength and vision of Joe Martin. Born and raised in Rhode Island, acquaintances would notice that several decades of living on the West Coast never totally erased his New England accent. He was a self-taught entrepreneur who found his way to the business world by being a hobbyist who was never satisfied with the products available. Sherline was the perfect business for Joe. His love of machine tools is evident not only in his product line but also in his modern manufacturing facility. When Joe designed a new product he did it all. This included the CAD drawings needed for production, the method of manufacturing, and the design of the tooling if needed and then he wrote the instructions. I recall reading somewhere that Joe's design was inspired by some Austrailan-made mini lathe. I just found that info (it seems to be hidden on the Sheline website). http://www.sherline.com/about/sherline-history/

Exactly! That is the same opinion I posted in the first reply in this thread. I also have to admit that Steve's emulation of the texture has some merit too), but trying to accurately emulate the actual paint wrinkling is not really feasible in 1:24 scale.

Talcum powder is most likely the additive (flattening agent) in glossy paint which turns it semi-gloss, satin, and flat (depending on how the percentage added).

Or just ditch that activity and don't join that vast Internet wasteland called FB. Plenty of good reading here, and FB is getting desperate to be able to track their users by not allowing non-members to even view its webpages.

Interesting. I use Kapton tape (the transparent amber colored tape used in electronic industry) in my other hobby (model railroading), and while it is flexible and has a good adhesive it's not stretchy, so I'm not sure how well it will conform to the curvature of the tire's sidewall. The Washi-type tape (like Tamiya or I guess Crepe) is capable of stretching/compressing to conform to curved surfaces. I wonder if the Kapton tape you are mentioning is somehow different than the stuff I use.

Thanks for the info Frank. I've seen Washi tape (in craft stores) which is also similar to Tamiya tape, but Crepe masking tape is a new one on me.

Looks like you still have to center the mask by-eye. That is usually the trickiest part of this process. Is that Tamiya tape? I didn't realize it was available that wide.