peteski

Very nice! I built that one as a teenager. I still have sitting (very dusty) in my basement. One small thing that sort of bugs my eyes about yours is the flags facing the wrong way. The wind is blowing into the sails from the stern, so the flags should really be pointing forward. But this is a very common mistake, both in models and even in paintings.

That is a very sad news. I have one of his Ferrari kits, but haven't tackled it yet.

That's pretty close. It is a short piece of 0.002" NiChrome wire. The hole was drilled with #85 bit which is way too large for the wire, but that was the smallest one I had.

"Regular" decal paper is thin too. UNless you are talkign about the old Revell decals which were almost as thick as stickers. Yes, applying multiple coats of Microscale Clear Decal film will give the decals some more tickness. There are decal companies out there, but unless you can provide them with vector-based print ready artwork (have them do the artwork) could get expensive. Before you ask, no, decal printing companies don't just make copies onto a decal paper. Most decals need a white undercoat to make the images opaque.

That is not quite the whole story. Yes, if you wait couple of days for the CA to *FULLY* cure, it is basically acrylic (similar to Plexiglas), so yes, it is harder than average polystyrene. But if you work it (sand, etc.) within couple of hours after curing, it is actually softer than the polystyrene you applied it to. Adding fillers (talcum or microbaloons) also changes its hardness.

As I understand, Bondo is a polyester resin based body filler. It will adhere to polystyrene well. As for the small, I actually like that odor (in small and low-concentration quantities).

The website is available both as standard http and secure https. I'm currently using http, but if I change the address to https, it still works. To be honest, I really don't see the point of encrypted (secure) access to sites like this, where no really private or financial info is being passed between the website and your browser. Seems that everybody now demands https, even to wipe you behind (if you catch my drift).

Yes, a wide range putties have been covered here repeatedly. Compiling info means doing research of already exacting knowledge/topics, then compiling the info into a single document. Just saying . . . You will also run into examples where something what works well for one modeler, but does not work for another modeler. One thing I would warn about is about using "sprue-goo". It will likely come back and bite you after some time passes.

The "melting" tires are made of PVC (vinyl), not rubber. Rubber is more stable. It will dry out and get crumbly (like 1:1 tires), but will not get sticky. Most Japanese kits use rubber tires. But like it has been mentioned numerous times on this and other forums, some poor formulations of PVC used for tires start leaching out of the material, and affect other plastics, resin, or painted/varnished surfaces. Just like the material it leached out of, it starts making other plastic materials soft. Paint or varnishes are types of resin too. Metal or glass aren't plastics (polymers), so they are not affected. Plasticizer is a chemical that makes plastics soft. Normally virgin PVC is a hard plastic (your sewer pipes are likely standard hard PVC). To make vinyl soft (for many uses, including soft tires for model kits). I would actually prefer if kit manufacturers made model kit tures out of hard plastic. Painted appropriate color, it is more realistic looking that the standard PVC tires. Plus it is easier to apply marking decals (like lettering or white walls) to hard plastic.

Perfect! Thanks Dusty! The kit chrome does have a bit different look, but the sprayed on chrome looks pretty darn good (especially in the last photo, using natural (Sun) lighting

So do I, but it does illustrate the problem with masking tape rather well. I'm sure that when John built the model he didn't plan for the tape to lift.

I would also stay away from masking tape. It is not designed for long term use, and even with paint over it, after some time the adhesive will either dry out, causing the tape to lift at the edges, or the opposite, the adhesive will turn gooey and running, and will make a mess. I've experienced both types of failure, not on vinyl roof, but when I used the tape for long duration applications. Which variation of adhesive failure might be dependent on the brand of the tape, or maybe even on the surface to which it s applied. Remember, masking type is designed to be temporary!

There is something that looks off to me. While the samples here all look mirror-like reflective, they all look dark. Sort of like black chrome. This could be because the surroundings that are reflected in the "chromed" surface are dark. Dusty, is there any chance you could take a photo of your "chrome" sample along with on any original kit's chromed part (like a bumper)? That would show whether the painted "chrome" is in fact darker than standard vacuum-metalized kit part.

Most of the time we also pay cash (including the tip). Sometimes we get a surprised look from the wait staff. "You're paying cash?!" Even though there are more and more hints about it, hopefully we will not become a cashless society during my lifetime. Cash is *KING*.

Duh! Gene, I don't know why I glossed over the fact that you clearly stated the scale in the thread's subject line. I'll let myself out - thank you! I do have to agree that the level of detail and overall fidelity is something I would expect in larger scale model (like 1:18). That's pretty darn good! ANd the

I'm in N scale for 4 decades, and your diorama looks great.

Thanks!

LOL! You just brought back a memory. One of my beaters (early '70s Dodge Dart or Plymouth Duster) had a foot-operated windshield washer pump. I totally forgot about that. That also reminded me that back when I lived in Poland, the tiny Polish Fiat 126p also had a rubber button mounted on the dash which you had to pump to squirt the fluid.

All this means that you're getting old! Welcome to fartdom!

That is what I wrote: buyers can leave all 3 types of feedback. Maybe you didn't realize it meant: positive, neutral, and negative.

Thanks Bill - very helpful. Actually Bill, than Dunlop tire is a perfect example of what I was looking for. It is cross (bias) ply, and yet it has a very bulbous profile, and fairly narrow tread area.

No, is not sometimes. Sellers can only leave positive feedbacks for buyers. But buyers can leave all 3 types of feedbacks for sellers. Unless something was changed recently. When you give negative feedback to a seller, you have to jump through hoops, but you can still do it. The whole eBay thing is broken, and it is getting worse with every "update".

What scale? Looks like 1:18.

The decreased ambient air pressure will actually create a larger pressure differential between the ambient air, and the pressurized gas inside the can. But it is true that low temperature will decrease the pressure inside an aerosol can. I'm not sure though that the lower temperature will mitigate the difference of the ambient air pressure. But this all is just peeing into the wind, if you catch my wet drift.

Looks like I misspoke. I'm looking for this: I think those are bias ply?