atomicholiday

Got some paint on the interior. The seats, dash and door cards are all shot with my go-to for vinyl, Krylon satin black. I’ve used it many times for this in the past and been very pleased, but for some reason, this time it came out a little glossier than I would like. Not sure if it was a different batch, or weather or what. It’s not terrible though, so I think I’ll let it go.

Go figure.?

So let me ask you guys this. What are the really small lathes you see watch makers using ? Maybe I’m not even thinking of an actual lathe? I saw one recently that was belt driven, and the motor sat behind the machine.

Looks pretty aggressive with those wheels. I like it.?

@Aaronw Wow, thank you (and everyone else who chimed in too) for the very comprehensive reply. You guys have given me a lot to think over. I may be over my head, but I think I may start looking for one of the brand recommendations above on the used market for a while and see what turns up. Working as a metrologist in the automotive industry since the early 90’s, I’ve learned that one of the most important and undervalued people in any plant is the tool maker. It’s always fascinating to me that these guys can take a chunk of metal and turn it into just about anything they want. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several really good tool makers over the years. Might be time to get my hands dirty.

Could be. I don't know what the science is behind the effect, but if it didn't work the way it does, I'd probably have to quit the hobby.

Anyone here have a lathe that you’re using for model building? I’ve been thinking of looking into something small and reasonably priced. Thoughts? Opinions? Recommendations?

My wife is glad that I have a hobby and that it’s one that keeps me home. She also enjoys looking at my stash and all the cool box art. She’s not as happy about my spending. My fault. I’ve gotten a little crazy with kit purchases over the past year or so. She won’t stop me, but I can tell when she’s mad about it.

The reason I will build a specific kit varies all over the place. Subject matter is important, but not the only reason for me. Lately it’s been more about skill building than anything else. I might pick a kit because there’s a feature I want to learn how to handle. I also get bored building the same genre, so one build might be a muscle car. The next might be an exotic, then maybe an F1 car, then an airplane, then another muscle car, etc. Sometimes I’ll build one because it was a gift and I want to show appreciation. Sometimes it will be for nostalgia sake. And sometimes a kit will just grab my attention for no particular reason. I can never really tell, so I just go with it. Of course, I’m talking like I actually finish projects. Bigger problem for me is attention span. Too damn many squirrels…

I went through the same thing about a year ago. Picked up some 3x readers and my detail work is the best it's ever been. Total game changer. Those readers are hands down my most important modelling tool. I'll let you in on another advantage of the glasses. I don't know if this happens with everyone, or if I'm just imagining it. I have hand tremors REALLY bad. It was very difficult just typing this. For some reason, the readers "trick" my brain and the shakes are far less when wearing them. No idea why. I still shake when I have them on, but it scales the shaking WAY down. Even if my eyes were great, I could never do the detail work that I can without the glasses. My builds would just be a big sloppy mess. (ok, sloppier?)

Was a little warmer today (49 F), so I took advantage and got some paint on the engine. I’m trying something I picked up from another member, and went with black primer to try to get some added depth. It's hard to see in this pic, but I think it worked out ok. The air cleaner was done in lighter primer in an attempt at making the orange pop a little more than the block. The transmission and other details will be painted after this cures.

Yeah, that engine looks great. Nice work!

Thank you all for your generous compliments! I appreciate you all! It was a fun build, but I'm glad to be done with it. I'm ready for the next challenge! ('71 GTX, I'm looking at you)

Every time I see this build, I’m in awe of that paint job. Great job Joe! You nailed it.?

Thanks a lot bud. I’m pleased with the results, but I’m also glad to have this build behind me. On to bigger and better!

Stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. Your photography is really good too.

This one is under glass! Thanks for following along. Finished build can be found here:

I finished this one a little over a week ago, but I was waiting for my new light box to arrive. Then I picked up a wicked head cold, so it had to wait another week to be revealed. This is the AMT 1971 Superbug Gasser, from the Coca-Cola Unity Collection. I picked this kit up for $5, thinking it would be cool to have a Beetle in the stash. I didn't realize it was the short-body version, so upon opening the box and seeing the body, my first thought was "this will never get built". But as luck would have it, last summer was spent learning to paint. For a fiver, I figured it would be a practice body, and that would be the end of it. As I was really just using it for practice, it got painted and stripped something like 3-4 times before getting it right. But the final paint job turned out to be one of my better attempts. This inspired me to continue on and finish the little bug. Speaking of paint, the color is Testors Extreme Lacquer Star Spangled Blue, straight from the can, followed up with clear lacquer (I forget the brand). The idea for the build was to create a tribute to one of my favorite old red-line Hot Wheels cars. Most of the kit was built straight from the box, but a few modifications were made for various reasons. The hydraulic steering damper was reworked, because the original part feels like it's not even from the same kit. Doesn't even come close to fitting properly. Battery cables were added just for fun and because I'd never done it before. Also, the exhaust was completely reworked. The kit supplies two exhaust options, neither one of which did much for me. Finally, if built straight out of the box, the engine cover won't close. Instructions even tell you to glue it open. I couldn't live with that, so the engine was moved inward and modified. For those that are interested in the build, the WIP can be found here: Without further ado, here's my take on the AMT '71 Superbug Gasser. As always, questions, comment, and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thanks for looking!

I got this a few days ago but just unpacked it now. Been fighting a wicked cold all week and really just couldn’t make myself care until today. In an effort to get better pictures of my builds, I picked up this light box. Comes with four different colored backgrounds, and a small tripod. I have some experimenting to do to see what works, but should be fun and get the job done.

I’ve been forwarding some of these to my wife. I’m sure she appreciates it!?

There’s another kit I never knew existed! Man you guys find some of the coolest stuff.?

I decided to try opening up the grills. Never done it before, so why not. I started out with a scrap grill just to see how it would go (not good). My test part started falling apart and splitting. But it was a valuable learning experience. So feeling super confident (cough cough), I started on the lower valance. It was a much simpler piece than my test part, and it went well. So with that experience under my belt, it was time to tackle the main grill. Not an easy job, and my nerves are shot, but I think it turned out pretty decent. Now I need a break…?

This is really looking cool. I picked this one up too and was just drawing a blank on what to do with it. Good to see you’ve figured it out and are bringing it to life.?

Just got a small order from MCV products. Pretty nice stuff! And shipping was very reasonable. I’d definitely order from him again. https://mcvproducts.net/

Just like most of you guys, I fall into both categories. Also like many of you, I stand “0” chance of ever getting them all done. But it’s going to be fun trying! I will confess, on VERY rare occasions, I’ve bought kits I knew I’d never crack the seal on. But it’s such a small percentage of my collection that it doesn’t even really count. Probably less than 1/2 a percent. Like anything else, there are degrees here.