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I totally agree! When I would use Testor's Silver for something, it would usually be for exterior door handles and key holes, interior trim and window handles, chrome trim around windows, and other small details. I also agree that it takes a long time to totally dry, if ever. It's just one of the tools in my arsenal and I use it where it seems appropriate. The chrome pens may end up getting used in place of Testor's silver sometimes since it seems to dry pretty well. Bart

I bought some of the Zoet chrome pens that the original poster mentioned to see how they worked. Here is my unprofessional analysis (Note: I am not a scientist or an expert on this stuff!). It is VERY shiny! It does lose its shine and smudge a bit when rubbed very aggressively with your finger. Please note that you have to rub very hard and multiple times to degrade it, so it might be able to stand up to normal handling. It is a little darker than Bare Metal Foil I was surprised to see that Testor's silver and the Chrome Pen are actually very similar. Tamiya TS-13 clear did cause it to lose its shine. It also causes Testor's silver to lose its shine. Overall, I was pleased with the results, but I would definitely use it only after clear has been applied to the model. My primary uses for it will probably be to touch up chrome parts where the sprue had been attached, fill in any gaps I might have on areas that were foiled, and to apply chrome the vent windows on 50's and 60's vehicles ( i find it very difficult to foil these areas well). I am sure I will find other places to use these, too. I was surprised at how well Testor's Silver compared to it. I think I had always put Testor's silver on before the clear coats were applied which definitely dulled it down. I may now try using Testor's after the clear coats are on to see how that looks and how that holds up to handling. Thanks, Bart Here are the photos of my results. I found that it is hard to get good pictures that duplicate what you see in person and show how shiny this stuff is.

Great work. Looks good! Bart

Thanks! The display base is an item called a Wood Canvas that I picked up at Hobby Lobby for a couple of bucks. The dimensions are roughly 13" wide x 10" deep x 1/2" thick. They also have some that are about 8" x 10". A nice ready-made base with enough room under it for the battery holder. Just needed a coat of paint and it was pretty much ready. Bart

David, The kit includes the details for the opening floor panel and the opening rear access panel. The drop down panel in the rear is done with decals provided in the kit, and the inside details for that area were mostly painted. With the rear access panel, there is no hinge provided to allow you to open and close it. So, you are supposed to either glue it in place in the open or closed position. I couldn't figure out how make a hinge for it. Luckily my kit had two of these panels; one had a slight defect in it, so Polar Lights provided a replacement in the box (really appreciate their Quality Control process to catch this!). The one that is used for the closed position uses a small magnet on the back side to hold it in place on the body. Thanks, Bart

Here is my model of the Galileo shuttlecraft from Star Trek. This is the Polar Lights 1/32nd scale model. I added lighting to the interior and the propulsion units in the rear. The panel lines on the roof were masked off and painted. When finished, this is a really solid model. I did find that I needed to make a few minor modifications to get the interior shell to fit properly inside the body, and made some mods to the roof so it would slide in and out a little easier. Thanks for checking this out! Bart The restored Galileo that was used for live-action exterior shots with the actors. This is when it was on display at the Houston Space Center.

That is superb! Great job on this! Bart

I have never had that issue when I am using Tamiya Lacquer Thinner and paper towels or Kleenex to wipe the paint off. However, I am guessing that soaking it in the thinner might be enough to do some damage. Bart

I have also used Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. I'll put some on a paper towel or Kleenex and then rub/wipe the surface with it. That first application starts to remove and soften the paint. A couple subsequent wipes will usually get it all off. If there are recessed areas, a toothbrush or a paint brush with some thinner on it will usually take care of those areas. Bart

Looks really nice! The color looks great!

Looks really good - especially the opening doors!

Looks great! I like the photography with the mirror and the colored lights highlighting the background. Bart

This 63 Thunderbird is probably my oldest unrestored model. Built in 1963 when I was 11 years old. Tires are long gone, but this should be an easy one to restore when I get around to it. As far as my oldest RESTORED kit, it's this 1960 Lincoln built back in 1960. About 25 years ago, this was the first model I disassembled, stripped the paint from, and rebuilt.

The attached photos show the interior ceiling pieces for the Star Trek Galileo 7 shuttlecraft from Polar Lights. I had put the model aside for a couple of months and went to work on it last night. The ceiling pieces had been glued together a while ago, but they were now warped. I separated all of the parts and need some ideas on how to get these parts flat again, and to avoid warping issues when I put it back together. For some more background, I was also using a piece of plastic mesh that is used with needlepoint to create a grid that replicated what was in the actual filming model. I also used some thin Evergreen or Plastruct plastic strips to create a frame on the interior portion of the ceiling to support the mesh and the original clear plastic insert. I probably just used Testor's tube glue to glue it all together. I am wondering if there was some interaction between the tube glue, mesh and/or plastic strips that caused the warping. Thanks for your help! Bart

I use something like these - Rubbermaid or Glad plastic containers. Rubbermaid sells a pack of 10 for about $8. They will fit interior tubs and other larger parts easily. Bodies and the chassis still go back into the original box. These containers are stackable, and easy to see into them to know which tub has the parts you need at that time. I started using these after my cats had knocked some seats on the floor and then my dog chewed on them. Never had this problem again after starting to use these plastic containers. Bart

Monty, Here is the recipe one of the members gave me for a homemade thinner for craft paints. Please note that his last sentence mentions that DecoArt paints don't do well with this recipe.: 60% bottled or filtered or distilled water. 40% 91 IPA For every 3 oz of this blend put 4-6 drops of Liquitex retarder. (The Liquitex retarder is their Slow Dry Retarder Fluid, not their retarder medium. The medium is not for airbrushing. I bought this retarder from an online store since neither Michael's or Hobby Lobby carry it.) For every 3oz of that blend put in a trace amount of Dawn dish washing liquid ( Just a trace amount, not even a drop from the bottle. Use the pointy end of a wooden barbecue skewer and just get a film on the end and mix that in), this breaks surface tension in the paint mix. This blend Works in most acrylic paints but DecoArt doesn't like the alcohol. And many craft paints come closer to spraying like solvent paints with this blend. I have not used this formula yet, but plan on trying it with the next kit I use craft paint on. Thanks, Bart

Monty, Here are some photos of an AMT 1/32 scale Corvette I built recently. This was the first model that I airbrushed with craft paints. The body was sprayed with Folk Art Metallic Turquoise Shimmer paint. It is not the smoothest finish, but that is all on me, not the paint. I used Window Cleaner as my thinner, and have had suggestions from others to use a custom-mixed thinner that allows the paint to flow better to achieve a smoother finish. I also rec'd advice to do a mist coat, flash it dry, do a medium coat, flash it dry, and then a final heavier coat. I expect that the results on the next model I use craft paint on will be much better. Thought you'd appreciate some pictures of a "just OK" application of metallic craft paint. Thanks, Bart

Here is one of my Jo-Han kits - the Chrysler Turbine Car. Bart

Great looking model! The paint looks really good! Bart

Very interesting subject and a very well done model! Bart

Thanks - I bought some today, but it was the Medium. I will return it and look for a source for the Liquid Retarder! Bart

Thanks for your advice, Dave! I'll follow your suggestions and will keep working at this. Bart

What are your suggestions on how to apply and flash each coat? Bart

I usually use Tamiya sprays and get very good results from them. The craft paints offer many colors not available in Tamiya sprays. How far away should I be when airbrushing craft paints? Bart

What thinners would you recommend? Bart