fseva

Sorry to say, I was very disappointed with SF primer - its way too thin, and requires so many passes just to get it to be opaque, that you'd be better off with a $5 can of Model Master gray or white lacquer, which is what I use again, after the SF primer proved so poor in coverage. The biggest problem for me was that with all those passes, how many of the beautifully engraved details are being filled up with primer?!

I'm not so sure... I've seen these patterns in the bare plastic - they always seem to be in the same general area, namely the middle of the doors. Of course, if you start a new kit by sanding the body, you will greatly reduce these deforms, and I don't think they will show up again (in the paint)... Take a look at the raw plastic before sanding - you have to hold it at a certain angle to the light to see these deforms in the plastic...

Hmmm... I think he sells PPG...

Looks like the same kit as mine - is it this one? If it is, I've been told that EVERYONE has trouble with this kit's decals! I'm on my third day of applying Micro-Solv, and I've still got wrinkles, but they are getting less and less noticeable. So, I intend to keep going until they're virtually gone. There is an aftermarket set of decals for this car by Keith Marks Decals. That would also be an option if you want to remove the bad ones. If you have more questions, RandyB. was a big help to me on this kit!

I'm currently working on the 1967 Chevelle Pro Street... Notice that the cover photo shows the driver-side chromed rocker panel... Is this really the kind of thing you expect to see on a Pro Street car? Wouldn't it look a lot "badder" in body color?

I have had that problem with SF - it seems as if the metal particles want to collect at the surface, giving you a "frosty" look! I personally think that this happens when you try to get full coverage by applying too much paint all within a few minutes time. If you give it several mist coats, and then wait a while between the mist coats and a couple of heavier coats to get full coverage, that should do the trick - just don't apply one really heavy coat at the end. I emailed the owner of SF (Jameston Kroon) and we had a long discussion about what causes this and how to correct it, but he admitted he was at a loss to give any definite cure. I was so disappointed with SF metallics giving me the frosty look, and having to sand it all down and start over, that I have gone back to the old standby hobby lacquers - I never had this problem with them.

It's available through Amazon at this link... http://www.amazon.com/Speedball-Mona-2-Ounce-Metal-Adhesive/dp/B00083KPCW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428337918&sr=8-1&keywords=metal+leaf+adhesive

Bruce, Mike & Jim Thank you for the nice words!

I have actually used some of the newly-decanted paint, and it was still bubbling in the gravity cup, but it went on just fine. I am really surprised that it takes at least 24 hours to be assured that all the gases have been released, especially in the case of such a small quantity! I usually decant to a larger jar and then have to transfer the paint to smaller bottles (losing some paint in the process), but I always felt that the larger surface area would allow an easier release of compression gases... guess that was wrong, too!

Thanks, Richard!

Well, I bought this kit and it was surprisingly good - hardly any flash and no partially worn parts; chrome is nice and shiny with no flash. 2 of the drag tires are marked with white Goodyear logo, which is very nice. There are 2 other drag tires that have tread but no lettering. The 2 front tires are hollow and I didn't think they looked all that good with such wide tires in the rear. For those hobbyists who weren't around when this kit was first released, you should know that there is a weakness here, namely a lack of 3-dimensional detail. For example, the interior door panels are very plain and the handles are only slightly higher than the surrounding plastic - they look more like outlines. The dashboard looks very nice but there is no decal to represent the large horizontal speedometer. There is no option to convert the back seat into an actual passenger area. All you get is a flat, plain panel with a Chevy bowtie engraved on it, which keeps you from seeing into the trunk, and a roll cage. There is no console - you just get the shifter which is installed on the transmission tunnel. The engine is also somewhat simplified. The real eyecatcher is the tall intake that will stick outside the hood (the hatch is nice and deeply etched for easy removal), and you have the option of topping it all off with dual air cleaners, dual velocity stacks, or a snorkel, which I didn't care for that much, so, I'm leaving it off and letting the other stuff do its magic.

Thanks, Dan and Cliff!

Thanks Carl, Joe, John and Bob! I appreciate your nice complements!

That's a good idea - I took the time to put a reflective surface behind them, and then wondered why they didn't stand out better... Now, I know! Thanks! In regard to the door handles, yes that was an attempt to shave but not have to do any work on the area - I should have shaved the doorlocks, but I guess I got lazy and didn't want to mess with that area.

Thanks, Stephen! I probably should have stated that I used neither of the sets of wheels included in this kit. The hubcaps were just too plain, and the low-profile stuff just doesn't float my boat. So, I used stuff from my parts stash. The Firestone tire lettering is decals by Powerslide. The color is Bright Mica Red Ferrari by Tamiya (decanted).

I always thought that I had better control airbrushing, and I have just recently started trying a few Tamiya colors. So, I'll give them a try next time - straight out of the can - perhaps in the long run, I won't waste as much paint (I only got about 1 3/4oz out of the last can of Tamiya I decanted).

This kit had been giving me fits, but I found out that it was because I wanted the dashboard to lie flat, rather than following the lines of the support, which made it angle down toward the front. This caused the front of the dash to collide with the windshield. So, the nice guys here assured me that it was not a matter of an error in designing the kit, but that it must have been something I did wrong. I took the advice and bought a second kit, and I have just finished it and would like to say that the guys here were right - it was my fault that the kit didn't assemble the way it was supposed to! Here are some photos of my completed model (please click on them and look at the larger version, which isn't compressed as much as the defaults for the site)...

Yes, I've read of that - always figured it was a darn dangerous thing to do...

Messy... very messy...

Wow - that long? I guess I deserve a volcano of color...

Good idea - I'll try that!

This quetion applies to decanting lacquer spray cans by Tamiya, Testors & Model Master - I usually decant at least 2oz from a can (in regard to Tamiya, that's about all I ever get). I need to know a good rule-of-thumb for determining when the compressed gases in decanted paint or no longer present - I have had one too many accidents with volcanic eruptions of paint that I had assumed had gassed-out long enough! How long would you recommend allowing the paint to gas-out? Is there anything that will help it along - stirring with a battery-operated stirring wand, etc., that will help release the bubbles of gas?

That's an acrylic, which will probably work OK as a "clear", but don't apply it too heavily - just give it a few misting coats and leave it alone... preferably overnight. BTW, I've used it but never on Alclad, since everything I've ever tried just cut the shine of the chrome too much. If I could get past Alclad's history of wearing off during handling, I might try this.

Could you actually handle the part without rubbing off the chrome?

If they won't spend the money to repair the tool, it would be a shame to scrap it, but in my corner, it would be better than buying a kit * I * have to scrap!