Goodwrench3

Super -- good info ! Are you brushing it on bare plastic ? Or are you using their brush primer first ? I had assumed that the Vallejo Model Color acrylics were ready to brush right out of the bottle -- thanks for that info about needing to thin them ! Typically how much are you thinning them for brushing ? Thanks again !

Got the "big, black, ominous, 903" painted this weekend. Sorry the picture isn't very good. Frame is getting primered and painted this coming weekend. Looks like decent Wisconsin weather for painting in the garage.

Thanks for that tip about the model air black. I guess right now it's kind of all academic since the online place I checked is out of stock on most of the Vallejo black paints ?

OK -- so in their color names, if it doesn't say "glossy", then assume it is a flat color ? Also -- from what I've read, these brush well right out of the bottle -- no thinning needed ? Thanks

Yeah I don't know. So if you want a satin or semi-gloss finish with the Vallejo Model Color acrylics, what do you do ? I.e. something between a flat and gloss finish ? In the Tamiya and Testors/Model Master paints they have a "semi-gloss", a "gloss", and a "flat" version of many of the colors. Thanks

Yes I saw that one in their chart -- but I'm looking for a satin or semi-gloss black. That doesn't seem to be a concept in their colors ??

Hi - I had heard that the Vallejo Model Color paints are better for brushing than the Tamiya X acrylics and I'd like to give them a try. But navigating their color chart is a bit overwhelming. I'm just looking for "semi-gloss black" -- but I don't see it in the endless colors they have. Am I missing it ? Thanks

Got primer on the frame today. A few areas that need a little better clean-up, but it's decent.

Perfect timing -- the FedEx man cometh today ? The elusive Tamiya TS-29 paint finally arrived on the slow boat from wherever ?

Thanks ! I know the Tamiya metallic blue is a bit darker than the factory engine color, but I'm happy with the paint job on it and it's good enough for me !

Good point -- I keep forgetting about those military spray colors. I tend to use some of the Krylon colors for my semi tractor interiors (leather brown, brown boots, etc.).

OK - Engine and transmixer are joined. Now to finish adding the remaining engine parts.

AWESOME. I'm a happy camper! ? Thanks!

Yeah -- I'm with ya. I've really liked the Tamiya spray paints now since I've given them an honest try. The bottle brush paints too. I like that I never have to worry about picking up a part and it feeling "tacky" still after several days ? They also seem to flow out well -- and I've learned you have to go with several very light coats and everything works fine with them. Now -- I just have to figure out which of the Tamiya TS spray paints will be the best match for my old favorite NASCAR interior color (Model Master gloss gull gray). I say favorite because it was back around 1989-90 when it would dry properly after 3 or 4 days. Thanks!

Thanks ! I ask because it seems like in other forums, when someone asks why their paint job didn't turn out well the first question that seems to follow is -- "was it humid when you painted it ?".

Thanks -- yeah I chatted with someone at MegaHobby.com today and they said they got a shipment of TS-29 this past Friday and it was sold out as of this morning already.

Wow. OK cool. A whole different world then the Testors enamel spray where even after 3 or 4 days it could feel like it wasn't "hard" or cured completely. I'm fast becoming a "Tamiya convert" myself the more I use them. My only complaint right now is availability -- TS-29 (semi-gloss black) is impossible to find around me (and online). Also -- I've heard some caution against using the TS spray paints when the humidity is high -- what is "too high" ?? It really doesn't say on the can. Thanks!

Hi -- kinda new to the Tamiya TS spray paints. How long should they be left to dry before safely handling the parts ? I'm used to Testors enamels where I would wait a week to be safe. The Tamiya TS lacquer seems like it's faster trying, but just want to be sure before I put my fingers on some parts that I painted. Thanks!

Well, the "paint spirits" were smiling down on us today in Wisconsin -- great day - temp. was about 70 deg and the humidity was about 37% this afternoon. So I got some painting done. I got the engine painted, and some of the interior pieces -- I decided to copy the colors from a Transtar Eagle brochure that I have -- the "leather brown" color is almost a perfect match to the color in the brochure (the pictures may not show it so well).

OK -- there's the axle mount area built out 0.100" forward. I think she's pretty good there ?

Hopefully this widespread shortage of Tamiya TS-29 semi-gloss black spray paint will end soon. Can't seem to find it anywhere right now. ?

I've moved the axle forward about 0.060" -- better, but looks like it needs to go a bit further yet. I got a set of the replacement AMT tires (that's one of them in the test fitting picture) -- much better size than the "float" tires in the kit ?

We really need you to produce some period correct 70's tires for the AMT kit tires in the Round 2 IH 4300 -- check out the "float" tires included in the kit here !! The left is the AMT/ERTL 4270 kit wheel and tire, the center is the AMT 4300 kit wheel and Moebius 1/25 tire, and the right is the AMT 4300 kit wheel and kit tire:

I find the whole "903 thing" quite interesting. Even during the period when KW and Pete were having all of their engines painted white, the 903 seems also to be an exception -- it was black (at least in the KWs ). I also haven't been able to find any 1:1 photos of KWs with white 903s. Plenty with white Detroits, etc. Sure -- I know there are always exceptions and unless you know that a truck in a photo is truly factory-original, it's a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH shoot. I just like the history aspect of what was done and when, and why. Building is fun, and learning the history is fun too. It's sometimes a nice story to tell when someone is looking at your model and asks "did they really paint these engines white?" (or whatever the question) ?

Now that I got the front axle location sorted out on the 4270, time to work on it for the 4300. I test fitted the hood, cab, and front axle and it's the same story as with the 4270 -- so this will be the work over the next couple of nights. Note in the photo -- that isn't the kit tire. I just can't seem to bring myself to use those Goodyear tires in the Round 2 kit -- they look like float tires that should be on the front axle of a dump truck I think. Here's a comparison of (1) the 4270 kit wheel and kit tire (2) the 4300 kit wheel and Mobius tire and (3) the 4300 kit wheel and kit Goodyear tire. What do you guys think ? The Goodyears are supposed to be 11.00-20. I also compared them to some 20's I got from KJ and the Goodyears are way bigger than those too.