Harry Joy

The first car I remember is a 1971 or 1970 Pontiac LeMans. I remember trying to figure out what the chrome script that said LeMans meant. I muddled over than on many a drive, sitting of course in the front passenger seat, too short to even see over the edge of the window. All those late 60s and early 70s cars resonate with me, much like the early 40s/early 50s cars resonate with my dad.

I think a lot of your issues are addressed well above. Just want to add that your air pressure seems a tad high for car modeling. High pressure works best for fine detail, very thinned mixtures. Large coverage areas like with most cars, 15-20psi is as high as I go, and I tend to spray closer to 17-18.

I'm close to finishing a kit that was molded in bright red. I primered the outside as well as the inside in Tamiya Fine Gray Primer, and there isn't a hint of red anywhere. Except - the interior tub. I primered it in Tamiya Fine White, and it shone through no matter what. Until I went back and laid down some Fine Gray. I think that laying down the gray primer inside and out kept the red down.

I tried going back to nothing but rattle cans for my first few cars, but getting a good finish is easier for me with an airbrush. I still use cans for certain things. With cars, chassis and engines get the can treatment, and anything I want white, as well as some interior stuff. With airplanes, it is my base cockpit colors, tires, and propellers I still use cans.

No worries sir, I did not take offense. This is a picture of my dad in his first Falcon. This is the one he sold when he was drafted. The second one he bought (yes, for $37.50) as a used fleet car from his employer in 1966:

I would like to build, for my masochistic streak, some of the cars I've owned. 1975 Toyota Corrola, 1976 Chevette, 1977 Mustang II coupe, 1985 Hyundai Excel, 1992 Ford Escort.... those compact cars are not out there. Nor is there the 2002 Stratus I recently traded for my also unkitted 2013 Impala.

Agreed. I was just pointing out that there were other Buicks out there. I would like to build some of my Dad's favorite cars, but most are really hard (or expensive) to find. I am nearing completion of a 1953 Bel Air for my dad. There were two kits made, but they are really hard to find. My father told me tonight that he would really like me to build a 1962 Ford Falcon. Even found for me his bill-of-sale for his second one, bought in 1966 for $37.50. I was just searching for one online, and found only one out there right now - asking price $199.

I have recently built both the 1969 Riviera, and the 1987 GNX.

As far as compressors go, I tried many of them. Some cheap, some big and cheap. I wasn't satisfied with any of the ones you can get cheap (and neither were my upstairs neighbors at the time). Since I was already pretty fond of Iwata airbrushes, I let a friend talk me into getting an Iwata Power Jet Pro. Since they ain't cheap, I sold some of my kit stash, and even sold the wedding ring from my first marriage (believe me - the compressor has served me far better than that ring ever did). To this day, I don't regret that decision at all. The Power Jet Pro should be the last compressor I ever need. (Again, a much better deal than my first wife.) The Power Jet Pro is pretty quiet, has a good sized tank, is easy to use and maintain, and has stations for two airbrushes with their own regulators. Perfect for the two Iwatas I always have hooked up to it.

I use CA for almost everything, but Cato speaks the truth. CA will not hold resin to aluminum for long.

Lots of Neos have been sold, and they are popular with many. They make a nice introductory airbrush. But they are quasi-knock-off Iwatas. The guts are made on the cheap by an outside company - only the body of the brush is made by Iwata. I think they were originally intended for sale only at Hobby Lobby and the like. Opinions vary widely with individual use, experience, mindset, etc etc., but I think such a basic tool as the airbrush, which is one of the more important investments a modeler can make, should be a little higher grade. That said, I use two Iwata Revolutions, a BR and a CR, and many fans over higher end Iwatas pooh-pooh Revolutions like I just did the Neo.

I have a desk in my den. That is where I do 90% of my building. I paint at a small table near our kitchen's bay window, where I have a high output fan to blow out fumes.

This is my recently finished 1967 GTO, in the recent issue blue box. All I did was the standard cleanup - nothing major was required. The chrome was fine, but I stripped it because my wife wanted something in gold. Link: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/108967-1967-pontiac-gto-my-year-in-review/

I have tried both Alclad primers. I'm a fan of their other products, but not the primers. Never could find the magic combination to get them to lay down smooth. For about the same price, I get predictable performance from Tamiya Fine, so I'm sticking with that. If you are spraying Alclad primer to prep for Alclad paints, you don't have to. Any primer will do. I've even painted lots of Alclad without primer.

I model over a hardwood laminate. My office chair is on a small rug. The beauty of it is that lost parts either careen to the wall, or to the carpet (as it has that magnetic draw for plastic parts). Easy to find dropped parts.

I don't shoot enamels and cannot tell you much about them. But if you are using Tamiya acrylics, I strongly recommend using their lacquer thinner. The thinner with the yellow cap. Their X20 thinner with the white cap isn't as good by a good bit. Using the lacquer thinner, Tamiya acrylics go down smooth as butter. I use cheap hardware store lacquer thinner for cleanup. Before I started airbrushing, I hated having everyone tell me to thin to milk-like consistency, as it is terribly unscientific. But everyone was right. Conditions are too unpredictable, from type and shade of paint, to airbrush, to air pressure, to temperature. Too many variables. I've found starting with something like milky is best, then play around if it doesn't work.

If you are ordering that many kits for charitable works or a club or a contest, it would be smart to let them know. You may get a deal.

I use cheap old desklamps for building. I stopped using "daylight" type bulbs a while back. I used to use bulbs from my small stash of old incandescents, but lately I've been using yellowish, low watt modern bulbs. Daylight bulbs have a bluish light that is similar to real unfiltered light, but unless you display your models under similar light, the colors will look off. Paints do not look the same under different color lamps.

It sounds like you are looking for a different thread. This is a thread about the new kit and it's flaws, and how to correct them.

I like this a lot. And I really dig the weathering on the tires.

I visited B&N Memphis today and did not see it.

Dagnabbit, getting my issues wrong. The latest, latest - the November #199 - I only saw it at MidSouth Hobbies.

I don't recall seeing it at B&N last weekend, but I saw the latest issue at the independent bookstore "The Booksellers at Laurelwood" as well as our incredible local hobby shop MidSouth Hobbies.

I went to high school with the great Dan Schneider, and he was one of the two incredible class clowns we had. They livened up things. But we never thought Dan would amount to much - then straight out of high school he lands in this film, and the rest is history. (Dan went on to have a great career at Nickelodeon.) I've always loved this movie. Nice to see it commemorated.

Heh. I just got a package from them two days ago, mostly white walls from Pegasus and AMT. The store had a note for one of those saying "Grab them while you can, these go fast." The two of us may have cleaned them out.