E St. Kruiser50

Harry, I've never seen complaining, bad attitudes or un-happiness ever change anyone's life for the better , or help friendships, or other relationships be stronger, or even get a good start on a friendship when a person is negative. A very good friend who's been part of my life since before I was born, began teaching me at the lowest point of my life, that life is a package deal - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY , and that we're to learn how to embrace it all for our own good, and the good of others. Any circumstance, good or bad, can help mold our character and our integrity, if we accept the inevitable, that it happens to us all for our good - that there is a purpose for everything that happens, and not to waist our time feeling like a victim, or complaining about the unfairness, but look for the good and the purpose of the difficulties, that will help shape us and mold us into someone who's not perfect, but can be a much kinder and caring friend to whatever part of the world we have around us. All this helps make me a better modeler, because at this point in my life, I choose to look at life half-full, and see that most anything is possible if I'm willing to believe it, and try, until I've tried my hardest. Whether I fail or succeed at what I try, I measure my success by the quality of my attitude, and my tenacity for not giving up, not so much about the build itself. Edison, who successfully invented the lightbulb after 500 failures, was awakened by his son one night, and was told there was a fire in his laboratory. They watched as it burned to the ground, taking everything with it. The frantic son was beside himself, but Edison himself seemed rather unaffected. His response - "NOW THAT ALL THOSE FAILURES ARE BEHIND ME, I CAN GO ON TO BE SUCCESSFUL."

A friend of mine called this morning from the Eugene area, about a 100 miles south of Portland Oregon where I live, to wish me Merry Christmas. We were having fun talking and being grateful for our hobby and our friendship, and how cool it is that we can be so adventurous and creative with this hobby, and express ourselves, sometimes in some pretty challanging ways. ( Chris my friend, is a way-good builder and an amazingly cool person.). A friend of his emailed him and shared a very simple, yet to me very profound view on life and model building, I hadn't heard before. I thought it would go well here on the forum. "LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE". Sort of the "Long Version" of "NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED" <img src="http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> . I have found this little bit of wisdom more true as I have gotten older and pushed myself to achieve more, sometimes for a long while, to break through to a new level of my life, including my model building, but always proves to be rewarding and worth the struggle to get there. Maybe some of you feel the same. All the best for the Holidays - dave <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

For me, it's a lot easier to use digital calipers than a scale. You can measure inside and outside dimentions much more accurately, and for $12 to $20, you can get a descent pair of 6 inchers at a Harbor Freight store, and for hobby guys like us, they work great, and you can use them to directly transfer a measurement to a part by using the pointy end to scribe a location. As far as scale goes, I'm like everyone else here, either divide or multiply by the scale you're working in, depending on if you're getting bigger or smaller.

BACK AT YOU MY FRIEND . And like many here have already said "GOD BLESS" . (Because HE does).

I agree with Mike . All four are extremely nice models that you should be very proud of. Glad you survived, and are back modeling now . All the best for the new year - dave

Sure George . Like Chuck said, it was originally called the Dragon (Draggin??) Wagon. Here's a pic - dave

One of the local hobby shops in town have a pre-order, order arrangement with Revell. If their order is placed well enough in advance, the pre-order approved hobby shops get theirs about 2 weeks before the normal orders are filled through the supplier chain. The hobby shops get three of several pre-ordered kits as a package deal. The hobby shops have to be willing to take 3 of whatever else Revell sends to them directly, besides the specifically ordered kit(s). I got my name on the waiting list about 6 months ago, but wasn't sure if I was one of those signed up early enough to get one of the pre-order kits. Well, yesterday I got the call to come in and pick up mine I just got home with it. The box art is bright and beautiful, and in "NEW CONDITION" to me alone was worth the $$$$, but"I WON'T OPEN IT UNTIL CHRISTMAS MORNING, so there won't be any pics until Friday, maybe Saturday. SOME THINGS ARE JUST WORTH WAITING FOR

I love to read about auto history. Very cool post Andy, of history on the Bugatti's family and cars. One of my all-time favorite names in auto design. Thanks .

eheheh

CONGRATS SO GEORGE - WHERE ARE ALL THE CHARGER MODELS AT . GREAT JOB ON POSTING THE PICS WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE THE CITY BUS YOU BOUGHT MANY MONTHS AGO ???

Hey Pete For me Novus #2 plastic polish works great for bringing up the luster of BMF. I use Micro Scales Metal Foil adhesive to hold the BMF in place, as polishing, or just plain handling, can cause things to move around a bit, which is always "Frustrating". Hope this helps - dave

In the future Mike, if there is no body work done to a car, you can just use the white primer and forget the gray, and there'll be very little primer build-up. Also, on modified bodies and pieces, using Tamiya tape, you can cover up certain detail area's before you spray the gray primer, and then un-tape, sand, and then spray your white primer for way less build-up in detailed area's like you mentioned. It takes a bit more time, but leaves the details looking way better.

Hey Mike My experience for years has been to always use a good quality gray primer to do all yout priliminay sealing over a body or the parts that have work done to them, and then use your white primer last, as it is extremely transparent, and shows every variation of colors and textures under it's surface. If you use the white to cover a body that has no surface work done, that always seems to work just fine for me. I use DupliColors gray "High Build Primer" to start with. It has a lot of extra filler to add to it's thickness for sanding, but light spraying can accomplish the same light coverage as any other primer, and has the best qualities for sanding and finishing , of any "Rattle-Can" primer I have ever used, and is compatible with every brand of paint I have ever sprayed over it, including urethane primers. For those wanting a ligher coverage and the same sanding and finishing qualities, simply decant the high-build primer, and thin with a good grade of lacquer thinner to the consistancy you want, and shoot through your air-brush. The only white primer I use, and have used for over ten years is Plasti-kot sandable Primer #T-237. IT WORKS WONDERFULLY. Remember that surface prep is the most important step in painting. After my last coat of gray primer has been laid down, I wait a week to dry before final sanding. I use nothing finer than 800 grit - a good grade of Wet or Dry sandpaper. I sand mine dry, as too smooth can be just as bad as too rough, especially at this stage, because you want the next layer of paint or primer to be able to "GRAB" onto the primer surface, and it can't as well if the surface is too smooth. Once the gray primer has dried for a week, and has been sanded properly, it's time to spray the white primer #t-237, at least for me . (At this point I want to mention temperature while spraying, because this has a huge affect on adhesion to the surface of whatever your spraying, and how the primer will be able to be finished properly. I realize that most here spraying don't have the luxury of spraying paint in a warm enviornment, especially this time of year, but remember that paint is a chemical, with certain "Mechanical" features, and was designed with specific qualities and manufacturer recommendations, to get optimal results, and when you compromise those recommendations, you get all the questions I read here continually, about paint problems. Usually reading the label for directions can help eliminate most spray painting problems, if you follow them properly). O.K. - SPRAING THE WHITE PRIMER. I spray the way the manufacturer always recommends, and most good spray painting articles recommend, and how "real-time car painters recommend. 3 COATS OF PRIMER! One light. One medium. One heavy. When sprayed properly under the right conditions, this will normally give you the surface finish needed to allow you to sand and get the proper surface finish needed to apply your paint to. Again REMEMBER - THIS IS NOT PLUG AND PLAY. It takes time and practice to achieve a paint job worthy of all the hard work you put into your project. If you do sand through the white, simply apply more primer, and sand. Remember that the solid gray base that you sprayed the white over, allows you to have a good solid white primer finish with no variations in color or surface texture. I learned to paint by spraying as many old bodies and tin cans as often as I could, dozens at a time, as painting once every month or so for most, will never allow you to paint at a level where your really happy with the results, until you have paid your "LEARNING DUES" . At least thats how it worked for me - MAYBE I'M A SLOW LEARNER , but painting now is a pretty easy step in the building process for me, and I don't sand or strip anything anymore. And don't forget that there is only so much information that any of us can give you before it's up to you to practice and experiment to find which materials and techniques works best for you, and your particular application. I hope this helps, and gives you more options to consider for your building enjoyment. All the best, and have a great Christmas - dave

<!--quoteo(post=239132:date=Dec 9 2009, 10:20 PM:name=charlie8575)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(charlie8575 @ Dec 9 2009, 10:20 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=239132"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Charlie Larkin<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <img src="http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Here ya go TOM Hope this helps

Nice stuff Lyle . looking forward to more of your projects next year .

Nice models marcos . I especially like the '60 Ford.

Nice group of models . Hope next year is just as productive .

I AGREE All of these are nice, but this Ford really stands out to me . Congrats on a good year of building.

Go that right MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE - YOU TOO HARRY, EVEN IF IT IS EARLY, I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME , JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID . Now I always get what I want, because I buy them for me , and I get to spoil all my loved one's and friends . (I liked your Merry Christmas greeting, so I used it too )

This next few years will be a lot of fun, if plans go the way I like. Been keepin' my level of building pretty low compared to what I did in my career as a master pattern maker, tool maker, and custom machinist. I have a stash of pattern woods, fiberglass resins, cloths, veil and mat, gel coats, and all the waxes and parting agents I'll need for laying up molds from the masters, and laying up the models. Also have a complete machine shop I've never used for my modeling, so will begin to kick that into gear either this coming year or next. Got several chrome systems, and a photo-etch system, so I'm pretty well set. After I finish a few things that are nearly done, I can slowly start ramping up my modeling projects, to reflect other skills, equipment, and interest I haven't applied to model building yet. Lot's more new types of scratch-building in the future - FUN . I think next year will be great for a lot of us model building addicts .

I LOVE THIS PLACE . Where else could a person click on a topic and get such an incredible surprise. This beautiful, creative and extra imaginative piece of art really says "I LOVE THIS HOBBY" . This is "MY KINDA STUFF" Scott, you got me right where I enjoy this hobby the most . Everything about it is just right. All the scratch-building, the color, the wood paneling, even the way you've displayed it, and the "SPINNING PROP" - VERY INGENIOUS.

Thanks Charlie The wheels and tires were bagged up, along with a couple more sets in a shoe box of miscellaneous, sort of organized parts of my "Cool Stuff for Some Day" pieces, so don't know the exact kit source. Still gettin' used to the idea of using "White walls" as I was pretty much stuck on the 24 inchers for quite a while, but the new look "IS GOOD" , - thanks to you guys who pursuaded me . dave .

Well, here's the final stance with the "Wires 'N' Whites permanently installed, and all the interior pieces installed. Still have a few bits and pieces left to install under the hood, and some chassis pieces on the underside, and then a few more chrome pieces on the body, then she'll be "UNDER GLASS <img src="http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="cool.gif" /> . Here's a few update pic's.

SUPER MTH MILWAUKEE ROAD 4-6-4 HUDSON F7 HIAWATHA ENGINE . VERY COOL.