Karmodeler2

Here is one I plan on building soon. I also built a roll back with working wheel lift. I can send you pics of that if you need them. http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z83/Kar...trod%20wrecker/ I approached a guy driving one when he was unloading a car and told him I was a model builder and wanted to build a model of a roll back, but was uncertain as to how it worked. Would he mind showing me how the wheel lift and bed worked? I had my camera and took over 60 photos of the total package and how everything worked. He was more than happy to oblige, and the only thing he asked is that I bring the model by the shop when I was done. They thought it was cool and got a kick out of seeing the locking pins for the right angle arms for the wheel lift. Keep in mind that you need to pick a year you want to build, because regulations have changed the requirements for straps now on the wheel lifts (I built an older one) and some other things as well have been changed due to regualtions. Good luck. David

VERY nice work Mike. After seeing your work in ATL for the first time years ago, I would expect nothing less. You have delivered again!!! You build some gorgeous parts. It's great to see you back at it.(obviously got the woman thing figured out and you have more time for modeling!!!LOL) Dirk tuned me onto a torch from Radio Shack (about $19) that is butane and has a controllable flame. I can't believe I have lived without this tool for so long. Look forward to more of your work and to see some of this in person in Nov. David

Hey Lyn, Bob Sheldon and Bill Coulter have written a book that is just perfect for you. It list the kits by vehicle name, and tells you what each one should cost in today's market. I know the info is a little dated, but it will give you an idea on what to ask. Andy is right in that the price will seek itself out on Ebay. As they say, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay. If you want, email me and I will put you in touch with Bill or Bob and you can get a copy of the book. I'm sure someone in your model club (if you are in one) already has a copy. David Morton

Could anyone offer help in finding a builder named Bill Deegan jr.? I was online and saw some cars at NNL East built by Mr. Deegan and had some questions for him. Thanks for all your help. Sincerely, David

Modelhaus has one that is a resin 1&1/2 ton truck that is the light to medium duty truck. All the work is done for you is he still has them. David

There doesn't appear to be any valve stems (which is usually one of my 1st giveaways) but I'm not sure if these had solid tires or not, so I'm really not sure -- just goin with my gut.

The project I want it for is a rat rod wrecker I saw at Billet Proof in Ocala. The guy had chopped and lowered it and the door sills were on the ground (had air bags too). Should I cast it in it's normal production phase, or create a master that is like the model I want to do? What would you do? It might be of little use to those who would not build a chopped version if I create a master that is chopped. David

Thanks for taking the hit on this one, I will enjoy the inevitable Diamond T kit that arrives.

Thanks for the input. I think that I am going to have to scratch build it....just didn't want to get 90% done and find out there was a kit. That's happened once or twice in my 35+ years of modeling. Sincerely, David

Do any of you know if there is a resin copy of the late 30's early 40's Diamond T cab. The 1938 Diamond T 404 is what I'm looking for. Thanks, David

Hey Simon, Always good to see your work. It inspires a lot of us. Your builds are always tough to compete against and when I lose to you, I know it was a close race. I built this kit and did not paint it the way you did, however, I did paint mine red too!! I painted the doors, hood, and trunk separate from the body without doing the shading and it allowed me to lay the paint down in the jams and on the body with the same sheen. Why did you do the shading, then add all the panels to paint, and then remove them after painting to assemble the model? What benefit would I gain by doing it this way? Nice build. I look forward to seeing it in person! David

I know you have taken your gun apart to what you feel is all the way, but make sure you have it completely apart. # 22 in the parts list (in the address below) is the valve casting and can be removed by turning to the left to loosen. This is where the air actually travels through the gun and exits out the main body of the gun through 3 little holes in the end of the body where you screw on the cap and cone. Make sure these three holes are unclogged (paint gets in there sometimes when you clean the gun...it's happened to me before). You can use small pipe cleaners (from the gun cleaning kits) or reamers if you are careful not to enlarge the holes. The number one problem with paint not coming out is the cone/needle fit. If there is any disruption in this area, the gun will spurt and spatter like crazy. Look at your cone/needle closely. Try another set (number 1,3,5) and see if you have the same problem. This might tell you if it's the set or the gun. Also, try using thinner or water as a medium to spray to test you gun. Your paint will generally never be thinner than this, and if the gun is working properly, the thinner will tell you that it is the mix of the paint, not the gun itself (the paint you are using is too thick for the suction to pull it up from the cup). Part number 19 is the packing nut and screw. You can remove them, clean and then reinstall them. Screw this nut down until you can feel a little friction on the needle when you insert the needle (you will have to check the fit several times to get the right feel). This will prevent paint and air from going back into the main body of the gun. Also, against the advice of Paasche, I recommend that you always insert your needle (when reassembling or taking apart) from the front of the gun and not the rear. It will always protect the tip of the needle from damage or scarring and will prevent problems with the cone/needle set up. If you can't get it to work after all this, you can ship it to me, I'll try and fix it and send it back not charge. I know what's it like to have a gun that doesn't work and it's sucks. If you need further help, don't hesitate to ask. David http://www.paascheairbrush.com/2008pdf/VL%...0Airbrushes.pdf

Tamiya Matt black out of the spray can or model master black chrome trim shot through an airbrush has the most realistic looking tire black I have seen. David

The model Jarius if showing is actually a double action and you have a single action. What you can do is study the diagram of the brush "exploded" and it will show you all the parts. On the bottom of the air brush, you will see a allen set screw. This screw allows the movement of the needle and this will affect how the brush works. (The needle I am referring to is where the bottle or cup will fit into). Movement of the cone will allow more or less paint, while the movement of the needle will place the cone in the airstream. Put some water in the cup, hook it up and spray. Water is relatively cheap and it will allow you to play with the settings. What you can do is put the cone where you want it, and loosen the allen screw so there is enough friction to hold the needle but will allow you to move it back and forth while the cone and bottle are attached. You will learn about where the best "fan' is and the setting that works best for you. When you clean it, take the needle, cone and tip off the gun, and clean with q-tips and pipe cleaners. A clean gun is a happy gun. Inside the cone, you will see a slotted screw. Remove this, with the small plastic washer and clean with lacquer thinner. This washer seals the needle so the paint goes forward. Just a side note, if you have you cone all the way open and you have your needle all the way back, you could have this washer/nut sitting right over the little hole in the needle where the paint comes out, and you will get nothing. Playing with water or lacquer thinner will let you fine the best setting for you. Good luck and if you have questions, we're here to help! Also, that little thumbscrew below the button you push down on when you are using the airbrush is to limit the flow of air. If you want to make sure you have all the air available, screw this down all the way. There is a small (very small) spring below the screw itself. Be careful if you take it apart. This feature was later removed on newer models. I still have one like yours and use it all the time...actually for about 22 years before getting a double action. David

I know that Mark Jones (CA) built alot of the box models with his father at their kitchen table (alot of the kits in the 70's & 80's). His father, Lloyd, did alot of the decals and box models for the airplane world and did alot of the car ones too. Mark told me the story of sitting at the table as a young kid (about 12 years old) and his dad would let him do the interiors if they were not going to be pictured on the box. Once his skills "came up to speed", his dad would let him do some on the outside of the car. Eventually, Mark started doing the full builds, and decal masters for the kits. Today, he still does the masters for decals, and has even built models for Tamiya for their showroom in CA. If I could have done that with my father at the kitchen table, that would have been really cool. His father still does work for the model airplane world (all scales). If you want to know if you have one of the "Jones' " kits, look on the decal sheet for the little ruler and the words "ScaleMaster" above it. That is the name of the company they own. David

Hey Clay, I know that I'm going to get yelled at by some, but you started this by saying "what's your best build?" I think that after 33 years of building models, this one is my best build. This is 98% scratch built (engine block, tranny block and two rear axles are kit parts), the frame rails, front suspension are all brass. I have over 1500 hours that I know of, once I started keeping track of my time. I have over 150 machined items (All rims, nuts,fittings, air cleaners, stacks, lights, mirrors...etc) and chromed all the brass with the help of Dirk Joseph. The front grill is 1/4 inch piece of solid brass that I hand filed/shaped to final appearance. The hood, running boards, part of the cab and visor are stainless steel. The cab, dash, fenders, tires and all lenses were mastered and cast by me. (and yes, I go to therapy on Wednesdays...thanks for asking!!!) Yes, it's over the top. And you said you wanted to see em.....so here it is. David Here is the site that has the complete build if you want to waste some time.

Sorry for not including this in my first response, but here is the page that has the exploded view of the VL guns if this helps. David http://www.paascheairbrush.com/2008pdf/VL%...0Airbrushes.pdf

Yes, I have a few. If you take the cones off the very end of the body of the airbrush, you will see some small holes located at the very end of the airbrush body. (if you have a newer style airbrush....how old is it?) Find some pipe cleaners that will fit these holes and clean them out. (they are available at automotive paint supply places in gun cleaning kits and are will worth it) ( you can use reamers if you are careful not to oversize the holes, and just gently remove any residue or buildup that might be there) Sometimes these small holes gets clogged. Also, disconnect the air supply line; look at the area on the body of the airbrush where the air goes in. Look in there at the slotted screw, and remove the screw very carefully as there is a spring on the other side (do this inside a gallon size zip lock bag, and your parts will be right there in the bag). Remove the piston (the thing you push down on to get air and paint to mix) and clean this area with a modified q-tip or a pipe cleaner or something. This area might be clogged too. If you still have the parts list, it will show an exploded view of the gun and this will be helpful when cleaning it. You can also go to paashe's website and they have them too. Make sure you have run pipe cleaners (available at wall mart at the check out stand...normally the tobacco one) in every orifice to make sure they are really clean. I use lacguer thinner and pipe cleaners to make sure I get the canals clean. You will be surprised the colors you get on the pipe cleaner...like the color of a model you did 4 months ago that you thought you had cleaned your brush when you painted it. I had a guy give me a touch up gun because he said he had taken it apart, cleaned it and could not get it to work. While standing in front of him, I disassembled it, and look at the parts, and he said, "Wow, I didn't know that came apart". Just make sure you are taking the gun apart all the way and are thoroughly cleaning it. Another problem could be a bent needle or a crimped cone where the needle meets it.......try a different cone/needle to see if you have the same problem. Also, is this the normal consistency of your paint, or are you using a thicker one. I always use lacquer thinner to test my brush when it doesn't seem right. Generally, your paint won't be thinner than this, and it will tell you if it's a paint problem or an air/airbrush problem. David

Okay Len, It's been a few days, Lets see what you have made (and a shot of your hands to ensure you still have all your fingers! I'm anxious to see what you have turned out! David

There are hundreds of different types of aluminum and getting the right type makes a huge difference in ease of machining and how the final result looks when you get done. Unfortunately I can only buy it in 12 foot pieces. Don't use the ###### you get at hobby stores. It is tough to machine and is really hard to get a good finish on. I could not agree more with Pete, and the one I found to be a good one is 6061 Aluminum. I know Bob Dudek uses the 70 series and has great results with it...I just haven't tried it yet. You can go to smallparts.com and order ANY size, ANY qty and they don't care. They also have a great catalog, you pay for it, but it has ALL metals broken down by the metal's numbers, what they mean, and why you would use a particular metal...well worth it and I look up metals all the time in their book. Understanding these numbers will help you when you go to order your metals. The great thing is it's at the beginning of each section of a particular metal. So if you need brass, it will tell you which one is best based on whether you are chroming, machining, soldering or whatever. It's very helpful to me. This is also available on their website. I would also recommend against the hobby store stuff as this tends to gum up your cutting tools and makes a mess. Spend the money for good metals, the results are worth it. You probably know this, but part off your pieces using a low rpm and cutting fluid. It will prolong the life of your tools/equipment. I got a very small can (like an orange juice concentrate can or V8 or something like that)put a little 3-1 oil or aluminum tap fluid in it with a small brush and brush the fluid on while you part off your piece. Fill the can only with enough to cover the bottom of the can, that way when you tip it over the many times to come, you won't spill any cause you can tip it back up before the small amount runs out. I filled mine up the first time and made a mess.....learned the hard way!!! Congrats on just chucking up a piece and turning. Thats the best teacher. "Experience is the best teacher. After all, it should be. It's the most expensive" David

That's the quickest way to learn what to do (and what not to do!!) Good luck with it...and welcome to another dark path in your modeling career. David

I know that when I build a poseable steering system, I look at the kit parts, and then try to make my own to replicate theirs, at the same time, making mine work. If you go to the home page of Model Cars, go to the left bottom of the page and click on the Atlanta show, go to page six, Dirk Joseph's Chevelle has shots of the suspension that might help. I know his work is pretty impressive and it works. I hope this helps. I also use my real car to help sometimes too....or look at new trucks on the Peterbilt lot. Most truck lots are very friendly and most car lots are too.....or go to a classic car show.. you might find an example of the real thing and can use that too. You can look at some of your kits too that may have working steering or a diecast that you have...they normally have working steering. Good luck with it. David

You're right Terry, sorry for forgetting about that!! I'm not sure if Len's machine came with the plasma machine....he can borrow mine if he needs too!!