jaymcminn

Rivets are the absolute worst. Tedious, fiddly and you lose about 10% to the carpet monster. Unfortunately for us modelers, once you've produced something that looks this good you can never go back. Amazing work!

1: Build the new 1/12 Bugatti 35b by Italeri. 2: Finish my stalled 1/12 Delta Integrale project. 3: Branch out a little bit... I have enough sports/exotic/classic car spares around to create some pretty interesting street rods. I've had a Ferrari V12-powered Deuce idea kicking around in my head for a while.

I buy white cotton flannel by the yard at the fabric store and cut off what I need (usually about 4" square pieces) as I go. It's cheap and perfect for polishing. I don't wash the cloths after I use them... I just dispose of them to keep any dried polish or contaminants from affecting my work. Microfiber will pick up contaminants such as polishing abrasives and hold them in the fibers. Washing or rinsing won't always get it all out. Another nice thing about the flannel is that there are no seams, tags or edge stitching to possibly cause scratching. When I clear coat it's always with TS13 and I never have a problem. For polishing compounds I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound and Polish, which are the best I've ever found for either 1:1 or scale applications. They don't leave anything on the finish which allows for paint, foil or decal work over the polished surface.

Google Translate ist dein Freund! 05653 Aston Martin DB5 Gift Set - 'Goldfinger' in 1:24 The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the most iconic cars in film history and now you can own your own model with the 'Goldfinger' edition. Perfect for Bond fans of all ages, this 1/24 scale 90 piece level 2 kit (easy-click kit) comes with everything you need to bring your very own Bond vehicle to life. As a highlight for all 007 fans, there is an original film poster for the gift set. Easy to build No glue Paint only for refinement and detail Typical features of Goldfinger Buildable Brushes and paints included

Here's a couple for your grandson!

Very sinister. Nice build of a challenging kit!

Those old Hasegawa Ferraris are nice kits. You did an incredible job on this one. Great photography and bold color choices!

Your pic isn't showing up but your description definitely sounds like your paint is too thick. If you're trying to use unthinned Testors enamels that would do it. Wet sanding will only go so far. Strip your paint and start over. Buy a pack of plastic spoons and practice on those until you get the hang of airbrushing and the correct thinner/paint ratio. Lots of threads on here about airbrushing you can read to get some ideas.

Thanks guys! That Porsche was a labor of love for months. 1/12 is my favorite scale lately, you can cram a fair amount of detail into a big-scale model!

Thanks! The Mercedes is as close to box-stock as I generally allow myself to get. The only aftermarket bits on it were the mesh for the air cleaner and the photoetched pieces on the rear wheel skirts. That being said, the entire body was basically tweaked and scribed and trimmed to get everything to fit as well as it does. The chassis to body interface needed work as well, out of the box it sits really nose-high. It's a great kit though, and a lot of fun!

I'm more concerned with accurate proportions on the DB5 than whether it's a snap kit. I'm sure the aftermarket will come to the rescue for any missing details.

Was hoping to finish build 3, but I'm probably not going to get it over the line in time. For 2022 I managed quality but certainly not quantity! First was my Tamiya 1/12 scale Porsche 934rsr... Then my Monogram 1/24 Mercedes 540k Coupe. Hoping for a more productive 2023!

I'm loving this build. Great weathering and detail work. Can't wait for mine to arrive, I'm surprised by how legitimately good the turned-aluminum effect decals look!

Is that the new Italeri? Mine is on the way, can't wait to see the benchmark you set!

The boring tedious part. Removing parts from sprue, cleanup and mounting them to craft sticks/toothpicks for painting. Have to stop at my LHS for some Tamiya TS29 later (fingers crossed they have it!).

The t50 is an interesting choice and a very interesting car. That being said, I'm not sure how eager I am to purchase one. Same with the McLaren Senna... I get that it's the new model but I'd rather have a P1 on the workbench. A lot of the new hypercars are technical marvels but look like a disjointed mess. The t50 is probably the prettiest of the bunch. Being Tamiya, I'm probably going to purchase it for the fun of the build. I'm currently working on the new Z (WIP thread soon) and it's so well engineered. It's a perfect slumpbuster when you don't want to have to continuously tweak and fettle a kit to get it to look right. I do wish that Tamiya would continue developing kits of classic European cars like the Gullwing and the 90's classic car series. I bought every single one of those releases (some multiples) and would happily keep buying new ones.

Acrylic paint, such as Tamiya, Revell or Vallejo, is the best for brush painting. Acrylics tend to level themselves out and minimize brush strokes. Make sure the paint is thoroughly mixed and thinned with the appropriate thinner to a consistency where it covers but doesn't leave brush marks. You'll need to test this out on a scrap piece until you get a feel for the consistency you need. Load your brush and apply one coat of paint in one pass. Going back over the surface is what leads to brush marks as the brush pulls up the paint while it's beginning to dry. If you need a second coat for coverage wait until the first coat is completely dry. I prefer to spray everything with either rattle cans or airbrush, just using the brush for small details. There are builders who get fantastic results with brush painting, but it takes practice just like anything else.

Picked up the new Nissan Z at my LHS. I'm thinking about doing a compare/contrast build with the reissued 1983 300zx kit. I'm doing the new Z in a pearl dark green with saddle over black interior. Bronze wheels and possibly bronze roofline moldings. Basically a phantom "special edition".

Laundry day! normal sized basket, very large cat.

One thing the clear gloss is pointing out on your chassis is coverage issues that probably stem from applying multiple coats of paint too quickly (the same thing that likely caused the crazing). When too much paint goes on too wet it will lift lower layers including primer. It will redistribute the paint away from raised areas and sharp edges, including around panel lines. It'll even reveal things like sanding scratches in the bodywork under the primer. By giving each coat time to flash, you'll be building those crucial layers of paint in a way that creates a smooth surface with even coverage. Something else to consider is how that Tamiya clear will look after it's completely cured. TS13 is wonderful stuff but it actually takes a while to completely cure, and it shrinks while it cures. Once it's done, it might show more of the initial damage in the paintwork. You already have the answer to the question of trying to salvage the paint. If you're getting back into the hobby, learning how to strip paint and start over (and when to strip paint and start over) is pretty important. Trying to salvage a paint job with this level of damage just isn't practical. Using more paint to cover flaws in your current coats will just wind up exacerbating the current issues. You seem pretty comfortable working with an airbrush, but Plowboy's suggestion above of Tamiya rattlecan paints is a good one. These paints are absolutely wonderful to work with, and the TS11 maroon was actually created as a factory color for the 1/12 Datsun 240zg when the TS paints were initially released. They even decant nicely for airbrushing. Finally, welcome to the frustrating and wonderful world of automotive modeling. There's a mountain of learning ahead of you, but this site is full of Sherpas that will help you climb it!

Big guy lived his best life. RIP 22!

Cautiously excited for the DB5. I'm hoping it's not too toylike and there's the ability to "debondify" it, or that they'll release a non-MI5 version as well. Of course I want to build the Goldfinger car, but I want to build an Almond Green over oxblood "civilian" car too. Whatever we get has to be better than the Doyusha abomination! Edit: Something about this seemed familiar, so I started digging a little. Revell announced a new-tool Bond DB5 in 2017, but the licensing fell through. I'm guessing this kit has probably been waiting in the wings for a while waiting for that licensing deal. Hopefully we get it this time!

I've never seen one of these that looked "right" when built up until now. Beautiful work!

When building my 1/12 scale Fiat Mefistofele I drilled out some 300 molded rivets on the body with my spring-loaded pin vise. I probably punctured myself at least 10 times between the bit jumping out of the hole and my finger being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the bit broke through the plastic. Good times!

The Gerry Anderson "Supermarionation" shows were amazing examples of ingenuity and model-making. I recently caught a documentary about Anderson's studio on Amazon ("Filmed in Supermarionation") that provided some great insights into the process and history of his shows.