Warren D

Thanks everyone. Having been my first ride, Autocars have special place. Then again, I like Petes, KW's, and any COE!

Very nice job on the paint. What are you using? Spray can or airbrush?

Great additional ideas. Lets keep this thread going, feel free to add your own ideas. I like the dirt suggestion for dump trucks, construction equipment and anything that runs on dirt roads!

Yes, the boilers are level as it climbs the 25% average grade. Keeps the water level in the boiler and prevents bad things from happening (like overstressing the flues and uneven heat that causes premature metal failure aka boiler explosions!)

I have tried to make models of the cars and trucks I have owned. This was my longest lasting car to date, a 2000 Impala in Regal Blue Metallic which went 10 years and 215K miles. I used a police car kit to start and added the rear spoiler (made from scratch) mixed the color from various PollyScale colors. It was hard to get the metallic flake right, I got close. Can't find the proper rims, but that is something I can do later.

Very well done, like the color. Looks like you've mastered using Tamiya!

There is an old trick to making tires look more realistic. I mention this as I'm seeing some great builds here that have shiny new tread on the tires. If you want that, fine, I just think that anything with wheels and tires looks better with a little wear on the tire tread. It's simple enough to do. Before you start assembly, take a sheet (or section of a sheet) of some 240-400 grit sandpaper and lay it on a flat board. I've been using 3M wet or dry on an old breadboard for years! As you are drawing the tire across the sandpaper, rotate as if you were doing a burn-out. Rotate the tire in your hand until all the tread has been roughed up and the shine removed. That's it! You have just simulated tire wear. If you want a lot, go for it! Flat spots? Out-of-alignment? whatever you desire. Finer grit is less wear, and you can vary the downward pressure. In the end, it's your choice.

Waumbeck, MWRY#9 in O scale. From a Shapeways print, decals by Roger Hahn, extra details added.

A thread in the build section reminded me that I attempted the same conversion. I started in the late 1990's and it sat until I was unemployed last year which gave me lots of free time. Not sure mine came out as good, but the process was similar. I painted mine as close to my 1992 as I could get, Teal over Slate. Amazing how quickly dust settles and how well it shows up in photos!!

Very nice build!

Very nice, I like it! For the future, you could use a sheet of solid white decal film and cut a wide stripe. Microscale makes sheets in many colors. Another thing I have done is use Testors Decal Coating to spray over old decals. This works as long as the decals aren't cracked, it won't fix tears, cracks or missing pieces but it will help keep them together long enough to get them into position.

Built in 1978, this is very close to the first truck I had a ride in at the age of about 10. Back in those days I was still learning (still am!) so my builds were mostly strictly stock out of the box. She's held up well over the years and found her way out of the case for a cleaning before pics. IIRC, this was an AMT kit.

Looks good. Only one comment, it is way too clean for a lobster boat!!!!

Thanks, all!

White Western Star COE just starting to hit the NE show circuit.

Has anyone tried the Testor's Aztek paints? I've been using PollyScale since the PollyS days and I'm looking for a replacement. I had heard a rumor Testors might be bringing back part of the PS line, wondering if this might be it?

New member, life-long builder. I have done many different types, started with cars when I was 8-15 yrs old, did some trucks in college, aircraft in the 90's and did the model RR thing for a while. I've built a few of the vehicles I've owned over the years and will be doing a truck coming up. Over the last few years, I've done some RR subjects, mostly NH Cog railway equipment from Shapeways 3D prints. I've gotten better than I was, but find I'm struggling a bit as I get older, eyes aren't what they were (shingles damage doesn't help) and the fingers don't move like they used to. Anyway, looking to share some knowledge and maybe a few of you can teach this old dog a few new tricks!

Congrats, nice job. You did better than I did with some of the body lines. I used a section from some deep tinted cheapo sunglasses my eye doctor gives out after dilating your eyes. Had a decent bend and I found that I could add the needed radius by rolling around a suitably sized dowel and heating to keep it formed. I had a real one, so I did mine in the colors of my original.