Anglia105E

Welcome to MCM Forums Patrick . . .

Your Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud has pride of place in your display case David . . . Surely worth it's weight in gold !!! David W.

Thanks John . . . I did not know that Fujimi produced any kits of Rolls-Royce cars. The Phantom V sounds interesting . . . David

Yes Bill, you are right there . . . My local Sainsburys store is huge, but so many items keep running out, and some don't even come back in the same form. One example is kitchen roll, which is now in paper wrapping instead of plastic wrapping. That is fair enough, but guess what? The size of the kitchen rolls has reduced, both in width and also number of sheets in each of the rolls. ( same price or higher, mind you ! ). David

Hi Mark . . . I am hoping that the Humbrol enamels in small tins are not going to end, as some members on here believe, but that would not surprise me these days . . . Like you, I have not tried the Tamiya enamels in small square bottles yet, but I must try them. There are no stores that have stock of these near to me. They must be just as good as their aerosols, in which case I should not ignore them any longer ! David

I quite agree Dennis . . . The way most stores and businesses generally operate since the pandemic ended has changed significantly. Fewer staff employed, plus increased costs of the premises and consequently lower stock levels. As you mentioned, the online availability and fast delivery (often free delivery) has impacted the stores on the ground in a big way. It is a shame really, because I am the sort of person who likes to pick up the product in my hand before I purchase it, and also speak face to face to a real human being. The convenience of the online experience is outweighed by these two points. David

Thanks Graham . . . You have explained in great detail the MEKO issues, and I was not aware of those facts. The Tamiya aerosol paints are really good in my opinion, and I do have experience of using many different types of paints while building scale model cars. The Humbrol enamels in tinlets seem to be superior to the Revell enamels tinlets, and the Revell paint is a bit too thick and gloopy (this can be thinned of course). Also, the Humbrol colours are more accurate. I have not tried the Tamiya small square bottles, and I only started using the Tamiya aerosols about 6 months ago, so I must get some ! David

Thank you for your input Bob, and much appreciated . . . You are fortunate to have two good hobby shops so close to you ! How I wish that I had a local hobby shop / model shop that stocked Tamiya paints. These days I have to place an order to one of the many Ebay sellers that do stock Tamiya paints. When I am wanting for example, three paint colours for a project that I am currently working on, each seller will always be showing no stock of one of those colours . . . I tend to wait until all three colours are showing stock with one seller, rather than ordering from multiple sellers. My Hobbycraft store is only 10 miles away, and is massive, but the model section has gradually reduced in size, and they don't have much of any interest nowadays. They stock Revell products and not Humbrol, while my Boyes store that is 3 miles from where I live has Humbrol products but not Revell products . . . neither of these two stores sells Tamiya paints. David

Thank you Les . . . I didn't realise that Humbrol might still be adding a small amount of lead to their enamel product, and maybe the additive isn't actually lead but some other chemical that is harmful to the environment ( and people ). David

Thanks Skip . . . I did see an article that suggested Humbrol had moved their enamel production out to China, but then due to quality control issues they moved their production back to UK . . . When I opened my tin of Humbrol Grey Primer 01 yesterday, there was around 3 mm of dark brown liquid in the tin, so I had to stir thoroughly to get the grey pigment to blend with the liquid. This primer applied to my engine parts seemed to be touch dry after 22 hours drying overnight at something like 2°C, but the paint finish is semi gloss and not matt ( it does say Matt on the tin ). David

Thanks for your comments Mark, and that is a bit worrying as regards the Humbrol enamels product. One item that I have managed to purchase just happens to be Milliput white, funnily enough ! David

I am interested to hear what other MCM forum members think about this one . . . Recently I have found that my local suppliers of modelling materials have run out of certain products, most notably Revell Contacta Professional cement / adhesive. Also their stocks of Humbrol enamels in 14 ml tins are greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the online situation with Ebay as a supplier has also changed slightly . . . None of the Ebay sellers have any stock of Tamiya TS-14 Black paint, and it turns out that Tamiya have no stock of TS-14 either. Does anyone know of supply issues that I might not have picked up on ? Maybe containers falling off ships somewhere mid-Pacific Ocean ? Do you have similar concerns over in the US, or could this be a UK / Europe problem only ? Thanks, David

Those headlamps François . . . You have clearly put a huge amount of effort, work and thinking into those components, including the bezels and the protective mesh. What an excellent result ! This whole model car is absolutely museum quality, and you must be so satisfied with your achievement so far. This has been such a joy to follow, and I understand the completion of the build is some way off yet . . . David

I reckon the darker blue one being loaded onto the transporter first may well turn out to be the winner Pat . . . David

The Land Rover Station Wagon, is that the 1:24 Revell Series III, Pat ? . . . I might build one of those one day, as it looks a nice kit. Don't feel too bad about giving up on the Delahaye 135 . . . that is one difficult build for sure ! David

Lots of detail in there Ed for a 1:43 scale diorama . . . very nicely done too. Detail such as the figure inside the phone box are so good. David

Some very nice work you are doing there Louis . . . I think the MG TC, MG TD and also the MG K3 Magnette are all interesting subjects for builds. David

Your wiring and lighting of those Bentley headlamps is very interesting Francois . . . I might follow your procedure for a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III that I shall be building in 1:16 scale, starting middle of January 2024 . . . David

Your Plymouth Superbird can take pride of place next to the Gulf Ford GT40, and it looks superb ! Well done completing this build as well as the Rolls-Royce around the same time . . . David W.

Well done with your gold Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, David.G. . . . Nicely completed model, and I fully understand that you did have multiple issues to deal with along the way. As you say, there is no alternative Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot available out there, in the correct scale, so it is better to use the kit box part rather than not have one at all ! The petrol filler flap looks great, as does the area around the base of the 'A' pillar, which is particularly difficult and challenging, to say the least ! Apart from the boot carpet and spare wheel, the boot lid might as well be closed, despite the poor fit . . . The rear window surround rubber seal should be matt black and no chrome . . . Not a criticism David, just something that most builders get wrong ! " The classic Rolls Royce lines flow like gently rolling waves of water " . . . So true indeed. Nicely defined panel lines and a beautiful paint job. You must be well pleased with this one. I shall never understand why none of the big model car manufacturing companies have ever felt it to be worthwhile producing a really good kit for this motor car, such as Tamiya or Italeri, or maybe even Heller or Fujimi, Aoshima, Hasegawa, BelKits or EBBRO . . . Such a shame really, and I am sure the kit would sell widely. David W.

Thanks a lot Carl . . . I think all three model cars are so beautiful, so it is hard to pick a favourite . . . David

Thank you very much Mario . . . Pleased to hear that you like the subjects ! David

Thank you Craig . . . David

Absolutely Glen . . . David

Beautiful Cadillac model Louis, and the whole diorama setting is extremely good . . . I like the two figures and the building itself. You can feel the sense of the man waiting . . . Brilliant ! David Watson