R. Thorne

One quick note: After a particularly thick coating on one piece, 2 days later it was still a bit sticky to the touch. Upon reading the instructions (yeah, I know, it’s always the last thing to do), it recommends putting the clear on after 72 hours. From now on, I will wait for 3 days drying time if the piece needs to be manhandled.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, my brush that I used cleaned up fine with 91% isopropyl alcohol.

Instructions for the Fusionfirm “chrome”.

Installed the “glass” and those pesky tailights. Had to ream out the holes and finally got them to fit. Started to use canopy glue, but it came out real thin and runny (haven’t used it in quite a while). Usually use Bsi gold ca, but wanted to try something different. Instead, went with Alene’s quick dry tacky glue.

It says 36 months shelf life on the package.

Keep in mind that this is Hasegawa chrome with its advantages and disadvantages over Bare Metal Foil. It is inherently flexible and, more importantly, stretchy. This creates issues with the width of the strip you are installing. But, it doesn’t break easily like BMF. It allows me to use one long strip, for example, to go all the way around the rear window. You can also pull it back off and reapply it if you misapply it the first time. I use my fingers to hold one end in place and press it down with another finger while stretching it slightly. No adhesive residue is another plus. While my work is not perfect, it suits me and frees up some time on my builds.

Some Hasegawa chrome and some Tamiya paint on the bellhousing, as the acrylic marker orange was a bit off in color. I cut off long thin strips, then stretch and apply. Virtually no cutting on the body. Done in one hour. Much easier on these old eyes.

I am always grateful for helpful information. Fremont supplied me with those decals in 2021. Though not as fast, the blown small block of Moody & Jones’s C/GS 37 Chevy that I saw run in the 60’s remains my favorite sounding car. Someday I will finish my model of it (sigh!).

Since I was posting this on my 63 Corvette build, I thought I would throw it on here also. Hopefully the lighting is a little better on this post. This is another set of headers and the lower trim on the Corvette (brushed on with the original brush after i crammed it back on).

One of my stumbling blocks a few years ago was headers and I had put some small block Chevy partspak flanges on and test fitted the individual tube headers on. After looking at them today and my allergy to inauthenticity arose again. I did a little research and found a decent set of big block headers in my 67 Chevelle. Were the Jardine headers on the car equipped with collectors? I don’t know, but sometimes you have to use a poetic license. Painted them and the lower trim with some Fusionfirm.

I’m afraid this isn’t much help to your situation. A bad piece to use for a color clear type coating, but here’s the result of the red Tamiya clear.

My last update on what I had accomplished back in 2021. I think the car was painted with Testors metallic green and lacquer thinner (this was in my airbrush days). I had put some larger slicks on and had test fit the chassis and hood.

Quite quickly, it can be handled within 10-15 minutes, though I usually let it dry for a half hour or so.

No, the only bubbles were in the clear right after it was applied (due, no doubt, to my shaking the bottle). Those bubbles went away shortly after. There were no bubbles in the chrome that I saw. As Les said, what you were seeing was the surfaces of the raw 3D printed pieces. In retrospect, I probably should have used a flat sheet of styrene, but, hey, that’s what I had handy.

Continued:

A couple of quick observations. The wheel back that was clear coated doesn’t seem to have affected the shine. When I took the cap off today, the brush didn’t come out with it. I used a regular brush to apply it to a resin 53 Olds bumper. The brush cleaned up fine with 91% alcohol. The chrome paint showed up all the roughness on the bumper, so it is reasonably thin and shouldn’t hide detailed surfaces. I took my finger and pressed hard against the wheel backs (cleared and plain) and wheels 5 or 6 times with no visible differences. Les, I did spray some clear red over one of the wheel backs. I will look at it later today.

First of all, you will NEVER go wrong with Ace’s advice on anything covered on this forum. Me, I am lazy, and a super shiny paint job with hours of time priming, sanding, painting, incremental sanding again, polishing, etc., is not what drives me in modeling. I am, however, allergic to inauthenticity in the mechanical parts of modeling (engines, trans chassis, etc.). My paint jobs generally consist of no primer and TS series Tamiya paint (spray cans). It just takes cleanliness and a little practice.

This is how the clutchflite evolved for me then. Sawed off the stick trans, cut the bellhousing off an Mopar 727 type auto trans, used an bellhousing out of an partspak, then some sanding on the front of the Mopar trans. Also, a pic of the specialized B&M throwout bearing adapter.

As this car ran a B&M clutchflite trans, I thought you guys might like this information I dredged up in 2021.

Hopefully, it won’t take too long. From 2021, some engine work and header trial fitting. The headers came from an amt partspak, I think.

Scalehobbyist has Microset and Microsol.

Thanks, guys.

After finishing my Corvette NHRA Stocker, I remembered I had started this car about 4 years ago. I had to dig up some old WIP pictures (only took a few). I am going to endeavor to finish this one. Here’s the beginning body work from 2021.

To clarify a couple things: yes, it comes with 2 bottles; one is the “chrome” and one is the clear; the brushes are made into the cap; the chrome is supposed to dry for 48 hrs before applying the clear. I applied the chrome on these wheel backs a month ago and have intentionally handled them roughly, pressing my finger onto them with a lot of pressure, installing tires on them, etc., with no deleterious effects. This was without the clear. Today, I coated one of the wheel backs with clear (the one on the right with bubbles). I shall leave it alone for a couple days then compare it to the uncoated one. I also painted a couple resin wheels just as they come.

Have not tried the clear yet, but I like the chrome. I brushed it on with the enclosed brush. I also like that it has an agitator ball included in the bottle. Very easy to use and holds up to handling better than the other products I have tried.