bobss396

I use one blade for cutting on the car. I got some of those surgical blades from work, takes very little effort to cut through the foil. If I have to do a long straight piece, along the bottom of a rear window for example, I'll cut the foil edge carefully, line it up on molding so I don't have to cut it once I have it on the car. Bob

Great tutorial on the display case. I had seen one similar to it, except the front plastic piece was made to slide up and down, was held in place with pegs. But definitely food for thought. I have those mirror-backed plastic cases that hold around 27 cars, 3 on a shelf x 9. I believe they are known as dragster cases. I see them online for around $110 and they are pretty good if you remember to keep them closed tightly. Bob

Doing BMF is a challenge and you HAVE to be in the right frame of mind to do it well. Meaning, not being rushed by circumstances or deadlines. Also take human bites, don't try to finish the whole thing in one shot. Bob

I got one and was not happy with the fit of the glass. Looks like I have some major body work in front of me. Also the rear deck lid sort of drops off abruptly, it needs more of a radius to it. At least that involves taking material off. I'm a bit disappointed but will still enjoy building a mild custom out of it. Bob

I saw the Merc at the show, asked them why they did something that has already been done to death in plastic as well as resin. I got no real answer. But I'll still pick up a couple of them. Bob

I'm with Marc Nellis, Mr. Color thinner works for me. I've also used 1:1 auto body thinner, acrylic lacquer thinner. Which is pretty much what all the auto body supply stores carry. Bob

It was a great show indeed! I never saw so many '32 Fords in one event, all were works of art. I met a few new people and should have socialized more but was too busy $pending ca$h and looking at the great models on display. Nice work on all that posted photo albums. Bob

I'm big on rattle cans, they do a good job if you got the knack. I'll have to try the Soft Scrub trick.

I paint outside all year at any time as long there is no precipitation. I'll warm the paint in hot tap water too, might adapt one of those foam beer can holders in the near future. I do the paint thing, run back inside and go right to the dehydrator with it. Which helps to have a warm body for the 2nd coat, etc. I've heard of guys using fish tanks with drop lights for heat, also copier paper boxes. I guess anything would work as long as it didn't get too hot. Bob

I like to use a razor saw for re-scribing panel lines. Normally I hold it at a fairly shallow angle until I get the cut established. For tighter curves, I work with the leading teeth of the saw at around a 45 degree angle. Practice ona scrap body first. Also putty tends to chip as compared to plastic, you might try filling the old lines with CA glue and baking soda. Bob

I had a close one a few weeks ago. Normally I drop the can into a pyrex measuring cup with hot tap water, but check it with a thermometer first. Around 105 F is pretty good for me. No idea what this was, but the bottom of the can did bulge out on me while satnding on $12,000 worth of cape cod grey deck! I would have to had to move out of the house. Bob

I used to get the heebie-jeebies when I wet sanded for the first time. Of course I blew through an edge by the time I was almost done. From there I practiced on junk bodies, hoods, whatever I had around. Enamels are soft and take less effort to polish out. The Tamiya sprays are a little harder, lacquers are the hardest. One of the many benefits of lacquer IMHO. Just make sure you have a few coats of paint down, try to put a good first coat on all fender lips, panel edges, crown lines, etc. When polishing try to stay away from those areas and work up to them. Try one of those Detail Master polishing cloth sets. They're a good place to start and come with directions. Bob

I like the o-ring idea. I would consider using a piece of stryene tubing or rod and drop them over the diameter. The tube would give you structural strength and something to attach it to the axle or chassis. Bob

Also consider how available replacement parts and accessories are for the air brush. I swear by my Badger 350 and can get anything I need for it at local art supply stores. Bob

I have some that I do collect to keep, others I'll collect but will sell them off to finance supplies, etc. At club meetings I sometimes GIVE away semi-rare kits or supplies to good friends who'll give them good homes or need something for a project. Which sometimes ticks off the people who sell everything and the almighty buck is their god. Lately I just buy what I want to build. I have more kits than most hobby stores so I'm pretty well fixed at this point. Bob

I can get the same results out of a spray can (as long as the can sprays nicely) as I get with an air brush. Canned paint by Duplicolor, Black Gold or Tamiya all spray very nicely. The only clears that I've had yellow on me were Tamiya X-22 acrylic and Testors. These were over white so the effect was most obvious. I now stick with Tamiya TS-13 clear, also use Duplicolor's and HOK clears. I used to polish all the way to 12000 grit but now will polish something out to 6000 grit and follow that up with Meguairs Show Car Glaze. Bob

Those industrial q-tips are great, they only have the q-tip on one end, the othe end is just the stick itself. They do leave fuzz if you use them too long. A trick with them is to twist the q-tip end tighter before you start. I'll have to try Bill's chamois tip on my next BMF venture. Bob

sometime ago there was a thread about what makes you stop on a project. for me its the prospect of hours of attempting foiling...that will get a project put away quicker than anything for me! but thats why i typically build cars that dont require a lot of chrome or at least not real prominent chrome.

I've used the Goo Gone right on paint, of course as little as possible. I use all lacquers so I have no idea how it plays with other paints. I dip a brush or use a q-tip, wipe it on, wipe it off with a tissue, do the rinse thing and it works for me. I doubt that there's any acetone in it, but read the label and try it out where it won't show first. Bob

Try Scale Dreams, they carry Ken's Fuzzy Fur which (IMHO) is better than Detail Master's or any other that I've seen. Bob

I'll be there too, of course stuggling at the last minute to finish something! Bob

There is a cool product called Goo Gone which is citris based that takes off tape and sticker residue, also works well on BMF adhesive. I always wash the area off after with a little soap and water on a q-tip just to be sure it is clean and will take the new piece of foil. I use the real deal BMF only, have tried the Model Master stuff which just curls up and is not user friendly. I believe that BMF has a shelf life to it, which I haven't a clue to what it is. After a while it looks like a dry lake bed with all the cracks it gets. I also try to buy it at shows only and will split a sheet with someone so it all gets used instead of going to waste. Bob

I judge shows and a good or bad BMF job can be a tie breaker. I've seen it looking like a Wrigley's gum wrapper on an otherwise greatly painted and detailed model. Some modelers try to foil a vent window with into one piece, not saying it can't be done, but they should look at a 1:1 car to see where the breaks are and consider using more than one piece. Another problem area is definition of the edges around window trim and body spears, etc. The good foil jobs are where they clean up the trim and re-scribe lines that are faint or irregular. In summary, take your time with it! If a piece gets over-worked, it tends to get that gum wrapper look to it, rip it off and start over. Bob

Try Detail Master for braided line and fittings, they should have almost anything that you might want to try. I have access to scrap wire of all sizes and color at work, so I'm stocked up and every once in a while some braided cable comes my way. Bob