bobss396

Prep work is very important as many paints today are quite thin don't hide flaws like the old enamels would. I always use a lacquer grade primer, but always use Duplicolor on the final passes as it goes on flat and thin, if you need to do more sanding/filling it will show up. Bob

Great turorial, love the engine block! The good part about styrene is that it is fairly cheap and if you screw up, you can still salvage most of it for other uses. I've made my own "chassis jigs" from 1 x 4 pine trim and using small finishing nails for banking. I've even double-face taped graph paper to it so I could lay out accurate lines. Bob

Try harvesting the wheel tubs out of a stock car kit, those are pretty big and you could probably razor saw what you want out of it fairly easily. Bob

The traditional chrome process caused chrome wheels to crack due to etch entrapment on the center holes and around the lug areas on the wheels. Centers were pulling out of the wheels so NASCAR nixed them at the time. Powder coating is a whole different process and works well. Bob

I've polished/color sanded some metallics with great success, so don't anyone let you tell you that it can't be done. Generally the larger the flake, the more difficult to impossible it will be. I've done Duplicolor and Tamiya sprays, but usually clear over them after. I often make up "sample" parts to experiment on, so I tend to try a lot of things out and not on the actual model. Success teaches us nothing. I believe that the smoother the finish coat is, the smoother the clear will lay down the less of a chance you'll blow through the clear into the color when you polish that. I don't necessarily buy into the Tamiya "one month" myth, everything I paint goes right into the dehydrator. Bob

My paint stand is a hockey puck with 4 holes drilled into the face of it. I insert coat hanger wire into the holes, similar to other paint stands here. The advantage is that I can rotate it in one hand while I paint. Got any old plastic cream cheese or butter tubs? Wash them out good, turn it over and poke a bunch of holes through the bottom. I paint parts on tooth picks and then pop them into the holes for drying. It never falls over, holds a ton of parts and costs nothing. I use fun-tack on the toothpicks, or attach alligator clips to them or use the plain toothpick in a hole in the part, or drill one where it won't show. Bob

I like Scale Dreams, they carry some supply items and have super fast service. PSF Hobbies carries more modeling supply stuff and is great to deal with as well. Bob

Nice lathe work as always Mark! Any chance we'll see you vending at the NNL East? Bob

Hardware stores (if you can still find one) carry spring assortments that they'll let you paw through. And they're cheap too. You can sometimes get a longer one and make 2 out of it. Also look at ball point pens, many have perfect model car springs in them. Bob

I like the hot tap water method. You might want to wear dishwashing gloves though. I let the water run over the section with the problem, twist the body beyond where it should be and rinse it off with cold water. It might take a couple of tries, but it has always worked for me. I don't like to immerse the whole body as some of the thin sections may permanently deform. Bob

I'm looking for a couple of Contest Annuals. Is there a way to buy them online or when are they expected to be available in book stores and news stands? Thanks, Bob