Misha

Neat work Bruce, that rear suspension is very intriguing! It's great to see how the competition is heating up, great ideas out there and a rich variety of builds. now to get back to the workbench. Cheers Mates, Misha

Welcome Joe! You're certainly well ahead of the game, the wiring and paint detail is well beyond where I began my first model way back, my goodness half a century ago now (that is a surprise to me when I put it that way) looking forward to more of your work, Misha

Pretty Wild!!! Be checking in on the Express. Cheers Misha

That certainly brings back memories! What a great idea for a scale version. Does any one produce decals for the Inch Pincher? Imagine that the best choice for the Bug would be Tamiya's version with a stretched Type 2 from Fujimi? Gonna file this under modelling ideas for the future. Cheers Misha

I find that an airbrush gives me greater control, allows for a wider range of paints, and cuts down on that cloud of overspray from a can. In the distant dark ages I used rattle cans then bought a double action Paasche VL, a real workhorse, and a cheapy compressor that pulsated like a bucking bronco! Since then I've added a second VL and an Iwata for finer work, plus a studio Iwata compressor with two feeds and near silent operation. Having said that, I still use Tamiya primers rattle cans for ease of operation and no clean up. I've recently set up a workbench in our winter abode in Scottsdale and I'm back to using Tamiya cans as my spray rig is up north. On calm days I can be spotted in the condo parking lot spraying. The main point is that I agree with Pete J. above that owning the right tools doesn't guarantee a good job, yet it encourages one to do better and obtain finer finishes as one develops their skills. Cheers Misha

Neat idea David! The illustrations are drop dead gorgeous, especially effective are the side stripes to differentiate the Mk II and Mk IV liveries. The Gulf colours look great too, yet over the years they have appeared on a range of vehicles and have become somewhat passé. I would add the original Series 1 scheme with white body and blue nose. Being a new kit and a snap kit it would be enticing to give it a go, as most of the effort would go into the paint schemes while allowing for an easy and quick build. Haven't seen the kit itself yet on the shelves, though believe it's molded in a dark blue? Saw the 1:1 white version on a turntable at Barrett Jackson this year, it is a stunner! Great idea for a community build, hope there is enough interest. Cheers Misha

Just cleared off my bench to take some photos of my K5 Blazer WIP for the AussieBall this year. This is my temporary bench in Arizona while escaping from the Pacific NorWest's wet wintery blast. Very basic tools and rattle cans down here. In a few weeks be back on Vancouver Island and back in my hobby room! Cheers Misha

Okie dokie, went back and trashed some of my earlier photos, see if that helps... Not sure what effect that has on my previous posts.

Going to give it another shot for downloading. Signed up for Fotki... Let's see what happens! It's more complicated than I thought... Have to,do,some research, sorry! Misha

K5 Blazer - Entry #18 Chassis Update G'Day Mates, Been busy with family visits to AZ from north of the 49th, so haven't had that much time at the bench. Have worked on the chassis and it's nearly ready for primer! Added on the front mount for the Roo Bar and winch to attach to and have fabricated the connecting mounts for the roll bar cage. It's not to regulation just to bolt the cage to the sheet metal floor, it has to tie into the frame so that the entire structure is one piece. Also switched the steering gear around to the starboard side to match the RHD interior. Going to mount the pedals and brake m/c plus booster from the 67 Camaro kit to line up with the steering and dash. Made a pattern from card for the skid plate in front then fabricated in plastic along with attachment points on the chassis. Used half round strips to add strengthening to the plate. Ready now for any kangaroo or ditch excursions in the Outback. Washing the body parts in preparation for the first primer coats and then shooting TS-34 Camel Yellow for the body with a tan top. Next on the build list is the roof rack that will be connected to the roll cage. The frame and cage will be finished in TS-38 Gun Metal. All paints are Tamiya rattle cans, as the air brush rig is back on Vancouver Island. Only a few weeks before flying home, will catch the Desert Scale Classic here in Phoenix on April 9th. Cheers for now, Misha Whoops! Can't upload the pics as even one exceeds my 9.16MB, not sure what to do, as I don't use any other program for photos.

Using the Blazer kit for my entry in the AussieBall this year's Cannonball on the forum. It's great to have this kit back, yet I'm facing the same quandary with the off road wheels included. Once I get back to Vancouver Island I'll search thru the stash for something more appropriate. It's a mystery how they combined six and five lugs into the kit. I also picked up a second kit largely for an extra set of tires (even with five included in the box) as one was somewhat miss molded, plus I want to carry two spares on board. The Blazer is lifted a scale five inches, will mount a full roll cage mounted to the chassis, have the steering shifted over to RHD and have a number of mods and additions for this trek across the Outback. Check out the thread on Community Group Builds. Cheers Misha

Great start Michael on a classic kit! Looking straight and all four tires on the ground. Would you describe the issues as you build and how you get around them. This is a great vehicle, yet a daunting kit with the dual engines and all the chrome. Built the Roth cars as a kid, found them difficult (except the Surfite) and now have contemplated having a go at them yet thinking of stripping the chrome off to help glue it together and then Alclad. I'll be following you build with great interest. Cheers Misha

By the way, what time do the doors open? Wouldn't want to miss out on anything. Cheers Misha

Nice work Jeff on wiring and plumbing your Hemi. Alternator is attached to the block avoiding the dreaded floating one. The paint work turned out very well. I would offer a suggestion to make your plug wires lay more naturally, especially the driver's side where they are looping up into the air, apart from that it looks terrific! Quite interested in seeing what you'll wrap,around it. The style suggests an S/Stock class racer??? Cheers Misha

Great shots Tom! Thanks for taking the time to document so many unique and expertly finished models. It was neat to see many entries that were featured in the forum pages as WIP or Under Glass. It looks like the show was a winner, congrats to the organizers. Looking forward now to the Desert Classic in Phoenix. Cheers Misha

Thought I was going to miss the event, as we were going to head back to Vancouver Island on the first, yet last night the plans changed ?! The DSC was one of the main reasons. Very happy to be able to attend and meet fellow forum members. Can I still get into the "stinkin'" badge deal? Looking forwards to the show, Cheers Misha

Whoa! Can I have the keys to this Woodie? Beautiful job on this one, the extras really add to it. Love to have it my my stable. Congrats! Misha

Great build Gary. It's a really nice change to see a stock build of this Dodge, rather than the LIttle Red Wagon. Congrats, Misha

Eye Popping!!! What a great concept and look, the stylin' is perfect especially the box. Missed the build thread, gonna go check it out. Thanks for sharing this beauty. Cheers Misha

Beautiful build Mercelo! The paint finish is gorgeous, always difficult to do black and you aced it. Under the hood detail is very well done congrats. As this is your first post, welcome aboard and we all are looking forward to seeing more of your work. What's next on your bench? Cheers Misha

That's a beaut of a truck! The stance is bang on and all the detail bits work so well. Followed your build with great enjoyment; this is the first of three, can't wait for the other two. Your engine swap is fab, plus the change to the dual M/C is a good idea. I know how it feels when it all appears to fit, then upon final assembly the quirks and gremlins appear, you've done a great job on this one. Cheers Misha

Congrats! Great coverage, love the colour. Cheers Misha

You've done well with the Alclad Zachary, especially for the first go at it. I would recommend removing parts from the sprue and drilling a small hole into which floral wire can be inserted. If I'm going to use the wire as a pin to help attach it to another part I'll usually use CA adhesive and trim the floral wire back when ready to attach the part. Cleaning up the parts is a key to a good finish and having it off the sprue helps immensely. Cheers Misha

Interesting topic! I would also try using half round stock and then proceed with the sanding. For gluing with little mess and for quickness I usually use Tenax 7 R, a great glue that cements plastic nearly instanously. Over the years it's been difficult to find, yet Hobby Depot in Tempe stocks it and I usually keep a couple of bottles on my bench. Cheers Misha

I'll echo the above comments, really nice clean build of an iconic racer from the earlier days when stock was pretty close to being that. Great paint job and decal application (kit or aftermarket?) Congrats, Misha