Dave G.

Glad you secured some ! Also, glad to help concerning Createx when that day comes, if that day comes. Don't just wing it, you'll get screwed up. And if you go to places like Hobby Lobby for advise, they barely know they have it, never mind anything about it.

Amazon is usually from Spray Gunner or AZ Toy/Hobby. But Spray Gunner is out of both thinners, the regular Mr Thinner and the Leveling thinner. As of yesterday anyway. I haven't looked today.

Barbetos is out of stock on the Kaizo Leveling also. But BJ Hobby is still listing the Mr Leveling Thinner this morning as in stock. Or I should say add to cart is not blocked.

I've never heard of them, but I found some at BJ Hobby Supply, in midwest USA. Maybe try that. There isn't much around. Another place had 110ml bottles.

I had a similar thought, though wasn't thinking Tamiya specifically. It certainly would work if hitting/picking the right shade of drab.

I asked here a few months ago, but I at that time , seemed to be the only one with a problem finding it. Then it showed up at Amazon for a while, and now I see it's out of stock there again. So for me, I've just been using Createx and craft paints. And I had gotten away from needing MLT, forgetting about it till this message today. I can't answer why the US market isn't getting supplied. So happens, I get along fine with Createx anyway. Or various enamels thinned with hardware store lacquer thinner, so it doesn't much matter to me.

My wife actually placed the order, they had one in stock at one of the Local Michaels stores for $19.99. 30% discount on that, plus we are rewards members, so she had a voucher as well. Anyway, total cost $11 and change. I just went and picked it up. So I got to looking online, another store had none, but yet another had low inventory but in stock for $21.99. The same deal is still on for 30% off and any vouchers anyone might have. It might be worth looking locally if someone has been wanting a 57 Chevy. Just go to Michaels online and punch in your local area.

I do the same as you for kit decals, the few decals I ever use that is.

Xacto to me is just so sharp. I prefer the single edge razor blades. You can buy a 10 pack at the hardware store usually. Or 100 at Amazon. I wrap the upper part of the blade in blue painters tape, and just grip it from there, no blade holder. Been doing that for 50 years or more. I used to make my own stencils in 1/1 using the razor blades.

I went quick connects, one hose between multi brand airbrushes. The adapters I use are iwata ( 1/8 actually) . The other end of the hose is Iwata ( 1/8) to 1/4. I do still have a 50 yo line with Badger to 1/4 nipple that plugs into my portable compressor. All adapters have since been bought from Amazon. My airbrushes are Ganzton Iwata knock off, my original 50 yo Badger 200, two Paasche airbrushes, the H and suction feed dual action. The quick connects make swapping out simple. My airbrushes all have a connector nipple, in fact that Paasche dual action came with one. The compressor has a 1/4 female quick connect on it for feeding air hoses for air tools. So my airbrush hose is adapted to that and has the 1/4 male end on it.. On the other end, the airbrush end is Iwata 1/8 quick connect. I like on that Ganzton airbrush, the Mac valve. This way you can just set 30 or 35 psi psi, and adjust down for your proper spray pattern on board the airbrush. All airbrushes should have a Mac valve, just my opinion. Anyway, Point Zero makes a nice water trap regulator if you're looking for one of those for say the side of your work station. Very accurate. Set your compressor output for 50 psi then line pressure after your work station water trap for whatever you need for flowing air. With that 350 airbrush, Id guess start at 25 psi working pressure ( in other words with the air flowing through the brush, not static pressure). Back in the day, so to speak, I had the Badger starter brush and the Badger 200. The best thing I ever ran into for spraying Testors enamels was the setting of 35 psi. Ya it cause some extra over spray but the paint stomization and flow out was phenomenal. Big difference from enamel and the then popular Floquil paints, in terms of pressure.

Me too !

Honestly, when I was doing contests, I found the worst critics to be outside the arena, so called friends. The judges at least had a kind word on how to improve, if asked. Same for top winners in many cases. Outside the arena, you got mocked for placing third with a ribbon, though they never entered a contest themselves. I like in the bible, where it says " a kind word turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger". Proverbs 15:1

With step side beds, I do the fenders and tailgate separate from the bed, personally. But all in the same session . If you assemble the bed and fenders first, you will get blow back up under the rail. It's more difficult, at least for me, to get all the paint to lay down the same. Not to mention polishing later on. It's just my way. Can't help with the primer selection, the Duplicolor advocates will have to answer that part. I don't use Duplicolor.

An awesome point you make is that you build to a level you determined is satisfying to you.

As I said, something good to aspire to.

I learned a lot actually from entering a contest. It may have been 1960, I would have been 10 or 11, and I placed last in my class.The biggest blooper was the paint. But I got to see details others put into their entries. I went back the next year and won a ribbon with an AMT 49 Ford, simply by applying what I had learned and subscribing to a car modelers magazine. I still didn't win the contest and get the trophy, but I placed at least. I didn't go into modeling already a winner for sure. None of us do.

Good for a beginner to aspire to, or anyone. There are good practices at use. Then again, I know when I began, it took time to acquire, not just skill but tools. And you don't have the keen eye yet, where you might see the finished product of HPI guy results as "good enough for me", scenario. Considering the beginner knows nothing at all, perhaps. I like this guys parts tree nippers ! But there is no word spoken as to what brand etc.

Not for long.

I use a bit of everything, from craft paints in Createx transparent base and 4030 for base coating, to actual Createx, Rustoleum 2x decanted, Testors enamels, Tamiya LP thinned with MLT, Tamiya acrylics with the same thinner, and once every four years even some MCW. Vallejo is great for interiors and convertible tops. All airbrushed. The last time I spray bombed a model was somewhere in the 1970's. I've been building models since 1958.

I decant into airbrush mixing jars, basically universal airbrush jars. The tops have seals inside same as a Testors bottle may have. Or clean out and save your Tamiya jars, those things seal awesome. I had been tossing them but now save them when empty. Mason jars I keep solvents in for oil painting. And I have one I keep ipa in for stripping paint. They don't seem to evaporate. These are the ones with metal ring cap that has the thread and the seal cap is a metal disk with neoprene gasket that sits on the jar, you screw the ring down onto it.. Those seal well, the plastic caps not so much. Edit: either Mason or Ball brands are both good, just get the metal caps

Right now Harbor Freight according to the online add anyway, has the Fortress 1 gal and 2 gal listed at the same price, $159.95. These compressors review well. Just sayin.

I've never used one in over 60 years of model building, personally. But Amazon lists several brands and models of them. I wouldn't know a good pick from a bad one though. As far as the $ amount goes, everything has gone up. I mean let's face it, once upon a time in my life we paid $1.25 for AMT car kits etc.

That hasn't been my experience at all. With Createx, I flash off each coat with a hair dryer out in the middle of the kitchen, hand held. Low to medium heat, you don't need it real hot or real close to the body, but heat seems to make a difference.. You can watch it flash off and level out, ready for the next coat. And in so doing, my opinion is I get a smoother , more level finish for top coat ( clear). Then the whole thing goes into the dehydrator at 105-110f for 30 min to an hour. Createx likes heat anyway. The opaque colors, when not using 4030 balancing clear, but used for it's original intent for graphic or airbrush art work on fabric, you put in a heat press to set it into the cloth @ 350F for 10-12 seconds. So it likes a heat set, it's made for it. 4030 converts the paint for use on hard surfaces, effectively turning the paint from acrylic fabric paint to to poly acrylic hard surface paint. And in small % of 4030, 10-20%. 4030 takes out the rubber feel people have complained about with Createx, and it's scuffable. My dehydrator is a combo air fryer, dehydrator, front load. It effectively is more like a cabinet style paint dryer. When my former wife of 47 years passed on, I inherited it so to speak. It will easily fit a 1/16 body, and dry it shot in enamel, accurately at what ever temp I want. But I'm really getting to like the Createx and their auxiliary additive line of paints.Even craft paints with 4030 work great, and bone dry in 30 min. I got more dirt in my paint jobs using a 28" wide spray booth than any other way in my 60 years of painting models (and 1/1), including spraying outdoors. It's like a funnel chamber drawing dirt to it/ through it to collect on the paint. I actually like a room for paint, a shrouded exhaust fan in a window ( not even the fan for createx, I just shoot into a trash can with liner in it). The shrouded exhaust fan started back in the days of using Floquil paints for model trains.

That's a well executed build and nice looking car !! I realized I've never built the 62 T Bird. I try to cut my vintage off by 1960, but there are a few up to 63 worth considering.

Looks great ! Reminds me of some of the sleeper type builds I might have done myself a few decades ago. Very nice, clean look.