dmthamade

Have to say, in 40+ years of being a mechanic and buying off the trucks, I've never been refused warranty for not being the original purchaser, never heard of that ever happening to anyone. I don't know where to get Icon tools in Canada, would be willing to try some to see how they work. Wouldn't be the first time I was a lab rat with tools, and I would get to buy some shiny new tools!!! Don

I think $9000.00 isn't too off from being in line for pro mechanics... would be in the running if I was looking. For home use, no. Far above my pay grade for home use. Don

Not a builder of that era, but I've always liked the hot rod racing planes, especially the Schnieder Cup aircraft. Pre war, surplused warbirds after the war and the new hotrod planes, ultimate prop aircraft!! The colorful prewar US Navy and Army aircraft were nice, too. I hear you about the attitudes of some builders and their attitudes towards other things, that's why I stay away from clubs and contests. Once in a while i'll hear them yapping on about how _____(fill in the blank) aren't real models. Doesn't matter to me, all model building is fine...except for target builders....something "off" with them....I kid. Don

Yup!! 1/32 aircraft is where i've been for a 2+ decades. Had to move up from 1/48. So much available right now in 1/32 in kits and aftermarket. Now there's a push of 1/24 scale aircraft and 1/18. Don

Sooo what are you saying? We're the Great Unwashed?? Have to say, 1/24 or 1/25 is frustrating me!! Parts are too small!! I'm getting old, I acknowledge the eyes and fingers don't work like they used to. Found the 1/16 funny car I did an easier build. The Comet i'm trying to Bare-Metal the trim on is getting close to being a crash test subject. Going to look at the bigger scale stuff before I go nuts. Don

Yup!!! No interest in these eras, though the Deusenberg in sinister black would be attractive, Indiana Jones attractive. I absolutely understand that old school muscle cars have no attraction. As I've tried to say, we tend to build what we know. Just started doing car models, looking at my stash of 8 kits, they are 60s-70s american performance cars, with two F1 cars. I remember those civics, Bruce. Right about the time when the kids started to modify these cars. I had a 1985 Toyota MR2 bought new, short on horsepower but really fun to drive, nimble, great at cutting through traffic. Civics, Miatas, 240SX, Corolla GTS, short on power but fun to drive. We all have our favorite car era, I have no interest in the 20s-50s museum pieces, just like you point out kids have no interest in 50s-80s museum pieces. This is a great discussion, would like to hear more from the younger modellers out there how they see the hobby. Don

I get what you're saying...i still have no interest, but the younger crowd are more likely to be attracted as they could better relate to the drifters, hondas, etc., because they are modifying/driving/dreaming about them, just like us in our given era, and that's ok. Don

OK!! I guess I could see the younger builders getting into these. Don't think I would, and I suspect not many of the older builders either. That's ok though, still keeps the hobby going, just another branch of car kits. 3D printing idea sounds good, starting to see this in aircraft models. Don

I've been in the model aircraft world for the last 30?+ years and haven't paid attention much to cars. I have to ask, when( and don't throw rocks at me for mentioning it) The Fast and Furious franchise started, were there any kits of the Ricers(again, no rocks) available? I've seen the kit of the Charger, but can't recall any others. I see the movies evolve from Hondas etc to American Muscle cars to Super Exotics and everything in between. Did anyone kit these? Seems like something kids might get into. Couldn't get licensing rights? Seems like they may have missed an opportunity? Even Jurassic park did the dinos and vehicle. Don

I can totally relate to this!! Way waay back, when I was 16, couldn't wait to get my learners permit, then license. Just like all of my friends. I had my first car at 14, before I could drive. My nephew, he had to be pushed by his mom to get his license, as did his friends. They couldn't care less about fast, chrome, performance, now it's the electrical features(phone hookups, blutooth, etc.). Cars are an appliance to most now, toaster oven on wheels. Don

Some excellent responses!! I get what your saying, Tomo, makes absolute sense. Still trying to find myself in the car model niche. I go to the hobby store and 95% of the car kits are...old school. I get the feeling that the shelves would look identical if the clock was turned back 15 -20 years. Great for the old guys. Not much to see in the new/ modern stuff. I can see where there would be no attraction to cars. OTOH, like Dave, I see the stock of Star Wars, Star Trek, Gundams, Space Battleships has increased, and I can see the shelf stock is always changing, good sign!! Hmm, lots to think about.

Thanks for the positive feedback, guys. I had this paint go bad on a complex build, wanted to see if I could beat it into working. Changed primer and all was good. I like the different colors and sheens they have available and the ease of cleanup. Great for old NMF finishes on aircraft, i'll find uses on car models. Don

Went and had a look, reasonable price, but i build 1/32. Eyes getting old, hands not as steady... Don

I had to look that up. Don

Unlimited racers are fantastic!! Purists object, but I really like the "hotrod" fighters. I would really like to see some kitted, especially Precious Metal. Don

This is something I've seen posted of different forums with different hobbies. The two aircraft centered forums this seems to be oft posted. Kids in the hobby, yeah, I think It happens. We don't see it because, well, they're kids. Have to say, if I was kid age, I wouldn't want to hang around old fogies, would rather be around my peers, talking the hobby, talking about what concerns me in the world with others MY AGE. I don't think teens can relate to what is posted in the What irked you/what pleased you threads, can all of you understand what your teens/grandkids talk about, do they want to hang with you? Give them time, life will get in their way, hobby gets forgotten, then picked back up. Look in the "Welcome! Introduce yourself" thread. Most all are returnees to the hobby and or old guys. We can relate to each other and understand the lives each of us has gone through. Hands up, how many of us come here for the model building, but also for the dialogue and talk about other things besides models. Don

When you do this, can you take a video? Never know just what may happen... Don

I remember reading about counterfeit fasteners and parts in the aerospace industry, scary reads they were. Understand this is a problem in our trade, too. I'm going to say I haven't seen it yet, probably because I haven't been looking. Scary about the fasteners, we do a lot of Euro stuff, they use a lot of one time inverted Torx aluminum bolts. Would really suk to have one of the fake ones go bad...we do dealer or World Pak for the parts and fasteners, so hopefully we should be good. Don

Yup!! Bad enough you have to sometimes fight the car your working on(I live in the great rust belt), you don't want to fight the car AND the tools your using!! Cheap tools might be ok for light use, eg. 8mm/10mm/12mm sockets, Torx bits on Euro, I have these for home use, but for working on the bench where I've worn out high use Snapon sockets in 9 months, cheap tools are verboten. Think long and hard what you need the tools for, think clearly of your projects, don't get sucked into the "I only buy the best" thinking, you should be good. Don

I bought the Snapon boxes for many reasons, one of them being how it could be configured. Facing it, I have the most used and needed tools in a 7 drawer area centered in the middle of the bottom and top. Don't have to bend down, I can look into the drawers to find the tool, see what's missing. I do have two cabinets as well, one is 72" tall two door metal cabinet. I use it for those tools in plastic boxes, pullers, scanners, lab scope...$100.00 used, lockable. Another is 48" tall two doors wall mounted, tools in plastic boxes, lubricants, chemicals, there when I started. Couldn't justify the $$$$ for Snapon kind of storage, it's cheap and secure, I likey. Have seen samples of the Box Condos, nice, but not spending that much. Old saying, not the boxes that make you the $$$, it's the tools inside and the guys skill that swings them that pays the rent. Have to say, those stainless tops look nice. Had one on my roll cab. When I bought the top box the stainless top came home, it's one of the benches in the model room. Don

Hammers... yeah, ones that are specific like dead blow are from tool truck, as is the very small ball peen because it feels right. The big ball peens aren't no name offshore, are still quality hammers. Don't want the head coming off due to crappy wedge locking it in. Co worker had his cheap hammer come apart when doing ball joints on a caravan, head made a nice dent in the cavalier in the bay beside him. About tool feel, speed handles from Snapon feel and work right especially spinning one handed on say, an oil pan on an engine on a stand or a trans on the bench. Other speed handles, not so much. Don

Boxes look OK, prices look in line. I found that the non tool truck boxes aren't as deep as the 3 truck boxes. Small thing but it does matter. Have seen the non boxes have the sliders fall apart/wear out/break. In the 40+ years I've been a auto mechanic, I found that boxes by Snapon/MAC/Matco last. Sliders get cleaned/lubricated, boxes get wiped down, otherwise they last. Off brands are fine for home/light use, but daily hard use it's almost always the sliders that give out first. Casters are next if the boxes do any rolling. Bought a Snapon top box to go on my lower Snapon roll cabinet, waited for good prices on both. I did look at other makers, found lacking in areas. Also, the Snapon drawers could be moved and configured for what I needed, looks completely different from the brochures. As far as tools go, I do have a lot of S/M/Ma stuff, but I also have offbrand. Ratchets I get Snapon, stuff works esp. the older stuff and just as important, they "feel" right. Wrenches are the same, except for the bigger ones, they get off brand. Sockets can go either way, I did buy some off brands 3 years ago to see how they would hold up. These are 19mm/21/mm deep impact sockets, been working fine. Flex sockets esp. 3/8 or 1/4 drives are Snapon, they work, they fell right. Hammers,...it's a hammer..they are a mix of off brand and tool truck. Gear wrenches for racheting box ends. STAY AWAY FROM EZ RED ratcheting box ends esp. their new stuff. My electric impacts are DeWalt brushless, electric ratchets are Snapon. I've seen Milwaukee electrics esp. the Fuel range are fine. My experiences are from a lifetime of wrenchwork, what I need may be overkill for some. Be realistic about what you really need, go from there. Don

I'll have a lookaround for the film or something similar. Don't have Hobby Lobby up here, see if Sprue Bros. has in stock. Meantime, i'll grab a pop bottle and practice. Don

Just from the examples I've seen here, I think it is worth it. It's small details that really make any build whether it be aircraft, armor, ships, figures etc etc. Like the wiper blades, should have a fine black line. PITA to do I imagine, but would add so much. Don

Some great ideas, here!! The idea of retainer strips on the inside sounds like a plan, Bill!! Soda bottle plastics sounds good, too!! I like that 1967 Bonneville!! Up here in Canada we got chevy powertrains in our Ponchos, they were chevys under Pontiac bodies. We also got Beaumonts/Chevelles, Acadian/Novas, Astre/Vega, Ventura/Nova...probably a few more I missed. Don