Ddms

I'm building an old Monogram "Mercedes Classic Coupe" from Monogram - it's a 540K. Has anybody ever built one of these, or the roadster version? There's there are a couple of things that really have me stumped. 1) I can't figure out where to mount the fan/belt/pulley assembly. The instructions don't show it clearly. The one-piece fanbelt assembly has two holes on the back. One is behind the pulley, and it logically would fit over a pin on the front of the camshaft housing. But there's NO MATCHING PIN for the hole on the back of the fan. There's a 1/16" gap between the fan and the front cover. Makes no sense; it just hangs out there. How is the assembly supposed to be attached to the front of the motor? 2) There's a similar problem with the cam/intake manifold assembly. The two ends of the u-shaped manifold tube seem intended to fit into holes in the block, but there aren't any holes for it! How does that little assembly attach to the block? Seems unlikely they'd want the modeler to drill holes to mount a part. I've got photos of the engines on real 540k's, but nothing seems to match.

Eh? How does that work? I'm seeing a bib with a strip of velcro along the bottom.

Is it the same as Press n' Seal? Looks different.

Follow-up on my ball bearing post: I just bought some 1/4" inch ones and they cost .50 each! Wow! Is there a cheaper substitute? Used bearings would be ideal, but who sells used ball bearings? Off the subject, but since I mentioned Alclad: I just tried Krylon gloss black as a base for Alclad II chrome, and it works great. It dries faster and it's a lot cheaper than Alclad black base.

Where do you buy Apoxie?

I try to use the mildest products that will do the job. Ordinary isopropyl alcohol will strip most chrome, and for paint, just about any strong degreaser - like Simple Green - will get 'er done. If I have to leave a part in the stuff overnight, that's no big deal. Sometimes it takes a brass brush to get residue out of the crevices; that's okay too.

Sorry, but what is parafilm?

Good one! I've tried using Tamiya Yellow Clear, but yours looks better. Maybe I can find somebody in the neighborhood who's into beading or jewelry. I really like those French models, too!

I agree with everybody about using water-based acrylics over Alclad - and avoiding anything that has alcohol or lacquer thinner in it. The same applies to kit chrome. Tamiya makes an acrylic called "Smoke" that will work. But I've run across something I like better. Future, aka "Pledge with Future for Floors," can be tinted with dye-based inks and used as a wash. Future is a water-based acrylic, so it's safe on Alclad and on kit chrome. I like it better than the Tamiya clears because it's not as thick and you can adjust the tint. It's also glossy. The inks come in a range of colors, so you can use this method to tint headers blue, brown and orange. You can also blend colors by using a brush and dipping it into different mixes or clear Future. I use dye-based inks. You can buy them at any art store. You can use ammonia to remove dried Future, but not from kit chrome. It dissolves it. I actually like kit chrome pretty well when it's tinted with this method.

Alex is great. I especially like the way he preps and paints. No unnecessary steps and fantastic results.

This illustration was inspired by an old photo in a book. All the elements, including the driver's face, were constructed or re-constructed in Photoshop. I tried to capture the feeling of the early days of road racing, as seen through the mists of time.

The time-honored rule is "Never ever put lacquer over enamel," but some of the hobby synthetic lacquers are pretty good that way. Nonetheless, I'd test a similarly painted part before risking the entire paint job.It's important not to spray it too wet. Lacquer thinner HATES enamel, and will make a big mess of it.

Actually, I think kit chrome looks pretty good, but ONLY IF it's "washed." I add acrylic ink from an art store to Future and dip the kit chrome pieces in it. A tissue is good for wicking off the excess.

I don't have any good examples, but here's a bad one: the sprue I mentioned: http://i148.photobuc...colorChrome.jpg It's rough, but there was no undercoating or other surface prep. I've gotten smoother results on smaller pieces by undercoating with Alclad black base or Future. I'm working on a Moebius '53 Hudson. I'm going to throw the dice and use Duplicolor over Future on the unchromed bits like the door handles and all that thin window trim. I've already "detailed" the factory chrome bits by dipping them in Future tinted with black acrylic ink. They really look good. When the Hudson is done, I'll upload photos of the completed model and you can judge for yourself.

I just tested Duplicolor spray chrome again, and tried rubbing my fingers on it, and it didn't tarnish. Maybe it tarnished because I used Tamiya polish on it. I tried painting some sprues with it, and they came out looking pretty good. So... most people recommend either BMF or Alclad II. But only rarely does anybody recommend Duplicolor chrome. Why is that?

For me, the Kosutte Ginsan is too dark. The powder is also hard to handle. I still haven't found anything I like: Duplicolor chrome stuff tarnishes if you touch it. Alclad and Spaztix (over smooth, glossy black) look too much like paint and lack that silky smoothness of real chrome. Sometimes BMF is okay, but I can't get a uniform flat surface that's not wavy. Burnishing makes it even worse. Maybe the only perfect solution is to have the parts actually plated. But what if the body has raised, molded-on parts, like trim and door handles, that need to be chromed? Perfectionism is truly a curse.

Good ideas, Futura Bat. I thought about copying the decals, but I don't have any white decal paper right now, and don't want to part with the $$$ if I can help it. I can get around on Photoshop pretty well, so I could use it to tint the white areas grey. Of course, I'm gonna need white decal paper anyway - I always seem to have a use for the stuff. Here's another possibility: After posting my question, I found some Floquil "Flat Finish" in my paint box. It's white but it dries flat clear, and smells like enamel. I could tint some with black acrylic ink and apply it to the decals after I put them on the seats. Before doing that, I'll scan the decals so I can make my own if I mess up the kit ones. Speaking of washes, I've been tinting Future with black acrylic ink and applying it as a wash on kit chrome. It dries to a high gloss, of course. It gets rid of the toy look everybody hates about kit chrome, and darkens the nooks and crannies, giving more depth to the chrome. Thanks for the Tamiya Smoke idea, Draggon. I think it would work, but then I I'd be back to the problem of finding a dull coat to kill the gloss.

I'm building an old Mercedes Benz 300 SLR kit, and they've included decals for the plaid seat upholstery. Yes, plaid. The original cars had blue and grey plaid, but for some reason the decals are blue and bright white. I want to tone down the white in the pattern, but don't know what will do the job without either ruining the decals or giving them a gloss finish. Any ideas?

I think when people see the subject line and start scrolling down, they see only computer info, and assume that that's what the thread is all about. Which it is. What about changing the subject line to "Computer Tips and Tricks for Modelers"? If you reply "Hey, that's a good idea!" I'll recommend it to Gregg.

Was this thread supposed to be about computer stuff, or did it just turn out that way because of the OP? Seems like it was intended for tips and tricks about car modeling. I just discovered that the best way to see mold lines and other flaws is to take your model outside early in the morning or late in the afternoon. But that tip has nothing to do with Linux, so maybe I'm in the wrong department?

There isn't much metallic brown around, so I settled on Duplicolor Cordova brown. It's a little redder than I'd like, but it's the only game in town unless I get automotive paint, which is great stuff, but I'm only painting the Hudson's top and visor brown, so it wouldn't be worth $14 for the the 2 oz. minimum.

I'm giving up on this paint. It's pretty, but even after four days, it's slightly tacky. The part has two sides that both need to be painted, meaning that I'd need to hold it with something. But clamping or taping it will ruin it. Who knows how long it will take before the finish loses its tackiness. Maybe the Model Master is a factor, I dunno. I hate to waste a can of paint, but I'm going to look for another chocolate brown metallic. Except for acrylics or automotive paint, looks like MM is the only game in town. (My LHS doesn't have a Tamiya brown; they're down to just a few cans of Tamiya.) Any suggestions?

Well, the part got drier. I sanded and re-painted it. I'll wait four days and check it before using it on the car body itself. I don't think this is supposed to be a rust-preventative paint, by the way. It says nothing about that on the can, at least in the big print.

I've had good results wet-sanding with 1500 or 2000 grit paper, then Tamiya Coarse and Fine compounds.

I put some Rustoleum "Universal Metallic - Paint and Primer in One" on top of Model Master (Testors) Custom Lacquer System yellow, and the surface is still sticky after several days. Have other people had this problem? Is it a problem with just that Rustoleum line, or is it the combination? I first tried some over Mr. Surfacer Primer, and it seemed to work just fine. So I suspect it's reacting with the MM. I've used Rustoleum Flat Protective Enamel many times, and it's great stuff - very black. But this "Universal" is very different - the finish is a deep, glossy metallic. It looks great, but shows fingerprints etc., so it's really not usable. Luckily, I only used it on a small part that will be easy to strip and repaint. But I hate paying for paint that I can't use. Is there anything I can put on the surface to make it dry? Should I just thow it away and get another kind of paint?