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Thanks for all the useful advice, especially the link to the YouTube video. I found a reasonably priced Lotus Elan SMTS kit on eBay and ordered it. It looks like a pretty basic kit, but it will give me some experience working with white metal. I'll try working with CA glue, epoxy, and pins to start.

I recently ordered a back-ordered Tameo Ferrari 1/43 kit from SpotModel. It's scheduled to be shipped in late May. This will be my first white metal kit and my first experience soldering metal parts. Most of the YouTube tutorials I've watched, recommend developing soldering skills by first working with scrap pieces of white metal. This makes sense given how much these kits cost. I've found sources for metals used to make jewelry, but not white metal, and the used metal kits available on eBay are too expensive for this purpose. I'd appreciate any recommendations for finding white metal pieces. Thanks in advance.

My current spray booth is one of the generic Amazon booths with a small PC fan and a 4 ft plastic exhaust hose. I have it on a cart which I wheel outside of my garage to paint. This is somewhat inconvenient and I'd like to upgrade to a Pace spray booth placed in a fixed location in my garage. Unfortunately, the best location for me would require a flexible exhaust hose about 15 feet long to attach to an existing exterior wall vent. This routing would also require four (4) 90 degree bends. The Pace unit I am considering is rated at 148 cfm. I'm concerned that this length and routing would not prove to be an effective exhaust solution. I'd prefer to avoid the interior venting solutions (eg sealed buckets) posted on YouTube. I'd appreciate getting some feedback about this design. Thanks in advance. Update: Please ignore my request. Pace's Web page specifies a maximum duct length of 15 ft.

About six months ago, I decided to try airbrushing my models. I purchased a Nedeco airbrush and a Nedeco 30 psi electric compressor as a low-cost entry point. I quickly switched to a Gaahleri GHAD-68 pistol grip airbrush to accommodate some arthritis issues with my fingers. After a lengthy (and ongoing) learning curve, I'm glad to have made the transition away from rattle cans. I've noticed quite a few holiday season discounts on compressors and I'm considering an upgrade to a piston-based compressor with a tank. I've been satisfied with the Nedeco's performance so far. What improvements should I expect to realize by upgrading my choice of compressor? I'd also appreciate some compressor recommendations in the $100-$125 range. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the recommendation. I ordered some Aileen's Tacky Glue.

I currently use masking tape to perform a basic test fit before moving on to painting and assembly. I have seen comments and videos recommending using white glue (e.g. Elmer's) to perform a more thorough test assembly. Before trying this technique, I would appreciate help with the following questions: 1. How do you disassemble and clean the test assembly? 2. How complete should you make a test assembly? I've seen videos where the modeler used every non-clear part. I can't see much value in test-fitting most of the smaller parts and I imagine that it could be especially difficult to remove them later. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks to all for the helpful advice. My new airbrush was just delivered and I think the pistol grip will prove a better choice for me. As for the paint, I am transitioning to Tamiya lacquers but I still have a lot of Tamiya acrylics to work through,

I've just started using an airbrush to paint my models. My current airbrush is a dual-action Neoeco SJ83 but I find it difficult to use because of arthritis issues with my thumb. I've ordered a Gaahleri GHAD-68 which has a pistol grip as a replacement. I am using Tamiya acrylic paints, thinning with Tamiya lacquer thinner. My question is, how long can paint stay in the cup before it clogs up the nozzle? As a newbie, I'm still making mistakes that require remediation before a subsequent coat can be applied. If I anticipate a lengthy interval before the model is ready for the next coat, should I clean the airbrush as though I were changing colors? If so, what would be a reasonable time limit? Thanks.