Bainford

Very cool model. Nice work on this resin kit. I quite like the simple, very early cars (and other era machinery), but kits are virtually non-existent. Great scratchbuilding subjects, though.

Lovely build. The colour looks spot on. very nice.

Really digging those Gotti wheels, and they would look great on a 240ZG.

That's going to be a good looking Vette. I've been thinking of combining one of these AMT split-windows with the chassis from the Revell '67 for a bit more detail. Having said that, I don't necessarily dislike the one piece chassis, as it allows one to get a great looking model on the shelf without getting mired in the weeds of detail.

First of all, don't be concerned about the apparent lack of participation in your WIP thread. The race car part of the forum is not nearly as well attended as some other parts of the forum. Only the die-hard race car builders hang out here, and there appears to be far fewer of them than builders of road cars, customs, and hot rods. As you have found, IPA wont strip enamels. Don't use paint thinner to strip paint, it can seriously damage the plastic. There are several common items used to strip paint, some work better then others depending on type of paint (lacquer, enamel, acrylic), specific manufacturer's formulation, type of primer, how old the paint is, and curiously, the colour (some don't strip well, such as flat black or silver). Here is a link to a thread with much good information. It's 27 pages, so probably way too much information, and some mis-information (if it doesn't sound right, question it). Everyone has their personal favourite paint strippers for removing different paints. A quick breakdown of the common players; - Castrol Super Clean degreaser, colloquially referred to as the purple pond (great for enamels, sometimes works on lacquer and acrylics). Pour it into a suitable container and dunk the whole body in it. Can take from hours to days to work, depending on the paint. It's re-usable. There is a knock-off product called Purple Power, but it's not nearly effective. - Easy-Off HD oven cleaner (NOT the fresh scent or lemon scent stuff). Like Castrol Super Clean, it employs lye as an effective ingredient. Put the parts in a zip-lock bag, hose the parts with the Easy-Off, and seal the bag. - Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). Use at least 91% IPA. Works great on most lacquers and some acrylics. - Brake Fluid. Can be a bit messy, but can also strip stubborn to remove paint. I use it when the others don't work. It's re-usable. - There are also a couple a bespoke products that work very well, though I've not tried any of them. One is ELO (Easy Lift Off), a Testors product, I think (could be wrong, but the linked thread will have the vital info). You don't soak parts in this stuff, but apply it with a brush/rag to soften the paint, then remove the paint. - ...and a couple tips; All strippers work best when warmed slightly. Also, paint will strip easier, especially stubborn or old paint, if the surface of the paint is abraded with sandpaper, allowing the stripper to get in under the outer cured layer of paint. Also, it's best to use latex gloves or similar when handling any of the strippers. I appreciate the reticence to strip a paint job that took many hours of work to prepare and apply. The impetus is to try to save as much of the work as possible. However, in the end, you will find that if you are not happy with flaws in the paint, you often will not be happy with attempts to fix it. Some flaws and issues can be skillfully repaired with an airbrush, so it's not always a loss, but we have all put more hours of effort into trying to save a hard won paint job, reluctant to strip it all off. Often you come to the conclusion that putting 200 hours into a build with a compromised paint job is not nearly as satisfying as putting in 220 hours into a build with a great paint job. Though a pain in the butt at the time, the end result is a model you are even more proud of, knowing you went the extra mile to get it right. You soon get used to removing a paint job that did not go down well as soon as you realise it's not good, thereby saving all the hours and effort you would have put into a doomed attempt to save it. The real nuisance is when the model has a lot of repairs, corrections, or custom work involving putty. Most paint strippers damage most putties, requiring all that work to be redone. In some of these cases, sanding off the damaged paint may be the best way forward. It depends a lot on the type of body and its details that can be damaged by sanding. All very subjective. It looks like your body panels are ready for primer again (it's usually not necessary to remove all traces of the previous primer job). Give the parts a quick wash and scrub with mild soap (absolutely must be silicon free) and warm, running water. Rince well using a fine nail brush to get into all the crevices, dry with a lint-free cloth, and let air-dry thoroughly. Give it a quick wipe with IPA on a lint-free cloth. Then apply your primer. Once the primer is on, you can assess the quality of the surface finish, and do some fine follow-up sanding if needed. Re-prime if necessary. A final light rub with 1000 or 1500 grit sand paper, used wet. A final thorough rinse and dry, final wipe with IPA, and you're ready for paint.

Cool project, Topher. Coming along nicely.

It's coming along nicely, Marcus. You've got the wherewithal to get it right, a necessary ingredient for a great model. Stripping paint is definitely the right move at this stage. As you mentioned, mocking up and pre-fitting is vitally important, especially with a kit of this complexity. This stuff becomes second nature as you progress through a couple builds.

Welcome back, Daniel.

Interesting project, Ismael. The body is looking good. Like you, I am surprised this car was never offered as a 1/25 scale kit. I had an opportunity to check out this car in person way back in 2000. It looked as cool as I knew it would.

Nice work, Chris. I know what you mean by learning with every build. And it never stops. I've been building for over fifty years, and I still learn and develop significantly with every build. In fact, in the last fifteen years my rate of development as a builder has only increased as I get deeper into scratchbuilding, attempt or create new techniques, and absorb knowledge and inspiration from this site.

Daniel has it right. 'Highest f stop' refers to the highest number, which means the smallest aperture.

Mine hasn't arrived in Nova Scotia yet, either, though I can't remember when my subscription runs out. Is there a way to determine this without the shipping label?

Good looking Galaxie. Nice style.

The engine looks killer. Great period vibe.

Welcome to the forum, Chris.

Interesting project. Nice work so far.

Welcome to the forum, Dom. Post up some of your builds when you get a chance. Cheers.

Welcome to the forum, Geoffrey. Fine looking Camaro.

Welcome to the forum, Will. Some top notch work there. Looking forward to seeing more. Cheers.

Thank you Urs. Very interesting stuff. I am a photography enthusiast, but all my work is wildlife and landscapes. Studio work is very different (with regard to lighting and staging) and the finer points generally escape me. Your clear explanation is very helpful. Cheers.

A beautiful build of Grump's Nova. Nice attention to the fine details. Love it!

This is one of the places where an airbrush really shines. Spraying vents, gills, scoops, and details with good coverage of everything, but without overloading with paint, is a no-brainer with an airbrush. To accomplish this with a spray bomb requires developing some careful techniques, but will still always be a compromise.

Cheers Marcus. I have a couple short-shots for which this method could be an effective repair.

Cool project. Nice attention to detail.

Sad to hear. He was one of my favourite NASCAR wheel men. R.I.P. Cale.