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Hey Jeff, nice to see that you got the right attitude bout this, concentrating on it's coolness . I took the liberty of copying your design and playing with it in my 'Photo Explosion' softie. You should have a ton of fonts in your PS7, again, yer just gonna hafta check em out to see what ya like. Sometimes some fonts don't bend well. I used a font called 'Squealer' for the 'eyeball', used 'Impact' for the 'engineering' and 'Brush' for 'Rod & Custom'. Yer gonna hafta do some more exploring in PS7. It is possible to get really close to what you want in the gold leaf lettering. Look for 'layer adjustment' and 'glow'--they're not in the filters, but in the more basic image adjusting section, about middle of the top of the screen if I remember correctly. Once you get that 'layer adjustment' open you can do all kinds of things, like add textures, gradients, patterns, inner glow, outer glow, transparency, etc etc http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/uploads/emoticons/default_laugh.png' alt=':lol:'> . Also, look for a little window marked 'layers' or 'history'. It shows you how many layers you got going, and/or what you have done. If you want to work on just the one layer, click on that little picture of that layer in the 'layers' window and then only that layer will be active, even tho you may see the other layers also. Takes a little getting used to, but keep at it........Looks like you've got a real good start and when I first saw your design, my first word was "COOL!!" so, you be fine, must be an artist, coz we're our own worst critics

" You guys are totally NUTS. Have either of you seen a shrink lately." why yes Bill, matter of fact I have seen a shrink and boy is she ugly--and almost as mean as you!!! I got so scared of her, I quit taking my medicine and decided to get myself better by building model cars.........and now lookit me!!! " "######'n That chevy better be all decked out when it's done, as long as it's takin you. At the rate you're goin, I won't live long enough to see it gee whiz Gramps, I'm sorry, I didn't think of that, yeah, you did say yer gonna be 93 in a couple days right? I'm tryin'.....honest! It's just that........well, you know.......George keeps gettin' me in trouble an stuff and 'fore I know it, another day's down the tubes.

Hey Jeff, nice idea that, to put yer own shop on yer builds. I'm gonna do that on a scratchbuilt parts rat that I hope to get back to soon, called "Granny's Trannys", but right now I'm considering putting this "Smokin' Sam" on my 51 Fleetliner rat. I drew it up, painted it, took a pic of it, then ran it thru 'Photo Explosion' to adjust the colors, contrast, brightness, etc. Gonna try making my own decals with it. I used to play ('live in' is more like it) in PhotoShop 7. Great softie!! Did bunches of art in there, but had to un-install it coz I was so addicted to it. I may re-install it someday if my therapist thinks I'm OK enuff to do so . I think the best advice for anyone trying to learn PhotoShop, or any other program is to just go in there and play. Put a picture in there and just start clicking here and there and see what happens. If you're afraid of losing your picture, make a copy first and then go into PS. Also, if you go to Adobe's website (just type Adobe in your browser) they have tutorials there that can give you more exact instructions. Also when you are in the PS workstation, there is 'HELP' on the top, click on there and find info on your particular problem. It's just gonna take time to get used to all the bells and whistles, and believe me, PS 7 is got a ton of dem !! If you take a picture of one of your rods, you could put it in PS7 and go to 'filters', pick one effect (they're all listed) try one and see what you think in the preview window. If you don't like what you see the filter has done, don't click on OK, just click the 'x' and try another filter. Also, if you do apply a filter to your pic, you can always adjust the amount of the filters effect. Go to 'Edit' at the top left of the screen and you should see 'fade ------- (whatever filter it was that you just applied)' click on that and then you can start adjusting from now until tomorrow morning. Then you look for the 'T' which is for text, so you can add words to your rod picture. Just play. Can't stress that enuff. You gotta get comfy with all the different tools, and I truly believe you can best do that by just experimenting with them---no pressure. Hope to see what you come up with sometime. Good luck!! ######'n

Amen to dat!! Thanx for the detailed info on painting those exhaust manifolds, Bill. Gives them a really realistic look. Always a pleasure watching you work, so much so that I don't do enuff of my own, but my Fleetliner is slowly coming along--I'll be postin some pix soon. (hey George, I used to wear them suits at work, so no problemo there--I'll just have to hook up with my former coworker, Andy, so's he can fix me up and I'll meet ya at Gramps. Can't wait to see the look on his face when 2 EPA guys in space suits show up!! ) No, everthing's fine, Gramps, you just get back to your Galaxy now

Just want to thank any and all you guys who have served, or are serving, in the military, keeping us free. I never served myself, but I've been blessed to know quite a few vets and active military peeps. You are special people. I know, coz a friend of mine, Donna, who I worked with for a few years, served in the Air Force, loading planes, back in the late 80's, and then, in the reserves until 9-11, when she re-upped at age 41 She served 5 tours over in Iraq, starting out loading planes, but on her last 2 she was driving truck. She made it thru OK, but still has some problems on the 4th of July with all the booming fireworks. Now she's got a cake job driving the waste water truck at the mill where I used to work. Like I said, thanx that all you who serve are like Donna--###### good people --(this country could use a lot more). Have a good Memorial Day weekend, and may God bless all ya'll. ######'n

Pink and Purple??? What's this world coming to?? That's weird, Clay......part of me wants to see that .....and part of me don't . Hope she had fun with it. Oh yeah, may you and all your fellow Marines have a good Memorial Weekend. Thanx for serving, keeping us free. Later, ######'n

Nice & nasty lookin' Bernard---you da 'stance' man ! Love your little details---that stain on the left slick ? what kinda roadkill am it? Looks like you accomplished what you set out to do. Nice. Man, I wish you built these things 1:1--they'd be some cool rides

Looks good Plumber! I think I like the fawn & beige interior with the black better than the red & white interior. Good choice. This reminds me of my first wife's 64 Chevy. We drove it while we were dating--nuthin more than 4 door transportation, but it had a bad hi-beam switch that would kill the whole electrical system, even the engine, when you hit the hi-beams !! When you hit it again, everything came back on again . Thanx for the memories

very nice Dave. Love the paint job. I'm assumin' from what you said, George, that this is a kit? I'll hafta to keep my eyes peeled for that coz that's one cool lookin' Ponyack

WOW! great job Michael! I wouldn't have known it wasn't a hardtop before ........and that stance--if you wanta call it a 'stance' That thing looks like it's gonna just leap down the track. 3thumbs up!!!

aaaccchhooooo! aachoo! aachoo! George! aachoo! George! aaaccchhooooo! aachoo! aachoo!aachoo! aachoo! DANG!!aachoo! aachoo! aachoo! George.....aaa..........aaa.......aaaccchhooooo! Dang, George! lookit that .....aaa.....dust.....aaa.......aaaccchhooooo! Hey Bill, (aachoo!aachoo! ) what'd ya use to color them exhaust manifolds on that 390? tha's some nice paint. Later, Cra........aaa..........aaa.......p'n

I see Gramps still has that cute pink 32 there Kevin--mebbe he'll throw that in with the vans & trux

Huh , that boxtop looks familiar.......oh yeah! I gots one of dem too !!Love the color Clay! but don't tease !! What other colors?? Can't wait to see ! Just NO PINK !!! (sorry Gramps--couldn't resist ) Later, ######'n

sorry guys, I gotta dump pics at times so I can post new pics coz I only gots so much space for them here on the MCM. Here's the DieCast Derby pics--shoulda been HotWheels Derby, but probly copyright infringment n @. ######'n

Hey Eric, I think you nailed it with them numbers, just the way they are. Lookin forward to seein mo pix. Later, ######'n

And here's how it's done Reduced: 64% of original size [ 800 x 600 ] - Click to view full image Artist at work! Thanks Gramps, for the demo. Like to see this here '40 running across the top of the page, mebbe poppin' a little wheelie, and some flames coming outa the pipes . Should be part of the new logo. Ya know guys, I think Gramps's greatest talent is the way he stuffs them huge engines under the hoods of his rides. I'll bet there aint no clearance between them carbs and the hood . Another great one, 'Great One'

"######'n there's a reason why it's hiden on the back shelf" Reduced: 64% of original size [ 800 x 600 ] - Click to view full image Eggzactly my point, Gramps!! Now that you got 'em together, mebbe you can build a diorama around them, like mebbe a paint shop ! see what you got to look forward to, Evil? gettin' old like me, George, & Gramps.........aint a whole hell of a lot you can do bout it

Good one Kevin . Hey George, it aint what Gramps done did in his past life, just the past few days--postin' pink rods under glass!! (how manly is dat??) Gramps, Gramps........ now do ya see why's I wanted that 58Chivvy you got hidin' waaaayy back in the corner of yer shelf? Just tryin' to save ya some mbarrassment . Ya know, Bill, ya musta really touched my heart (in a manly way, Evil ) callin' me & George yer best buds, and so I been thinkin'----other than the color tha's one fine ride & mebbe it just needs some of yer chicken scratchin'---I mean, stripin' on it, some of that red & white mix, ya know? purple? So anyhowz, ya'll have fun wit each udder, coz I'm headed back to de workbench. Later, ######'n

Hey guys, thanx for the comments & encouragement. I aint done a 125 for years. Last one was a 125 copy of my '95 S-10 long bed which I had to join two shortbeds. Started that '49 Murky panel (hope to get to that too soon Bernard --"crowded workbench"). I'm glad that all yinz's awesome rods and words have inspired me to finally get to it!! Jantrix, Sdrodder, love your builds--like how you opened up the rear fenders for them big rubbers, Jantrix,..... and I'm probly gonna hafta do one with the straight 6 like yours, Sdrodder--love the stance on that too . Nice to hear from you too, Bernard. Haven't noticed any of your posts lately (too busy jerkin' Gramps's chain ) Gonna try my best to do like I yapped, with maybe some faded 51 green paint showin' thru the mostly primer, don't know if'n it should be flat black or the red oxide-- mebbe it'll be a bit of both, and so far I'm plannin' on the red steelies and painted on wide whites---fer sure no hot pink! http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/uploads/emoticons/default_blink.png' alt=':blink:'> ---speakin' of which Gramps, check out the "Cars for kids" thread in the 'General' forum---some young lady in a hospital might like your 'Ugly duckling'. You know, Gramps, that I'd much rather sit here and gawk at your '51 instead of working on mine--(man, wish it was in my driveway )--but I am determined to resist all your efforts to get me off my game!! Nice stripin' on yer 51, as usual,........ hope yer keepin' all them nekid chickens warm !! Later, guys, thanx again, ######'n

finally got back to the workbench and got the '51 lowered more to my liking, using the 'torch' and hammer method worked up one wheel & tire, sanding sidewall down and painting the wide whitewall on, (and that aint no chicken feather ! I wouldn't do that to my poor chicken!!) Let 'em both bake in the 'oven' a bit and...... ......... (next picture, Jedro!) stuck what's done so far tagetter and checked out the rear end guess I gotta stuff a raydiatour in that big hole up front wish me luck ! Later, ######'n

Yessir, Zed, that is very cool. Them flames do it. Excellent job o' flamin'. Yoiks, Gramps! Howdja like to stripe them flames?? you'd need a lot o' dem chicken feathers! (I know, I know, get back to the workbench. .........I'm goin) Later, ######'n

######??? Did I hear someone say '######'??? You just aint heard from your dustbunny buddies, George & ######'n yet, Bill !! Heck yeah! Tha's a very strange (ugly) color ! Whajda do? steal some of your wife's fingernail polish? You might be able to save it if'n you puts a "Mary Kay Kozmetics" decal on the door, but in the meantime, Bill, I'd put that on the shelf and let it collect some o' that dust . Wait'l George sees this!

Nice, Bill. Can you still hand stripe like that? I had my 'spicions that you did the striping on that 56Fairylane you cleaned up for Srodder, by hand. I gotsta quit spendin so much time on this here computer, bustin' yer stones and goin' ga-ga over all the cool rides I see everbody makin' and get to my own. Started the 51 Fleetliner awhile back and got it bout ready for paint. Been wanting to do a rat, with the primer and wasn't sure bout any flames or stuff, but since I seen your striping, I may just do dat. Very nice flames on the second Merc, specially the smooth blending of the different colors. Thanx fer cleanin yer rodz up for us, buddy Pray that I get my butt back at the workbench so's I can post some pix instead of just comments and boo hoos Later, be groovy an @. ######'n

Hey Bill, glad me an' George are keepin' you in stitches . Great to have some fun with our feller modelers. Got an idea for a diorama which probly needs some rethinkin or refining. How bout a car cruise or a parking lot? Yeah, I know , I'm wacked. If'n a guy had the room, a parking lot would be cool, specially if'n a guy had as many sweets as you gots . HEY!!-- Wouldn't a nice big coffee table with say.......a dozen or 18 of yer rides in a parky lot--under glass!! ---now that would be really, really cool ! Man! sometimes I amaze myself !!

Oh, George..... How could Gramps do this to us...(sob).......I mean, it's one thing when a woman crushes our hopes an dreams, but a ......... a .......(sob)(wail) (snort)(sob).......a fellow modeler !!.........I don't know if I can go on...........