Dave Ambrose

It's nice to come across another Ernie Irvan fan. I like your collection of cars. I pretty much stopped watching NASCAR when Ernie retired. I never found another driver that I could connect with. The fact that we lived in Salinas and were friends with one of Ernie's high school buddies didn't help either. Have you thought about doing the hauler? I still see them around at model swap meets.

Yesterday, I was surprised to learn that my workbench has a top. I remember seeing it years ago, but I just flat-out forgot it was there. My daughter and I are both starting new projects this weekend. I'm building a replica of an uncle's pickup truck, and Rachael is building something really old and almost steampunk.

I first encountered the pad printed slick in the reissued Double T. They look great. If only my front suspension had turned out that well. I got a couple of sets for myself and I'm using them on all my vintage dragsters.

Excellent work. We need more Steampunk!

I use it a lot and like the results. I haven't had any problems with enamels, but I would keep the first couple of coats really light.

Mine is from a very very old cartoon series called Space Angel. Just because.....

I love Chaparrals. This is awesome; great rendition of a very unusual subject.

It's an extra cost add-on.

Nope. License needs renewal. They never tell us this in advance. I'm looking at an alternative chat facility.

Chris, thanks for sharing. People like you keep me inspired and reminded of how precious this life really is.

That's a sweet build. She certainly deserves a nice display case and a prominent spot on the mantle.

Very nice. I really like the swoopy white accent and the way it goes with the back of the car. The lunchbox detail in the back seat is nice too.

I think I would use the 2-part bondo or epoxy for filling that frame. Most modeling putty contains lacquer thinner which will eat into the plastic. Plus, it shrinks when it dries. You can't really put it on thick. Bondo should be readily avaiulable from your local auto parts store.Epoxy from just about anywhere. You can then finish it off with a thin layer of putty.

OK, here you go, but I think you'll prefer my avatar.

Yes, I call it a bake box, but it's the same thing. Mine is very simple. I take a medium sized cardboard box; like the ones you get from Amazon. I cut a small hole in one side for a cord, and put an automotive trouble light (aka drop light) in the box. Insert parts, turn on the light, and close the box. My drop light is two small fluorescent tubes. Not a lot of watts but enough to get the box up to 95F. It helps a lot with enamel paints.

A "real" mini. I like it. I didn't realize they came with dual SU carbs. You did a nice job. The engine looks quite real -- and I was working on one this afternoon.

Agreed. The cooler is a nice touch. It gives the car a bit of back story.

Nice pictures. We found ourselves there one afternoon after a LACMA field trip. I thought the scooters would be boring, but they were awesome.

Sometimes, I miss the old days when it was smart people sitting at dumb terminals.

The last shirt I got was pinned with a bunch of silver-headed pins. The heads are just the right size for shifters. It sometimes amazes me what finds its way into my detail parts box.

Bare Metal Foil is really the best stuff for a lot of chrome trim work. But, for fine painting, there's no substitute for the fine sable brushes. Most art supply stores, like Michael's, carry them. They work well with enamels and lacquers, not so well with acrylics. They don't hold a lot of paint so you'll be going slowly. Make sure your hands and the object you're painting are well supported. Ultimately, you should be resting both on the bench. With my eyesight, I find a magnifier is a required accessory.

Hmmm.... Zen is about being present, stillness, and lack of desire, but we'll go with the contextual definition. I like to build things. I can't afford to build real hot rods, so that energy goes into cars. I also like to build aircraft, but only unusual varieties. For me, the deep feeling comes from connecting to my dad, who did build models, and my grandfather. Grandpa did not build models, but he instilled in me his emphasis on craftsmanship, awareness, and learning.

Welcome to our little community. That Paasche will last you a lifetime. There are several good painting threads going on in General.

My name is courtesy of my parents; not terribly original. My avatar comes from the old cartoon series Space Angel. It used to be a picture of my '69 MGB-GT.

As someone who's done mass mailings, let me tell you that the post office really tears stuff up. There's not a lot you can do short of putting it in Kevlar envelopes. There were times I swore they kept a teething puppy out back just for our newsletters. We eventually found a few ways to reduce the problem, but it didn't go away until we switched to email.