Dave Ambrose

We haven't been pulling the plug to just to yank people's chains. We've been having intermittent server crashes for months. We had no way to isolate the cause without taking the chat room down. We've changed servers three times trying to make this site work well. Once we figured out what was going on, Gregg went to the expense of upgrading yet again to a larger server. I'm still trying to work out some better alternatives. Look, I know this hasn't been fun for anyone. Look at all my posts in On the Workbench and you'll see what I mean. We've got the problem solved now, and I'd appreciate it if you all would get back to the usual level of banter on chat. I was semi-regular there, and was thoroughly enjoying it.

My Achilles heel? PAINt. Glossy finishes are a lot harder to get right, than flat finishes. I'm getting better with practice tho. Today, I've decided to ditch the rattle cans and stick with my airbrush. The airbrush makes it much easier to put down a light, smooth coat of paint. Prepping the body so it looks good seems to take me too many fill-sand-prime iterations. My worst vice is just giving up on a project when something goes seriously wrong, or I just get to a spot that seems too hard to finish.

That's a beautiful locomotive, but my favorite is the Southern Pacific Daylight engines. The 4449 is nearly sacred to die-hard railfans.

I use an eraser as a sanding block. The drafting types are softer and do a good job on curved items.

The error message is wrong. There are apostrophes in the file name and the BBS doesn't like that. Please don't make me elaborate further. The requisite technical language isn't allowed here.

Nice build. I especially like the bit of pinstriping on the cowl. It's the perfect little vintage touch.

I need to actually read these forums more often. This is a fun build. I like color and the graphics already.

I keep an electronic notebook of build ideas in Evernote. It also lives in my phone which helps when I go shopping.

Those are lovely ships. I'd be very proud to have either one on my mantle. There must be something special about knee surgery. I got started building cars again when I had my knee fixed. Truth be told, I probably could have gotten through the week-long recuperation without a model car, but then I wouldn't have gotten back into this fantastic hobby again. I also used models as physical therapy when I broke my arm. I had to learn how to do a lot of things right handed as my left hand was only good for holding things. That ability came in handy because I could use either hand in tight spaces often found in British sports cars. There's got to be some kind of opportunity here for sick kids and adults. Model building is so therapeutic it seems a shame not to share it more.

I bought a Heller Canadair CL 415 firefighting plane in 1/72nd scale. I felt like I needed a memento for my stay in Toronto. I also have a thing for seaplanes.

This is turning into a neat build. I may have to build one myself, if I ever get done with all the 1:1 British car projects in the carport. How did you do the carpet? It looks really nice.

Try wiping it down with cloth dampened with vinegar. The vinegar should dissolve the minerals, but not affect the paint. That said, keep it away from any bare metal foil or chrome parts.

Sadly, my Dad's no longer with us. He and my grandfather encouraged my model building efforts. Hard not to miss them on a day like today.

Don't get me started about Canada Post. My paychecks get mailed out of Edmonton for the exotic destination of San Diego, CA. The first one never arrived and was returned 4 weeks later. The second one is now MIA for two weeks. Express mail comes through within a few days and they don't get lost, presumably due ti the tracking number. But, this is ridiculous. Contrastingly, the US postal service is the consumate "theory X" organization. They monitor their employees to an extent that would make a hawk look like a slacker. But the mail does get through and quickly. Unfortunately, the USPS is going bankrupt; victims of email and online payments. They're left delivering mostly no-profit junk mail.

AMT sold an Ernie Irvan hauler that sound like just what you need. I saw several at the Lower Left Coast NNL, so they have to be reasonably available. I have one that I swear I'm going to build some day. Cheers, Dave Ambrose

I'm not thrilled with the look of the stock wheels. Chariot wheels were either solid or more akin to a 19th century wagon wheel. I think I'd go solid, but tint the chrome with something contrasting. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will look awesome. It's a good thing that building even a mediocre model is fun. Otherwise I've hung up my files and tweezers years ago.

I'm not living in Canada, but I'm working in Toronto. Spending about half time here until Feb of next year. Great hobby shops compared with San Diego. Harry, they still have to old fashioned streetcars. Cheers, Dave Ambrose

I think the right term here is "aspirational clutter". For the most part, we all intend to build all the kits we buy. Some people do that with books too. It makes them look smart. Models, not so much. But, it's important to make the distinction with hoarding. Here's a question for everyone: How would you feel if your model kit collection caught fire and burned?

I might be an oddity in this group. I think I have about 35 kits in my stash. I feel guilty about it; both because I'm not spending nearly enough time modeling, and I don't want to accumulate more than I can reasonably build. I know I have a few kits that are going to be a major commitment to build, and I don't really want to start them until I feel ready to tackle them. My Ernie Irvan cars, tractor, and hauler fall into this category. Otherwise, they're mostly run of the mill kits. I do have to say that when I went through them, there were only a couple that I really didn't want to build any more. But, I feel the pull. We're like kids in the hobby shop and a big(ger) wallet. And, don't ask me about my to-read pile.

That, my friend, is spiffariffic.

I use Popsicle sticks for all sorts of things; shims, risers for setting your stance, mixing epoxy, holding parts for painting, and making a tacky jewelry box for your mother-in-law. One box lasts me about 15 years or so. I like the coffee stirrers better for paint. This is one instance where Starbucks is truly your friend. You can help yourself to some extras and they don't seem to mind.

Actually, I think it looks like something Godzilla would step on.

Harry, that looks great. Maybe you should put it in a diorama on the side of a road with an annoyed soldier wondering how to fix the chain?

If you can find a "spoon" burnisher at an art supply store, you'll be able to press the edges down tightly enough to keep the paint out. You'll also have something to rub out dry transfers on tires too. I've used frisket film in place of masking tape for critical or delicate masking. You can also use Micro Mask to either seal the tape edges, or work as the masking agent.

I found a burnisher, like the ones used for dry transfer letters, will get the masking tape to lay down tightly. The burnisher works especially well on interior upholstery seams.