Dave Ambrose

Wow. I'm really liking this. Metoosically Yours, Dave Ambrose

Strangely enough, the Surfite kit comes with three surfboards. But, I'll agree with the other poster(s). They're easy to make from sheet styrene. Find yourself a surfing magazine and get some lengths and shapes. Most boards are 2.5 inches thick. When shaping it, the front third will sweep up, then the rear of the board will rise about half that amount. You can either shape the styrene, or bend it in hot water. Cheers, Dave Ambrose

Generally speaking, no. I just don't have the space, and I much prefer the actual model over box art.

I don't care who you is. That's a cool Caddie. Cheers mate!

It's usually the local eclectic rock station for me, but lately I've been listening to 20th century classical music; Adams, Ives, Harrison and Hindemith. Don't ask me why because that's my usual programming music. This might call for a gratuitous ninja.

Wow. Thank you all for your suggestions. I still shoot film too and have a bunch of film containers. Those will work just fine for this project. I will keep the optometrist, craft store, and Harbor Freight in mind should I ever run out. Jameston, thank you for your kind offer. I should be good.

Polar Lights Batplane, Jag XJR-9, and helping my daughter with a well-weathered Gundam.

I need to mix up a bunch of colors for a new model project. Are there any good, inexpensive sources for small (1 oz.) bottles that will happily hold some thinned down Model Master Enamel? The local version of pill bottles leak, baby food jars are too big, and I'm carrying way too many Teutonic genes to be happy spending the bux for the ones at the hobby shop. Thanks -- Dave Ambrose

My setup is similar to yours. I have a 160 PSI/26 gal. oiless shop compressor. The working line on that is normally 120 PSI. I have a second regulator with filter and water trap that feeds the airbrush. So far, a 0-50 PSI gauge has worked well for me. It's not very big, and my eyesight isn't what it used to be, so I'm thinking of a bigger gauge. But other than a minor visibility issue, it's worked great for years. I don't recall using anything more than 30 PSI for my airbrush, but I wouldn't take that as gospel. I'm really liking this Sears oiless compressor. No maintenance, and it delivers very clean air. My paint work has improved considerably since I replaced my old compressor that did use lubricating oil. One alternative to consider. My friend who uses her airbrush professionally, swears by a 25 lb CO2 tank. Totally quiet, completely clean, and compact. She refills it once or twice a year. I'm considering repurposing my SCUBA tank like this.

I like the color. The two-tone paint job gives it that fifties feel.

I love this place. Ask any two people about something and you'll get three (or more) opinions. This is a good discussion, and so long as we realize there's no right answer, we shouldn't get all stressed out about it. I enjoy the superdetailed builds, but I enjoy a well conceived design more. One takes a lot of patience, and maybe a touch of OCD. The other calls for imagination, and I place a greater value on that. But, that's just me and Albert Einstein. I'm willing to bet that the guys who do all this superlative body work have their fair share of models that simply didn't work out stashed in the back the closet. If we're going to evolve at all in terms of both skills and design, then we have to be willing to fail. I've done a lot of imperfect models, but they were my best to date, and that makes them satisfying to me. It seems like we don't know how to accommodate our, or other people's evolving skills. We have to balance encouragement with criticism. That's difficult to do in person, and nearly impossible in a forum like this.

The interior tub was just a little too tall. I fixed it by sanding on the lip of the dashboard, where it wasn't visible and I think I did a little sanding on the bottom of the interior tub. I didn't see any fit problems until I glued in the windscreen and rear window with Elmer's. Truth be told, I didn't glue the tub at all. The assembly was sufficiently secure that I just trapped the interior between the body and chassis.

This idea might be a bit late to the party, but the Buick aluminum block V-8 would be a peculiarly appropriate engine for an Austin. It was licensed by Rover (later British Leyland) and installed in most Land Rovers, and some MGBs.

My favorite bench was tongue and groove subfloor with a masonite top. It's smooth, cleans up decently, and is very durable. Our next hobby-only table will be a glass topped table from IKEA. The glass should have a lot of advantages for painting, and I'm not anticipating doing any pounding there. Good light is absolutely essential. I have two 48" fluorescent fixtures above my current bench, along with an illuminated magnifier. I also have a hobby tool box that looks a bit like a machinists tool box. It's been very handy, but blades and the like to slip out the back of the drawers. A bit of glue fixed that well. I still haven't found any good commercial solution for storing paint bottles, so I'll probably have to make one myself.

I did a rush build of this kit for a museum exhibit, and it builds really clean. The only thing to be aware of is that the interior needs some filing to make it, the chassis, and the body all line up properly. I really like what you did with the engine. It has just the right amount of shiny to be interesting, and not so much that it looks like a toy. For the wheels, you can thin the paint a bit, and just let it flow in to the recesses. Then gently wipe the highlights with some tightly woven cloth, like a sheet. If you muck up and need to start over, just drop the wheels in a 50-50 mix of windex and alcohol. That will remove acrylic paint without harming the plastic or the plating. It's also good for cleaning (air)brushes.

I was in the first grade when I built my first model, an HH-43B Huskie helicopter. My second model was an F7U Cutlass. My first car was a 1962 Thunderbird hardtop. (not so) Oddly enough, I just got another '62 T-bird model; this time, a convertible.

I cut myself a few times when I was a kid. Between the cuts and a broken elbow, the Dr. office got to know me pretty well. I quickly learned to be more careful.

I hope your friend makes a full recovery. Painting explosions are very scary. Lacquer solvents are particularly flammable. You need a certain minimum concentration of solvent fumes to get ignition. This usually happens in the exhaust duct, which is why the fan is so important. Exposed brushes and paint vapors are an accident waiting to happen. Explosion-proof motors may have brushes, but their cases and bearings are well sealed to prevent any ignition from propagating outside the motor. Brushless motors should be fine. But just having a 12 volt fan is no guarantee of the motor being brushless. Better yet, use an engine compartment ventilator for a boat. These are inline blowers, and ignition protected. They're intended to remove gasoline fumes from the engine compartment before starting the motor provides an ignition source. They run off 12V, and only cost about $35. West Marine has a couple of interesting candidates here. I would take a second precaution of putting a metal screen between the fan and paint booth. This will prevent any flames in the exhaust duct from propagating into the paint booth. The screen must be metal, and preferably made from copper. Aluminum or brass might be OK, but I'd test it first in a propane torch. Hold the screen over the flame. If the flame stops at the screen, it's working. Be aware that the above steps will be of little to no assistance if you ignite something on the model or in the shop. Be mindful of your water heaters and furnaces. Personally, I wouldn't want either one in the same place I'm spray painting.

That's a sweet TR-3. Go visit http://www.team.net/tn-lists.html and subscribe to the Triumph mailing list. You will be surrounded by experts in all things Triumph.

My daughter and I really enjoyed the show. Lots of good models and dioramas. We spent the trip home brainstorming ideas. John and Rommel had some awesome models. Photos don't quite do them justice. Tho I think I'll bring a magnifying glass next time. I'll die happy if I can build half as well as they do. It was great seeing everyone from the SD Model Car club too.

That is totally cool. Hopefully. my eyes haven't deceived me. Is there really a Morris Minor under all that extra bodywork?

Harbor Freight has a needle file set for $2. It's very serviceable for plastic models. You can find stuff like fine wire at industrial surplus outlets. I use wire wrap wire for ignitions and small hoses. You can also find tools at a substantial discount too. I also routinely surf local garage sales. You'll find cheap baby gear at those too. Good Luck