charlie8575

If we're talking color, how about ideas on how to get the shades we're looking for? Right now, for example, I'm trying to get a shade of "gold" for an interior on a '68 Charger I'm poking at, and it'll have to be mixed. Any ideas? This is a non-metallic gold. I'm leaning towards yellow for the primary component with a little bit of brown to darken it. Charlie Larkin

Of course..... Now I really feel silly! For whatever reason, I never made the connection. Off experimenting tomorrow after class. Charlie Larkin

I have one of the Jo-Han ones from a few years ago. Wouldn't be too hard to twist my arm into picking up a second one. Charlie Larkin

Good to know, Mike. The rest of the camera does work well, I was just thinking that were it's 30 years old, a little preventitive maintenance wouldn't hurt. I'll try the felt/Pli-O-Bond repair. Mike D.- as long as I've been taking pictures, I never really got into the technical side of things too much, and then, I always found it hard to remember what does what- all I know is my pictures come back from CVS nicely-developed and I'm happy. I have a couple of basic photography books I keep around for reference, though, and sometimes these questions come up that I'm not thinking too much about until the matter is brought up by somebody else. With the leaves turning soon, I'll be heading over to the old stone church in West Boylston on the Wachusett Reservoir and taking some pictures there. That will make a beautiful back-drop. For added drama, Dad has a Russian-made camera that's set up for taking panoramic shots (16 pictures for a 24-shot roll of 35mm film, which would work nicely for the side of a display case. Charlie Larkin

Boy, I wish I had a little more money right now, I'd be going like fury on that kit. Great video, Dr., too. I'm glad we waited for this- it looks absolutely fantastic, and I'll enjoy that tremendously. Charlie Larkin

You don't see too many full-size Chevys from the mid-60s in gold, which is too bad, because it looks nice on them. Coming along nicely so far. If i may suggest- liven up under the hood a little. There are some details there that look like they need to be painted. You should also consider hitting that flat black with a coat of semi-gloss clear, as that will be closer to correct. it would also be wise to do that to the seats, as vinyl isn't dead-flat. Charlie larkin

That looks very much like the one my dad has. Every once in a great while, if he wants something extra-dramatic in black-and-white, he'll go buy a few sheets of film and go play with it. He has a 4x5 and 6x9 back for it. Bill Wowk- I understand and agree with you. It's one of the reasons I stick to film- I don't need a degree in computer science to use my cameras. I have an AE-1, too, which I like, but I don't use right now because it has a terrible light-leak. I need to re-gasket the back. I'll probably send it down to KEH to have them gasket it and do a general cleaning on it next time I have a little extra money (about $120 for a full servicing.) This is the type of pictures I can get out of my FD without trying too hard. That is also, with a little manipulation, one of the possible backgrounds I'm considering using, as one of Flintstone's Cadillac hearses is on the "acquire" list. Charlie Larkin

MCW and ScaleFinishes also sells airbrush-ready paint. MCW sells lacquer made by PPG, and ScaleFinishes sells enamel. I don't know whose paint Jameston uses, though, but I suspect it's Sherwin-Williams or Nason. Charlie Larkin

It'll be all stills. I want to shoot some background shots to put into my display cases. Thanks Harry and Mike. if this weather ever brakes, I'm going to try and take advantage of the upcoming turning leaves to get some shots around where there are lots of trees. Charlie

So the f-stop controls the depth of field? I did not realize that. Looks like I'll have to do a little experimenting to see if I can get what I need. With the high f-stop (my Canon and Pentax lenses both go to either f-22 or f-24,) and shooting outside in good light, any thoughts on shutter and film speed? I'm leaning towards 100-speed for the slower exposure, at least to experiment with, and a roll of Fuji Velvia-50 for the actual pictures I want, as that has probably the nicest color saturation of any film, print or slide; it also happens to be the slowest-speed film on the market, from what I've found, next to occasionally finding a roll of FujiColor, AgfaColor or various Kodaks in 100-speed. Charlie Larkin

I think you did just fine with it, Luis. I like your dashboard detailing. I prefer the older kits; I find the lower parts-count a lot easier to deal with, and I enjoy the building a little more because you get a little more of a challenge with detail painting, which I think makes me a better modeler. Charlie Larkin

A very interesting concept nicely executed. I like the fogging on the front-end, it's different. Charlie Larkin

This is very cool. I'd love to see those mid-60s C-body Dodges get re-issued. I think the Chrysler C-bodies of 1965-'68 were some of the best-looking cars of the decade. And this model is a very nice pick to do. Too bad the base kits are as rare as they are, this would've made a great resin body. Charlie Larkin

I agree with Dave, those Harley rims are a little too thick for the Mustang, although the sparkle and general design goes nicely on the car. That T-Top conversion was done VERY nicely. I'm thoroughly impressed. Charlie Larkin

Well! Especially nice work on the U-Haul trailer and that barbecue. I also like that scooter and all its little details. Very nice overall. Charlie Larkin

As a side-note, I thought only very few film cameras had adjustable depth-of-field? My Canon (FD) and Pentax (SF-10) don't, and I haven't seen any reference to that on my dad's Nikon N80 or any of his medium format (Mymayia DLR and 645, several pre-1950 Kodaks, a couple of Russian Leika knock-offs, and his Crown Graphic 4x5.) I thought only the Linhof technical camera offered such a feature? If there are others, I'd like to know about them, as the DOF is something I'd like to tinker with to shoot backgrounds for my display cases. Charlie Larkin

To test the paint... If rubbing alcohol causes discoloration, it's a water-based acrylic paint (i.e., "latex.") If paint thinner removes it, it's oil-based enamel. You can use 3M Scotch-Brite pads to remove the paint, just be ready to spend some time doing it. There are a few dried latex paint removers on the market, and any decent paint or hardware store will have them on-hand. When the paint is mostly stripped, I would suggest you pick up a used palm sander. You can probably get on through your local shopper, second-hand-store, Craigslist, and so forth, and it won't be terribly expensive ($10-15.) Once you have your sander, using 180->220->400 grit paper in that order, thoroughly sand the case to remove any leftover paint and make the wood uniformly smooth; once sanded, take a vacuum cleaner and suck all the dust off the case. If the wood is pine, red oak, or poplar, use a coat of sanding sealer prior to applying any type of finish- paint or stain. Disaster will ensue if you do not, resulting in a splotchy, uneven finish. The sealer may raise the grain slighlty. Lightly touch the case again with 400-grit sandpaper again to knock it back down, vacuum again. If all the paint is off, you can use a light-color stain. If most of it is off, you might still be able to use a light color, or use something darker (Minwax Jacobean or Puritan Pine are examples,) or you can paint. Staining- water-based stains aren't that good. Don't use them. Same goes for water-based varnishes. Even with sanding sealer, they raise the grain and create havoc. Stick to a quality oil-based stain and varnish. Minwax is acceptable, I like Varathane or Benjamin Moore's Ben-Wood. Paint- especially if painting pine, use a qaulity oil or shellac-based primer. You'll need it to block the resins, sap, and other junk that pine has. Oil and shellac-based primers are also easier on the wood, generally speaking, and provide the hard surface you need to paint effectively. If there are knots and you want to use oil primer, prime the knots with Zinnser B-I-N first. DO NOT use the water-based product- again, you will be asking for trouble. For the paint, you can use oil or water-based finish. I generally prefer Benjamin Moore Impervo, which comes in satin or gloss, and can be mixed in any color you want. Sherwin-Williams also offers a quality oil enamel. For water-based paint, most are good and will perform acceptably. Charlie Larkin

Actually, the Grand National would be the better starting point. The Monte had more curve in the quarters, where the Cutlass and Regal were straight. It always surprised me that nobody ever made a G-body Cutlass. One of the most popular cars of the 1980s, and I think pretty good-looking ones, too. Personally, I'd love to see one of the bustle-back Cutlasses, just for something really different. Charlie Larkin

Buy one and drop one of Jerry Koszut's tudor bodies on it so I have a stock car. As for that Olds grille.....I'm seriously toying with grabbing another Galaxie Aerosedan and converting that into an Olds 66. All I'll need aside from interior bits and pieces is a big flathead 6 and Hydra-Matic. Charlie Larkin

Looks nice, Mike. Palomino, black, or white interior? Or haven't gotten that far yet? Charlie Larkin

VERY impressive! Tom, your building skills are beyond description good. Thank you for sharing this great work with us. Charlie Larkin

Cool pick, Mike. Del's Shelby is a very sharp car, I must agree. Word of advice: At least on the 2010 GT I have, there are some superfluous mounting tabs on the oil pan and one of the other engine parts, which one escapes me at the moment, and they will cause trouble with assembly, so do a little fitting first. I simply sanded mine off, and it went together well. Charlie Larkin

I'm very impressed with your planning on this. For your upholstery, etc., check a fabric store or a local tailor.They might have some remnants for free or cheap that'll scale out nicely. Charlie Larkin

We're sorry, too, Dave. I want one in each color! Then again, that's only three kits and red, white and black. Seriously, though, after seeing several Lonestars at Classic Plastic, I know we're getting quality. Quality takes time. Take all you need. Charlie Larkin

You have my attention. Nice work on the cabinets. I'll enjoy watching the rest of this come along. Charlie Larkin