charlie8575

Yes, Andy. Most hobby putties are. Dave is more right than not. All one-part putties will shrink eventually, but the quality of the putty, along with the application techniques, will in part, dictate how much. Charlie Larkin

I can't rick-click/save a lot of pictures, either, especially from eBay. Chrome does the same thing. I wonder why that is. I use Explorer when I need to do that. Haven't tried my messages yet, but haven't had need to. Charlie Larkin

I haven't used Testors putty in years. I always found it too thin and hard to work. I like Squadron. The problem, as you noted, Andy, is one-part putty does shrink. The best thing to do is to slightly overfill the area to be filled, and allow it to cure for a few days. Then sand/cut/file to contour. Barring that, I would recommend (as I plan to do at some point,) switching to the two-part product like Bondo Professional or Evercoat. I know it's not kid-budget friendly, but it'll be a major improvement. In the meantime, move up to Squadron, Miliput or Tamiya. Charlie Larkin

I might give this a try. I generally like the liquid, but usually find myself going for tube for the big assemblies, but the tube stuff isn't like it used to be...way too gooey. This might work well. I wonder if I could simply use the Testors cement bottle for storage? Charlie Larkin

Another good one is www.licenseplates.tv Charlie Larkin

I'm with Jim. Spend a little extra and use the painter's tape. I always wash the body or parts in soap and water and air-dry anyway as a matter of course, but it ends the whole residue matter. Barring that, alcohol, ammonia, and other stuff like that should remove the goo. Or Dawn dish soap. Allow it to soak for a while and then rinse and dry; I'm never ceasing to be amazed at how much stuff Dawn can get off of things. Charlie Larkin

An L-body might be a good move. The W-bodies, at least from what I've seen, are very different underneath, and wouldn't make a good transition to an A-body. The X/J/A/to a degree, L-bodies are more alike than not. At least you can mix-and-match a little. As to the Citation- I thought I saw the box marked as 1/25? I'll have to look next time I'm at a hobby shop. The X-cars did have their problems, to be sure, but a good one was a good car, and they really did pave the way for a whole new design vernacular in American cars. Charlie Larkin

A Camry CHiP car???? By the way, James, a bunch of pictures went missing? Charlie Larkin

Another fine Mr. Mike build. Folks, I've seen his stuff in the plastic- it's as good as it looks, and all praise is well-earned. Charlie Larkin

Kenn, this is simply fantastic. Harry or Gregg- article? Please? Charlie Larkin

Nice job with the interior updating and detailing, Nick. The chassis looks convincing, too. I'm agreeing with Doug's call on the trunk. Those scratches will show right through on the final paint. Rather than additional filler, try sanding it with progressively-finer sandpaper, up to and including polishing cloths. That may smooth it over enough so additional filler is unnecessary. I try to avoid filler and putty myself as much as possible. I find that all too often, it makes the bodywork harder to get done neatly, which is why I'm thinking you might want to polish out the scratch, and then touch up the primer if you need too. If you think the scratch can be touched up easily, use a very thin coat of putty, and then sand/polish down as described above. Scratch aside, this looks like it's coming out pretty well. Keep up the good work. Charlie Larkin

A very nice job. I always liked that 1991-'92 mild facelift. Charlie Larkin

The whole fee discussion came up Thursday at MassCar. One of our members, Steve DeVaux, who owns Vintage Racing Miniatures, has had quite a bit of dealing with several companies and sanctioning bodies. He did confirm that Goodyear's fees are "exorbitant," but with that being the case, he also noted that Firestone doesn't charge any royalties, except a small review fee, and only requests some samples for approval prior to production. This would, in part, explain why Firestone tires continue to be seen in AMT kits. The Revell issue seems to be stemming, based on what I'm reading here, and from having learned this information, to be a case of somebody at Revell irritating a lot of the marketing/PR/legal departments and getting the permission nixed. Charlie Larkin

I'll play devil's advocate. I think Tips, Tricks and Tutorials is the best place to post the questions. From the questions, the tips, tricks and tutorials come. If I ask how to make/do/fabricate something, answers are returned, along with (usually) an explanation and some type of quick how-to. What might be a good idea might be to take Tips, Tricks and Tutorials, and divide it into two sub-sections. One might be for information sought, i.e., "How do I...?," with the question/answer in one thread. The other section would be for advice freely offered without any prompt. Charlie Larkin

If you want a motorized stirrer, go over to a store like Ocean State Job Lot, Big Lots, or a similar store, and get one of the electric drink mixers. I know several people that use those, and they're essentially the same idea, for 1/3-1/2 the price. They work well for paint, especially if a lot of the pigment is at the bottom because of the shape of the agitator. Charlie Larkin

When I'm in a building mood....good luck getting me away from it- 20-30 hours a week. Otherwise, I always try to do an hour or two a week, even if it's just to play with parts and study instructions. Charlie Larkin

Excellent point, Justin, and one that will absolutely increase employability. Um.....no. Charlie Larkin

Y'know, that Cavalier hatchback, with A LOT of work, would make a pretty good start for a Celebrity wagon... Hmmm........ And the X and J cars aren't all that different underneath, either..... Can you all hear the gears grinding and smell the dust burning....? Actually, the Cavalier, along with the Citation and possibly a Volvo roof section might work together. Charlie Larkin

For a high school student, listing hobbies and interests is a good idea for a resume, especially as most of you don't have a lot of work experience to list. I would list it as something like "scale model building" to head-off any confusion. Charlie Larkin

Very nice pick color-scheme wise. You might be happier with the chassis from the '71 Charger. That's a nice chassis that's well-suited to a lot of the mid-'70s B-bodies, it's also a better pick accuracy-wise, as the undersides were different. Charlie Larkin

Nice 1:1 Vista. Something we don't see enough of anymore. Charlie Larkin

Very nicely-executed, David. I like the color scheme and the overall design. Charlie Larkin

I must say, I do like it quite a bit. Great work. Charlie Larkin

A potentially very interesting build, Nick. I'll keep an eye on this one. Charlie Larkin

You need an escape once a month. How about coming on down to MassCar's meeting on the third Wednesday at 7:00. 150 Rustcraft Rd., Dedham. Write me if you need directions. Charlie Larkin ****end commericial****