charlie8575

"Stellar" has its root in "stella," meaning "star" in Greek. Charlie Larkin

Came out very nicely, Bruce. I really like the colors on it. Charlie Larkin

Wow! Exactly what changes did you make to the chassis? That color looks very close to Royal Blue...what did you use for it? Outstanding. Charlie Larkin

Okay....first of all, I think it's great you're doing this for a friend who's been good to you. That's a sign of true friendship, and something that I'm sure will be appreciated. Now...do you want to build a stock or custom car? For a stock car, http://www.348-409.com/ would be a great starting point for references. There are plenty of nice customs here that you can use to get some ideas from. Also, www.tocmp.com has a full 1960 Chevy brouchure you can use for additional pictures. Most of all, we're all here to help you. Ask any questions you want. Here's an outstanding replica-stock build. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44056&st=0&gopid=464505&#entry464505 Charlie Larkin

I'll probably grab another Nomad and DelRay (I really like those kits and want to get a couple of resin bodies for the sedan.) Two questions for those that might know. 1. Approximately what model year is that 1/25 Beetle supposed to represent? 2. What is the reasonable year range for that Holmes wrecker? I'm wondering about building a 1960s-vintage wrecker and might want to use that for the body. Charlie Larkin

Very nice work on that, just the right amount of "slightly used, but not overly abused." Charlie Larkin

Great case. Do you have some other pictures close-up so we can see how it went together and/or some plans? I'd seriously consider building something very much like that, myself. Charlie Larkin

Breathtaking. Charlie Larkin

Very nice work. Where did you find the GE TV sign? Charlie Larkin

Remember, the non-HP engines were turquoise or red. High-performance engines were orange. Working off a Yahoo! model builder's group, I helped edit and clean-up a Big Three & AMC engine color guide. I'll be happy to e-Mail you a copy if you'd like one. I can't promise this is 100% right, but it's the best I could do with the information I had. Charlie Larkin

Second. A little more willingness to admit/own up to errors in conduct would make this board, and society in general, a better place. Charlie Larkin

All the salt air in Newport must've rusted his brain. Charlie Larkin

If it's totally anonymous, I think this eliminates the personality issues, or at the minimum, curtails them substantially. I say let's try it. Charlie Larkin

Talk about forgotten and unloved! Except by me, because I like the up-market J-cars. Except the Cimmaron....that was just wrong. Hey Chuck...if you pull this off, what's the chances of getting you to see if Kevin or Jeff want to cast it? They'd sell one, anyway, and possibly a few others to Olds people, and I mean really die-hard Olds people. Especially a Firenza GT with the V6 (think a really nice Cavalier Z24.) Charlie Larkin

I would say the judges, just like a real contest. Which does bring up a question I hadn't considered, nor did I see addressed: who does the judging? Charlie Larkin

There are several ways to do this. If you're looking for a vacuum former.... Go to Radio Shack and get what's called an experiement box. This is a small box, open on one side, with a back that looks somewhat like a pegboard. You'll need a industrial vacuum cleaner, such as a Shop-Vac. On one end of the box, cut a hole that is the diameter of your vacuum hose. Take a piece of 3/8" thick plywood and adhere the experiment box to the plywood open side down. I would recommend using RTV or silicone to glue it on. When you're ready to form, put the vacuum hose into the box, put some gel silicone around the hose/inlet, and allow it to harden (a few minutes,) and once it's dried, turn the vacuum on, place the master on the box, and the softened plastic sheet over the master, and the vacuum will suck the plastic down and around the master. Use a a basswood or thin plywood frame to hold the plastic, and soften it in the oven at about 175-200 degrees. It should only take a couple of minutes. The silicone around the vacuum hose can be removed with a utility knife and simply peeled off, as it doesn't stick well to plastic, but will provide a good, tight seal. If you're looking make an enclosed chamber for something like plating.... Using Plexiglass, cut the sheets to the desired size. Glue the four sides and top together with silicone weather-stripping adhesive, and allow to dry THOROUGHLY. Cut a hole in the box, as described above. Place the object (s) to be plated on another piece of Plexiglass slightly larger than the external dimensions of your box. Seal the box to the base with silicone. Insert the vacuum cleaner as described above. Perform whatever operation you have in mind, disassemble the box from the base, remove the vacuum hose as described above. Charlie Larkin

Nice job, I think black is my favorite color on those. Charlie Larkin

Nice builds. And, given conditions in the police car market, as Dan stated, a plausible "what if." Charlie Larkin

Awful pun, Lee! I love it, even if you didn't mean to do it! Charlie Larkin

I agree with the statement. I like the execution of this overall. I'll keep an eye on it. Charlie Larkin

Very neat idea. I'll look forward to the finished project. Charlie Larkin

Now for something a little different....cool! Charlie Larkin

It's an interesting idea. I also understand all the concerns raised, and they do need to be considered. A few other thoughts to pass along: 1. I actually like the 1/24-25 restriction. While I am fully aware of, and agree, that there are a lot of good models in other scales, where bi-scale is the most-widely available in terms of product availability, price point, detailing options, etc. This is therefore the best choice for a photo-only contest, as, at least from a size standpoint, everyone will be on a level playing field. 2. The themes, as with any live contest, are a good idea. I would suggest having parallel classes, though, for each class. For example, box stock/theme and box stock/general. I think that was one of your ideas, John, but I wasn't sure how you were writing it. This is my suggestion (or clarification.) 3. I would suggest 6-8 photos (front/rear/both sides/chassis/engine/interior/any specific detail you want to call attention to.) For those without expensive digital cameras or have a mobile phone camera that isn't all that great, Kodak makes a very high-quality disposable 35 mm camera with a macro lens. I had to use one in a pinch and was very pleased with what I got. While it wasn't the sames as my Canon FD or Pentax SF-10, it was still very good. And with 24 shots, you can take plenty of pictures and pick and choose which ones you like best. Not a good photographer? Read this. Take Great Pictures. There are several really good tutorials, and they apply to film and digital. 4. Those who demonstrate poor sportsmanship in any way, shape or form should be barred from future entry. That goes for non-first-place people who are thin-skinned and unreasonable, and for people who gloat too much about winning. I think this is a good idea, and I say we give it a try for one contest period to see what happens. Charlie Larkin

*HIGH 5*

It is the long-standing policy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure to accept only checks or money orders. Cash, they found, had too much of a habit of..."disappearing." Many administrative bodies in the government will refuse to take actual currency, but will require personal checks, bank drafts or money orders. The only places governmentally that will take cash are the colleges and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. I believe all cities and towns are also required to only accept negotiable instruments, again, for security reasons. Charlie Larkin