charlie8575

Very nice work Mike. I'll look forward to seeing this at MassCar in a couple of months. Charlie Larkin

Quite possible, Mike, as the Tamiya primer really is quite thin from what I've seen. I use Plasti-Kote almost exclusively, and never found the sandable primers to be that heavy, although a bit lighter-body than Dupli-Color. I find what helps thin any primer is warming the can in water for about 10-15 minutes at about medium heat, and that seems to not only thin out the contents of the spray can, but it comes out more smoothly and you get more of the paint out. I know Plasti-Kote is available at the VIP on 101-A in Merrimack; I've seen it there when I've stopped off on my way home from Amherst. Most CarQuests also stock it. I have to head to Nashua tomorrow and I may make a detour to re-stock. Off and on, I've seen Valspar gray and white lacquer primer at Michael's, which is similar to the sandable primer, but thinner still. It's also a bit less expensive. I've used this several times and it's an excellent product. Charlie Larkin

Bill, this thread came up last night in the chat, and I must say I was amazed at watching this car go together. I have one of these downstairs- a mid-'80s issue, and I knew this was a tough one to build, but I never realized just how tough! Someday, I'm going to do this one because I need to for myself. As always, this was a great build of yours and I enjoyed watching it thoroughly. Charlie Larkin

Very nice job, Ben. That bed was especially nicely-done. I'll look forward to the end result. Charlie Larkin

Looks very good, Mike. The overall execution is fantastic, as are all your builds. Charlie Larkin

Nice work, Mike. For white primer, have you considered trying Plasti-Kote? Their gray sandable primer is very nice, and I'd imagine the white would also work well. Charlie Larkin

I have to agree with Rob on this one. But I also agree that the color looks great. What is it? Charlie Larkin

It's good to see that this kit can be built quasi-stock. I've toyed with finding the right running gear and sticking a stock chassis/engine into it and running with it. Nice job on this, Brian. Charlie Larkin

I agree, it is a nice kit and looks very nice when it's built. A good tool is a good tool, no matter when it's built. So long as it's manintained and the machinery is operated by competent molders on a good molding machine, it will always produce a superior product. Charlie Larkin

Not quite that simple, my young friend. Remember, to create a mold, done properly, take several hundred man-hours and many thousands of dollars. Even a simple curbside kit will take approximately 200-300 hours to engineer, from measuring the prototype to placing the cavities in the molds, designing the inserts to form parts like the body, designing the gates, testing the molds and revising anything that may need to be revised. Figuring that most engineering work of that nature will cost at minimum $50-75 per hour, it's easy to see why kit subjects tend to be considered carefully. While I certainly wish (along with a lot of other people) that the manufacturers would take a Moebius-like leap of faith and attempt something truly different, given the costs involved, it's also very easy to understand, especially given the current marketplace and economic climate in general, why they haven't and generally don't. But wait....there's more. Cutting the mold, which of course would come before test-shots and revisions, needs to be done. Assuming a kit like the '57, with a fairly low parts count and not too-terribly complex shapes, would still take an additional 50-100 hours to simply cut, polish and finish the mold. Typically, this costs between $60-75 per hour, at bare minimum. That said, the Eldo isn't too tough to build. It requires patience, care and thought in its assembly, to be sure, but will still build up nicely. Charlie Larkin

Dave, VHT sells semi-gloss black for interior fittings for race cars and some exterior applications. It's available at Pep Boys and other retailers, so it's still a current production item; I saw some on the shelf about two weeks ago. Charlie Larkin

I agree that I might use a squirrel-cage blower in place of the little bathroom fan, but the basic idea is great. I never would've thought to use a Tote-Box or something similar for a spray booth. Squirrel cages can be found in your local shoppers and Craigslist inexpensively. Charlie Larkin

Absolutely beautiful, Roger. What did you use for the interior paint? It also appears to be the stripe on the exterior? Charlie Larkin

The steel sunroof must be spec for the rest of the world. All the ones I've seen here are glass? Who cares, it looks great! Charlie Larkin

I like it. Pretty color, nice build. Charlie Larkin

Glad this one got dug up. Two very nice models. Charlie Larkin

Bring it with you next week, Joe. I'm sure it'll be well-received. Charlie Larkin

Cool! Where did you find the roof section? Charlie Larkin

Oooohhhh....new story! And a nice kit, too. I've seen a couple of W-I-Ps at MassCar, and it's a beautifully-done kit. Charlie Larkin

Looks like some neat stuff. Charlie Larkin

Experience from people I know who have tried Fusion has shown that it does not strip well if you need to strip the part for any reason, and it also seems to etch the plastic. For that reason, I'm very reluctant to try it and will stick to the regular Krylon. Another paint that several people I know have used and really like for semi-gloss black is VHT. I've seen it applied and it looks GREAT. It also seems to be fairly plastic-safe. Charlie Larkin

Nick will lead a charge of high school freshmen from across the Dominion to return her to His Majesty's measures! Seriously, I hope you do it, I'll even come north and help! And yes, Nick, when I work on my cars, I tend to keep my shirt clean(ish,) too. I've never figured out how that works. Oh well. I like it so far. I'll keep an eye on this one. Charlie Larkin

Nice job, Carl. Very realistic base and a different, interesting subject. Charlie Larkin

Says a lot in a simple display, which is the hallmark of a good diorama. Given your nephew's limitations especially, he did a remarkably good job with it. Perhaps model-building might be a good therapy for him. Charlie Larkin

WOW! What a neat contributory thread. Jerry, on behalf of modelers everywhere, thank you not only for the kind words you've shown Bernard (who's one of the best builders in the country, anyway,) but for sharing your information, pictures and everything else. It's very thoughtful of you to do that, and I think it's safe to say it doesn't go unappreciated by any of us. Bernard- as always, an excellent job. Charlie Larkin