charlie8575

For the record, Monty's warning about superglue is clear parts is very accurate. DO NOT do it. Charlie Larkin

That kit was based off the 1965 Bonneville, which is a 1960s-vintage kit. It was so panned for the goofs, that AMT very quickly put it back to its original configuration. It would've been better to base it on the Grand Prix, which was already on the Catalina chassis (121 vs. 124-inch wheelbase, I think.)The Bonneville is a very good kit, I have one or two of them. That aside, you did a nice job with it. For the first one in a long time, it came out well. Please share more work with us as you complete it. An accurate 2+2, George? Tell us more. Charlie Larkin

But these are models and can't hurt us.... That looks very nice. I'm guessing Colorado's scheme is something similar to what you've depicted? I'm waiting for the Mass. State Police to get those or Mustangs; I have a feeling it'll come sooner rather than later. Charlie Larkin

Hi, Tom. Welcome back. Testors tube cement still has its uses. It's good for slow drying time when you want to fiddle with things. Yes, it can still get a little stringy, but it's still the best choice out there for those type of assemblies. For liquid, I also use Testors, although a lot of people like Tamiya Extra Thin cement. I'm probably going to try it sometime, as it's supposed to work quite well. Ambroid Pro-Weld, if you can find it, is also very good. I like gel-type superglue for assembling components that end up being painted prior to assembly, like suspensions and some engine assemblies. For attaching clear parts, Testors clear parts cement, which is akin to white glue with a small amount of plastic solvent, is quite popular. It has just enough solvent to fuse the parts, but is mostly white glue, so it won't fog the clear plastic. Other people have used the "craft" glues, such as Aleene's, commonly available at most variety stores, Wal-Mart, craft and art suppliers, and the like. Charlie Larkin

Hi, Mike. I do have everything in a tight container. I've heard of people using Pine Sol, but that's become a little tough to find around here, as has Mr. Clean. I think the greenie goblins here in the Socialst-Democratic Republic of Massachusetts chased it off. I just looked in on it. Nothing. Fume-free oven cleaner or Whestley's Bleche-White is next. I remember using ammonia once when I was kid, and got very good results with it, although I've read it doesn't budge chrome. I may try the oven cleaner, as stated before, that will remove just about anything. Charlie Larkin

Nice start, Kevin. I'll watch this with interest. It appears you used foamcore for the walls, yes? Charlie Larkin

Very nice job with that, James. And a beautiful color choice, too. Charlie Larkin

Very sharp. Sam. I like it and the color scheme. Charlie Larkin

An interesting and unique way to paying tribute to those who have had their lives effected by this scurge, and a nicely-executed model to boot. Charlie Larkin

It's 12:48, I just returned from my friend's birthday party, and it looks like the paint is finally starting to soften a little on the body. I just discovered goobers on the other parts, so I put them in. I didn't have my gloves, etc. handy to fish out the intake, so I can't really tell what's going on with that, but it doesn't look promising. What I found odd is that it doesn't seem to be touching Plasti-Kote lacquer primer. I'm seriously wondering if I got a bad batch of the stuff. Oven cleaner, as nasty as it is, is my next step. I'll just use it outdoors. Charlie Larkin

Looks great; I'm keeping an eye open for some of those 1980s M-Bs. They're among my favorite modern cars. Charlie Larkin

I'd just use any regular primer, lacquer or enamel, or an acrylic if you have one. I use Plasti-Kote or Valspar lacquer primer under 99% of my work, regardless of topcost, with great results. For small items, I have bottle of Tamiya white primer. Charlie Larkin

For curiosity's sake, I decided to try and paint a plated part to save the trouble of stripping. I may have now created more work for myself. After finding the paint didn't cover well at all, I put it and several other plated parts that needed to be stripped in bleach. The non-plated parts stripped a bit slower than what I've normally seen, but stripped nice and clean with little trouble. The painted part stripped on the non-painted side. The bleach wouldn't even touch the paint. Moral of the story: if you need a bleach-proof finish, try Testors enamel! I then transferred it to the Purple Power (imitation Super Clean,) and after about two hours...nothing. The paint isn't budging, what's left of the plating isn't doing anything either. Worst case, I'll just prime over it and try it that way. Any other suggestions/ideas/similar occurrences to report? Charlie Larkin

Another method I've seen used for scripts and such, especially if you want it to be chrome anyway, is to place some aluminum foil over it, firmly burnish around it to get a good impression and carefully remove it. Fill in the impressions with five-minute epoxy, allow to dry, trim carefully and apply. Charlie Larkin

When I had to wet-sand a metallic paintjob a couple of months ago, I used a 4000 or 6000-grit sanding cloth with and held the body underwater. It developed a noticeable haze, but I simply applied a very light coat of paint over it, and it resulted in a very nice, smooth, glossy finish. I'm probably going to clear it to help seal the foil, but that's about all it'll need to look really nice. Charlie Larkin

That looks great, Mike. The Charger does look nice in that metallic orange. Charlie Larkin

Thanks for jogging my memory, Steve. I think that's the stuff I was thinking of. Next time I'm at one of the chain craft stores, I'll check and see if that was it, assuming I remember. I never thought of metallic paint under flat for velour. I might try a little on some scrap to see how it works. Charlie Larkin

Great project; one of my friends in high school had a silver RX-7 of that vintage. I always thought those were neat cars. One of the few Japanese cars I wouldn't mind owning simply because it's such a nice piece of design both mechanically and aesthetically. I like the copper-gold color, too. I remember seeing a couple of them in that color around here. Charlie Larkin

All the advanced engineering and electronic wonders in the world can't replace simple attentiveness. Charlie Larkin

That's good to know. He will be missed by all of us who enjoy a good detective story. I remember in 1998 he came to speak when I was a student at Ftichburg State College and I got an autographed copy of what I believe was the first Jesse Stone book. He was absolutely hilarious and very insightful. One question about the Mustang- that plate is red. When Spenser was shot, we were still using the green plates with the red ones only slowly starting to show up, and then in 1988, (vanities and reserved [low-number plates to the rest of the country],) did the show use red plates? I'll have to see if I can find a re-run someplace and watch. Charlie Larkin

I see you read quite a bit of Robert B. Parker, too, Mike. I'll enjoy the story and the build. Charlie Larkin

I have to agree with everyone else, nice job. Charlie Larkin

I tried Krylon on a model for the first time that I can remember a few months ago when I painted my car hauler (it would've been a million Testors cans,) and except for one spot, where I think I might have stopped momentarily, it came out very well. That one spot? I'll dry-brush some Testors Rust on it and call it road rash. I used a color called Bahama Sea, which I've only seen at Wal-Mart. it's a pretty blue-green. Charlie Larkin

If the price is right, I'll buy a few. Charlie Larkin

Art, I think you might have touched on this once before, but what are those mock-ups made from, solid blocks of plastic cut with one of the 3-D pattern machines or hard maple like the mastering bucks used to be made of, with some plastic here and there? Charlie Larkin