seanyb505

Thanks for the replies, good stuff. My first glance through arc and few similar googlings is what caused me to ask here about a more active database. A number of the arc stuff that I was looking for didn't work or had little activity. I did notice a similar trend to this site while initially browsing the aero search results. Most of the subjects that draw me in are modern things. Modern sports cars here, and the latest generation of fighter jets in the airplane topic. Eventually my era eyes get wider and I start shopping for older stuff. There are a huge number of people contributing topics of modern subjects in auto realm on this site. However the overwhelming majority of the postings on most of the aero forums I found were more along the lines of "random 1930s subject that has been done thousands of times, but I'm going to make sure the radiator part number casting is accurate for that particular production week since the stock market showed improvement that week." On here the subject is usually a topic like the General Lee. Like haha yeah we've all done 1 or 20 and we chuckle and go along with every new GL build. I kinda expected the aero communities to be filled with Blue Angel stuff. But most of what I found were subjects that, even as someone with what I thought was a passing knowledge/awareness of aero history, didn't entirely register with me. I'm certain all the major brands have cranked out a bajillion Top Gun flavored tomcats, but most modelers are focusing on mid to late 1937. Or spring of '53. It becomes tedious to look for info on a certain topic through 30 threads of that. And when there are modern topics mentioned (in my initial lookings) There's not much info in the original post, and almost no follow up discussion. But it looks like I've not really scratched the surface, and you guys have given a number of options. Just keep reading!

Out of the blue I decided it would be fun to build a bunch of planes. No specific time period, - WW2, cold war, modern jets, bombers, civilian, kinda a wide range. Can anyone point me to a site similar to this forum for a beginner? I feel like subject category will dictate scale, but I'm looking to research which kits/brands are decent, which to avoid, etc. And then tips and advice specific to aircraft modeling genre. A few of the forums I've found so far seem super specific to one kind of style, and not really a wealth of information. Thanks!

#3 wheel, azzuro dino, white interior, white wheels

Looks good so far. I'll be following as I'd like to accomplish the same for several phantom racers.

What pink primer did you use? I've recently seen it advocated a lot for red bodies and have a countach on the bench...

Revell of Germany Audi A4 DTM Tom Kristensen. I have a large list of models I'd like to build, and suddenly the Revell DTM models have become super scarce. Or at least they're not available from major websites or ebay. I was able to find a random shop in the west that listed one for sale for a non-discontinued inflated price. Pleasantly surprised when it actually showed up instead of a "sorry we haven't stocked that in a long time" email.

Looks great! So, uh...how do you polish something like this?

Thanks everyone! Hopefully this motivates me to keep moving on the stash

I think I’m good to call this one done. I tried a few new things on this one. First time airbrushing, various polishing steps, BMF, and a miniscule amount of engine detailing. Looking at the pics, I'll probably paint the exhaust tips black. I have another Superbird that I’m working in more scratch building to. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/76443-plymouth-superbird/?page=1 I got a little hung up, so I figured a box stock build would help give a sense of accomplishment. That was probably 4 years ago. There are a few things I’m not happy with on this. I didn’t evenly coat various body parts, so there are different shades of B3 Ice Blue Metallic. The kit tire decals didn’t suck themselves down to the raised letter detail as I would have hoped. I used sol and set, so I suppose it’s time for more practice. I also used Alcad on the rear bumper and hub caps. It came out decent enough, but not perfect. BMF could also use more practice, and I could use a fresh stock. This stuff was 5-10 years old. I think on the next model that requires it, I’ll do some definition work on the trim to make the BMF process easier. What frustrates me the most is how long I took to complete the model, and how little all those lessons will translate to the next one as a result. On good days I have a decent enough golf swing. Unfortunately those days are so few and far between that I can’t sufficiently develop the skills through repetition. Every new round starts from scratch.

Sooooo many awesome builds!

Older thread, but thought I'd share. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=35559

The scale production option would include $25 for shipping each time. Not exactly economical for my purposes. They do have something I could use, but I forgot to include my findings in the original post. Cheapest way would buying all sets at once, coming in around $800-900. Still a lot to swallow at once. I know other kits have similar wheels, though I'm really trying to avoid having a mass amount of unusable kits because I've swiped the wheels and tires. I discussed that in options 1 and 2. Lee, do you mind sharing which player you dealt with?

Potential silly question(s) warning... I've got several (~40) cars that I'd like to build into a phantom GT endurance style race cars. I believe I have solutions for wings and other aero components, decals, interiors. The one thing I haven't found a reliable, satisfactory solution for is the wheel & tire packages. The wheels I have in mind are commonly found in racing, but not commonly found in the model world as a package deal. The wheel is a contemporary BBS single lug wheel found on GT and various prototype cars. It's similar to the wheels in the Fujimi BMW Z4 GT3 kit. Actually if the Revell Porsche 918 Weissach kit is any kind of decent, those would be the perfect wheels to add to the phantom GT cars. The issue there is the kit would come with treaded tires, whereas I believe slicks are the correct option. I'm not certain on what method would be best to acquire that many wheel & tire sets over time. Here are my thoughts so far: 1.) Buy ~40 Porsche kits and steal the wheels. I would then need to find a source for ~40 slick tires. 2.) Buy ~40 BMW GT3 kits and steal the wheels and tires. Both options are non starters. I'm not paying $1,200-2,000 for wheels and tires, and then getting stuck with 40 kits that have no wheels or tires to go with them. Maybe I could sell the kits on ebay and recoup $400-600. I'm not sure there's that large of a market for kits missing significant assemblies though. 3.) Buy the Hobby Design resin wheels for the BMW. I still need to find a tire source. I'm still spending at least $800, with more required for tires. 4.) Buy 1 Porsche kit, find a set of slicks that make sense, send those off to a resin caster to make 40 sets. 5.) Learn to cast the parts myself. I like that with option 3 I can buy wheel sets over time, though I would probably need to purchase all tires at once to get someone to replicate whatever tires work best for the project. Any idea what I could expect to pay someone who would take on such a product run? And who would take on something like that? Option 4 seems like it would be the easiest in terms of logistics. Same questions for option 3 - Who could/would and how much should I expect to spend? What I like about option 5 is I control the pace of creating the new wheel and tire packages. I can spread it out over time and not spend several hundred dollars at once. What I don't like is the possibility that my cast wheels and/or tires will turn out not great, and will build frustration against the project and the hobby. Not something I want. I'm relatively good at things like this, I'm just concerned about the learning curve, and how many efforts could potentially be wasted since I made an error in the casting process. How finicky is casting? Can I expect to get the hang of it quickly and not waste too much effort? And of course, how much would I be looking to spend on resin kits, required peripherals, set up, and materials at the end of the day? These questions might require more specifics to answer. I'd like to get the cost per 4 wheels and tires to around $10. Let me know if that's crazy town.

Paint came out nicely. Clear coat or just polished?

Is it too late to widen the rear fenders to fit the tires? Dominator style.

Looks great, and gives me some good inspiration. Is it just me or are several pics not showing?

That was originally what I had thought about. I'm huge into endurance racing but the overall feel of this build didn't seem to go along with needing headlights without compromising aero. Blame NASCAR. I have made decent progress. Thanks to a donation from a member, (Thanks again, tubbs!) I've got a Hemi in the engine bay again. I got lucky and the headers are the exact distance apart at the ends to match up to the Thunderbird side exhaust. The lower air dam I was working on is coming together, just waiting on a little putty to dry before I finish it. I'm not sure how to finish off this piece, polished aluminum, flat aluminum, or give my home made carbon fiber decals a first try. I like polished aluminum, but I know the metalizers like bare plastic surface and I will need to prime this part due to a little putty. The carbon would be cool, but since I have not attempted any home made decals yet, there could potentially be more trial an error, making this build last longer. Air Dam: I'm going to go with a simplified front suspension, even though it will be plainly visible. The Bird needs to get done. If the weather heats up soon I may try to start getting some paint on the body. The wing and rear bumper/valence are ready to go. These Revell-Monogram Superbirds have terribly brittle rear wings. Between this one and the stock version I am building along side I have broken a rear wing 4 times. Rear valence: I will need to widen the rear axle as the Thunderbird unit is about 1/8" too narrow on either side. With the rear seats sanded down the rear deck of the interior bucket it too thin and is always cracking the putty. I could build some supports to go underneath, but as of now I am unsure how far back n the process I want to go to fix the problem. Once those steps are done I should be ready for final assembly. Pics to follow, if I can get photobucket to cooperate. Anyone know why it doesn't seem to work on any Windows XP computer I own?

The only reason I used testors was that was the overwhelmingly most popular advice on the board. I'm still not sure it wasn't caused by my novice skill or cheap airbrush.

I was unaware of any one else with something similar when I made it a while ago. I think I saw it once and sent him a PM about it lol!

Update - There is a seller on a certain auction site that appears to have several Audi R10 and C6R kits for $44 and $36 respectively, with free shipping. Got one of each. I was also able to acquire a DTM CLK and JGTC Supra on fredsmodelworld after a few months of trying to catch something. It seems the list, while updated every 1-2 months, will have kits he has already sold in previous months.

I finally sat down to set everything up and start using an Airbrush. Rather than test on a body, I started with something small, a bumper that would end up chrome. I'm okay with the result, but I know I can improve. My setup is a garage compressor with a built in regulator and iwata moisture trap. The brush itself is the cheap 25 ez paasche. Excellent equipment, I know. I used walmart color place gray primer through the can, decanted testors gloss black and Alclad chrome through the airbrush. Here is the end result: The texture is smooth enough, but it's the blotchiness I'd like to improve. The black base was shot at 20 and the Alclad at 15. I did notice that either paint did not like coming out even if the air was flowing. I didn't have the much paint in the cup since I was trying to waste as little as possible my first time around. Was the paint reluctant to flow because I was picking up air in the paint bottle or is that due to the cheapo beginner brush? I'm assuming the blotchiness is due to the Alclad coming out heavier than it should when it did come out. I know it needs to be misted on, I am almost positive I was on the heavy side. Critique welcome!

I will cut the plastic to a rough shape, and attach it to the same dremel chuck used for a sanding wheel. On low speed, sand the edges of the plastic until it is the diameter you want.

I use hobby search whenever I want to see detailed pictures of a particular kit before I buy http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10002183

Looks like it might be B5 Bright Blue Metallic. Not sure about the testors equivalent though, but I know scalefinishes has it listed.

I've got a few Big T kits in the pipeline and I'm preparing the paint stash before starting. As I'm looking for the best price online I've come across a few questions.... 1.) Enamel or acrylic? I know this is based on several factors so here's what's at play for me: The only acrylic I've used so far is Tamiya X18 Semi Gloss Black and I hate the way it goes on with a paint brush. Testors enamels have been my go to, but I'd rather just follow the instructions instead of trying to match paint colors across brands so I'd like to stock up on Tamiya paints. I'm also trying to push myself to use a paint brush less and less on small pieces and move to painting most pieces with an air brush. I'd like to put the days of "painting an entire interior by hand only to have it look like a five year did it" behind me. Short version - Tamiya Acrylic or enamel? Testors enamel - comfortable using/detailing with a paint brush, looks terrible. Tamiya Acrylic - not comfortable with, better results with airbrush? Tamiya Enamel - Any reason to buy over acrylic? 2.) How long do the less than an ounce jars last when used through an airbrush? Ultimately I'm trying to balance out using the correct color with $ value. There are certain work horse colors that are used so much I know it will just be easier and less expensive to use general hardware store spray paints - Flat Black, Satin Black, Steel, etc. For other colors I'd like to stick in the Hobby world instead of just saying, "This blue is close enough." It will give me less anxiety to actually use the called for color instead of always trying to find an alternative, but at the same time so does spending less. I know for a standard 3 oz spray can I can safely do one entire body + touch up, but how long will the non-aerosol, less than an ounce paint jars last if I use an airbrush? Two-three models? 200 years? What is the general consensus for how often certain colors are purchased? Is it better to buy larger quantities of some colors (10ml or 23ml for example)? I know there will be a lot of variables so I'm just looking for what other builders general patterns are. Short version: How much paint to buy? What colors do you use so much that it's more economical to just buy a can of duplicolor? For colors with no alternative, is it better to just buy the 23ml? Opinions appreciated!