Chillyb1

Am I'm being obtuse or is there a way to perform Boolean searches? Is there a way to include "and" to combine the search terms? Right now it appears that the search function is absolutely useless. Am I doing something stupid or just plain wrong? When I tried searching for "clear over decals" I get every post that includes any of those three words and, believe me, that is a lot of posts. When I tried using "and" to connect the terms, you guessed it, it brought up every instance of "and" including its use as part of other words, e.g., sand, bland, grand, et cetera. So, is it me?

It is one with the glass molded in, which is probably the most annoying thing I've encountered in my brief modeling life. The molding process leaves a very prominent injection mark on the clear parts that has to be removed by tedious sanding and sanding and sanding.... The color is Tamiya TS-19 Metallic Blue on top of TS-55 Dark Blue. It isn't a perfect match for the real car, which bothers me a bit, but it looks pretty good anyway. Yes, I thought it was time for a model thread rather than a drama thread. Of course I'll be staying, Harry. I'm not some self-absorbed, immature primo uomo who has to call attention to every little thing he does, all the while producing utterly sub-mediocre models yet proclaiming his superiority and greatness in all things scale-auto-modeling related. Thanks for the comments, everybody. I want to get better with decals so I challenge myself with projects like this one. There are some flaws that are quite visible in person but apparently the camera loves this car and decided not to reveal those flaws to the general public.

Decaling the hell out of this Porsche, that is. What, you were expecting something else?

You can get it at drug stores and many general stores. I use Johnson & Johnson though there are probably other brands. Don't get the stuff you'd wrap an ankle with; that is much wider and has a different weave that is out of scale. Look for tape that is about an inch wide. You'll probably recognize what you want when you see it. I also use it for seat belt material. I lay a strip on an old compact disc, color it with a Sharpie, then cut it to the appropriate width using a very sharp blade and a metal rule as a guide. Be sure to lay it down straight and to cut off the edges. When using it for headliner you have to be careful when trimming and fitting. It is very easy to pull or stretch it out of shape and it is very difficult to trim once the tape is in place (at least for me it is).

Thanks again, 935k3. Lots of valuable tips there. I really need to improve my ability with decals especially since I really like building rally, Le Mans, and JGTC cars. Each build offers its own set of challenges to my limited modeling skills and I'll try your methods on the next one.

Thanks, this is good stuff to know. The decals that prompted this thread are Cartograf from the recent reissue of Tamiya's Porsche 962C in Repsol livery. I've had a similar problem in the past using both Solvaset and Microsol on a variety of decals from Tamiya, Studio 27, and others. I'm not sure if I'm just using too much of the stuff and/or not wiping it off soon enough after application or if it is something else. In any event, it seems to me that there should be a way to clean it off, if it isn't decal damage, that is. How do you keep a damp tissue or cloth "steaming hot" during a decal application session? And how do you keep decals from sticking to the cloth?

Do you mean the kind with ammonia in it? Or just any old glass cleaner? I tried some yesterday and I'm not sure it did the job. Do you have to use it several times before it removes residue or does it usually work on the first go 'round? Anybody else out there have this problem or is it just me and weasel?

Super vachement chouette! I've wanted to see one of these built up for a long time. And even wanted to build one myself from time to time; then I remind myself how much of a challenge the Heller Citroens and Talbots I've built were, and I give up that desire. As much as I'm for building it as originally intended, I really can't wait to see what you come up with in the way of a mild custom. Keep us posted and bonne chance.

Is there an easy way to clean residue left behind by application of MicroSol/MicroSet from decals? Maybe it is just me, but I find that there is always stuff on my decals after I apply them and that I can't get it off. I'm afraid of ruining the decals so maybe I don't try very hard. Warm soapy water doesn't seem to do the job. Does everyone have this problem? And, if so, what do you do about it?

Always a treat, Dave, to see your creations. I don't know how you do it even after having seen your inner sanctum. And it really is a gorgeous color combination. It suits the car and the era.

You picked a good one for your first one back in the hobby. It goes together well and looks great when done. I'm currently working on one as well, though I had to strip the paint so that one's on hold for now.

So, where in Ohio does Carl reside? I grew up in Sandusky, so seeing a Put-in-Bay ferry is a real nostalgia trip. I've been on those things as well as the Neuman lines to Kelley's Island a thousand times (though not as far back as 1961).

It is the Bentley Speed Six Blue Train Special.

This isn't really a traditional WIP thread. It's more of a this-is-where-I-am-now-on-this-build thread. I hope you like it. The kit is Tamiya's Monte Shell F40 Competizione from twenty years ago, repackaged with superb Cartograf decals and some photoetch parts. I got a great eBay deal on it ($35 shipped to my door) and really like both the F40 and this sort of racer. I'm not a superdetailer, so I just added a few things here and there, tried to get the paint right, and then started assembly. There are carbon fiber decals in places that I think look cool, though they may or may not be CF on the real car. It isn't without its flaws, but so far I think it is looking pretty good.

I know the cause if not the cure. Humidity is the problem and it is usually only a problem with lacquers. Some are more sensitive than others, even within lines of paint, e.g., some Plasti-kotes never blush and others do like a ... (fill in your favorite simile here). I recently had this problem with a Plasti-kote color. Some of it went away with clear, but not all. I had to strip it and am trying a Duplicolor instead (the same stuff you are talking about in a small can). My first try, spraying out of the can, led to super blushing. I am currently trying the same paint through the airbrush (in fact, as soon as I finish typing this I have to go check it to see how it came out). In the past I've been able to save such blushed paint jobs by waiting for a low-humidity day and painting over the whole thing. Good luck.

You got that engine as a door prize!? Arrggghhh, Bob, I think I hate you.

Have you tried Model Master metalizer brass?

Happy Birthday, Harry! It's my birthday, too, yea. And I'm not just quoting the Beatles.

Maybe my reading of this is all wrong, but I don't think this adage applies. By definition cheating is NOT playing by the rules. I realize there have been other points made about contests and model judging, but the title is "Cheating in Model Car Contests." That said, if it weren't for cheating I'd have never had national-contest recognition! Somebody decided to cheat by entering a model I built as his own. The upshot was that I got second place at the GSL XXII. Bad for the hobby, to be sure, but good for me. If we don't all have the necessary personal integrity, then cheaters will be able to pass off others' work as their own without detection. There aren't many ways I can think of (without requiring burdensome proof of each model's provenance) to prevent it. Is it really a rampant problem?

Marcos, this is an ingenious tip! I can't believe this never occurred to me. Thank you a thousand times.

I'll add a plug for Dean's Hobby Stop. Great prices, great service, great selection.

What is that color and the paint? I just yesterday painted a body with a Plasti-kote automotive touch-up lacquer that is very, very similar. It was too humid and my paint blushed like a ... well, it blushed a lot. I'd like to know what you used in the event that I can't finish my project with the paint I still have. Anyway, to your question. Agreed it would look good either way, but I think a little clear would look better in the end.

I recently tried the TS-82 on the window surrounds on two Porsche models. I love it. I don't know how much you can really see in this photo but it looks fantastic in person.

Thanks for the comments, everybody. The window surrounds do look really good and I'm glad you noticed that. It took patient work and Tamiya's masking tape, but it was worth it. I'm not sure why but the trim really came out looking spectacular on this particular model. I used Tamiya's "rubber black" for the first time and I think that is part of why the window surrounds look so good. It is a fantastically realistic approximation of the color of those sorts of materials on a car.

This is Tamiya's Porsche GT3, just another of their excellent Porsche kits. It is curbside but has plenty of undercarriage detail; lots of separate suspension pieces as well as molded-in engine and other bits. Requires some tricky masking to paint, but not all that difficult for the average modeler. Body and interior are of expected quality. Crisp molds throughout, parts fit is reasonably precise (though I had some fits with the suspension installation), directions very clear, et cetera. Body is primed with Tamiya white primer, painted in TS-8 Italian Red with a couple coats of TS-13 clear. Polished none-too-expertly with Tamiya's coarse and fine compounds, but not yet with finish, which I might do later. Interior is mostly black with carbon fiber decals from Scale Motorsport on the door panels and the gauge surround. Flocked with embossing powder though that isn't visible. Comments, criticisms, helpful suggestions all welcomed. Thanks for checking out my build. A few more pictures here: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Chi...0Porsche%20GT3/