Nitro Neil

I guess I always assumed it was up to me to make them awesome. Without the builder, they are all just boxes with pieces of scrap plastic inside. The fun part for me is making something out of whatever it is I have been given. The important thing is the journey, not the destination.

I'm going but I'll be making it a day trip. That is unless I hit the lottery; then my plans may change.

Nice job Rich, well deserved. Congratulations!

Hi Rich, going to NNL East? By "model cement" I mean any cement that works by melting the plastic and welding the parts together, whether it comes out of a tube or any of the liquid forms. So it seems that at least some of you are still using some form of it. For CA glues I use two main versions. I use LocTite Precision for most stuff. It is liquid but a little thicker than the "thin" stuff so it doesn't run all over the place when I put it on a surface. That little extra bit of viscosity also helps fill any gaps in the seam and allows me to smooth the seams nicely once the glue has hardened. It's also available at any hardware store so it's easy to find when I run out. For really tight seams, or for places where I want the glue to run and fill the seam by capillary action, I use Great Planes Thin CA glue. I also use Great Planes CA accelerator ("zip kicker") sometimes to speed things up. I buy the big bottle and put some in a old Testors enamel paint jar. Then I dip a flat wooden toothpick into the zip kicker and quickly touch it to the glue on the parts. That's all it takes to kick the CA glue and mark it hard and that also avoids the kicker from running somewhere it doesn't belong. I also use the Squadron Precision Glue Applicator whenever I need to be able to control exactly where the glue goes and how much glue I need. They cost 8-9 bucks but they are worth it. I store it in a old olive jar with a little acetone to clean the CA glue off the tip between uses.

Yeah Tom, I use Future for photoetched now. I haven't even touched my model cement this winter's model building season. Dave, I'm using Elmer's Clear glue for windows, it dries even clearer than their white glue.

I stopped using model cement completely about a year ago. Now I only use superglues. Anyone else?

Call or write to: 317 Roosevelt Avenue, S.W. Glen Burnie, MD 21061 410.768.3648 Or e-mail Norm at: replmincomd@aol.com

There is a short explanation from Mark Gustavson himself in this thread from 2009. Mark Gustavson runs the National Model Car Museum in Utah. He wrote an article that was featured in Scale Auto Enthusiast back in 1980 that complained about a lack of attendance at his national model car championship. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23662 There is also more detailed info at Mark's website, including a copy of the original article. http://www.customclinic.com/News/NNL/nnl.html

Volvo P1800 Bill Thomas Cheetah 1968-72 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser or its sister, the Buick Sportwagon.

Cool build. I used to own one of these and I have always wanted to build one. Where did you get the LS nose?

Very nice work Rich.

I love this. Nice play on words, and great job replicating two of Van Gogh's classic paintings.

I looks great just the way it is. I'm looking forward to see the finished paint.

I was just responding to a post by Tim Boyd and it dawned on me that a lot of us probably have at least one build on our shelves that was inspired by an article that Tim wrote. He has been writing articles for model car magazines since the 1980s and he's still at it. I'll start. Here's one I built based on a TB article showing how to build a '29 Ford roadster on a '32 Ford frame using the not-very-accurate AMT kits that were available at the time.

Ooww, colored pearl over silver base. Me likely. I'm stealing that idea. Thanks Tim.

Two feet? That's nothin'. Now, if the power goes out and I can't watch the TV, then I'll be pissed.

Very nice, love the old Super Stockers.

SWEET - love the color.

Cool model Tom, who built that?

I primer everything except the glass and chrome that I don't strip. Bare plastic is a horrible surface for paint because it is non-porous and has no "tooth". The solvents in primer bite into the plastic and give the paint a good porous surface to grab on to.

You should tell him that his website doesn't work very well. The link for Parts doesn't work at all.

Yup, they are making Chevys.

Very nice. I have seen that van, full of hippies, driving through Northampton.

Yeah, he is kinda of like the J.D. Salinger of the model car hobby.

Here is another issue of Car Model mag with one of Richard's wild models on the cover. http://www.modelencyclopedia.com/magazines.php?MagId=137