Scale-Master

Why yes, I have! My dad worked at MicroScale at the time is was developed, and I got to play with it before it was marketed. I prefer BMF, but still keep a bottle on hand, it has it places, and yes I have had it lose its adhesion and start to peel up on the edges on occasion.

There are times I will paint over the existing factory paint. As Bart mentioned, the factory paint is usually quite thick, but it also hides a lot of imperfections. If the amount of detail lost from it is not an issue, I often sand the factory paint smooth, using it as a sealer/primer coat. A thin coat of primer depending on the color, or if I went through to metal, and then paint.

I like the old Berryman carburetor cleaner for stripping, but you can't get it in Calfornia any more. Jasco stripper works well, the gel is my choice. I have used self etching primer, but have had no problems using regular Krylon primer either. I like the way it sands. Files and emery cloth are the first round abrasives, and occasionally the Dremel, ( I prefer hand tols over the Dremel, but sometimes it is the best option). I also like my small hacksaw, it is my choice for cutting off parts.

Thanks. I don't think I have patience... But I do have passion. It is done now: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53529

Finished it up this morning… I think my favorite parts are the milled hood louvers and the Stratos lettering on the deck. I was going to machine a few items, (like fuel fillers and a mirror) but decided to put my energy into another project when I noticed the seats extend outside the window openings, as if that is the worst part of the kit... Fun little project, but lots of issues. Pretty much out-of-the-box except for the hood. I made seatbelt decals and used gauges from a sheet I made. License plate is from the parts box. I left out a part that goes under the rear louvers so you can see a little engine detail through them, not much there, so I didn’t mind cementing the rear closed. Paint is Tamiya TS-44 Brilliant Blue. WIP Thread: http://www.modelcars...showtopic=52871

That illustates one of my points perfectly Andy. "I've heard of other people using foil and spray adhesive" "Heard of" and even "read about" are not the same as actually having hands on experience. When you offer your "advice" it is really parroted information that you don't really know if it works or not. Maybe "they" don't get barked at because "they" offer it in a context that relates to them actually having experience? By the way, who are "they"? You seem to want to be respected for having knowledge, it is normal, but respect is earned and you will never get it by constantly acting like you know something about everything, especially at the rate you are being proven wrong. Plus you may unwittingly advise someone who is not aware that you don't know what you are talking about to do something that causes them to damage their model. Not cool. And thanks Dave for pointing out that my screen name is not what I consider myself, it is just the name I make decal art under.

The larger the scale you work in, the more things you have to detail.

Bart has some good points, I'll add that I do use emery cloth in place of paper backed sandpaper since it holds up a bit better. But once it is in the primer stage, it is very much like working with styrene. I also use CA to bond and fill, but heavy duty bonding is better suited for epoxy based adhesives.

There you go again Andy, acting like you know how something should be done and offering poor advice without a foundation. The 3M adhesive is (as mentioned) too thick and imparts a texture, kind of like a vinyl top, but not in scale. I have yet to find any sprayable adhesive that works as well as the Micro Metal Foil Adhesive. It is a great product. Been using it since before it was sold publicly. The trick is to apply it uniformly and with no dirt, and let it fully dry. Any imperfection will show through. And clean your brush before it dries! Do not try to airbrush it on. (Well, you can, just don't be surprised with the mess...) The Reynolds heavy duty foil is way too thick; the light duty stuff works best for trim. But for interior panels it has its place. I have tried Post-It glue too. No recommendation for that experiment. Not enough tack.

Gotta ask, why is the heater core on the driver's side, and the master cylinder on the passenger side while it is still a LHD car?

Have you done that? What adhesive did you use? Or "plan to use"?

You mean step back in time and use kitchen foil, chrome silver paint and Alclad? I do like the paint in some of the markers, just don't care for the delivery system...

There's a good point. When you think you have learned or know it all, you are really just cheating yourself out of being able to improve. I may have learned a lot, but I am always trying to learn more ways to do things better or quicker or easier. Or just plain new things.

I agree. You may never want to build another, but the sense of accomplishment it well worth the effort and investment. But $1000.00 is a bit steep, I paid $300.00 for my Pocher adventures. The right kit, in unmolested condition, and I might be persuaded to go for it... even at that amount.

Maybe the problem lies with the printer. Slixx didn't print them, probably MicroScale did. And sometimes there are bad batches. Cracking too easily is one common issue. But as far as I know, Slixx always made good on replacements when they were contacted, and the sheet was still available.

More to the point, THEY (the government) kill US (the citizens). WE don't want what the government is cramming down our throats and making us pay extra for doing so.

OK, so I let the body dry (cure) for a while (little over a week, it has been warm here) and then gave it a once over polish/waxing. I decided to skip any clear coat and just use the paint as the final surface. I added lines for the headlights I filled in before painting. Brush painted the window frames with flat black. The louvers, back of the spoiler and recess of the deck were masked off and sprayed flat black. I masked off the Stratos lettering for the blue to show through. The front lower grille was pretty weak as it was molded, so I formed a new one from brass screen.

Not seeing how that can end well. Uncle Jim was a wacky dude...

Not to bag on SA, but I don't care for the way the categories are set up there. For example, I build a COPO Camaro. Should it go in Factory Stock? Or Muscle Car? How about a Shelby Cobra? One of those two categories, or Race Cars/Sports Cars? Too many sub-categories only serves to make it more difficult to quickly find what you want. And you could miss something too. Here's a thought, when you post, make sure the title is truly representative of the subject. And when you read, comprehend what was written...

Why would lowriders and tuners be lumped together? Why not Pro Touring and Tuners? Or Pro Street and Pro Tour? We used to put Lowriders and Customs together at our contest due to low turnout for a while, but we found out the mentality is now quite different between the classes.

I have never seen a category for weathered only cars, and putting them into diorama if it is a stand alone vehicle would not be true to the the spirit of a contest. Contests are a bit different, but consolidating traditional contest classes could be a good starting point for a forum.

I'm with you on that. Well done weathering often goes unnoticed, as it should. Not sure we need need an additional category, but I guess it would make sense too those who like to post multiple times. Hey, it's a NASCAR, and it's on the bench, and I made it look like it ran through the infield! A trifecta. What if it's a Supertruck? Quadfecta? Here's an idea. Why not put the zombies, punks and rats in the barn and mix up a big pitcher of Kool-Aid for the party? Win-win.

Even in 1/12 scale, I don't add any dampening, as Bill said, it is not needed. But if they are coil over style, no matter the scale, I make the springs work. Even if only so they will look correct no matter what rate they are compressed to. Brass is the easiest material I have found to make them out of, especially in 1/25 scale since there are telescoping tube sizes and it is easy to solder. But aluminum works good too since it machines so well.

You can use Future to make them shinier. And that will help the decals adhere better too. Then you can use Dullcote to make them look even more realistic. But, the Future will crack if you apply it before stretching the tires over the rims.

I am in California, and have it here...