Kit Basher

I'm still pretty new to this, but so far I'd say I am a 4 with a little bit of 2. I haven't used any aftermarket parts yet, but I do scratch build some bits and pieces.

AAARRRGGH! The "peer group pressure" is killin' me! Tell you what Matthew, you go first. I wanna see how yours turns out! Seriously, I looked at the bumper, and it does look like there's enough plastic there. Now, how to cut a perfectly straight channel of exactly even depth. If this was a piece of furniture I'd have the router out and be done by now.

Roger, you are the Man! I love your badge idea. I had been thinking about carving them out of aluminum. Your way will be so much easier. I'll have to look at that bumper and see how much plastic is there. To be totally accurate, I would not only have to remove the trim, but also cut a channel in the bumper where the trim is attached. You're probably right, it would bug me every time I looked at it if I don't fix it, but I'm not ready to commit yet. Thanks for your help.

Thanks Roger, you put your finger right on a sticking point. I've been debating about that front bumper all along. I do not like the rubber molding that's on it, but if I sand it off I have to re-chrome the entire bumper. I've been reading that BMFing a whole bumper doesn't work. I have Alclad, but the only way it works for me is if I shoot it and never touch it again. I have no knowledge about sending something out to be re-chromed. I could definitely use some advice on this one. The other sticking point is the badges. I can't find them anywhere. I have decals, but the badges on my 1:1 are loud and proud, and decals would be a poor substitute. Any help with either of these would be much appreciated.

Really exciting update! Lots and lots of white paint... oh, yeah, that's not very exciting, is it? Anyway here it is: I am a BMF virgin, but I guess that's next. I do have one little tidbit for you, the Bronco mirror mounts looked really clunky to me: So I made these. The brackets are already on the cab. Advice and comments always welcome nuff for now, more later.

One other cool thing about these paints is that the bottles are exactly the same as the ones that came with my Badger airbrush. I can just screw them right on, and re-use them when they're empty.

I don't know if this will work for any other State, but I went to the Virginia DMV website. They have a page showing samples of all the different plates they offer. I copied the one I wanted, opened it in Photoshop Elements, and added the text I wanted.

As a relative newbie, let me explain how I interpreted the sections. "General" seemed like really general stuff, like hockey teams and bad drivers. I thought "Ask Model Cars" was for questions about the magazine or its contents. I posted modeling questions in "Tips, Tricks" because it seemed like that was where most questions were. Maybe if "Ask Model Cars" was renamed, like "Modeling Questions" and moved up in the order near "Tips, Tricks", it would be more obvious what to do. Thanks for your efforts, Harry, I will change my ways.

Thanks Casey, I appreciate your comments. I thought about those front hubs. There's been a whole bunch of places in this build where I had to ask myself, "Where do I stop?" There are a lot more details I thought about adding, anti-sway bars, brake lines, engine details, seat belts. At some point I had to say good enough and move on. I would like to finish this thing someday. The ol' 1:1 has a few spots, but not bad considering it has spent its whole life outdoors. I'm a fan of the 4.9 too, this is my second. I liked it better carbureted tho, mo' power and better mileage.

What kit is that, Bill? I'm tempted to get one just to copy the badges. I can't find F150 badges anywhere. BTW, would it be so hard to make body side moldings as optional glue on parts? I'm just sayin'...

I hear that! The problem is that most of the people that live here come from places where it doesn't snow, and haven't been here long enough to get used to the idea. Three inches and they FREAK OUT! And then there's the attitude that if you have a four wheel drive Escalade with street tires you can still drive 65 mph on ice. It would be funny if it wasn't real.

While we're on the subject of food packaging, there was a thread a while back about "Everybody eats bread". Mysterion suggested using the plastic clips that hold bread bags closed for putty spreaders. I tried it, works great.

Thanks, James.

Go for it, Bill!

Nate, the tires come from the "Off Road 4x4 F150" Lindberg kit. If it helps, there's a picture of the box at the beginning of the thread. Thanks, Bill, looking forward to seeing that truck when you get it going!

If you're going to be building in 1/24 scale, get yourself an architects scale. It's one of those 3 sided rulers, sold in office supply and some craft stores. It has a scale on it marked 1/2. You can use that to directly measure in feet and inches. It's not as cool as an iphone, but it won't drive you crazy, and it never needs recharging! (Also, no math required! )

This one I am not familiar with. It is white glue? Any problems with glue failure over time? Am I correct that the Testors purple is also white glue?

I've got an F250 kit that needs the rear view mirror glued to the inside of the windshield, any suggestions how to do that? I'm thinking about dipping the windshield in Future anyway, will a dot of Future hold the mirror on? Better alternatives? Thanks.

Thanks, Roger. Yeah, the tires are from the Lindberg, the wheels are from the F250. I spent the last couple of days working on another little detail, but I think I'm about ready for paint. Hope to put that up soon.

Good job with the spoons, John. I'm looking forward to your results with sanding and polishing. IIRC, that stuff is really hard, and should polish up real nice, even without clear. Let us know.

I'm using two tiny pieces of aluminum to make low mount side mirrors for a pickup. The part that attaches to the cab is supposed to look like chrome, the mirror arm like polished aluminum. Plan A. was to glue the mounts to the cab, paint the cab, BMF the mounts, and glue the mirror arm to that. These are the most bump prone items possible. I think Plan B. will be: glue the mounts to the cab, paint the cab, assemble the complete mirror, and brush a little Alclad on the mount. I'm trying to avoid gluing these things to the painted cab. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like the voice of experience. Hadn't thought of that. May have to go to Plan B. (I have no idea what Plan B. is.)

Can I glue aluminum to BMF with CA glue?

Thanks, Rodney

Pro Weld does have a brush in the bottle, although it's kinda stiff and big for some places. I use a little brush a lot of the time. I can't wait to try the tube/liquid mix. The tube stuff is necessary but it can be a pain in the shorts sometimes. Soy sauce and brown sugar, yum, yum! Throw some of those little red peppers in mine!