Chief Joseph

If you can smell the paint odor from urethane paint, you are inhaling the isocyanates. Even if you don't smell any paint odor, you could still be inhaling isocyanates. Spraying 2-part paint inside any dwelling, no matter how well it's vented, is just not a good idea.

So I suppose I'll ask the $64,000 question: do any of you guys who are using 2-part urethane clear have any asthma problems? Or any other kinds of breathing problems? Because that's how sensitization to isocyanates manifests itself in the beginning. Then one day you'll get a whiff of the activator and have an asthma attack that kills you...

Special Vehicle Operations Ford's version of a "skunk works" that was meant to bring racing technology to passenger cars.

According to a Moebius tweet, they are supposed to be going out to distributors next week.

What kind of tape was your "any other tape you could find"???

Looks like a mixed bag of results according to some of the stuff I just read. The old P-47 Thunderbolt had its huge turbocharger mounted back in the fuselage between the wings & the tailplane, so there is precedent for a remotely-mounted turbo with big pipes running the length of the vehicle!

Great finish on that paint! Do guys actually put the turbo that far away from the intake on 1:1 cars? Seems terribly inefficient...

I like syrup on my pancakes. And a big dollop of softened butter, too. I think a nicely polished lacquer color coat has the best "in scale" appearance on model, but I've seen carefully-applied 2K clear jobs that look really good, too. I suppose the trick is getting it thin enough to flow without building up the thickness to an unacceptable level. The level of solids in the particular clear will play a part in how thick it ends up on the model, so possibly a cheaper, low-solids brand is better for models than an expensive, high-solds brand. I'm talking from non-experience here, because I've never had a safe enough place to spray a 2-pack.

I don't really understand the phrasing of your question... if you take the proper safety precautions there is very little risk in using catalyzed clear. If you do not know the safety precautions to take, or you ignore them, then it's a pretty dumb idea to use a catalyzed clear. Maybe you should ask something like, "Is 2K clear worth the hassle?" or "Is 2K clear worth the extra precautions?" I'd have to say yes, it can be worth the hassle, but definitely not if you are going to risk your health when using it.

That's spectacular. Great photos!!

You have to take into account the materials use to make those parts. The front spoiler is black plastic, just like every other car from that era, and it is naturally a smooth flat or matte black. The bumper strips are naturally matte, too. Both of these items can appear glossy black when they've been treated with Armor-All. The headlight surrounds are plastic that would normally be chrome-plated on a regular Regal (as well as the grille), but on the GN's they were painted semi-gloss black. The trim around the windows, wheel arches, and taillights have the satin-like look as well. Use Google and look at the photos of restored GN's and you'll get a good idea of how things are supposed to look. They are black all-over, but varying the degree of gloss on the parts will give you a much more realistic-looking model. Good luck and please show us some pics of your progress!

Guys, I have a new stripe set available for the AMT "New" Challenger kits. The stripes come in the three factory colors: Matte Black, Gloss White, and Gloss Red. They are vinyl, like the real stripes, so they have the proper sheen and appearance when applied over the model body's paint. Another benefit of these stripes is that you apply them after you've painted and polished the body-- there is no need to put a clear coat over them. The package includes a set of left & right stripes and full instructions on how to apply them to your model. This is a trial run on these stripes. If they are well-received, I can expand the line to include other styles of stripes for these cars as well as stripe packs for older Mopars and other cars. Custom colors and styles, too. Please visit my website, www.fireballmodels.info, for more information, and thanks for looking!

That's a good idea, Ben. It's hard to find a kit like that where the tank isn't already plumbed. I did a slightly different thing to solve a pulsing problem. I have a little WR Brown air compressor that I've had since the early '80's that pulses like crazy, but it's too small and quiet to not use. I put a 3/8" ID, 25'-long air hose on it to act as an air reservoir and smooth out the airflow. Works great!

The bad guys on Kojak drive an Orbit Orange 1970 Judge in at least two episodes! Often some cool, classy cars on Perry Mason, too.

Again, the problem is that I don't have any 1/12 wheels from these kits to measure. Without accurate measurements of the wheels, making tires to fit them is somewhat troublesome.

You can never go wrong with Marimba Red on a '64 GTO. Thanks to the donor, some of the hard stuff is already done. Looking forward to see it in glorious dark red!

I look forward to seeing the finished model, Harry. I was fortunate to see a reproduction Albatros actually flying several years ago. In fact, I believe it was the same one you showed in your first post. Those planes are amazing to see in the air. At the 31 minute mark, you'll see the Albatros:

Great job, Matt! You really captured the look of the suit. Moebius makes some nice figure models. I have their Iron Man models but I haven't picked up one of these Black Widows yet.

Glad you got things sorted, Ken. Skip, the command is actually an option in the Image Size dialog. At the bottom, there's an option for "Resample Image." If this option is checked, you can lose quality when changing the size of an image-- it's almost like taking a picture of a picture.

Did the kit come with any kind of gauge faces?

If I had a 1/16 wheel to measure for fitting the tire, I could make it. Send me a wheel!

I use all kinds of different things to attach small photoetch pieces. For a piece like you describe, you could try sticking it face-down on a piece of tape and applying adhesive spray to the back side of the part. Just a little spritz is all it needs. Then use a tweezer to mount the PE part onto the model.

I'll take Harry's option B. I'm not casting aspersions on the intelligence of folks who are into those kinds of wheels, but.... yeah, I guess I am. They saw 30" Inch Chrome Wheel Spinners in the title and just stopped reading. Somebody is gonna be very upset in about an hour & 12 minutes.

Wal-Mart has the 24mm-wide yellow tape in a 60-yard roll and Sherwin Williams sells three different widths in 50-yard rolls.

"Professional" photographers are similar. At the risk of sounding like a JMN*, there should be a certification for "professional" model builders. It doesn't have to be complicated. A review board made up of several community-acknowledged, competent modelers could look at a portfolio of WIP and completed models and certify that a person basically knows what they are doing. Winning awards at contests and all that stuff doesn't need to factor into the process. Have a little seal and a certification number that you can post on your eBay listing to prove you're a reputable builder, and you can say "pro built" with pride. *Joyless Modeling Nazi