Chief Joseph

Hey guys, I have some new 1/24 wheels that I am ready to start selling. They are based on the 15" US Mags Indy 5-slot wheel and I have made them in three different widths to represent different rim widths. They will be available in pairs, and possibly also in 4-packs of staggered fronts & backs. Thanks for looking, Joseph

Hey folks, I have a new 1/24 wheel set that I'm ready to start selling. The basic wheel is modeled on a Pacer 15" and I have made two versions; one has a standard Pacer center cap and the other has a manual locking 4X4 hub. These are original 3D models that I have created and are not recasts or modified versions of any kit wheel. There is a wheel back that matches the wheels, too: They are specifically made to fit the two 15" tires I have already released, but will fit other tires: I will be selling these wheels in pair packs (with backs), so if you want to do a 4x4 truck, you'd get one pack of standard wheels and one pack of locking-hub wheels. For a 4x2 truck, you could just get two packs of standard wheels. I am also thinking about making wheel & tire package sets and putting them on eBay. Thanks for looking, Joseph

Here's where you switch to an Xacto knife and use the tip to ever-so-gently square off the corners and clean the edges. There are some expensive needle files that are this small, but the trusty Xacto is better suited to this task.

Heresy!! Get a Pontiac V8 from the 1/25 Revell 66 GTO or the 1/25 Revell 68 Firebird; I'm sure somebody recasts one or both of those engines.

I do them as a two-part mold; I place them into a clay bed and build up the parting line to the centerline of the rim and center section. Put in some spacers and wires for gate & vents, then pour first half. When first half is cured, remove clay bedding and pour the second half. Works best with a firm rubber like 30A. You can get away with doing a 2-part squash mold if you don't mind resin getting everywhere when you pour the casting and rejecting every other piece because of bubbles.

The 1/24 Monogram Buick GSX has a really nice TH400, but the case isn't really accurate for a Buick-Olds-Pontiac version; it's closer to a Chevy case but not exactly accurate to that, either. Go figure... It's molded onto the engine block halves and the pan is separate. The MAD resin piece looks to be a recast of the GSX's TH400, so if you look at it on the website, you'll see how it appears.

I don't have this particular kit, but if it's anything like the old MPC 1970 GTO, it's just a rough approximation of the real thing. I've heard that using the chassis parts from the AMT 1969 Hurst Olds will help a lot to make a better model.

Hi Scott, welcome to the forum. Nice to see someone here who hails from my old hometown (I escaped several years ago)

Yeah; there are a lot of different ways to destroy decals... how are yours being destroyed?

The F350 kit should have scale 17" wheels and tires, and my wheels and tires are scale 15" intended for typical light sport trucks. I've read somewhere that the all-terrain tires from the Jeep Rubicon kit will fit the Meng wheels very well.

Felix, Why not try removing the roof from your hardtop body? There is a slight difference in the tops of the quarter panels between a convertible and a hardtop (convertibles are a little flatter) but that really doesn't make too much of a difference in scale unless you are just really, really picky. Sanding the tops of the quarters to make them flatter is all it takes. There should be a convertible boot available somewhere that you could use, or even make your own.

Paasche Talon Vision is the newest gun in their line. It has a built-in MAC valve and a 0.2mm nozzle, so it's intended for the finest detail work. It also costs more than twice a "regular" Talon. The regular Talon will paint a pencil-thin line with the right paint and it's a good choice if you want to keep your airbrush family all-Paasche.

That's a big-a@@ tire

Microscale Liquid Decal Film, available at most better hobby shops and online. Badger also sells their own version, but it's harder to find. Apply one or two coats to the sheet with a wide brush.

Yeah, that's the main reason lacquer thinner is sold in metal tins and not plastic bottles like mineral spirits. Plastic, even LDPE, won't hold up. You could try cleaning it up and letting it sit for a while to see if it will screw back on. Iwata probably doesn't expect you to use those little stations with lacquer thinner. I have used it in the one I have, but I don't store the thinner in the jar. That little cleaning station works wonderfully with acrylic paints.

Testors GM Engine Blue is the color you are referring to in the instructions. The color "Ford Grabber Blue" is really close match for NYPD cars and it's relatively easy to find; Tamiya TS10 French Blue maybe the closest match in their range. The Sky Blue you show may be just a tad too light, but it would look good in scale I think.

If you're already comfortable using tape to mask the straight sections, I'd suggest just using tape for the curves as well. You may need to slice thinner strips of tape to go around the curves. Typically this is done by laying the tape onto a piece of glass and a cutting the strips with a knife and straightedge. If there's no defined edge to mask against you may just have to wing it or use thin strips of styrene to build up the trim, or scribe a line.

Casey, it's not readily apparent from the photos on the website if this is the printed master or a copy or what, but there are printers out there that will easily produce a piece with this quality straight from the machine. I'd really like to see the 1/43 version of this figure.

This is another example of why 3D modeling and printing is so great for the hobby. This sculpt is available in 1/18, 1/24, and 1/43 and all it took was one digital sculpt to create the different sizes. This sculpt was probably created in ZBrush, and it takes both skill with the software and an understanding of human anatomy to pull it all together. I wish I had taken more art classes in college!!

...as opposed to the crappy, blobby figures that car modelers are usually forced to use. http://northstarmodels.com/2014/05/new-pin-up-girls-124-118-and-143-scale/ (sorry for the big pic but this sculpt deserves it) Now the bad news: it'll probably be at least $30, and is only available from a Russian company.

You're not going to get any kind of shine out of the actual Folk Art acrylic paint, but you can clearcoat this paint with just about anything. To thin them for airbrushing, use something other than plain water because that will just weaken the paint. I have used windshield washer fluid, Future, and Liquitex Airbrush Medium in the past to thin these paints. Before you spray the paint, strain it through a fine mesh to screen out any lumps that might clog your airbrush. Apply the craft paint in light coats over a primed surface-- if it's bare plastic it'll just bead up. It dries really fast when sprayed. Here's a thinning formula you may want to try: 20 parts Future 20 parts Windex 10 parts 90% Isopropyl Alcohol 16 parts acrylic craft paint I saw this formula published on another modeling forum a while back and stuck it into my notes. I haven't tried this particular mixture myself, but it was the result of a lot of experimentation and is supposed to work very well. Good luck!!

Not in real life; it would fit the straight decklid of the 70-72 models only.

? According to this page, he has 3 available for purchase. It may not be up-to-date info, though. http://mikesscalespeedshop.com/?p=31827

Iwata has really nice single-action, gravity-fed Revolutions that are not too badly priced for the quality: http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/iwata-airbrushes/revolution/ And you can find the knock-off's on eBay for about 1/4 the price of the real thing or less. Have you tried the metal paint cup that attaches to your Paasche H?

Hello all, Thanks to everyone who supported me with the 1/24 tires that I've offered for the past couple of years. Now I've made some 1/25 scale tires to specifically address the needs of those slightly smaller model cars: First is item FMR-030, a set of two BFG Drag Radials in 325/50-15 size: I also have two sizes of BFG Radial TA's in 225/60-15 and 275/60-15, each sold in sets of two. I made these tires to represent the "street machine" look on classic musclecar kits such as the new Revell 'Cuda. I am producing these Radial TA's in both hard white resin and flexible black rubber. The hard white resin version can be finished by painting the tire black and then sanding the paint from the raised letters, as in this photo: Ordering information is on my website, http://www.fireballmodels.info. Thanks for looking!