Ramfins59

Great job Chris. The mesh grille looks awesome and the paint is cool.

Great job Guy. That Cad engine should look great stuffed in there. Nice colors too.

Looks good Ed. The people add to it nicely.

Nice job Daryl. Looks cool.

Looks good so far Luis. That Blazing Black is a neat color. I've used it myself. Keep up the good work.

Hello Edward. I personally don't have any experience using a dehydrator so I'm sorry that I can't give you any advice on that. The only time I've used polishing kits was about 10 to 12 years ago when I was still painting with enamels. I got tired of the long drying time for enamels and switched to using lacquer spray paints with a good primer/sealer first. I now use Novus 2 plastic polish to polish out my models after they are clearcoated. I'm really surprised that you have not gotten any responses to your questions. The only reason I can think of is that not many people have answers for you... Don't get discouraged by this. You'll find that people on this Forum are extremely helpful and full of advice for newcomers. Good luck with your build.

Absolutely awesome work Alyn. I love how this is coming out.

reat job Peter. I love the colors. How did you make the chrome spears at the front of the rear fender blisters...?? Are they plastic covered in BMF..?

Oh yeah... I see a couple of these beauties coming my way....

A few years ago I tried making a small diorama with a few resin figures on it. I used figures that didn't come with the molded on bases to stand them up. I drilled small holes in the bottom of one foot or shoe and glued in a piece of a straight pin. Then drilled a hole into the base of the diorama where I wanted the figure to be, and inserted the pin sticking out of the foot or shoe so they would stand. That kind of made it look a bit more "real" without a base to hold them up.

Man, I haven't done anything like that since waaaaaaaaayyyyy back in my first modeling life.... around 1962 or '63... Used to do it when I didn't have any $$$ to buy a new kit and would scrounge thru my parts box to try to get enough parts to build something... Wow... I sure as hell have several boxes of parts after being back into the hobby for 20 years... Hmmmm... Sounds like an interesting challenge... As soon as I actually FINISH some of the projects that I've ALREADY started.

OK... Here's another question about Model Contests that should stir up a good discussion. I have been a member of the Long Island Auto Replica Society (LIARS Club) since 1992. I kept my membership even after I moved to western PA five years ago. The LIARS Club started hosting a model contest in 1994, initially in conjunction with a military modelers club (Suffolk Scale Modelers), but started putting on their own successful Car Model Contest in 2001. I personally felt that, as a member of the club, I would NOT enter my models in competition as I felt that: #1 It wouldn't really look good at awards time if members of the host club were winning awards. I tried convincing other club members to do the same, but a lot of them DID enter the competition and some of them DID win awards. Most of those that entered did not travel to many other contests off of Long Island. #2 Not having club members winning awards would have that many more awards available for the other modelers who travelled to the show. I feel that by a club's members not entering their own show, they eliminate the "possible" feeling by those entrants that did not win anything, of judges favoritism towards its own club members. I know of several clubs whose members enter their own contests and whose members always go home with several 1st Place, Best Of, and Best In Show awards. The LIARS Show has had at least one instance that I know of, of being accused of favoritism towards its members by a contestant who DID win an award, but felt he should have won a higher award. Do YOU think that a model club's members should enter their own Show...???

Hi Marty. I absolutely LOVE doing interiors. If you are using paints as the glue to hold the flocking, paint only say a square inch of the area to be flocked with a fairly wet coat of flat paint... I say fairly wet coat because flat paints tend to dry quicker than enamels. Do this over either a paper plate or a piece of paper... My successful method of applying flocking is to pour the flocking into a small strainer (find them in the gadget aisle of your supermarket) and while holding the strainer over the part you just painted, tap the edge of the strainer with your finger and let the flocking "snow" down onto the part until it is very well covered. After a minute or so, turn the part over (holding it over the paper plate) and tap the part, letting the excess flocking fall onto the plate. Move on to the next area to be flocked and repeat the whole procedure until you have finished. When you are done, simply fold either the plate or the paper so you can pour the excess flocking back into the container. If you are using thinned white glue (Elmer's glue) instead of paint, again thin it so it has the consistency of paint, and just use the same process outlined above. If you plan on applying more than one color of flocking, let the first color dry completely overnite before you add the second color. Also, if you have spots that need BMF or silver paint on door panels or dashboards that you are going to flock, make sure you apply the foil or paint BEFORE you do the flocking, because you will have a hell of a time trying to do it after you do the flocking. I hope this advice helps. Good luck with your interiors.

My sincere and heartfelt condolences and sympathies for you and your family.

Manny is all that furniture & stuff in the house 1/25 scale...?? Did you get all of it from dollhouse supply places...??? Really cool stuff.

No need to shout Harry... LOL

Great job so far. I'm also working on a '53 Ford Pickup at the moment. The only thing that really bothers me on this model is the chintzy looking inner door panels molded in relief on the inside of the cab. I'm debating whether or not to scratchbuild my own inner door panels or to just try to detail what is there. I'm just coming out of a long building slump and I'm really looking for some "instant gratification" as opposed to an involved project. Your model is giving me inspiration to keep going on mine. Thanks a lot.

Joe I have to tell you that this is probably the most awesome build-in-progress that I've ever seen. While I am not into big trucks, the craftsmanship involved in this project is outstanding. Harry P., if you're reading this, you've gotta get this build in the Magazine for sure. Talk about a Best Scratchbuilt Award,a Best Emergency Vehicle Award,a Best Working Features Award, a Best Replica Award,a Best Detail Award, a Best Large Scale Award, and a Best In Show Award... This finished project should win them all in whatever Contest it is in. I applaud you Joe.

Great job Jim. Not to steal your thread, but I've used Detail Master's detail wire to add piping to seats also with good results, using the same super glue technique. You might also want to try that method.

Well said Donn. I have participated in many model contests in NY, NJ, CT, MA, MD & PA and really enjoy competing. Going head to head with other great modelers who become new friends, and learning new techniques and skills is priceless. Yes the NNL East is by far one of the absolute BEST model events ever. You get to meet many friends that you haven't seen in a long time, and yes, access to all those vendors alone is worth the price of admission. I can't wait to get to this year's Show.

The wheels are the ones that came in the kit. I believe it was the AMT 1992 Ford F-150 kit. The cupcakes are dollhouse items, and yeah they are on the BIG side... LOL... Remind me of the HUGE muffins from Otis Spunkmeyer.

Darin, Watson's T-Bird you pictured IS a Custom... aside from the multi-colored scalloped paint job, it has a modified grille, bullets on the bumper, dummy spots, lake pipes, and custom hubcaps, plus whatever chaanges he made to the taillights, etc.. While it is a mild custom, it is a custom.

I see we have differing opions here... and that is why I asked the question... IMHO I believe that Harry answered it the best when comparing a model that has been extensively modified by the builder to a custom model built out of the box... As to Dr. C pointing out what Don Yost says about paint being the most important factor in grabbing judges eyes, that to me is another "question" entirely... Yes a fabulously painted model will catch everyone's eyes quicker than a so-so painted one, however, should that fabulously painted model win over a model that has more extensive bodywork done to it and only a decent paint job. I guess it all really depends first of all on the rules of the particular contest the models are entered in, and, the likes or dislikes of the people doing the judging. "The eye of the beholder" so to speak... Then of course when considering a "Peoples Choice" type of contest, then you know for sure that the fabulously painted model will win in the majority of cases. Thanks for all the input everyone.

That is one way cool looking Custom. I love it.

I've been to several Model Shows / Contests and have seen dozens of the Revell '49 Mercs in the Custom Class, done up in just about every color of the rainbow. Even though I, personally, have not built one of these kits yet (I do have 2 of them) I have thoroughly inspected the kits, the instructions, and all the delicious parts in them (plenty of extra parts to rob for other builds...). These Merc models that I have seen on the Contest tables were built right out of the box, with absolutely no modifications of any kind done to them. My question is; Should these models actually have been put in the Box Stock Class instead of the Customs Class, since no actual "custom work" was done to the model...??? I have never seen any of these models moved by any judging staff from the Custom Class to the Box Stock, or any other Classes. I'm really NOT picking at any nits here, but... if the builder did not modify anything on the model to "customize" it, shouldn't it be considered a Box Stock model...??? I know that there are quite a few other kits that have come with "custom parts" but I believe the majority, if not all, of them required some measure of bodywork (putty, sanding, etc..) to properly finish the model. The Merc doesn't require any bodywork (other than sanding mold lines, etc.). All you have to do is assemble the parts in the kit. I'm not looking to stir up any controversy here, I'm just curious as to how my fellow modelers feel about this particular "question". Thanks for your input everyone.