Ace-Garageguy

There's a really good joke in there somewhere...

Chinese writing, even the "simplified" variety, is probably too difficult for this old dog to learn so late in life.

No need to wait. "Cerro-Bend" was (is?) used a by railroad modelers in times past to add weight to locomotives for enhanced traction, and to cars for better performance (less prone to derailing, especially when light cars are placed in the middle of long trains...also a consideration with real railroads). It was also used in place of higher melting-temperature lead or zinc alloys for die-casting by hobbyists. One nice thing about the stuff is that there's virtually no waste. Flash or trimmings or unused material remaining after a pour can be remelted and reused indefinitely. Cerro-Bend is once again readily available commercially. https://www.ebay.com/itm/301231342282? It has a melting point of 158 deg. F, making it suitable for use in silicone molds that will withstand high temps. As many silicone mold-making materials are good to 450 deg. F, this is a non-issue. The mold-making process is identical to that used for making molds for "resin" parts. The first video below shows detailed metal soldiers being cast quickly, for a large display, in silicone molds. The second video below explores some interesting methods for ensuring exceptionally clean castings.

Is that a mutant chicken tangled in seaweed on your head, or a hat?

Showgirl-collecting always seemed to have more appeal than model cars, but it's difficult to build up much of a stash for several reasons, and they really don't keep well over the long haul.

Encounter-group-therapy can be a valuable tool in helping to overcome psychological difficulties like substance-abuse and anxiety.

Indeed.

Ah yes...one of the dozens of things I love about AZ.

Detectors are available for all kinds of stuff, like smoke and carbon monoxide and radon and airborne chemicals and ozone and negative ions and natural gas and humidity and mold risk and all kinds of other scary things that can have you clutching your pearls in perpetual worry.

Great looking model, especially the wood. You ought to do a tutorial. PS: Nice to see you got the headlight lenses aligned right, with no fogging. It's amazing how many builders spoil an otherwise fine model with wonky looking headlights.

"Also they serve who only stand and wait" should be an Army slogan.

5-mile hike home after driving and dropping off the PT at the vintage car shop I work with. Saved the cab / Uber fare, got some aerobic exercise and some natural vitamin D after the sun came out. Found a decent 1/2" drive 3" impact extension on the side of the road too (last time I walked home, I found a nice pair of vice-grips). I would have gone for a hike this weekend anyway, about the same length, so two birds, one stone, all that. Changed clothes and drove back down, accomplished some pre-start work on the DeLorean, found out the battery is holding a full charge for several days, then snagged some 15" takeoffs good enough to road test the Silverado and get her on the transport truck, plus scrounged enough steel tube and angle from the scrap dumpster to build a rack on my car trailer to carry the '32 hot-rod body over the 550 Spyder. Went to the sto later and they had lean ground beef $2.50/lb. off, so I had a thick burger on the grille for dinner. I'm tired, I hurt, but it was a very productive day...especially for a 70+ year old geezer.

That would be my guess. The failure points on the frame rails are at joins somebody made...solder, ACC, or epoxy...and not looking at all like the way an injection-molded or printed part would fail. There are other indicators it's a custom scratch job as well.

What's "bench time"?

Judging from recent...oopsies...that applicant might be overqualified at Boeing.

Diamond-dust-coated sandpaper would last a long time, but might be kinda spendy.

Morning coffee is the main reason I get up.

Fast-forward 9 years, and they say Social Security will be out of money at the rate things are going now, so all us geezers need to be thinking ahead a little.

Always a treat to see your diorama work. Very nicely done, and an unexpected subject. Question: is the Toyo 4X4 a kit? Question 2: What's the source of the tires? I need this tread pattern for some WW II era smaller 1/24-1/25 military vehicles

Poplar hybrids are being evaluated as sources of biomass for alcohol fuel, and though the results are promising, the plant's fairly high water requirement is a potential downside.

Delirious neighbors I can do without.

Nature's cruel. Even the sweetest housecat will gleefully torture a small rodent or bird for hours. Eventually they eat most of them, but I've never understood the penchant for torture, and it's the only thing I don't like about cats. Lotta things I don't understand about humans either though, and humans supposedly have the power of reason and conscious compassion.

Research online is more effective if you know something about the subject you're researching first, as the top results may not always be accurate, and those who don't have some knowledge in the subject are at risk of accepting baloney for prime rib.

It's really not necessary to overthink and reinvent the wheel to get professional looking results. If you have a cheap digital caliper, you can measure the OD of any old wire you have (refer to the scale-accurate dimensions I posted above) and use what's the right size. Color it with silver sharpie, silver Rub n Buff, paint etc. OR...you can go to a hardware store and probably find something that will look right. I have multiple rolls of cheap, plated and tinned "tie wire" in my materials box. OR...you can go to a craft store and almost certainly find something that will look right (and while you're there, look at all the options for scale-correct plug wires that don't look like garden hose on a model engine). Even paperclips can be formed into great looking fuel line if they're the right OD. Or "music wire", like old guitar or piano strings. Some are harder to bend than others, but they make these magic finger-strength-multiplier tools called "needle nose pliers" that solve that problem, and they even sell a version with special tips in craft stores made especially to do nice clean radiused bends on wire.

Cool. I think the Barris Ala Kart is in a few frames somewhere in this one...