Ace-Garageguy

Looking forward to seeing this progress. I recall being similarly disappointed with the kit, and pretty much stripping it of parts for other projects.

PM'd

There are several, actually. The mixing formulas for different cars will each specify a particular flake in suspension. I'm not familiar with current mixing systems (I haven't painted cars professionally for quite a few years now), but I know for a fact that the mixing system at the shop where I'm doing the Chevelle has, for instance, quite a few "silver" mixing bases, each with very obviously different size flake. In general, from coarse to fine, real-production-car flake sizes run from "metallic" or "poly" (coarse), to "mica" (finer), to "pearl" (finest). A real-car paint shop or supply outlet can custom mix just about anything, but the question is whether they will. One example: the real '66 Chevelle I'm building is to be painted with a custom color that started with the stock '66 GM mixing formula, but our painter has substituted a much finer flake than the OEM color calls for, and has added a blue pearl toner as well. Sorry I can't give you a more specific model-related answer, but I believe at least one of the model-car paint sources over here (who provides OEM colors for modelers) uses a more scale-correct flake.

Future AI wouldn't be such a worry if all of 'em were hardwired with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

Businesses of all sizes are having difficulty hiring anyone with physical skills...and I don't mean guys who wash cars or mow lawns...who can 1) do anything even slightly demanding, and 2) will actually show up regularly and on time.

Resin 1/25 '60 Dodge Phoenix to keep the '61 company. Box it came in says "Motor City Resin Casters", and it's one of the highest quality resin pieces I've ever seen. Minor bubbling on the vac-formed clear parts, but I can definitely work with it. I saw a while back they were having some difficulty, but if this is what their product looks like, it's sure as jell worth a wait. Also the SBC longblock, Ford flathead V8 3-spd gearbox, and adapter from the old Revell Roth Tweedy Pie. I normally don't buy loose parts online, but this was too good a deal to snooze on. Saves me having to steal the adapter from a kit, or cast one.

Honestly, I've been kinda lax about exercising since Christmas. Just didn't really feel like it, but the creeping lard-alarm got my lazy tail dragged out to the woods. Nice 2-hour hike I could do in 1.5 hours last year, but I finished without having to call for dustoff. Man...you really go to jell quick when you're an old fart. Gots to keep up with it.

Bravo, Mr. Snake. Glad you're still with us. Schleicher ASK-21? I've fixed a few o' those. Fine airplane, very tough, very strong. Are you taking instruction, or just a ride? Either way, pretty cool.

Delusions are replacing reality in some sectors.

Thanks for your interest. The bench I do glasswork on is currently tied up with a full-scale DeLorean custom instrument panel, but it won't be much longer...

Glad to have you aboard, sir. I hope you do. That's one of my favorite builds on this board.

Not my cats, obviously, but this is sure to appeal to cat lovers in general...

Sweatpants are great around the house in cold months, light cotton drawstring pants or shorts when it's warm, but even at my advanced and hopelessly past-it age, I still make at least a little effort to dress before going out; never know when you'll cross paths with a hot granny standing at the prescription counter.

"Friend zoned" never happened to me, but then things were different during the time of the dinosaurs.

Most of the builds I've done extensive WIP threads on here have been salvaged gluebombs, or literally someone's trash.

"Not on my watch" is way overused by idiots trying to sound military or tough.

It won't do close through-the-window interior shots because you can't override the aotofocus, but for work like this, I'm still using an ancient 4-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L4 I bought new and have had forever. I bought a used backup in perfect shape not too long ago on feePay for about $25 shipped. You can get a perfectly fine used tripod at Goodwill or similar stores for under $25 too. And I believe the Nikon photo editing suite ViewNX2 is still a free download.

I believe the older hobby paints, at least some of them, did indeed have finer metallic particles. I don't know why. I have HO scale rolling stock painted with golds and silvers over 50 years ago where the particles are so fine, you can't see them without magnification, yet they still have the characteristic "metallic" look. The Testors "one coat" was the most obvious giant-flake product of recent memory, looking like bass-boat or dune-buggy metalflake embedded in clear gelcoat. Tamiya metallics are much better, but often still too big for 1/24-1/25. Duplicolor colors labeled "mica" sometimes have almost acceptable flake sizes, though still on the large side.

To the best of my current knowledge, "weld-through primer" and "direct-to-metal primer" are different products for different specific applications. Note I said "to the best of my current knowledge". I'll be looking into it.

Nice work. Now you just need a 1/24 Hughes 500...