Ace-Garageguy

Not to worry. I have access to real ones. And...I located and purchased two virgin molded-in-gray complete kits last night. They'll be in my hot little hands this coming week.

Are any of yours perfect? Usually there's some edge damage on the non-slot wheels, and there's often buggers and flaws in the parts themselves...which is why I always look at the wheels first whenever I get an AMT '36 in any condition. I have a miniature mill and lathe in case some pattern work needs to be done prior to taking molds.

Plastic Weld is MEK-based (methyl ethyl ketone) and is a more universal solvent, a little "hotter", than Bondene (dichloromethane based). Bondene sets quicker and is used more for bonding styrene to styrene, ABS to ABS, etc. Plastic Weld is recommended in situations where you may have styrene, ABS, butyrate and acrylic all in the same assembly...as it's supposed to bond dissimilar plastics a little better. I've tried them both back to back, and for simply bonding styrene (kit plastic to kit plastic), I've found there to be very little real difference. I keep them both on the bench, but usually use Plastic Weld for everything. I should probably do a little serious testing.

Wow. These things had gorgeous lines, well captured in the model. Can you elaborate a little on everything you had to do to correct it?

dulls the pain

Plenty of usable images on the web. Figure 16" diameter at the tire-bead seating area. Extrapolate the rest of the dimensions. Should be absolutely good enough, considering how arithmetic-challenged even the major manufacturers are today.

Hillary's hot sauce

This isn't news. CAD files are sent all over the world to be CNC machined elsewhere...including data for model car tooling. And real-car parts tooling. And design work produced right here on my desk to be rapid-prototyped elsewhere...often 3D printed, to evaluate a part prior to machining from the final material. It's not science-fiction or leading-edge anymore. The technology exists. It's just a matter of management deciding to implement it...and that doesn't happen without sufficient foot-dragging, innumerable meetings, blame-spreading (prior to actually DOING anything, it's always important to know who's going to be axed if something goes wrong), etc. Dontcha just love business?

witchetty grubs raw

bangers and mash

Pizza and beer.

From time to time, people express dissatisfaction with the erratic publication schedule, and the unfortunate delays that seem to plague getting it to print. I'd like to remind everyone of the OTHER side of the coin. Gregg continues to provide this forum for FREE, and it's arguably one of the best model car sites on the web. You get far more content here, every day, than a typical magazine issue would have. There are in-depth build threads from some of the best modelers on the planet...and you can interact with them in almost real-time. You get honest kit reviews put up by builders who aren't trying to make anything look good to sell it, frequent input from industry insiders, history lessons from some of the most knowledgeable participants in the hobby, technical tips and in-depth discussions among people who've actually done the stuff, and a never ending stream of how-tos...plus an easily-searchable database that includes info on almost everything model-car related. And a LOT more. Maybe it would be good to occasionally stop and think what a great resource this site is, and say a big THANK YOU for its continued existence.

I like pie.

I just pulled out an original-box '36, kit #2136-170. Molded in black. No slots, though very interestingly the instructions SHOW slotted wheels, but the box-art does not. EDIT: Now I'm beginning to wonder if somehow, coincidentally, all my early-issue AMT '36 Ford kits have been cherry-picked for the wheels. I've bought a lot of kits over the years where good stuff has been removed, but not, to the best of my recollectory, where good stuff has been replaced with other stuff. Hmmmmm...but none of the gluebomb '36s I have are on those wheels either. I've been robbed !!!

Yup, that's exactly the way I've understood it, and the kits I have back that up. Only thing I don't have in ANY of 'em, gray or black in the original boxes, is slotted wheels. I've got the dealer kits too. And I agree...they would be a great candidate for resin repops. Wide-5 slots are very desirable with some of the retro-guys. Damm. Now I have to start looking for those wheels...

No Coke. Pepsi.

Of course it's possible. There's no "might" about it. The machine does the number crunching, and gets it right. Many of the 3D printed parts available TODAY are already available in several of the common scales. No reason, in the easily foreseeable future, a hobby shop or other outlet couldn't have a printer onsite, pumping out parts and kits to order rather than stocking a bunch of inventory that might never sell. In case nobody was paying attention, I posted a 3-part series that goes well into the availability NOW of "affordable" desktop printers, AND desktop injection molding. Part 3 of the video series also goes into how 3D printing of the tooling necessary for high-production of injection molded kits can be expedited and cost-controlled with currently available technology. The precision is HERE NOW. The cost is already easily accessible for many who are still working, or are comfortably retired. Here are links to all 3 parts of the series...it's video, so no worries about TLDNR. And they're short videos.

Wow. I have a LOT of these things, and I've never seen those wheels...and one of the first things I look at when I get one IS the wheels (to see if they're any good), as that finely-engraved outer line is usually bodged by somebody having twisted it off the sprue, or there's glue smeared all over 'em. Fascinating. I'd sure like to know what the deal is, 'cause, like I said, several of mine are in the original-issue boxes.

non-sequitur illogical progression

I'm curious...told by whom? I have multiples of every issue, even the early gray ones. I've never seen "artillery" wheels in any of them. I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying I've never seen them, even in the first-issue boxing.

Never mind.

Nope. Mold release (silicones, waxes, greasy substances in general, and some airborne contaminants) will cause fisheyes.

which keeps them

to support their

That would be awesome (and I usually reserve the word "awesome" for stuff like Saturn V launches).