Monty

For measuring exact amounts of paint or reducer, you can find pipettes and clear plastic cups with markings on the outside at online stores such as Micro-Mark. A well-equipped pharmacy may also have them.

You probably know this intuitively, but I can't stress how important it is to keep these things clean. I've heard that if water-based acrylics aren't entirely cleaned out, they harden & become extremely difficult to remove. Get yourself a gallon of hardware store lacquer thinner & learn how to strip down your gun for proper cleaning.

One of our members has a site with a lot of airbrush information that you might find helpful. https://sites.google...nsairbrushtips/ He really seems to know his stuff about Badgers, so check out those entries*. A lot of people are going to tell you to start off with the Paasche "H" because it's a simple single action that'll gt the job done. All of that is true, but I'm going to recommend the Paasche VL. I bought one used from a co-worker years ago and had to teach myself how to use it (no instructions). With the three different head/needle setup, it'll shoot about anything from Kool-Aid to pancake syrup. As an added plus, the additional adjustability of a dual action unit will prove to be a big help in any number of areas. If you really want to stay in the Badger line, try the Crescendo. It has the same features I like in the VL, but if you have something really big to paint, this is the one you want. * The reviewer somehow received an incredibly poorly made Paasche VL and didn't seem to like it that much. As far as where to buy, try pricing the brushes you're interested in here: http://coastairbrush.com/

Kenny, could I talk you into making some kind of announcement in here and the General section when this kit is ready to go?

Gotta love those Mk II's. Have you built a Mk IV in that scale yet?

OK, so let's take this one step further with a real world example. I'm going to be building the Revell '72 442 convertible as a surprise for a friend who owned one back in the early '80s. From seeing other people's builds on various model sites, it would appear that TS-54 is going to be a fairly close match for Olds Viking Blue, but IIRC, Tamiya lacquers require an extended gas-out period before recoating or clear coating. How long should I wait to apply the decal stripes and clear coat? (I've heard you can do the clear coat immediately after the paint so they gas out together, but that won't be happening)

I realize we have a lot of talented builders on this forum, but I couldn't help noticing that all the pics submitted for this thread featured beautiful paint jobs - the kind most modelers aspire to. The fact that they don't require a clear coat to look good is just one more reason for me to step up and try these paints. Curtis, thanks for the examples done in maroon.

Are you decanting these for airbrush use? If so, does the paint require anything other than allowing it to settle a bit before shooting, such as a few drops of lacquer thinner? (something I've read) And you're right - the maroon is a magnificent color. Thanks to everyone who contributed pics of models painted in this shade.

I have yet to use any of the Tamiya lacquers, so this seems disconcerting to me. I had read that some of their other colors could be problematic (gold, one of the whites) but I assumed the darker colors would be fine. This shade of blue and the maroon you mentioned were targeted for upcoming projects because I hadn't found an equivalent shade in an enamel, which I prefer. Thanks for the warning. I'll keep your example in mind and find appropriate base colors to shoot over.

SBSP? Seriously? Perhaps you meant the inner machinations of your behind are from an enema.

Now that is dark blue and should suit my purposes just fine. Mark, thanks for providing the pictures. The outdoor lighting really helps. (That Porsche is flat-out gorgeous, BTW!)

I don't think I've seen this paint mentioned on here before, but it looks like something that may work well on a future project. I'd like to see some pics of model cars you've used this paint on so I can decide if I want to order any for myself. Thanks!

Incredible conversion, Grzegorz! What paint did you use to get that color?

I just got a new 4G LTE phone & you're so 2 minutes ago (see my post above yours)

IMO, the two L's in the name should be replaced with two T's.

I just noticed that your other F1 cars had slicks while this one has tires with a fairly deep tread for a race car. After a little digging, I found a review of the model you built http://www.mrof1engi...uk/?page_id=373 . The author notes that Protar equipped this one with "wet-weather rubber" and he seemed surprised that they went that route instead of just providing slicks like most race cars.

Curt, I'm impressed! Such a wide variety of subjects built with this level of attention to detail, and nicely photographed as well. 2011 was obviously a great year for you! Ignorant inquiry of the day: Tell me about the tires on the Marlboro Alpha Romeo. Are they some type of rain tire?

This kit can turn out very well if you know some of the foibles going in. Ask the guys in the Truck section about issues (difficulty with tilt-cab is one) and solutions before you get too far into it.

Love that color, Chris! What paint did you use?

Rob, if you wouldn't mind a couple pointers, you can make that Shelby even better. Start by making sure the headlights are on straight (passenger side could use a little adjustment). Also, some folks have shown that using a small bit of Testors canopy glue on chrome headlights gives them the appearance of having glass lenses - it's a fairly cheap and easy trick. Lastly, a black wash on the mesh part of the grille and solid black on the inside grille surround will give it some depth and help set off the grille-mounted lights. Here's a pic of a black '68 to give you an idea It looked like you did some weathering on the chassis. What all did you use?

About a year or so ago we had a fairly in-depth discussion about this, and one of our now-former members recommended a product you should be able to find at Hobby Lobby & other crafts stores. He claimed it was a better long-term solution that anything the model hobby industy offered and that it could be sprayed over any type of paint without causing any problems. Unfortunately, when members become former members on here their posts seem to get eradicated, so I no longer have the name of the product. Harry, any chance you can still dig up Bluesman Mark's response?

Hmmm, Allclad Chrome requires a gloss black undercoat for maximum effect. I wonder if that would work with this stuff if you decanted the paint, reduced it slightly and airbrushed it. Andy, if you wouldn't mind, post up your pics of the painted parts after you've followed Don's instructions. It never hurts to have another good paint source.

Maybe I'm missing something. When you say "It looks an exact match to testors bottle chrome silver, but in a very nice spray", I wonder why you'd thnk that's particularly noteworthy. Testors chrome silver is a poor match for chrome except when you're detailing very small things like some of the buttons you'd find on a dashboard. A couple months ago, another modeler posted pictures of parts painted with Ace Hardware's Chrome spray. I probably wouldn't use it for bumpers, but it looks kinda like polished aluminum.

Now that's an eclectic collection of well-built models! I'd love to see some engine and chassis shots of that Corvette if you get a chance. Is the '57 Chevy based on the old AMT version, newer AMT version or Revell WOF version?

Welcome to the board, Randy! That Mustang has been around forever, which would explain the mold lines. And you're right - it's not terribly accurate, but it's about the only game in town when it comes to '68 Shelbys. I still can't believe they couldn't be bothered to put the correct wheels in the kit when they designed it. Nonetheless, you did a great job with what they gave you. Is the retractable Ford a multi-piece body? I love how that tuned out. What red paint did you use on that? Looking forward to seeing more of your work.