TxAg94

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure why I assumed it was acrylic. I don't have anything but the gloss itself. Maybe I'll order some thinner since whenever I bought this stuff I apparently thought I needed a lot. THanks, again.

I was rummaging through my old supplies in the closet and came across some Mr. Hobby Mr. Color "Super Gloss II" (CL184). I know it's a clear coat and I assume it's acrylic. What I don't know is if I can or should thin it. What's the best thing to thin it with, alcohol, water? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

It's been a multi-year effort but I finally finished my paint booth. I have a nice room in the basement that's all mine and it gets used, mostly, for modeling. It gets mighty cold in the winter and trudging back and forth to the garage to paint is such a pain that I find myself putting off modeling projects. I've been working on a paint booth for several years and kept running into roadblocks. I kept putting off completion but I think I am finally in business. The last hurdle was what seemed like "feedback", for lack fo a better term, that was causing the fan to not remove the fumes. I f

Thanks to all. I guess this has been happening to me all along except to a lesser extent. Seems like the particular base coat color is the worst I've experienced. I will definitely try the "fixing" suggestion and see how that goes. Thanks again.

I need some help with weathering using pastel chalks. I use the small artist stick pastels. They're very fine and I shave them to a powder with the edge of a razor balde. I have always had good luck but I am having some trouble. I'm actually working on an armor project but it's a general question. I painted the chassis a weathered black as a base coat. I applied the pastels in varying shades and had everything looking really nice. I then applied a light coat of sealer, Testors DullCote from the can. I like the stuff because it's easy and always goes on nice and smooth. This time, howev

Sorry to be the first negative reply but I placed my first order with them 3 weeks ago. I was pleased to see the shipping on all but one item was free. I happily paid $6 or so for the other and waited for the package to be on its way. All items were listed as "in stock", but it never shipped. I got an email this morning saying 2 of the 4 items shipped with the other 2 now listed as "available". I read that as backordered. I'm not sure why they waited to ship so long. So far I'm not impressed but we'll see how it turns out in the end.

I'm ready to place an order through Lucky Model for a few items. Seems like they are a reputable dealer and the prices are actually pretty good. This may be a dumb question but should I be worried about paying via credit card? Also, should I expect any additional charges from my card issuer since the company is based in Hong Kong? Thanks.

It seems to me that Aires is the go-to manufacturer for aftermarket aircraft detail sets. I have been interested in several over the last couple of years but have not been able to actually find any to buy. I am impatient, I admit it. I have yet to find a kit that I want in stock at any retailer I have found. Where is everyone getting these sets? I know they're out there because almost no model is posted on ARC without an Aires cockpit (I'm not sure why model companies even include cockpits at all anymore!!). Anyone know a good, consistent, comprehensive, and reliable source?

I rarely post anything here but I visit ARC almost every single day. I don't have the time to do nearly as much work on my projects as I wish could but I am always inspired by what I see on ARC. Sometimes it's a bad thing because it keeps makes it hard for me to stay focused on my one project when I see all the really great stuff others here are doing. It seems like the internet is about 90% doom and gloom these days so ARC is always my first stop of the day to get things going on a positive note. The (rambling) point is that I am constantly reminded how hard it has to be for Steve and e

Doesn't it seem like they should have done this evaluation before they had completed 3 or 4 ships of the class? Also, those existing ships will not go away. I don't think I would be too comfortable serving on a ship my commanders now say is "inneffective" and "lacks survivability."

As much as I love aircraft models I purchased a 1/350 USS New Jersey some time ago to build for the misses. She's a Jersey girl and was really excited about it. I've been struggling with it and put it off for a long time. I find lots of great tips and motivating ideas on ARC and hope there are some equally good resources out there for ships. I've done some searches several times and haven't found much, certainly nothing like ARC. ANyone have any sites they would recommend, especially for more modern (20th century+) ship modeling? Thanks, TxAg94

Thanks for the input. I see a lot of you like H&S Infinity. What is the dial on the nozzle for: "adjustable quick-fix end piece with dial"? I assume each tip is a set size and has a corresponding needle. What about availability of parts? If I chose to try this one should I just order a set of spares up front, or accessories? I think I can keep the old Badger around for general painting. It still works fine for that and the paint cup is plenty big. Looks like the H&S would be good for getting down to better detail painting.

I know this is risky, everyone has their favorite, but I'm really interested in some recommendations for a new airbrush. I have been using an old Sears (Badger 150) for about 25 years. It's been great but it just seems like it's wearing out. I've replaced many major components but I'd like to move into the 21st century. I'm hoping that I'll get enough input from the experts here to spot some trend on what would be at least one good option. There are so many manufacturers and options out there that it makes me dizzy. Here's what I would like: A good all-around airbrush that will do a re

I find it sad, too, that his greatest achievements, what he obviously feels are his defining accomplishments, are actually failures. He managed to build the P-51 and B-36 he's most proud of but as functional examples of their intended purpose, flying models, they are failures. I plan to at least try to track this guy down and see his shop. I bet he has amassed quite a collection of neat stuff.

From one of our local newspapers: The Plane Truth / Man has lifelong love of model planes, big ones "I figured, in my 30s, I had to quit women or quit models," he said. "You crash a woman, she can't fix your TV dinner or whatever."

Well shoot! I have to admit when I have been had. Well played. Well played, indeed.

So I finally got my own hobby room and have been wanting to throw up some photos for decoration. We have a CostCo membership so printing photos now is ridiculously cheap. My problem was how to fill the space with lots of photos without breaking the bank on frames. I also did not want to just tack them up as that can be, well, tacky. I found a really cool, and CHEAP, solution. Foam core. Just in case someone doesn't know, foam core is like two pieces of poster board with a foam sandwiched in between. The foam is similar to foam peanuts and gives the board some strength. It's pretty chea

Thanks to everyone for the ideas. I fully intend to try as many as I can and find what works best for my setu. I picked up some Tamiya white surface primer today and tried to shoot some thin coats. I had a really tough time. It still seems too much no matter how brief the shots. I'll keep trying, though. Thanks again for all the input.

I have been fighting it long enough! I hate painting white. There, admitting the problem is the first step to recovery, right? I hate it but there's no avoiding it when building aircraft. I typically us Model Master enamels out of an old Badger 150 airbrush. It's old but I have used it long enough that I can usually get good results once I get warmed up. White (and to a lesser degree similar "weak colors like yellow) often makes me want to just put everything back in the closet and do something else. Every now and then it seems to go fine but more often than not I bounce between splatte

I purchased a Hobbycraft 1/32 scale P-38J/L kit on mega-sale a couple of years ago. It was new and unopened. I'm getting to the end and I just realized there are no instructions for the decals. Heck, it took me forever to realize the paint schemes are shown on the bottom of the box!! Does anyone else have this kit and have a copy of the decal instructions? I can figure out some and probably get more from photos but it would be nice to have help. Any hints would be appreciated.

I rarely log in to comment on anything because most times someone's already said it. This time I have to say the Santa XB-70 is AWESOME!!! The Christmas tree paint scheme and "false canopy" are incredibly creative, in my opinion. Just wanted to say so.

Thanks, guys. The kitty litter idea is intriguing. I will think on that some more. I definitely don't want to put the stuff down the drain anymore. I came up with an idea yesterday that I need to work on to recycle the solvent and capture fumes. If it pans out I will definitely share. After thinking about it more I realize I was also way too liberal with the solvent during the cleaning process. I can cut way back on the airbrush itself but I usually use the bottom feed paint bottle. Those are hard to get clean without using quite a bit of laquer thinner. I am going to try to switch to

I'm looking for ideas on how to be a little more environmentally friendly when cleaning my airbrush. I must admit, I used to be on a septic system and I just hosed everything down with various solvents and flushed it down the sink. It's always bothered me and I want to change my ways. I'd appreciate ideas on how to cut down on the waste from cleanup, especially cleaning out paint cups/bottles. Is there a way way to filter the solvent and recycle it? What's the best way to dispose of the stuff? Any ideas would be appreciated. If you have bought or built any sort of devices to make this e

Thanks man. Three times I've trusted the buyer now and three times all's been fine. I wouldn't do that on Ebay but I'm pretty sure this is a different crowd.

I appreciate that. I just got lucky and ran across a GREAT Hobby Lobby deal that I knew others would like to take advantage of. I'd rather help someone get a great kit CHEAP than make any money. It'll come back to me someday. :) I'll sure be checking HL more in the future so don't wait around if you see me post again!