Lucas C.

Thanks, @Dutch! Definitely interested. I'll send you a PM with my info.

Thanks, @fasteagle12, but the shipping on that one is nuts ($15) and the total would come out to more than what I paid for the kit. I'm hoping someone has a leftover canopy somewhere.

I badly cracked the canopy on my 1/72 HobbyBoss F-14A and need a replacement. Since the build is open cockpit, pretty much any 1/72 F-14 canopy should do. I'm in the the US (Virginia), in case that matters. Happy to buy or trade. Thanks for helping me recover from this blunder!

Great, idea, thanks!

Thanks for the link, @crackerjazz! I am planning an open-canopy build, so this definitely helps! Shipping to the US is nuts for that eBay listing, but I'll see if I can find the canopy locally for a reasonable price.

I’m just looking to vent (mostly) and get any ideas on what to do. I was nearing the end of a 1/72 HobbyBoss F-14A when I went to take the masking off the canopy and… proceeded to crack the damn thing down the middle. It’s a nice, 1.5 inch crack that goes from the front and halfway into the RIO’s portion of the canopy. Just my luck, the crack isn’t straight, but instead curves to the side toward the end, making it very visible on the starboard side. All the other problems and mistakes with the build I’ve been able to fix. This one seems like it’s game over. 🤬 I want to finish t

Thanks, Bill, that's very useful information! I'll start document the cost of the kits and aftermarket items that I used. I'll have to talk to the moving company about their policy on stuff like this, but I do think they'll balk at paying anything more than that.

I recently moved and (surprise) discovered that the movers irreparably damaged several of my built models. The movers have given me forms to file a claim with them. How do I value my built models, and where can I find documentary evidence to back up those valuations? Thanks for any help you can give!

I used to spray all types several years ago, but now I'm only spraying acrylics (Vallejo, AK, Ammo, and, every now and then, Tamiya). Maybe my gloss coats are too thick? I tend to have to put down multiple coats to get a good gloss and avoid pebbling.

I don't use very much thinner with it, but I don't measure it out precisely, either. Sometimes I spray it near (for small parts). Afterward I simply leave the model in the spray booth or off to the side for a while (sometimes partially covered with tupperware to minimize dust on the finish). I only have one bottle of the gloss coat, so I guess it could be a bad one.

I've used Vallejo's clear gloss for a few models and have noticed that I can still leave fingerprints in the finish even after a week of letting it dry. It's not particularly cold, warm, dry, or humid where I airbrush (70 degrees 50% humidity on average), and I've only thinned it with Vallejo's own airbrush thinner when spraying it. I remember having a similar problem years ago with a different brand of clear coat (Maybe MM Acryl? Maybe Tamiya X-22?). Another thing I've noticed when applying weathering and decals is that the gloss coat doesn't feel tacky when I first begin handling the mod

I think you'd be better off buying Tamiya's own retarder.

I think this thread has underscored an enduring problem with trying to define "the best" kit of any given subject. What is "the best?" Is it the one that is most accurate shape-wise? The one with the most detail? The one with the most accurate detail? The one that is easiest to build? Everyone has a slightly different view of what "the best" means, but most folks never explicitly state what their criteria are, so we end up arguing round and round on some kits. No one kit is going to score perfectly on all criteria (or even come close, in many cases), so I suggest that, for this exercise

I have one of these, but they appear to be OOP. Hobbyzone makes similar hanging racks that should work equally well.

I generally spray them straight from the bottle for just that reason. They do seem to be thinner than other similar paints like Vallejo Model Air.

The membership doesn't seem all that worthwhile. Scalemates has links to reviews and also links AM products to the kits they are designed for. The 5% discount might be worthwhile if you order more that $400 per year from them.

I bet there were many others that did the same. A few of the items I wanted were out of stock when I put in my order. Not too many, thankfully.

I managed to put in a last-minute order on Sunday thanks to this thread. Stocked up on a few items I had been eyeing but hadn't pulled the trigger on. Thanks for the heads up!

I got a reply from Mission Models: That's good news. I'll give some of the colors a try once the new ones are available.

I saw an announcement from Mission Models back in April stating that they were going to be broadening the range to include a lot of useful paints, but since then I have heard nothing. Instead, the Web site now shows several colors as "sold out" and there is no hint that new ones are coming. Is the expansion of the range still going to happen? Is MM postponing it? Or are they winding it down? The "sold out" part is what triggers my concern that the paint line may go away. I was thinking of trying the paint, as it has gotten very good reviews, but I'm not willing to invest the

I'd go for the RG3 or the G5--better to have a dedicated instrument that does one thing really well instead of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. I also was tempted by a fan-pattern cap for my Grex Tritium, but spray guns with a fan pattern produce a lot less overspray than airbrushes using a fan cap. That's what sold me.

Not to further muddy the waters, but consider the Iwata LPH-50 if you have a compressor with sufficient CFM to run it. I've got the 0.6mm model and love it. I spray 1/35 armor and 1/72 planes. It's a bit of overkill for the smaller planes in 1/72, but perfect for 1/35 armor and larger 1/72 models.

Nate--I've done that on one model (left the decals unsealed) because it was NMF, but I'm not sure it will last for more than a few years. A lot depends on the quality of the decals. I'm not worried about fading--chances are they won't fade unless exposed to direct sunlight every day, for the whole day, for months or years. I think your approach makes sense in theory, but you might want to think of ways of strengthening the decal's glue--maybe put a tiny drop of diluted white glue under each one?

Great--I'll be waiting for the email!

That's great news! I've got my eye on that one and a couple of other sheets, so I'll definitely be putting in an order for a sheet.