PeteJ

Well, I am one step closer to being ready for Nat's. I got the pitot tube ready. One more item checked off the list. FYI the maximum diameter is .025"

Thanks Noel. Just what I wanted to know. Will order some soon. None of the local shops carry them or I probably would have tried them some time ago. One last question. I've never kept paint in a tin before. It kind of looks like a miniature paint can. Does it seal well? I have used Tamiya paint mixing jars for other paint and they seem to do better than just about any other container, but they are almost as expensive as the paint itself. Worth using them or keep them in the original tin?

I was wondering about Humbrol. Heard of them for years but never tried them. Looks like it is about time to get my hands on a couple of tins. What do you thin them and clean up with?

I was working on my entry for Nat's and broke out some of my old Floquil enamel paint(engine black). I had forgotten how great these paints were to use with a brush. Nothing at all like todays acrylics. Even flow, no brush marks, full coverage with one pass, absolutely perfect flat finish. Man these were good paints. Unfortunatly, they are long gone. Anybody out there know if there is anything that comes close??

Noel brings up a good point. The purpose of the telephoto shot is to reduce the distortion you get by being too close to the subject. We've all seen those photos of someone's face up close and the nose is hugely distorted. There is some of that distortion and out of focus at the edges of this photo if you look closely, but that is only something you would pickup if you were looking for it. This is why you shoot from a distance. It helps reduce this effect to the point that it is not noticeable. The front to back focus is a different problem all togeather and is called depth of field. This is controlled by aperture settings. The smaller(larger F-stop number) the aperture opening, the more of the photo is in focus front to back. The down side of small apertures is that it makes for a longer exposure. This means that the camera has to be held perfectly steady during the shot. Having said that, few point and shoot cameras and phone cameras allow manual control of the aperture. That is all part of the point and shoot algorithm. However most phone cameras now allow you to select a point that the camera will use as the center of focus. That is also the metering point. Using this feature and selecting the middle of the model with give you the best picture.

That techique works with all cameras. I don't know how many times I have been asked why I am 5 feet away from a model shooting with a telephoto lens. "Don't you have to use a macro lens up close to get the detail's?" Not if you want them to look right!

Or you could just make a Thunderbird F-4E........ You might also check to see if the majority of the parts in your F-4E are the same as the Tamiya F-4J. If they are, then you might be able to find someone who would exchange part for and F-4E. If I recall, the biggest difference was the nose from the front windscreen forward. Tamiya did do an F-4J in 1/32 scale. You can go to Tamiya USA and down load the instruction. Find the parts you need and call !-800-TamiyaA and perhaps they have the parts in stock.

Interesting topic. I would speculate that this is why we expect the judging team to have a modicum of knowledge on the subject. The example of the P-40 would jump out at most aircraft builders. This is a much easier question for OOB in that the instructions are on the table with the model and if the instructions say it goes together a certain way and it is not that way, then bigtime ding city. In other categories, particularly armor, aircraft and cars, there is now so much information on the internet, I would bet you could find a restored tank somewhere with them on upside down. Particularly if it is kept in an outdoor environment. Rain water accumulating in the exhaust would cause corrosion. Turning them over would be an easy conservation technique. So without an instruction sheet, it becomes difficult to make a definitive call. Since we are not in the business of requiring documentation on every model, then the benefit of the doubt should fall to the builder on finer details such as this. Extensive experience by a judge should not be a detriment to the builder. To someone who is not well versed in that tank, those exhausts look like a highly skilled model builders work.

Since when did anything to do with modeling make sense?😆

I wish them well, but they are fighting years of neglect and disgruntled customers. They have a lot of proving to do!

Alcohol? I thought ammonia was the prefered cleaner. Just asking as I don't use that much future.

Start here. https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-6801/Special-Use-Boxes/Pelican-1510-Equipment-Case 9X14X22 standard for carryon luggage. Pelican is the top of the line. The pick and pluck foam lets you make custom enclosures for your models that hold them firmly but securely. Yes, it is not cheap, but you are trusting you prized models to it. Oh, and Uline probably isn't the least expensive place to buy it. I just use it because it was easy for me to find. It is waterproof and has an air valve to release pressure from the altitude changes that happen when flying. Here is tutorial to give you an idea how it works. Being a carry on precludes it from getting it tossed around the baggage gorillas on the ramp. Good luck and see you there!

Stuart, if you did the engine in acrylic then be sure you get the right wash. You want a water based one, not solvent based. You could make your own with a mix of 75% distilled water/25% alcohol. Then just use a tiny drop or two or black and brown paint. You want the was to be very thin. Just a very light bit of color in all the grooves.

Actually I use the thinner that I clean my brushes in. It has kind of a blackish brownish tint to it. Aircraft engines leak small amounts of oil(brown), hydraulic fluid(red) and jet fuel(basically kerosene) and collect dirt. For reference go out an look under your car. The fluid darkens the dirt and gets into the crevices of the engine. When done right it looks like a very subtle shadow at the base of the vertical surface. The flat surfaces tend to get wiped off by the mechanics but they can't get down into the small spaces.

A light wash might highlight the details and bring it to life. I've never seen an engine that clean, not even fresh from the factory.

One thing I have found is that it is easier to subtract than to add. What I mean is when you test fit the pieces and you see that parts are going to have gaps. "Prefill" them. My technique is to use a solvent based putty such as basic Tamiya White and put it along the edge to be joined. Then assemble the piece so the excess putty squeeze's out. Join the unfilled section of the seam with your usual extra thin cement and hold it together as you normally would. Let is dry completely. Do not try to clean it off while it is wet. It will just smear. Once it is dry most of what squeezed out will just snap off easily. Then a light touch with a sanding stick and you should have a perfect seam.

Was giving this a little more thought. I suspect this concept of "It's to expensive" came from our parents. When we were little kids, we would ask them if they would buy us something and often as not they didn't refuse us they just said "It's to expensive" and moved on. They weren't saying is wasn't worth the asking price or they didn't have that much money. They were saying that they had other things that were more important to spend their limited dollars on. We all make these decisions but won't say I can't afford it. Saying it is too expensive is less embarrassing than saying if I buy that, I may not get home because I need to buy gas.

You are spot on with the relative comment. When it comes to modeling it is "the price someone else is willing to pay but you are not and it makes you grumpy!"😜 I have often heard people say, " I paid way to much for that kit", but never " I bought a kit that is way to expensive". Frankly, buy many peoples standards, I have kits that are very pricy. I am lucky in that I got a fair number from Tamiya for shall we say "services rendered". One other comment on relativity. The current list price for an entry level Porsche 911 is about $100,000. In 1974 I bought one for $12,000. Back then it was about 5 times the cost of a nice house. Today, that is about 5 time the cost of a nice house(depending on where you live of course) so relative prices haven't changed that much. By the way in the small town I grew up in in the 50's and 60's you could get a cup of coffee for 3 cents in a ceramic mug with free refills if you bought a piece of pie to go with it.😜 How much is a Starbucks and a pastry now days.

Wow! I had forgotten about those clear plastic Aurora stands. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks

Nothing is preventing you from starting a thread with that title. Don't wait for leadership to run with your idea. Lead and see how many follow.

555 looks to be pretty common. 556 not so much. Could you use the 555 kit to scratch up something that looks like 556?

I believe that the assumption that someone will cheat seems a little misplaced. Yes, there are those who cheat, but then that can happen in all categories not just OOB. "Group" builds shown as the work of one person. Using parts painted by another is a common complaint in auto categories. And so on. However, I would like to believe that the vast majority of people who enter, play by the rules. I often think the the accusations of "he cheated" is the sour grapes of a looser in the tight contest. The basic tenant of Nationals is that people will be honest and play by the rules.

I think this category causes more questions than any other, but in my mind it is pretty clear. Build the parts that came in the box, according to the directions in the box. Add any paint or decals you would like and you are okay. Try to tap dance around the rules and you are not. If the instructions tell you how to build rigging or seatbelts, follow the instructions and your fine. Granted IPMS category rules have some exceptions by class but you push the boundaries of these at your own risk. Last, keep it simple and show off your basic modeling skills.

It looks like Rusty knows more about the manufacturing process than I so I will defer to him for that. I will start by saying all photo etch can not be soldered easily. Stainless required special flux and solder and even then sometimes it doesn't work. If it is brass or nickel silver then you are in great shape. Easy to solder with silver based solders or lead if you can still find it. Easiest way to tell is to try a piece of the fret and see if it solders. My procedure is to take a sanding stick and sand the surface to be soldered. This removes any odd edges or burrs. It also roughs up the surface to help the solder stick better. Next I soak it in acetone. Based on Rusty's comments this may not be necessary, but I do it to make sure I have left no oils from my skin when I handled it. From that point on, soldering should be normal.

Great build, nice weathering. The figures really add a lot. The trenches dug by the prop is a really nice touch. Just one negative and I present it with the best intentions. I see nothing that tells the story of why he went down. Did he run out of gas?