Kranman

Indeed, the information presented answered all my questions.

Me, too. Last one I was at was Columbus, so I'm overdue.

The Hasegawa F-104 is still available and is inexpensive. It's a good kit and lends itself well to the NMF. I have one in paint now (Alclad) and am picking out different colors for differing panels. I can recommend the kit for ease of assembly. And yes, your F-86 looks much better than the earlier application! Well done. Frank

Just finished this one. OOB with the exception of the Aeromaster decals. For being 20 years old, they went down with no problems. Base coat is Rustoleum Aluminum in the big can from Home Depot. Giving it several days to cure applied Model Master Metalizers to the rear fuselage. I also used an AK metallic blue there as well (I cannot recall the exact name). Model Master Glosscoat came next, followed by the decals. Yes, it's the wrong refueling probe for this livery; I may correct that. Overall, not a bad build - the horizontal fuselage joint is the biggest chore to tackle. My next Hun will also be a Monogram, but with a mix of the old Eduard PE set and the Black Box resin cockpit. This one I considered a test bed for the NMF application. It's certainly not perfect, but it's built! Frank

Here's my Monogram Hun, OOB, with Aeromaster decals. This was painted with the aforementioned Rustoleum Aluminum from the hardware store, the big cans.

Love this thread! Metal finishes are something of a draw for me as I have quite a few unbuilt models which will require them. I just completed a Monogram 1/48 F-100 and tried some old-school products on it. Firstly, the whole model received Rustoleum Aluminum from the big rattle can, as the forward fuselages of these aircraft were painted aluminum lacquer and do not show a lot of dissimilar panels. Don't discount this product as a viable metallic finish! I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. But, it needs several days to cure. After Glosscoating (Model Master) the entire model, I then used Model Master Metalizers to depict the rear, burnt and distressed natural metal portions. I have a lot invested in Alclad, Floquil, Model Master, and AK metallic paints. I was surprised to find this Rustoleum paint worked as well as it did. I'll post a pic or two of the Super Sabre tomorrow.. Kudos to the models depicted - they're great examples of our craft!

Dave, many thanks for that article link! Very helpful, indeed. Ron, what you illustrate is pretty much what I was thinking of - I can see a variety of sheens, textures, what-have-you for a few of the Alclad products. Gil, I've come to realize there is a 'tipping point' when using Alclad. Once you reach it, it may be too late. My efforts have been to limit the amount of paint - it's a balancing act, to be sure. One second, you're going along fine and the next, the effect you want is gone. Been there a few times. The latest was on the Monogram Duesenberg SJ; stripped ALL the chrome. Some parts turned out fine, others looked like metal paint. I learned a lot with that model...

Over the years, I've embraced the Alclad line of metallic finishes. A few of them demand gloss black as an undercoat - chrome, for example - to achieve a high gloss finish. It occurred to me if I use different undercoats, for example, gloss green, flat black or grey, even a yellow, different sheens, finishes, and effects could be obtained using only one or two Alclad colors. I wondered if anyone else may have considered this approach. I have some older, inbuilt kits that may be my guinea pigs on this. Just wondering if anyone else considered my wacky proposal... Frank

Ugh. Richard, if what you say is true, it's like watching the old Mission Impossible series when the recording self-destructs in the beginning of each show. While I have quite a few bottles with old dates (I date everything I buy), there is a good number of recent purchases I've made. While I have had one or two bottles dry up on me over time, I will watch the newer bottles closely. The secretary will disavow any of my cuss words. Grrrrr...

I've been acutely aware of Model Master's slow death for some time now. While I don't 'love' MM's paints (where I did 'love' Floquil's military line), I get them to work very well and get good results from them. Over the past months, I've been assembling the current lineup of every color available from MM. I now lack two that will complete my collection. Before you ask, my reasoning was that I was well over half, so owning the whole range was not that difficult or expensive. It's frustrating seeing this trend. As an enamel and lacquer user (don't even ask me about my Floquil collection!), the choices are getting narrower by the month. I covet the paint I have and wonder aloud what think tank made the decision to fritter-away a popular, widely available, and good selling American brand. RPM/Rustoleum has proven they do not want to support the hobby. As MM was really my only choice after RPM bought and killed Floquil, I presumed MM would continue on strongly. That, alas, was an incorrect presumption. I've got enough paint to finish hundreds of models, so I'm good. It's a cleaner, more environmentally friendly world for the future - at least that's what they're shooting for, I suppose. Now, where's my lacquer thinner? Frank

Gil, are you still able to source Floquil Old or Bright Silvers? I've got a couple bottles I guard like a hoarder and wondered if they're still available. Beautiful work on the B-66! I have a couple Collect-Aire kits that I have to get around to building. You're inspiring me! Frank

Usually, I use blue painter's tape that I have "de-stickyfied" by applying it to fabric (jeans, sweatshirt, etc.) so it sticks, just not so well. This will also work with Tamiya tape. While Alclad is a pretty tough finish (in my experiences), I treat it carefully. Using tape with less tack helps immensely. Hope this helps you! Frank

I have a question on cancelling a room reservation: Is there a waiting list or pool it will return to? It looks increasingly bad for my attendance as I'll be moving my son to Baltimore that weekend and I did not want to just cancel my reservation without checking to see if any mechanism was in place to accommodate another member. And, will the room still carry the discounted rate for someone in line to book it? Many thanks! Frank