clutch

I used Tamaya tape to mask a canopy. Upon removal there was a residue of glue that defied removal. My frustration with this is that, having built models most of my life, except for a 15 year exclusion, I feel as though I have entered a brand new world. Masking tape, in the past, was not an issue. Now, with specific products that are suppose to make life easier, I find the exact opposite. The Tamaya tape was used on a canopy that had not been touched in anyway. Except for the frames, all other clear areas were masked. The model is about done and all I needed to do was remove the masking from the canopy............which then revealed a whole host of adhesive residue. I tried various cleaners and thinners but could not remove the residue. 2400 grit sanding helped but I'm frustrated by the fact that I never encountered the issues previously. The tape should have come off clean but it didn't. Now I have to figure out how to clean the clear areas of the canopy without maring the acylic painted areas. This is where it gets frustrating. Tamaya paint, future gloss coat for decal placement and then testors dullcoat after a 72 hour wait for drying. Pull the tape and the residue is all over the clear portions of the canopy. Alcohol may have been the answer but I'm concerned about the edges of acylic paint that may be effected by such applications. Enamel paint was much easier to deal with but that is not the case in 2015. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks clutch

to all thank you.I put a second coat of future over the decals and a majority of the stains went away. I didn't realize ammonia was in the Microscale products but that is a definite no no with Future. Thanks again. clutch

Using Microset and Microsol on decals being placed on a layer of Future, which has been applied over either Tamaya or Vallejo paint seems to produce a lot of stains and / or lighter areas over the base color, (allowing 48 hours to dry by the way). No amount of effort has any effect on the stains other than trying to dry brush the base color back on which, reduces the stain but does not eliminate it. Is Future reacting to the Microscale product? I'm frustrated at this point because I have tried various methods to apply decals to a gloss surface and nothing seems to be working. Testors gloss seems to react to any application over acrylic paint and now Future seems to have it's own particular likes and dislikes. Life was much easier with solvent based paints but the world has changed....sigh! I would appreciate any input on this issue. I get my paint laid out nice and then everything turns to poopoo when I start on the decals. Thanks, Clutch

I just bought 2 bottles of Testors CreateFX acrylic washes. Have had mixed results so far. Brushing on over Tamaya or Vallejo paint allowed me to let stand for an hour and then use a q-tip dipped in water to remove the excess, (beyond the panel lines or grills). Doing the same thing over a coat of Future was a differnt story. Excess would not come off and had to use a little Tamaya thinner to get the excess off. Has anybody used the Testors product? andif so what is your impression? thanks Clutch

Never thought about the superglue idea. File it away for future ref. Mute point now for this model as I have no desire to purchase another kit. Thanks for the response clutch

The problem with the cut off wheel is the proximity to the fingers. Even to use some sort of clamp was almost an invitation to cracking the part. I think that I need to "re think" after market detail parts. Photo-etched is one thing, resin......? I don't know. Thanks for getting back to me. clutch

Has anybody been successful in cutting the resin HUD off the sprue, (believe it's still called a sprue, even though it's resin), so that it could be mounted on the supplied glare shield? Two were included in the Blackbox kit and both shattered at the mere thought of being trimmed. Blackbox says in the instructions that the part is"delicate"...........understatement in my estimation. If anyone has been successful I would love to know how you did it besides winning my respect for a skill level that I will never reach. clutch

Found these shots in my slides. Up till now never thought of them as historical but then time marches on. A-1 taking off from Pleiku, A-37 taking off and F-100 fast fac from Phu Cat I believe.....emergency landing.

I topped that today. Uncovered the canopy of my current project, an academy F-16............I had put in weight thru a hole in the nose just aft of the nosecone and then globbed in some whiteglue to hold the weight in place. Well.....the glue obviously oozed back behind the weight and ended up in the cockpit and all over the top of the canopy. Shoulda never glued the canopy down for keeps or maybe kept the model upright.......whatever.........live and learn.................love this hobby.

Nothing to apologize for. Just recalling a highlight of my time as an air traffic controller. We all laughed in the rapcon and went on with our business. I was so impressed by what you guys did that I almost re-enlisted into the Army to become a Huey pilot. Life took me someplace else however. You guys were my heros. Thank You for your service.

I recall a UH-1 requesting a PAR approach at Pleiku one morning. Gave us a bogus call sign and C-7 type. Very slow and STOL capable so his speed was nothing unusual. He lined up for a 10 mile final. If your familar with PAR radar it presents azimuth and elevation information on a split screen. At any rate, I'm callng corrections to him and all of a sudden the aircraft stops at about 6 miles. Stops dead at 1200 feet and just sits there. Dumbfounded at first I asked "say again type of aircraft?" whereupon he laughed peeled off from the approach and responded with "we're just messing with you GCA".

Now what's the chance that a pipe wrench placed on a shelf above your modeling space is going to do a one and a half gainer onto the almost completed f-16. Reached for the razor saw next to the wrench and it was all over. MY motto now is always clear the air space above your workbench.

A store called Two Guys from Harrison that had one long isle of Model kits, floor to ceiling. I would shovel snow all day grab my money and regardless of how tired I was I walked to Two Guys. Now the problem with 5 dollars in the sixties is, do I go for quantity or quality. Quantity always won out. Five bucks would buy alot of 49 or 79 cent kits, and I figured that the Christmas wish list to Santa was the best time to go for the quality, (i.e. the aircraft carrier or battleship kits).

Welcome..........aaaaah the smell of plastic in the morning!

Pleiku....a1's, o1's, o2's, f100, f4,s and one very nasty looking ac-130 that took my breath away. In Japan it was f4c's, Japanese f_86's and f104's which they loved. The navy would come over frequently and always requested high speed low approaches prior to landing until the base commander put a stop to it. A navy f4 at 75 feet going vertical and ballistic prior to the end of the runway could by quite noisy.

Thank you all for your greetings. Actually Clutch, like any nickname is bestowed upon you by others. You never pick your own nickname. Clutch was the first name of a cartoon character in the sixties, Clutch Cargo. Somehow, while in the Air Force, Vietnam, I ended up with it. Having been an Air Traffic controller, my passion is aircraft....Vietnam era. Having worked with everything from t-33's to F-4's and F-105's my unbuilt collection tends to be lopsided. Thanks again for the welcome. Now I just have to figure out how to manuver thru the forum.

brand new but I haven't seen anything yet.

Just join IPMS and wanted to say hello. I have been modeling most of my life and find that as the years go by, being able to sit down with a new kit is as exciting at 67 as it was at 15. Wonderful hobby. bob