ipmsusa2

Hey Gary, I'm is Fort Worth as well. Drop me a pm with your email address if you like. Maybe we can get together. Be glad to help in any way. Richard

I can't tell you anything about acrylics...water and alcohol based...except for acrylic lacquers. However, I would think that as long as you prime with an acrylic lacquer such as DupliColor Grey Primer, you shouldn't have a problem. As for cleaning with acetone before priming, there's no reason not to. Might help, can't hurt.

As far as primer is concerned, try Dupli-Color Gray Primer in a rattle can. It's an acrylic lacquer and is available from auto supply stores like Advance, NAPA and O'Reilly's.

Nicolas, For me it depends on the piece in question. When dealing with the really small stuff, the object is to not have a stub to trim. If I can gain access to the desired part without damaging anything, a pair of opthomology scissors does a great job. They also are useful for trimming pieces you can actually hold that have stubs that need trimming. Another approach is to hold the fret down on a hard surface such as a piece of ceramic tile, then use a new blade to cut the stub next to the part. Result? No stub. Be sure to cover at least part of the desired piece with your thumb or finger so it doesn't fly off into never never land when you cut it free. Another possibility is to put the fret down onto a piece of low tack tape, sticky side up, then cut close to the part so that there's no stub. Keep in mind that another factor is that all photoetch isn't the same thickness or the same material, so you will have to adjust your approach accordingly. Hope some of this helps. Richard

As it stands right now, True North will become my Model Master enamel replacement with Tru-Color for pre-thinned solvent based paint and various acrylic brands when I can't get the job done any other way...mainly flesh/skin tones and occasional weathering colors. BTW, Ed, I still have some of the square Testors paint that I brought with me from El Paso back in1961 that are still good. And some Pactra Scale Flats that are also still good. You don't get that kind of shelf like any more!

Michael, I have Pm'ed you a list of the kits I would like to have. Please let me know which ones from that list are available or that you are willing to ship to me. Of course I will be happy to pay all shipping charges. For the record, I'm in Fort Worth, Texas.

Michael, If the Corona Virus isn't bad enough, throw in a traffic accident that's forcing my wife and I to replace an older car than we're very fond of. Believe me, I know what you're up against. Since your situation has become a giveaway, I would take a good number off your hands unless you want everything to go to one place. Of course I would pay for shipping. Let me know.

Ralph, I know whereof you speak. I've been in this hobby as a business since 1967 and as a hobby since somewhere around 1949. I've built most of the reboxed Atlantis box scale kits when they were originally released by Revell and Monogram when they were wood kits with accurate plastic parts included. In the 50s and early 60s we didn't have dedicated plastic model magazines for aircraft fanatics. That had to wait for Challenge Publications Scale Modeler in the mid to late 60s. We begged, cajoled and demanded the very thing that now allow the average hobbyist to produce models that used to be the purview of the true serious modeler. Today, anyone with enough money, fall together kits, sophisticated supplies and a subscription to FineScale Modeler can become a serious modeler capable of placing well in many contests. To reach the master modeler level is another thing entirely, but you see where I'm going. I've used crushed spices for ground cover, sifted dirt from the backyard, etc, ad infinitum and I'm sure that most of we 'older' modelers that are reading this have done the same. We come from a time when modelbuilding was exactly that. You started with the raw materials and a set of plans that had to be enlarged using a grid pattern...who remembers that?...and when you were through, no one could believe how you built it. For example, I once knew a teenager living next to me in El Paso who carved a submarine from a lashup of two pieces of 2 x 4s with nothing more than a jackknife...pocket knife to our younger members. By the time it was painted, what you were looking at was a submarine with no indication of what it started as. The bottom line is this: Creativity resides in our minds, talent is God given and modelbuilding is not determined by how perfect the latest kit is, photoetched instrument panels that require a microscope to read the finest detail or the number of contest ribbons on your wall or trophies on your shelf. A true modelbuilder is what you are, regardless of whether you do it as a hobby or a business.

It has been reported that the entire Testors lines...incuding Model Master...has been unceremoniously dropped. While I don't doubt this...Model Master has been dying drop by drop for some time...getting confirming information from multiple sources is something else again. As of a month or so ago, Rustoleum stated to me in a phone call that the latest updates as to which colors...if any... would not be produced had not yet been determined, but that Model Master was still being produced. They did advise me that one of their warehouses was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, which is why some colors were not available or backordered. Today I called my local Hobby Town and all they knew was that some of the colors had been discontinued. No knowledge at all re: the complete demize of Testors. At the same time, I checked the website of Stevens International...one of the largest hobby wholesalers in the U.S. and the one many Hobby Town shops order from...and Model Master is no longer on their paint list. Additionally, Testor products of any kind take up a grand total of 1 2/3 pages. In order to be fair, I also checked the website of Megahobby...self-promoted as having the largest selection of hobby products on the web....and they list all of the colors from Model Master. That included Acryl, Metalizer, Automotive, Spray cans, etc. 95% of everything listed is out of stock. I know, I know. Most of you have already converted to acrylics like Vallejo and Ammo MIG and don't really care about the death of Testors/Model Master. Why does it matter to me? First of all, I'm trying to finish a vignette for a commissioned magazine article and I need the four skin tone enamel colors to complete it. I'm not really in the mood to change horses in midstream, especially since I've never used acrylics and don't have the time right now to learn. Particularly since I have a deadline, even though it is fairly loose. Second, it will impact my Modelbuilding Guide E-books, essentially bringing them to a screaming halt until I can adjust to the loss of Model Master. Finally, I have a call in to Rustoleum to try to get a definitive answer from the horse's mouth. I'll let you know when I hear from them. BREAKING NEWS I just spoke with a lady from Rustoleum. This is straight from the horse's mouth: "The Model Master...both acrylic and enamel...line, as well as Aztek, have been discontinued effective immediately due to declining demand." Incidentally, if you think you're all right for a while because you have a stash of Model Master, maybe not. Over the last couple or three years, chemical composition has changed to the point that paint that I bought two years ago has gone bad in the bottle before I ever opened it. This doesn't happen to every color, but it might be a good idea to check your paint stock. Now if I can find a flesh tone paint that'll let me finish my vignette! 5

What's interesting is that I talked to a lady yesterday at Rustoleum and she told me that they were still producing Testors products and that she had not been provided any updated information as to which colors they might be dropping. At the same time, she told me that one of their warehouses had been shut down because of covid-19. That said, I did find the Facebook page where they stated in March that they were dropping the Model Master line. As for Glosscote and Dullcote, I wouldn't expect them to survive. Same for Metalizer Sealer. While Ralph makes some valid points, I'd suggest the impact will go beyond the typical hobbyist not being able to find paints in his local craft (hobby lobby, etc) store. For example...and I would suggest I'm not the only one...those of us who build on commission and produce both print books and ebooks. Granted, most of the time we're preaching to the choir with most of our readers fairly well versed in the more advanced...even esoteric...aspects of the hobby/business. But our writing does reach many who are on the entry level part of the hobby. While we can tell them where to buy paints that will replace Testors or Model Master, what are the chances that the cost involved may stop them from pursuing the hobby. It's one thing to spend $30 or $40...less a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby...and another $10 or so on paint in the same store. But now tell them that they have to spend from $5.69 to $10.25 per bottle...depending or whether you want one ounce or two ounces..plus anywhere from $9.50 to $14.50 for shipping, depending on the number and size of bottles you order. Worse, most of the Tru-Color paints are prethinned, thus requiring our potential new modelbuilder to possess an airbrush. As the price of the beginner's project escalates and the local availability of relatively low cost, brushable paint deteriorates, what are the odds that our erstwhile beginner will simply decide that it just ain't worth it? Our writing, whether it be articles, print books or ebooks, will inevitably focus on the serious/advanced modeler, eventually ignoring the beginning modeler altogether. This won't be because we want it that way. Not at all. Bringing new modelers into the fold is the life blood of this hobby/business. Without the development of new modelers and the return of those who used to build, we could wind up without a hobby and I...and others like me...could wind up without a business. As it stands right now, the only paint that can replace Model Master in the form of a brushable, alkyd enamel is True North. I've used a little of it and love the stuff. Though it is a little slow to get since shipping out of Maine can take a while. Incidentally, they do offer free shipping on orders over $100.00, although that doesn't help the beginning modeler. Well, I think I've rambled enough at the moment. Your thoughts?

The techniques for painting raised detail varies with the kit, how they handled the molded detail and the individual modeler. Each one of us has a preferred technique that we've developed thru trial and error. Michael and Mark are correct re a technique that should keep you out of trouble. I have a preference for an art pencil combined with Testors Dullcote as I have described in some of my articles and ebooks, but I also use drybrushing as well as other techniques. As for magnification devices, the only one I use is the old, reliable OptiVisor for the simple fact that it offers a number of optical glass interchangable lenses. Cheap it ain't, but you darn sure can't go wrong with it.

Michael, I converted your list to a Word doc and attached it here. I'll send a copy to your email so you can make changes. If you like, you can let me know what changes need to be made and I'll update the list and repost for you. Hope this helps. Richard MODEL INDEX.doc

Michael, What you're attaching is a text file that opens in Notepad. Try saving it as a PDF and then attaching it to a post in this forum.

Michael, First, my condolences for your loss. Having to dispose of things that he loved has to be especially difficult. As to the models, I would be interested in at least a few of the aircraft, depending on subject, scale and price. Do you have or will you be developing a list? I agree that the kits need to go to a good home instead of the nearest dumpster. Richard Marmo IPMS/USA #2

I remember it well. Also built one when it first came out, as well as most of their box scale multi-engine aircraft with a swivel ball mount and clear plastic stand. BTW, as I recall, the original Revell kit came with an intake splitter plate and an attached nose spear.

Gator's Grip. This stuff is an acrylic glue that will hold the part but is not that difficult to remove and dries dead clear. Similar to Elmer's but way superior.

Biggs AFB in El Paso during the 1950s also had KC-97s based there. And let's not forget the B-36 that crashed on Franklin Mountain in the late 50s.

Can the replicator of Star Trek: The Next Generation be far behind? You know , where you simply speak what you want and the replicator creates it from basic atoms. Doesn't matter whether it's a steaming hot steak dinner or a Stradivarius violin.

Brian Latour, There's a lot to be said for your comments. My passion is WW-II aircraft and I don't care that much for the Gundum/Transformers models, but I also have a deep interest in science fiction and am a fan of Star Wars, along with some of the comic book heros and I'll guarantee you that I'm well over 30. Your last paragraph brings up an important point. Just because someone's interest doesn't match yours, it does the hobby no good to stereotype or complain about a particular generation. What is it they say? Variety is the spice of life.

Brian, I don't necessarily disagree with you in a lot of respects. I, too, am a lifelong modeler...started when I was seven...and it is also my business. But it is not 100% that no kids will take up the hobby. If that were true, there wouldn't be a junior section at the IPMS/USA Nationals. That doesn't mean it's not a hard row to hoe. Also, some of us got into the hobby as a result of bad health. That's how I got started. But once into it, combined with my love of reading which led to an interest in history, one thing led to another. A couple of people wanted me to build models for them, from there I obtained a kit review column in a magazine and so on. A kit review column in Flying Review International is what sparked my interest in having my own kit review column. Once that was up and running, I reviewed the original Revell 32nd scale Cobra and Huey kits and called Bell for reference material. They asked to see the models when they were built. Took the finished models to Bell, just to show them off, and walked out of the building with an order for 600 builtup models and a career as a freelance writer and professional modelbuilder. You never know where life will take you. Sometime you make your plans and it works out exactly the way you plan it. Other times it's pure serendipity. And sometime it's simply meant to be.

Eric, The link you provided simply fits with all the others I've seen. There's a nasty little phrase in the middle of all this that "anything that appeals to kids" must be marked 'made for kids'. Considering the wide range of interest that most...or at least a substantial number of...kids have, almost anything could be construed as appealing to kids. That is especially likely when it comes to modelbuilding videos and aviation history...in fact, any history videos. I have three videos that are designed to encourage purchase of my CD-ROMs. Also one on the Williams Bros C-46 that promotes my E-book on the build. According to YouTube's analytics, no one under 13 has viewed any of them, but you never know when that might change. I was also planning on developing a series of kit buildup videos, but.... As things now stand, unless the FTC makes some significant changes in their COPPA rules, I will end up pulling all of my videos, closing the channel and not producing anything for upload to YouTube from this point forward. Will it hurt me? Yes. But the potential of a $42,000 fine as the result of an opinion from some government official who does not understand the modelbuilding industry will hurt a lot more.

If anyone reading this enjoys watching kit buildups or kit reviews on YouTube, you need to watch a video that can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHYVWyAGcE&t=11s Why? Because the Federal Trade Commission has just announced that starting January 1, 2020 any video that is identified as made for kids but that they believe is not made for kids, the creator of that video will be fined $42,530 PER VIDEO. Incidentally, a kid is defined as anyone under the age of 13. So why should that matter to us? Because two of the categories that they will be especially focusing on will be arts & crafts and toys. Modelbuilding, scale models and model kits are all too often classified by those who do not know what they're talking about as arts & crafts or toys. Rather than spend a lot of time and space recapping information that is already on YouTube, I'd suggest you watch the video...and others...then reply to this post. By the way, if you think this doesn't affect us, it does. We're a family friendly organization, we want to attract kids so they become modelbuilders and kids watch YouTube in droves. If they can't find videos about modelbuilding, we lose a very valuable source that may expose them to scale models for the very first time. Anyway, watch the video and let me know what you think.

It is now 10:41 a.m., October 28, 2019. I just got off the phone with Rustoleum and here is what I learned: 1. The Bulletin about Testors going away is fake and they are still trying to track down who posted it. Rustoleum didn't say so, but I would suggest the idiot is in a world of hurt whenever he or they are caught. 2. It is TRUE that international distribution will end EXCEPT for Canada. Again, Testors products will continue to be distributed in the U.S. AND CANADA. 3. It is TRUE that Aztek Airbrushes are gone. 4. It is TRUE that Metalizer products are gone. 5. The ONLY link for current Testors products is https://www.rustoleum.ca/product-catalog/consumer-brands/testors/ 6. The familiar testors.com websie does NOT show the correct current product line. 7. The Testors link at the bottom of the Rustoleum home page is NOT currently correct. At this time, it takes you to the old testors.com home page. 8. Having been made aware of the link/website problems, Rustoleum will be working to correct them. 9, Rustoleum stated during our telcon that Model Master is not going away any time soon, but colors that do not sell will not be continued. What that means for anyone's favorite color I can't say since I have no idea what their criteria for sales volume is.

Dave, as my last post in this thread indicated, the Testors letter that was posted is fake. At the same time, it was reported that Aaron Skinner had been in contact with Rustoleum and stated that Rustoleum was dropping Aztek Airbrushes as well as the International and Military lines. Adding to the confusion, the following link https://www.rustoleum.ca/product-catalog/consumer-brands/testors/ takes you to an updated Testors website that matches the products in my latest post...including Aztek and Metalizers no longer existing. BUT the https://www.testors.com/ website lists a wider range of products...including MM colors that are known to have been discontinued. Adding insult and confusion to injury, if you go to the Rustoleum site...http://rustoleum...scroll down to the bottom and click on the Testors link, it takes you directly to the https://www.testors.com website instead of the revised website that I listed in the beginning of this paragraph. I will be calling Rustoleum shortly to see if I can get some accurate information directly from Rustoleum. Maybe then we'll know what's really going on and what to believe.

If I remember correctly, some manufacturers did offer scale effect colors. At least a few shades such as variations of black. But to do this across the board doesn't approach being feasible, particularly when whether or not any given shade is 'right' is determined entirely by the eye of the beholder.