ipmsusa2

Hi all, Just a heads up to let you know that a photo gallery disc on the F-16 will soon be available from Scale Publications, probably within the next two to three months. Assuming I don't melt from the current heat wave here in Texas. The disc will contain well over 900 photos and better than 5,000 navigation hotlinks. All photos are captioned. Coverage starts with the Design Concepts and goes all the way thru to the Thunderbirds. Along the way you'll find coverage on the F-16XL, F-16I, Mitsubishi F-2 and the various experimentals, including the little known tailess version of the F-16XL. The disc will be available as a data DVD (too much data for a CD-ROM)and possibly as a downloadable .ISO so you can burn your own disc. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who would be interested in the disc. I'll keep your email address on file and let you know when the disc is ready. Richard Marmo

Out of curiosity, I checked the online site for Hobby Lobby. When I did a serch for MM paint, here's what I found: MM in spray cans: 50 different colors, almost all of them geared to high gloss automotive colors. This includes a few FS colors that are flat. MM Enamels in 1/2 oz bottles: 14. That's it. MM Acryl in 1/2 oz bottles: 48 including Acryl Thinner and Dried Paint Solvent.

Art, I understand the fire risk on airliners. What I was refering to when I mentioned the EPA was the way paint chemistry has changed, resulting from their campaign against Volatle Organic Compounds. Not only does it have a shorter shelf life, it's performance characteristics have changed radically in many cases. One of the more prominent examples is Krylon changing from a totally reliable acrylic lacquer to an oil-based enamel that is more than a little squirrelly. Then there's Deft, who makes a fabulous lacquer clear coat that's the best thing going when it comes to creating a natural finish on wood bases. They still make the stuff, but it's illegal for them to ship it into California.

Yeah and I hate to think of it coming to that. The younger modelers (man, I hate to use that phrase) have probably never used or even seen anything but water based paint. They don't understand that some visual effects are totally impossible to attain with water based paints. Bottom line...this is what the EPA has wrought!

Could be. Still, the thing that worries me is why did RLM 02 disappear from the MM listing on the Testors website. That's a standard color that isn't easily mixed. True, the same color is available in Acryl, but then so are most of the other FS colors in MM. Does this portend the elimination of all enamel paints?

Hey Gil, What you say is quite possible where the RC shops are concerned. I know the nearest RC shop to me carries a moderate line of plastic kits along with a full rack of Tamiya and Acryl. They also have the 1/4 oz bottles of Testors...in fact, more than I can find anywhere else...but zero MM paint. Even they can't explain their reason for that. However, Hobby Lobby doesn't deal with RC and they carry a large line of plastics, which makes the reduction in MM colors rather curious for them.

Hi all, I don't know if this is a sign of things to come, but I was in my local Hobby Lobby in pursuit of Model Master colors I was running low on. In particular, FS36440 Light Gull Grey. Hobby Lobby has always carried pretty much the full line of Model Master...until now. All I found were two partial rows of MM paint, including a dozen or so FS colors and the rest basic colors. What did they have more of? the little 1/4 oz Testors paint bottles and Acryl acrylics. Out of curiosity, I also checked the Testors website. While I haven't checked the listed colors against my own stock, it seems that they don't have as many colors as they did. One thing that did stick out like a sore thumb is that RLM Grau in the WW-II German list is nowhere to be seen. Anyone else have observations regarding Model Master? We've already lost Floquil and PolyScale and now I'm wondering if MM is going to vanish with a whimper and not a bang.

Hi all, I was needing some Boyd's Enamels Clear Gloss and made an interesting discovery. Boyd's Enamels has been part of the Testors Enamels line for a long time. Their Gloss White is the best enamel I've ever found. But no more. Go on the Testors website and Boyd's is nowhere to be seen. Looks like another quality paint down the tubes.

Dave, Which do? The two versions of Dust? I'd like to think so. But then we have the adulteration of Mud, Concrete and Rust to deal with. BTW, Grime is nowhere to be seen in CreateFX.

Hi all, For those of you who rely on Floquil Dust, you may find the following to be of particular interest. Remember that I called Testors and was told that Dust would remain but be available under the CreateFX line of new paints they are creating. I checked out the descriptions on their website for both Floquil Dust and CreateFX 'Dust' and from what I can determine...they ain't the same. I've reproduced the descriptions below, taken directly from their website, so you can reach your own conclusions. Floquil Dust: Floquil Classic Railroad enamels are authentically matched to real color samples provided by some of the best known and historic railroads in North America. Floquil railroad enamels dry to a permanent durable finish on plastic, resin, wood and metal models and can be applied by brush or airbrush. * Mixture ration = 3 parts paint to 1 part thinner * Compressor regulator setting = 16 - 18 PSI Dust is used to slightly dull a finish when weathering your project. The consistency is much thinner than regular enamel paint, more like a wash. Now for CreateFX. All I can say is read it and weep. CreateFX is a new product line that creates detail while educating, inspiring and driving innovation into schools, clubs, crafts and hobby projects. CreateFX (F) Dust Enamel is fast drying, easy to apply and can be used on many kinds of surfaces like glass, wood, metal, leather, Styrofoam, polystyrene plastic and ABS plastic. It is not recommended for rubber or flexible types of vinyl because it will not dry on these surfaces, it will remain tacky to the touch. It will not adhere to polyethylene or polypropylene. Finely ground pigments mean superb flow and coverage. CreateFX Enamel paints are lead free. * If you are airbrushing, use 79256 Enamel Thinner. Use the following ratio as a starting point. Gloss, 3 parts paint to 2 parts thinner. Flat, 3 parts paint to 1 part thinner. Thin to the consistency of whole milk. * Best conditions for use 70 - 80 degrees F., moderate relative humidity of 60% or less. * Enamels will be dry to the touch in one hour and require 48 hours to completely cure. Adding insult to injury, Mud, Concrete and Rust have been reformulated as a stain. Making things worse...if that's possible...the stains require 24 hours to cure before recoating and when you're finally done staining, you have to seal it with a clear coat. Are we having fun yet?

Thought y'all might like to know that there is a solution to the Floquil problem. True-Color Paint at http://www.trucolorpaint.com carries 256 colors that are direct replacements for Floquil. Better, it's a solvent based paint just like Floquil. Haven't used the stuff, haven't even seen a sample, but from what I learned in a telephone conversation with them is that it comes in 1 and 2 ounce bottles and can even be had in 16 ounce containers. Only difference I've found so far is that some of the names aren't identical. For example, BSNF Heritage Green in Floquil is simply BNSF Green in True-Color. No color chips online yet but they're coming. They even have Dust! You can also have a color chart shipped to you for $13.95. Go check'em out! I can't wait to get my hands on a bottle.

Read the label on Tenax 7R and you'll also find that it has ether in it. My favorite welder is Ambroid ProWeld. Works great, is a little slower than Tenax and you can slop it on to keep the plastic wet if you happen to be working with older, poor fitting kits. As for Weld-On 3 and 4, most plastic suppliers carry it. Interesting story about Weld-On 3. Squadron used to carry the stuff. During a hotter than usual Texas summer, they went back in their warehouse to fill some orders for Weld-On. First bottle was empty. Second bottle was empty. Third bottle was empty. They started spot checking. All the bottles were empty. Turned out that the Weld-On evaporated thru the glass bottle in spite of the cap being sealed. Worse, I had a can of it in the refrigerator and it evaporated thru the can. Ambroid doesn't do any of that, which is one of many reasons I'm so fond of it. Richard

Very few IPMS members build model railroads, but consider the effect that dropping Floquil will have on them. Considering how large the model railroad hobby/industry is and how much they rely on Floquil for exact color matching, you have to wonder what was involved in the decision besides economics...if economics was the primary reason in the first place. Keep in mind that absolutely nothing is availabe to replace dozens of the railroad colors. If that ain't enough, many of us who do weathering of any kind are more than a little fond of Dust, Grime, Mud and Concrete. While these are supposed to be available in their CreateFX line of paints, there's no way of knowing at this time if the formula will be the same. You'll also have to find a source for that line of paint. Finally, on a very personal level, I'm currently working on a two-part softskin diorama article that will include a cover photo for a magazine I write for. The weathering colors...particularly Dust...will be an integral part of the article. While I have a bottle of Dust on hand, now I'm left with the problem of what do I tell the readers. By the time the article appears, they may not be able to find the stuff and I will have no clue what to recommend. Richard

Clarence, only finishing one side of a model is an old trick. Mainly done to make deadlines or get a specific photographic result when you really don't care about the subject. Believe it or not, the original Enterprise model from the original Star Trek series was finished the same way. There's one episode where the ship is going right to left instead of left to right. It was a fairly distant shot, but the hawkeyes in the crowd saw that the lettering was backwards.

Going even further back, anyone remember the scratchbuilt 1/72 XB-35 the Lloyd Jones built from sheet styrene? Compared to that, Rareplanes is a piece of cake.

Very, very nice.

Ron, the way I look at it, if it ain't military, it's commercial. Great job on all three.

Gil, nice job on all of them...especially the OV-10. As for White Lightning, it was part of the CAF. Then Red Bull bought it. I believe I recall hearing that White Lightning crashed, suffering substantial damage, which is how Red Bull got their hands on it. They bought it and restored it. Anyone know differently?

I recently finished an architectural model of a contemporary house for a local client. Containing some 11,000 Sq. Ft. and a waterfall swimming pool, the model was built to 1/64th scale and is 100% scratchbuilt from .060, .040 and .020 sheet styrene. The real thing is being built in southwest Fort Worth, Texas and will be the personal home of the client. While actually a two story house, it sits on a pie-shaped piece of propery that drops 19 feet from front to back. As a result, a three car garage is below grade, effectively making this a three story house. The base is a mix of wood, foam core board, odds and ends and Life Like Grass Mat. The JN-4D Jenny is the 1/16th scale Model Airways kit from Model Expo. It was built for a local museum group and required some 450 hours over a span of two years. When completed, it spent a year in the newly rebuilt Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Incidentally, the prop was laminated from multiple layers of walnut, then hand carved and clear coated. Didn't turn out too bad when you consider I'd never carved a prop before! Yours truly admiring the way the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History displayed the completed 1/16th scale Model Airways kit of the JN-4D Jenny. The complete airframe has a wingspan of 32".(Photo by Don Pyeatt) Another view of the Jenny at the Museum. Why am I not smiling? After 450 hours over a two year period, I was just glad to get it finished! (Photo by Don Pyeatt)

Dennis, Have already sent the information to Steve. BTW, I had no intention of posting an .exe file here. I simply mentioned that a particular product had been produced as an .exe file. Since I created it using the My Album slide show program and then uploaded it to PayLoadz in order to make it available for sale, it contains no virus. However, I do understand your concern and will probably never offer another product in .exe format. From this point on, all digital products will be either PDF, CD-ROM, data DVD or ISO formats. The combination of that and the fact that all of my digital products are created by yours truly should eliminate the risk of viruses. Richard

Dennis, Nice redesign of the forum site...but it leaves me with one question. Where can I post information on new, improved or revised products. Particularly downloads in the form of ISO, PDF and .exe files. It's not practical to send those as review samples. At least I don't think it is. The reason I ask is that my CD-ROMs on the B-36 and P-38 are now available as ISO files, there's a color .exe file on the B-36 and there's also a PDF of Jay Dial's U.S. camouflage book. If that isn't enough, I'm also producing domino keychains that can have photos of your favorite model or your IPMS number on them. All appropriate information for everythng mentioned can be found on my Scale Publications website at http://scalepublicat....freeyellow.com The new design looks great and the decision to let the general public have access to the model portion is superb. Richard