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A modeler recently asked us to develop different shades of the same color to represent a freshly painted AFV versus a faded or aged vehicle. This is so subjective to so many modelers, it would be nearly impossible to satisfy everyone with the choices we would have. Thus, I will give you a suggestion on how you can accomplish this using Tru-Color Paint. As you will learn upon using Tru-Color Paint it is a solvent based paint. Since the polymer (the resin that binds the pigments used to the model) is the SAME in every formulation of Tru-Color Paint and the solvent ratios used in the manufacture of each color are nearly identical (they vary less than 8% across the board) EVERY Tru-Color Paint color is completely miscible with each other. With this knowledge it is possible to create your own variations in this manner: If you wish to lighten the shade add a few drops of TCP-005 White; If you wish to lighten and alter the hue slightly (to an aged appearance) use TCP-157 Off-White; If you wish to darken the shade add TCP-010 Black; If you wish to darken and change the hue slightly add TCP-009 Grimy Black. To give the paint a faded look add about 8-15% of either TCP-017 Clear Flat or TCP-018 Clear Gloss along with a drop or 2 of TCP-005 White (or more if you want really aged). This reduces the pigment load so that you get a faded, less rich color. Besides our military line,we have about 40 "generic" colors and 3 finishes that can be used to alter the appearance or hue of the paint. These include, White, Off White, Rust, Yellow, Green, Blue, Black, Grimy Black, etc. And we offer both 1 (.45 each) and 2 oz.(.85 each) empty plastic bottles with caps for you to blend and your store your favorite mix. The variations that you can come up with are endless. This method will give your model an unique appearance. If you need help or suggestions for a particular affect you are trying to achieve, contact us via this post or email us for a private conversation. Martin Cohen, PhD Tru-Color Paint P.O. Box 74524 Phoenix, AZ 85087-4524 714-488-9779 email: tru.colorpaint1@yahoo.com

If you haven't been to the Testors website lately, you might want to take a look. It has been totally redesigned and not in a way most of us will find beneficial. For starters, it is now targeted towards crafting and crafters. Model Master, Testors and Aztek products are still there, but there are no longer kits of any kind. When it comes to finding a specific color paint, you will have trouble. Instead of a page with the familiar round color chips and FS numbers and/or paint names, we now have color groups. Browns, Blacks, Yellows, Grays and so on. Put the cursor on one of the color chips and you get a larger chip at the top with the paint's name and FS number. Another change is that you can no longer search for an FS number. Now you must search by the color name...Flat Black as an example...a fact that introduces you to the true nightmare. At least as far as I've been able to discover so far. Type Flat Black into the search box and you get four pages of products containing either or both of the two words. This includes all of the Rustoleum paints that you find at Home Depot or Lowe's. Try putting quotations around "Flat Black" and this cuts your choices to three pages. Model Master Flat Black? Then you're down to 'only' one page containing any or all of those four words. The Testors site is rapidly turning into a community site where you're encouraged to upload images of your latest craft project. Incidentally, take a look at the Fast And Furious Ferrari model car project that uses one photo and six steps to show you how to do it. While you're on the site, take a look at 34 other projects, including the only other model project...another car. What's interesting about that one is that the six step instructions are identical to the Ferrari. Only the photo and title...Want To Race?...have changed. It's obvious that Rustoleum has relegated the serious modeler to the back of the class, all of which makes me wonder when the Model Master line will vanish. Richard Marmo

Since most of us either want something different than the box provided decals...or need unusual/no longer available decals for a particular project, such as my current Monogram F-105...I'm going to bite the bullet and ask the question you see in the title. In a little more detail, what would y'all think of an ebook that was available in multiple formats...including mobi, epub and pdf...and very reasonably priced? There would be an in depth discussion of available papers for inkjet printing, how to create the image in the first place using Photoshop or Gimp, limitations and peculiarities of inkjet printing and more. Of course photos of finished models with the created decals. I've been threatening to do this for a long time. Let me know what y'all think and I'll see if I can quit threatening and put the project on the list. Richard

If you haven't been to the Testors website lately, there have been a few more changes. What kits they have left are almost all pre-painted, snap together or activity models. The "activity" models are nothing more than a selection of four models...two 1/72 aircraft and two 1/32 cars. Each are 'press fit' and come in a box that is complete with 3 bottles of acrylic paint and a brush so you won't need anything else. The fifth member of this group is a 'Heroes of the Sky Gift Set'. For $26 you get both aircraft, six bottles of acrylic paint, three paint brushes, decals and a mixing tray. Literally the only kit left that is a true model kit is the 1/32nd Kamen Huskie. How long it'll be there is anyone's guess. I'm just glad I have one that hasn't been built yet. I built a lot of Italeri and Testors models for my magazine articles and books during their glory days. Still remember the hobby show where that spectacular 1/48th SR-71 was announced. Considering they had one of the kits professionally built and displayed in a plexiglas case, it really made an impact. I have two of them that have never been built for lack of space.