Modeling Resources

[ET2SN]

Another fun EBay link I recently found for you car and truck builders:


https://www.ebay.com/usr/modelcars.d...75.m3561.l2559

Modelcars.de is located in Germany near Mannheim and they make and sell decals. All kinds of decals in many of the popular scales (1/10th, 1/18th, 1/24th, 1/32nd, 1/43rd, you get the idea). If you check the link, make sure to click the SEE ALL ITEMS button and you'll understand why you'll want to save their address.

This is one of those times when being patient pays off. About eight or nine years ago, I bought a Welly 1/18th scale 1972 Trans Am and detailed the snot out of it. It turned out great but the sidewalls of the tires were blank. Thanks to the link above, I can finally finish the project. I found a sheet of decals that included "popular tire brand from the seventies" Radial T/A outline lettering in white. Perfect for this car.



I'm in the middle of a long term test, BTW. I'm trying out a method of placing tire decals on different types of tire compounds. Everything from rubber based kit and die-cast tires to vinyl based tires. This isn't about short term looks, its about decals which will hold up for years.

I start out brushing isopropyl alcohol on the tire sidewall to clean off any contamination and let it dry. Next, I brush on a thin coat of AK Satin Varnish to seal the sidewall and give the decal something to grip. After that dries, I brush on some Micro Sol and apply the decal then give it a dousing of Micro Set to soften the decal backing. Once the Set has done its job, I apply another thin layer or two of the varnish to seal the decal in place. The AK varnish is very thin, which is why I like it for this project. If I don't update this post for another five years, I guess that means it worked.


One small update- Results with the tire decals look good so far, but if you're working with vinyl tires you'll have a tough time with aqueous (water based) varnish. Instead, I used good old Testor's Dull Cote. The lacquer solvents in Dull Cote also act like a decal setting solution.

[ET2SN]

A good link for paint.

https://mcwfinishes.com/

MCW Finishes specializes in hobby enamel and lacquer paints.
Their paints are sold pre-thinned for airbrush use and their catalogue is pretty deep.

While MCW is building a solid rep with the car modelers (their paints are starting to get some traction in hobby stores), they also cater to many military and electric train subjects. So, don't assume they're just a source for building street stocks and rat rods.

MCW is located in Massillon, Ohio and you can check their web site for business hours. Direct-order prices are fair and service is fast if you're in the US (six days from placing an order to delivery in my case). While I'm starting to see some buzz about their paint in the UK, I'm not sure how much of a hassle it would be for them to ship individual orders globally. US shipping is slightly high, but these are bottles of paint after all.

Overall, MCW is a good source for hobby paint but their pros and cons tend to be the same.

The paint is pre-thinned for airbrush use. While its not that big of a gripe, it would be nice if they offered a more universal formula, especially in enamels.

Their product line is currently.. freakin' HUGE.
This is great when it comes to finding the right colors and finishes, just be ready to spend some time in actually finding them (the spy glass on their header opens a search function, which you WILL need). If you're looking for a specific color name or paint code, write it down so you won't forget it while you search. While they also provide sub-categories based on common uses such as auto manufacturers, expect a long slog to find what you want (but you will probably find it). For now, I'm treating their paints like Tamiya so don't forget stuff like thinner, cleaner, and retarder if you're getting fancy.

So, anyway, I had a couple of small repair projects for some 1/18th scale die casts- a '64 Mustang and a '66 GTO- both wearing metallic dark maroon. I went with a 1 oz. bottle of lacquer color matched to the Ford, if there is a difference to these colors I can't see it. Like I wrote earlier, the paint showed up six days after I placed the order and I paid a little less than $20 for a 1 oz. bottle plus S&H. Not too bad in terms of convivence.
The paint is packed in a 1 oz. glass bottle with a metal cap. I can also hear a small agitator inside the bottle when I shake it.

Application was a bit off-the-path for you airbrush snobs. I used a small sharpened toothpick to flow the paint into the small chips and scratches. Color matching and metal flake is really good and the paint dried quickly. I'll give it a day or two before I buff and polish the repair spots. MCW also provides some really good instructions on how to use their paints.

So, what's the difference between MCW and the last paint company I wrote about? MCW is hobby based. With die-casts, especially in 1/18th scale, its a bit of a "push" if you use hobby paints or paints made for the genuine article. This gave me a good excuse to try both.

MCW paint is highly recommended for hobbyists in North America. What you get is first-rate and realize that shipping is high due to the product. For users "off the continent", its top quality stuff but be ready for some headaches in terms of shipping- or bug the heck out of your favorite hobby shop.

Will MCW take over Testor's old turf? Well, we could do a lot worse.

[mapuc]

Maybe not the right place to put it-But here you will need all the Modeling resources you can get.

It's huge Box size : 106 x 54 x 36cm

https://www.1001hobbies.com/135-scal...580500032.html

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