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Would that Mr. Paint be a solvent-based acrylic perhaps? This very much looks like the effect many of those have on water-based acrylics and enamels. Erik

Sorry for the late response but have you considered using strips of Bare Metal Foil over the rivets? The Chrome version is quite thin so may not suit your purpose but the Aluminium version is a bit thicker and may work well. Erik

Looking great so far! The setup seems really stable, it should work great with the model around it. Have you thought about using a model railroad transformer? They should be easily available and and allow you to change the voltage with a dial. Keep up the good work! Erik

Haha, so you have picked it up. I remember seeing it at the ESM because it's such a weird "plane". Have fun with it. Looking forward to the final result. Erik

May I ask what colors you have used for the base Oliver? Specifically for the concrete. Cheers, Erik

I am really impressed with this build, it all looks excellent. I am just not sure about the straps though. Would you really put straps around relatively fragile components such as hoses, pipes and couplings? I would have expected dedicated fixation provisions in the cart. I have worked with the P&W F-100 engine, that came with dedicated carts that supported the engine on it's mounting points. There is also something strange I have noticed in the battery cart. The batteries are on an extended slide. However, they won't slide back in because the wires and battery clamp will clash with the top of the cart. In other words, it looks as if the drawer sits too high. Cheers, Erik

I have just found an even better material than blue tack or the children's modelling clay I have tried. At a store that specializes in molding and casting materials I have found non-drying modeling clay: http://www.chavant.com/new_site/index.htm. I have used the NSP Medium sulphur-free plasteline. It sticks just enough to the plastic, it can be sculpted beautifully and doesn't smudge like the children's clay. I can really recommend it. However, do not use it in combination with platinum curing 2k silicone. It will prevent the silicone from hardening. Tin curing silicone works fine. Here's a picture of the clay-filled part: clay filled part As you Eric, I am also learning a lot of new stuff about molding and casting. I don't think I'll ever reach your level of detailing and persistance to get the parts well enough to sell but I think I will give it a try. Your posts are really helpful. Thanks. Keep it up! Cheers, Erik

Wow, there's a neat trick. I just gave it a try and it works excellently on small undercuts. A bit hard to see whether it worked though because the glue dries clear but that's not a problem. Thanks for the tip! I'll use the blue-tack method for stuffing bigger undercuts in the master. E

Looking great! Especially the wheel wells. I'd be interested to know how you are going to handle the undercuts in the mold of the wheel well. I have a similarly intricate part that I would like to cast but I don't know how to prevent the mold from getting caught around some of the details. Keep up the good work. Erik.

Impressive project! I am looking forward to following this. If I may make a few suggestions. If you are using 1mm styrene sheet, the best way to work it is by hand. In my experience, even the smallest power tools are too big or agressive. For the simple rectangular shapes, I would suggest to use a no.11 X-acto knife and cut lightly along the edge. Just make a small scratch with the knife and break the sheet along the scratch (as Joe also suggested). To smooth the edges and remove the final bit of material. Glue a piece of sanding paper onto a glass plate (or any smooth and hard surface) and move the part over the sanding paper. The glass plate will ensure a flat surface. I would suggest to do the curved parts in a similar way. Remove material by cutting as close as possible to the outline and smooth the contour by sanding. You will be surprised how fast and easy it is. (and how little your fingers will hurt ;-)) Keep up the good work. Cheers, Erik

Great job so far! Neat trick to add nose weight after completing the build (yes, I forgot to put in weight several times): Drill a small hole in an invisible place (like the wheel well) and feed soldering wire through it. Good luck with the rest of the build. E

Mine Thanks Matt!

Very impressive Chris! Any more progress yet? Even finished maybe? Can't wait to see pictures of the finished model. Erik

Hi, For years now, I have been planning to build Hasegawa's 1:32 A4 Skyhawk into an aggressor version (the kit features the Blue Angels version). Are any decals available for an aggressor version? Cheers, Erik