Looks like it might be time to finally hang it up.
After having not built anything in a very long time and not lettering anything in over ten years, I decided to finish the Tiny Lund Chevelle I started about the time the new Revell kit was released. I was building it for my son for Christmas and decided that this would be the year.
While I was having problems with the paint and the brushes (may try to cut some new ones), it’s a poor workman that blames his tools so I gotta admit that it just doesn’t seem to be there anymore. I’ve got some more projects that I think I will try to do just to see if I’m just very rusty, and I hope that’s what it is,so wish me luck. In the meantime, as you look at my latest build, please remember two very important things-one, I’m an old man and two= old men carry grudges and guns. LOL
Mitchum-I’d be proud to add that one to my collection. Looks good from where I’m sitting. And keep building-I enjoying seeing your projects and reading the history behind them.
Hey Mitch, don’t get down on yourself. On my best days I don’t come close to matching the painit jobs you are down on. Keep your head up, and keep on building because we all enjoy the models and the stories behind them.
Do yourself a favor and get an airbrush rig, even if it is a decent budget one. If you can do that well with just brush painting, imagine what you could do with a proper setup.
BTW, your model’s paint finish is 100 times better than the original, 1/1 scale version!
??? I have several airbrushes (bought my first one, a Binks Wren B in the late seventies). The brushes I was refering to were for lettering. Didn’t mean to confuse anyone as I was referring to the hand lettering. The only decals on the car are the front fender contengencies.
I have to cut my own lettering brushes because all the readily availible ones that small are of the pointed detail painting variety and a lettering brush needs to have relatively long bristles and be blunt on the end. The absolute best ones I’ve found to make those kinds of brushes are the old golden bristle Testor white handled ones that came on a card either singles for about .79 or multi packs for about $1.50. The longer ones worked the best but I could still get smaller ones out of the “shag” cut ones. I would LOVE to find some more of those but they changed to a black bristle in the early to mid ninties. Those black bristle ones have coarser bristles and just don’t do the job that the older finer bristled ones did.
WOW, mitchim–that’d be a real loss to the modeling world here and on whatever other sites you frequent! Hey, why not try a switch of genres?
Ever think about doing a tank, or something completely different from the old cars? Maybe you’re burnt out because you haven’t stretched your legs enough?
No. it’s the eyes that are the problem, although I did start my modeling “career” back in '57 or so with that Aurora B-26 “Marauder” and built mostly planes with a few boats and even a twenty mule team Borax kit in there somewehere. LOL
I’ve got some planes back in the “stash” that I want to do if I can get the “muse” working this year, including a Revell 1/32 F-89 “Scorpion” that I want to do in real aluminum and day glo red. I’ll keep ya’ll posted and thanks again for the encouragement.
Everything but the front fender decals. I did have to hand cut the numbers because you can hardly get a good uniform coverage of day glo colors with a brush. I cut them from Monocote used to cover R/C aircraft models but all the rest is done the old fashioned way with a brush, thinner and rub board just like on the real car in the old days before vinyl cutting machines.
HEY MITCHUM ! You know what ? I still have a 20 mule team kit in its bag . Found it tother day when looking for my “smart” car . How about that ?? Don,t give it up until you can,t hold a brush or other stuff . I just keep getting stronger glasses . I also move away from my regular stiff and do papermodels to keep my hand in . If you can do them you,ll do o.k. tankerbuilder
Hey, I’m in the same boat as you with eyes and what has made a world of difference is one of those maginifying lights that you can find at the crafts and online stores. I’ve even started doing 1/72 again after having to almost give up on even 1/48 scale.
Now, I’m not necessarily admitting that the permanent smudge in the middle of the lens is not from my nose, [;)] I’m just saying that I know what you mean when you say you can’t see what you are working on. I also got a halogen light for my work area and that helps too.
We are all getting older (the other option is not very appealing), we just have to find ways to compensate. You are building great stuff, and it sounds like you really enjoy it. Hate to see you give it up just yet!
CNicoll, I have one of those magnifying lenses too, with the smudge and everything. Bought myself a generic Optivisor - it works 200% better. I can keep my glasses on, which helps with depth perception. Worth every penny (not that it cost that much).
