New year and new posts! The annual Kingston Scale Auto Contest is coming up in April!

It's been a while since I posted anything, but it has been a very busy year. However, I'm back, with many unfinished projects, in the works. For example, I have a Volkswagon Pig (Bug), a Tony Stewart Custom Nascar Transport, a 1957 Corvette, a Dodge Viper, the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee, Daisy Duke's Plymouth Galaxy (the one that went over a cliff) and a custom, cut open 1969 Judge. All of these will hopefully be finished before the Kingston Scale Auto contest and show on April 29th. I will be posing photos of these projects as they progress, and after the contest I will be posting more pics of the show/contest! So stay tuned, it's going to be a busy time for my modelling in the next 2 months.

Getting that showroom/contest shine on all your models!

    This tip has been around a long time but I have just realized the TRUE value of these products. The truth is, a mediocre paint job can be turned into a very acceptable job in no time flat! You say, "Oh, but my model is finished?!" I say, it doesn't matter. Unless the paint was screwed up on every layer, it is possible to make it look much better. Most paint jobs get screwed up on the last few layers of paint, you know what I'm talking about, those few little bits of dust that get trapped under the last coats of clear coat. You don't want to sand it because that last coat was your best one yet and sanding will haze that nice shine! I used to think like that too.
    This is where rubbing compounds come into play, but not just one. Like sandpaper, it's a process of coarser to finer grits. Getting two types of compounds should be enough though. If you just want to shine up a hazy coat of clear, use only a very FINE more watery scratch remover paste/compound, like Novus Fine Scratch Remover, on the back it says Novus Plastic Polish No.2 (Awesome stuff) or you can use Meguire's ScratchX. If your working on a stubborn piece of dust, you may want to start with a coarser thicker compound like the Turtle Wax rubbing compound, which is more like toothpaste, then finish with a fine scratch remover. These compounds are also great for removing scratches on clear parts like windows and such, it brings them right back.
    The shine these compounds produce will dazzle! I find them way better and easier to use than very fine sanding pads or cloths because of having to not use water and the paste aspect I guess, it can go where pads can't and they have shiners and waxes built right into them so that your end result is just amazing. They are fairly cheap too and last a long time!

More pics from Kingston Modelrama 2011!

It's been a while since I posted, but I was busy doing models and I won!

May 1st 2011 was Kingston Modelrama, in Kingston, Ontario. The mood was good and the models were absolutely stunning! That only adds to the fact that I won 1st place in the Modified Die-Cast class which for me was the highlight of my day. I was the only competitor in that class, which makes for an easy win, but a win is a win and it is my first! Add to that, I picked up a few cool kits. I bought a AMT 2009 Dodge Challenger, a Monogram '65 Corvette Street Machine and Revell Pontiac Banshee, all for under $20 total! All this and I got to go Go-Kart racing at a local Kingston track! It was a great, fun day! Anyway, here's a few pics.

Brush painting made perfect.

I read some interesting tips lately about creating the perfect brush painting job. The tips have proven very useful in my own modeling, so I figured I would share them. The worst thing about brush painting is the brush strokes it leaves in the finish of parts. This streaking can be minimized, if not eliminated. First off, your paint has to be the right consistency. About as thick as whole milk or a bit thicker. Too thick of paint will cause brush marks, as will too thin. Secondly, don't run your brush dry, always have enough paint on the brush, so dip often. Lastly, and this really helps, don't over brush. Going over an area repeatedly will leave marks, one to two strokes maximum.

Kingston Modelrama is coming up soon!

This is the moment I wait for every year. The Kingston Ont. Modelrama contest! Whether I win anything or not, it's the deals I go for!Almost my years supply of model kits comes from this show/contest. $2 and $5 models, here I come! I'm not entering many models this year, but I'm hoping my efforts on my VW Pig at least get an honorable mention for it's uniqueness. What category though? Customs? It is a custom, I guess that's where it will go.

The 2011 Pontiac Trans-Am is here!

Good news! the new 2011 Pontiac Trans-Am has been revealed!

The Bandit is back! This new car was created for the new Smokey and The Bandit movie by ASC (for GM) and you can bet that since it is based on the Camaro that GM plans to manufacture and sell this baby because they are bleeding money again and need a new "cool" car. Now let's hope some company like Revell or AMT Ertl picks up the license to make a model of it, so we can build it!