Steve Noble

I could never master the canopy dip either. Always ended up a right old mess, so you're not alone. I used to just polish the canopies with Tamiya fine rubbing compound to restore a nice gloss if I'd removed any seams etc..

Wow, £13 for a bottle, what is it, liquid gold? I just prefer to use a regular clear, in either gloss, satin or matt. Sure, this stuff has a few uses, but I've never used it much myself. Sorry I can't be of more help..

There is no 'magic' answer to all of your questions. It depends on your setup, airbrush type, many things. Experimentation is the key to success. The ratio is very simple to understand 5:1 is 5 parts paint to 1 part thinners. The 'parts' can be any quantity you like. Litres, gallons, drops, millilitres, whatever you want. For example in millilitres 5:1 would be 5ml of paint to 1ml of thinner. 5:2 is 5ml paint to 2ml of thinner, 5:5 would be 5ml of paint to 5ml of thinner (equal amounts) you get the idea. Best thinner is Tamiya X-20a. I would start at 1:1, that's equal amounts of clear and thinner, 20psi, 0.5mm nozzle 2-6 inches distance from surface. But practice because as I said there is no set formula, you have to find what works best for you!! Mr Hobby levelling thinner is not cellulose. It's much less hot. You can wipe it on plastic without damaging the plastic. Cellulose will melt the plastic...

Tamiya takes ages to dry and always seems to stay sticky in my opinion. Never got on with the stuff at all..

Microscale liquid decal film hand painted will seal the inks and paints..

Most automotive paints will come off with an overnight soak in isopropyl alcohol. Put the body in a sealed plastic container filled with the ipa and leave overnight. Scrub with a toothbrush the next morning, repeat if necessary until all the paint is removed..

I had this problem, but not on the same compressor. There was a tiny hole in the tank, so air was escaping and it never got up to full pressure. I cleaned the area and welded the hole up. Solved the problem..

Yes, no problem. Each to his own. If you take enjoyment from using a brush, that's great..

Hi Tom. I only tend to use the gold Alclad on engine parts, suspension parts etc. I use black or dark grey primer. Never need it to be a perfect finish, so of it's a bit rougher it's not a problem. If you want it flawless, then I agree, a good gloss black base is the way to go..

I'd just use a punch and die set and punch out the actual dials only and then fit them into the instrument pinnacles. It looks much better and it's easier. You can them put a drop of clear into the dials to represent the glass..

You only need the perfect gloss black base with the high shine finishes such as the chrome for example. The gold isn't a high shine as far as I'm aware..

I prefer to airbrush myself. It's easy and I don't understand people who say it's a hassle to airbrush and clean it after use. If it's a hassle and a faff to use, you ain't doing it right. However, if you're painting with a brush two things. The paint you use can make a lot of difference to the end result. Some paints just don't brush nicely. Also, have a look at the Tamiya range of brushes. I have some lovely, soft and wide ones and they are a joy to use. Everybody seems to recommend artist brushes, but I never could get on with them..

Easy solution is to use Mr Color lacquer paints. Flawless finish and dry as hard as nails in record time. No soft, easily marked surfaces, or fingerprints..

Usually on the inside for stuff like brake lights and indicator lights..

No way I could build 50 models in a year!!! Crikey, that's almost 1 per week. I build one at a time, cars or bikes mainly, sometimes taking 2-3 months for a straight forward build or longer, maybe 6-8 months on something that's complicated with full engine detail. No way I could build something of a good standard in a week, no matter what the subject matter...