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As we leave 2024 and enter into 2025, I thought I might share my 'Class of 2024'. These are models completed - not necessarily started - in 2024 and represent my most productive year. If I keep this up I only need to live to 117 to clear my stash! As usual, there were some great kits, some fun kits, some kits full of learning and some kits that were lucky not to end up in the bin. In some cases the finished model capture what I set out to achieve, others took a different path. Most of these have threads in the RFI section, a few have been photographed but not yet uploaded, and the last model just squeeked in so has not had its time in the 'studio'. I had fun, tried and learnt some new things, kept interacting with the great Britmodeller community and, most importantly, kept my mental health, well, healthy! Wishing you all a safe, productive and happy 2025. Cheers, Grant. Bonus photo of the Volvo FH-16 Globetrotter and car transporter with vehicles depicting the Subaru World Rally Team and Subaru Rally Team Australia at the 2001 Rally Australia. One day I might just finish my idea for this diorama. Hopehully before I am 117....

Hi all I’m trying to get a car centric GB into 2025. I’m mostly an aviation and AFV modeller so I don’t frequent these parts until someone pitched the idea of a visit 😀 So if anyone is interested we’d love you to follow the links above and signup.

Hmmm - "I know , i'll print my own decals! Not impressed with what's available on the aftermarket. How hard can it be?" I really don't know if it's the same with aircraft or military or any other 'subject', but automotive, especially sporting, where the vehicle is little more than a "moving billboard" and the true depiction of company logos is essential (isn't it?), I find it alarming that so many aftermarket producers seem to go for the "it's near enough". Perhaps it's my background in graphic design and specialism in typography for 50 years or more, or maybe the almost OCD attention to detail that I personally think my 'hobby' deserves. I know, I know; it's each to their own. I gain my own personal satisfaction from absolute truth to the subject and a determination to strive for perfection in depicting a subject as it was at a certain place and time, and nothing less will do. It's disappointing then to find on most aftermarket decal sheets the incorrect use of a typeface or the wrong colour for a company logo. I appreciate that comprehensive research is difficult and time consuming, identifying a typeface is sometimes impossible and colour is also problematic with historic photographs (manipulated for viewing on differently calibrated screens, etc) can send the researcher in completely the wrong direction, but it's not that hard to get nearer than some of the producers achieve. Take this for example: A period photograph showing the 'ESSO' company logo/aftermarket company attempt/my attempt - downloaded vector file from brandsoftheworld.com or seeklogo.com. NOTE the 's' and the 'o', just not correct on the aftermarket depiction. Anyway, that isn't the point of this article, merely some background and the spur which lead me to my 'adventure in decal land' and hopefully a guide to anyone who might consider following me down the same hole. Like every good story I'll deliver it in chapters so prepare yourself for a lengthy campaign. ChapterOne You can print your own decals at home or the office. I have an old Epson PHOTOSTYLUS PHOTO R1900, always used Epson genuine inks, prints up to A3 and can handle good thick card as well as the usual paper weights. I'm producing my artwork on a 16" MacBook Pro using Affinity Designer (a vector based programme - VERY similar to photoshop in it's tools if not it's layout, but not too difficult to master and costs £47.99 for ever - free trial, as opposed to Photoshop subscribe for £19.97/month, Try for Free), this programme will be more relevant a bit later on in this saga. I've found this mr decal paper (on ebay - £14.99 for 10 sheets Inkjet/clear, free delivery) to be excellent quality although the above pieces were actually printed on - As you can see - £3 per sheet (I've had it for a while) a quick internet search has it at Amazon £10.99 for 3 sheets A4(ish) (or !!£19.99 at 1001 Hobbies!!). I find, with my printer etc, that the mr decal paper is just a little sharper. In either case you do have to give the paper a couple of coats of varnish/decalcote (I use TESTORS decal bonder because i have some old stock of it) Mr decal paper recommend 'Keen Crystal Clear Spray' but I can't comment on that as yet. The inkjet prints main drawback is how 'thin' they are, the colour isn't strong, anything other than over white... You can get the same paper for both inkjet and Laser printers and also with white background which is great if the background of your decal item is a regular shape, square, rectangle etc but anything curved and especially circular becomes almost an impossibility for trimming, well it does for me, and I'm fairly adept with a scalpel. The prints also seem good at careful application of various setting solutions although I have found overworking with brush or sponge in to awkward overhangs or excessive rivets will rub away the inkjet print. I have also found with laser printing that there seems to be a very slight adjustment of sizing during printing and I have never got to the bottom of that - it may be MY software, both design and print. NOW, it's fairly obvious but I do need to point out that MY printer will not print WHITE which is of course a major obstacle. No domestic printers will print white, it just isn't possible as I'm sure most, if not all of you, are fully aware, and of course why we rely on the aftermarket producers printing in volume with the silkscreen process or specialist one offs with ALPS/OKI printers which are like colour photocopiers, but much more complex, and use specialist inks - including white. There is a very good article by Rob DeBie which can be found at https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/decals.htm I hope this is useful to some of you, I'll be back with more, later with more about designing the artwork and my experiences with print providers. Tony

Ok while having a long boring nightshift I have come up with an idea for a GB which could include almost everyone! A South Latin American GB Ok after lots of requests by everyone.....well Steve anyway, I had a think about this and decided to open it up to the rest of Latin America. This GB will now cover anything and everything South American "of the border", as long as it was used there or built there it’s ok. There should be a bit of something for everybody here with all forms of transport covered, both military and civilian, even the automotive crowd with Dakar bikes/cars/trucks So countries eligible; Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Gaudeloupe Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Puerto Rico Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Plus French Guiana Falkland Islands Martinique ​Saint Barthelemy Saint Martin The are some amazing and interesting subjects available which you wouldn't normally see or think about.....so what do you think? A Lista (the list) 1, trickyrich - host 2, Threadbear 3, MAD STEVE 4, Arniec 5, wyverns4 - co-host 6, Max Headroom 7, Jörgen Stendahl 8, nimrod54 9, Moggy 10, Mish 11, CliffB 12, Col 13, hgbn 14, feoffee2 15, Radleigh 16, Old Man 17, Centollaman 18, somtec 19, modelling minion 20, SleeperService

I want to airbrush some automotive paint - will it ruin my airbrush? The paint is a 2 pack; base colour & lacquer in rattle cans. Will it work ok? Do I use standard airbrush cleaners after? And how about decanting the rattle cans - any tips? Thanks in anticipation, Andrew