The Official Newsletter of the San Diego Model Car Club JUNE 2005

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The Official Newsletter of the San Diego Model Car Club JUNE 2005
I blame Pete Johnson for the whole thing. If he hadn’t joined our club a few years ago, I would never have been exposed to his evil
influence and gotten so interested in exploring new products and methods. Pete’s creativity and developed skills are probably the
main reasons for his amazing models, but without his curiosity and willingness to explore new products and techniques, his models
wouldn’t be nearly as impressive. And, since he’s a friend and an advisor to me on matters of model car building (and dog control),
whenever he recommends something to me, like the modeling lemming that I am, I go right out and buy it……….and try it! He’s
EVIL, I tell ya!
Such was the case with a new paint product that’s been causing quite a buzz in the model car field lately called
MirraChrome by Alsa Chemicals. This is an EXTREMELY expensive metallic paint that, when properly applied, produces a chrome
finish on anything. And I don’t mean bright silver, either. I mean CHROME! Bright, shiny, sparkly, reflective chrome. Well, to make a
long story short, Pete sent me some info over the internet on this stuff and threatened to buy some. I could tell he was taunting me.
Not to be outdone, I went and ordered some of this stuff, too. Not a little bottle, mind you, but the whole Magilla. A 16 oz bottle of
Paint, their fancy-schmancy Black Undercoat, and their really pricey two-part clear. I would tell you how much I paid for this, but you
would just make fun of me and besides, my wife might read this and I don’t need that kind of trouble!
As soon as I got it, (just before TamiyaCon in April) I started experimenting and I have to say that this stuff is truly amazing.
In the bottle and through the airbrush, it looks pretty much like Alclad II Chrome. I suspect that it may be an even finer grain, though.
Like the Alclad product, you’re advised to lay down a black undercoat first, although as I was experimenting with it, I found the Black
to be a little too dark and made the chrome look a little like nickel plating. I had better luck with medium to dark grays as undercoats.
Anyway, after the black undercoat dries, you are then instructed to apply a clear-coat and this is really the key to working
with MirraChrome. The surface that you apply the MirraChrome to must be as glossy as possible, like glass, and it must also be as
hard as a rock. That means you have to let the gloss coat dry THOROUGHLY before trying to apply the MirraChrome or the “tailing
gasses” in the clear coat will dull the finish. I tried several different clears, including their Speed Clear product, (Hell! I already bought
it!) acrylic clears, and clear lacquers, and I found that, for my purposes, Tamiya TS-13 spray can clear worked the best. It dried fast
and very smooth, and gassed out very quickly.
Another perceived advantage of this product is that you can apply a clear coat OVER the MirraChrome without dulling the
finish, but so far, the only clear that worked for that was Tamiya’s acrylic clear, and only after the MirraChrome had dried for several
days.
I’ve shot MirraChrome over many different parts and will have a model at the Thursday meeting where ALL the chrome
plating was stripped off and replaced with MirraChrome so you can judge it for yourself. I’ll also go into a little more detail about my
trials and tribulations in working with it. So far, I’ve really enjoyed working with it and I think, properly priced, this product could be a
real asset to the model car enthusiast! For more info on this product, check out this website You can order from here and there’s a
lot of useful info, too. http://www.kustomrides.com/chromepaint.htm
In the meantime, my advice to you is to stay away from Pete Johnson! Who knows what he’s gonna spring on us next!
THEME NIGHTS FOR 2005
January – The Tri-Fives! In case you do not know what that means I will explain. Only Chevrolets from 1955
thru 1957 will qualify for this one. They can be built to suit any style or era you like. The winner was Brian Kelly!
February – The 1960’s – Any thing that burned gas, had four wheels and was built in the 60’s qualifies. The
winner was Brian Kelly, AGAIN!!
March – Drag City! This should be pretty self explanatory. Nitro Rules! Any type of Drag Car qualifies, from
Stockers to Fuelers! The winner was Skip Samples!!
April – Tamiya Night! – If I have to explain this one to you then its time you move out from under that rock,
Osama! The winner was Lee Williams!!
May - European Connection – Only European iron qualifies for this one. Any thing that is European qualifies on
this one. Race or Stock qualifies. The winner was Brad Phillips!!
June – Resin Night – If its made up of at least 50% resin it qualifies! Here is your chance to build that resin
Surfite kit you paid way too much for!
July – Red White and Blue! – This time we are really building American Cars and they need to be done up in
Red White and Blue. Any combination of those colors qualifies.
August – American Tuners – American Iron tuned by Real Tuners! Shelby, Saleen, Roush, Lingenfelter,
Yenko, Baldwin, Mr Norm and so on!
September – Wacky Show Rods! – Got a Mummy Machine burning a hole on the shelf? Here is your chance to
build it! Show rods, either imaginary or real qualify!
October – Horror Night! Built a car that scares you to death! Like a Pinto or a Gremlin! But things like the
Munster Coach or Dragula also qualify!
November - Pimp My Model! – Got some 20” wheels and a Pacer that is dying to be pimped? Get your Pimp
juice on and built that booty wagon!
December – Out Of Business Kit Manufacturer Night – Brought back because it was popular! Only models
that where originally made by a kit manufacturer that does not exist anymore!
The same rules from last year apply to this year, and the award will again be a $25.00 gift certificate to Phillip’s
Hobby Headquarters in El Cajon.
Special Thanks go out to Phillip for contributing 50% of the award. The club pitched in the other half!
THEN AND NOW
By David Allin
I was down at Kobey’s swap meet a couple weeks ago, and at one of the spaces I found these two issues of Car Model
magazine, from December 1963 and February 1964. Because they were in nearly perfect condition, I was forced to pay a dollar for
both of them, but it was worth the expense to relive my youth and marvel at the way our hobby has changed in many respects, and
stayed the same in others.
As was standard at the time, only the cover is in color. The rest of the magazine is printed on pulp paper, with black-and-white
photos of varying quality. Reflecting the era, about half the articles are on slot racing, from how to soup up your Strombecker to how
to mount a vacuform body on a brass tube chassis. All the common scales used in racing are covered, from HO to 1/32 to 1/24, and
there are racing reports from around the country. The articles on static models are the usual ones you see today--contest coverage,
how-to’s, and prize-winning models. What you don’t see, however, are kit reviews. Bud “The Kat” Anderson, from AMT, has a
monthly column, and that may have something to do with it.
Most of the featured cars are customs, some of which are pretty wild. A major trend at the time was bubble-tops, and it seems
like half the cars pictured have some sort of bubble top on them. Working features are also highly regarded, and there are articles
about making trunk and door hinges, and even one on how to make working roll-up windows. An article on chopping and channeling
reminded me of Robert Burns’ recent article on the subject, although this 60’s version is much cruder and less well-explained than
Robert’s. The cars all seem to have major body modifications, and I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There also was little
concern for the practicality of the design, ignoring such questions as how the driver would get in, and where would he put his feet
once he did.
Back then, before the arrival of after-market suppliers, modelers had to make do with what they had, and it shows. Balsa wood
and Plastic Wood are recommended for major body work, and automotive Bondo for minor repairs. Instead of sheet styrene, which
was not yet readily available, articles suggest using card stock coated with liquid plastic cement to give it strength and a smooth
finish. Thread is used for spark plug wires, real cloth covers the seats, and windows are made from acetate. In those days you had
to kit-bash, or use the parts packs from AMT and Revell, to achieve something really different. And everything was chromed.
everything.
For me the most interesting aspect of these magazines was the ads. From Jo-Han you could get stock kits for 98 cents, or
custom kits with loads of extra parts for $1.49. AMT offered their 1964 annual 3-in-1 kits for $1.49 as well, and Monogram had just
introduced the 1/8 scale “Big Deuce” for the then-outrageous price of $14.98. Auto World had its usual full-page ad offering kits,
parts packs, tools, and Rub ’n’ Buff chrome paste. And Pyro offered my favorite, 1/32 scale kits, for only 50 cents each.
Dave Shuklis answered such burning customizing questions as where could the modeler find a bubble top that would fit a ‘59
Edsel, and what was the best color for a dragster. Bud “The Kat” Anderson told us all about the great new kits coming from AMT,
and “The Experts” explained how to mount ball bearings on slot-racer frames. In the section for new products, we could read about
the Renwal Visible Chassis to go with the Renwal Visible V-8, and Monogram’s new ‘55 Chevy kit that could be built stock or a variety
of customs, hard-top or convertible, and which included, of course, a bubble top. From Hawk you could get various Weird-Oh figure
kits, including the latest, a basketball player named Francis the Foul.
Still, that was 40 years ago, and things haven’t really changed that much. Yes, we have much better tools and supplies, lots of
after-market parts, and slick-paper magazines with all color photos, but the basic skills and themes remain the same. The prices are
higher, but allowing for inflation, modeling remains a very inexpensive hobby. It is still a good time to be a car modeler.
President’s Column
Sometime you start a project with the best of intentions on finishing it and getting on to your next project, but
sometimes in the middle of said project you start the second one, and next thing you know five things are burning on
your bench! Such is the case on my bench, trying to finish my group build Bug and starting my resin project for June
and next thing you know, other things start wandering in!
Trying to build for every theme night has not been as easy as I thought. I have been trying to do it without distraction
from other models, but at this rate I will never get anything done!! Some themes are really not my cup of tea, but they
may be yours, and if they are, then I highly encourage you to build for them in the absence of a build from me or
someone else. And likewise, I shall do the same if the theme build really inspires me but fails to light your fire. But if a
theme should fail to excite anyone, by all means just build what you like and bring it in to share with the club! Seeing
other builds is one of the really exciting parts of coming to the meetings for me. Seeing what was done and someone
else’s style of doing things is very interesting to check out and get the creative juices flowing. So get to building what
you like, either it being something theme night related or just building what you like. In the word of Larry The Cable
Guy, AKA Skip Samples, Git R Done!
Last month was our group build night along with a European theme, and since we all build German Bugs, we all fit the
theme! Congrats to Brad Philips for winning the theme night with a great Light Blue Metallic bug. Great job Brad!
This month is Resin Night! So bring in that resin! Remember that I also included models that have resin parts and not
necessarily the whole body. And also, the secret modeler’s society is doing the Altered Wheelbase A/FX cars as a
side dish! So if you have one or several built, bring them in!
So get busy and get them built!
Color Me Gone!
Jesse
In addition to the normal Theme Night, we also had Jesse’s
“Build a Herbie” night where many members created their own
renditions from the Polar Lights Love Bug kit. The only rule was
that it couldn’t be built as Herbie. As you can see by the above
models, many of the members were pretty creative and the
Theme Night winner was one of these models, too.
The Deranged Modeler
By Darryl
Gassaway
Have you ever needed one specific part or parts for a project? Now you know some aftermarket
guy makes the much needed parts, but you just can't find the one and only source for those parts. This
happened to me a few months ago. I was looking for wheels for my modified projects and try as I might
I couldn't find them. Being the hard headed individual I am I decided, the heck with em, I'll make em
myself. I spent many hours making 2 wheels, a front and a back. The plan was to have them cast in
resin so I'd have a never ending supply. That's when I discovered the truth in the words of the Scottish
poet, Robert Burns, "The best laid schemes o mice n men glen aft agley." The agley part happened
when I realized that I needed 4 different sets of wheels for the 8 planned models. Since it had taken me
a week to make the Masters for one set I decided to do an intensive internet search and viola, it
happened. I found what I needed.
My next step was to contact the aftermarket guy and check out the prices and get the order in.
That's when another agley jumped up. I actually had met and chatted with the same guy that made my
parts on the PSAB chat room several times. So one nite I brought up the subject of the wheels and was
told they would be no problem and to send him my address and he's comp me a couple sets of wheels
to make sure they were what I needed. I followed his instructions and waited. At approximately the
same time the gentleman in question disappeared from the chat room, he told everyone he was moving
and would be offline for about a week. I continued to wait and wait and wait. Anyhow he never came
back online and I never got my parts. I later found out from others in the room he had decided to get
out of the resin business and away from the hobby for a while. So there I was back at square one and
extremely frustrated. I finally found what I needed, contacted the manufacturer only to loose all contact
and hope of finding the wheels I knew existed.
Fast forward a few months, again I located another aftermarket guy that made similar wheels, but in
3 styles, all of which I needed. After several unanswered e-mails I found out he too was moving. The
first thought to come to my mind was, oh no! It's deja vu all over again. This aspect of the story,
however does have a happy ending. After waiting for a month I found another internet buddy that had
his personal e-mail addy and shot off an e-mail. This time the reply came in less than a day. I was told
they have the wheels in stock already made and if I'd sent the order in with the appropriate
compensation plus shipping they'd have them in the mail within the week. I quickly purchased a Money
Order and dropped it in the mail. Now all I have to do is wait a week or so to see if my impossible
quest is finally over. If all goes well I should have them by the meeting and if I do I will bring them in
and show you all the results of what has been an almost year long search.
Sometimes I wonder how we always manage to get ourselves into situations like the one I just
described. I guess it's out never ending search for some kind of accuracy for our projects or maybe it's
just the obsessive/compulsive behavior of modelers in pursuit of their hobby that drives us to the brink
of insanity. Either way I find it quite gratifying and satisfying when the search is rewarded with success.
The research and the search are both fun parts of the hobby I enjoy.
Now that I have the wheel problem under control, well I hope so, I can concentrate on getting back
to doing some building on the project. I am hoping to have 2 and possibly 3 of the 8 done in time for
the Ascot Reunion at Perris Speedway this August. Of course in order to do that I will need to design
and make camera ready the numbers and lettering which is no simple chore. After that all I'll need to do
is find someone to make some custom decals for the models, hint, hint.
Well that's about all I have to say this month so I'll leave you with my favorite line. "It's a great day
for modeling, enjoy it".
It’s been a while since I did my last installment of Skip’s Model Shop, but then I’ve been pretty busy.
However, I haven’t been so busy that I didn’t find at least a little time to experiment with some new paints,
tools, and other items, and this month, we’re gonna talk about something I think every model builder should
have. It’s called a Testors Airbrush Cleaning Station and if you use an airbrush for painting your model
cars, (and you SHOULD be using an airbrush for that) this is a must-have. I first got interested in this a few
weeks ago when I started to realize that, even though I use a spray booth with an exhaust fan and a filter
(which gets dirty and clogged in a big hurry), I was still getting a lot of paint fumes in my work area when I
would clean my airbrush. The best method for quickly cleaning your brush between colors is to fill the color
cup or jar with the appropriate thinner and shoot it through. The problem is that the thinner mist comes out so
fast (because you need to open your brush up wider to make this work properly) that the spray booth can’t
evacuate it out fast enough and you wind up with a lot of fumes and paint particles in the air.
Several years ago, Testors came out with the cleaning station as an accessory to their Aztek line of
airbrushes and while I thought it was kind of clever, at about $25.00, I considered it overpriced and I could
probably make one on my own for a lot less. Well, I never got around to making one and when I recently
decided to do something about the fumes, I broke down and bought this thing and now I’m really glad I did.
The station consists of a glass jar with a plastic lid that is specially shaped inside to act as a baffle.
The plastic ring on top secures a round filter that looks like a Maxi-Pad and this has a receptacle in the
middle that looks like a pen holder. In its intended state, the receptacle is designed to accept only Aztek
airbrushes but it does come with a rubber adapter that fits into the receptacle in place of the Aztek adapter
and will then accept any internal mix airbrush. Simply fill the color cup with thinner, insert the nozzle of the
brush into the receptacle, and let ‘er rip. The thinner will shoot into the jar via the baffle and the fumes that
would normally be blasted into the air you’re breathing are now filtered through the Maxi-Pad. Ever since I
started using this thing (and the photo shows I’ve been using it a LOT), I can no longer smell paint fumes
when I clean the brush in this method, and my paint area is considerably neater.
Finding this thing wasn’t easy, either. After checking all the local hobby shops, I finally found mine at
Discount Hobby Warehouse in Kearny Mesa, but it was in a dusty old box and has probably been sitting
there since the dawn of time. However, you can buy this thing on-line at Coast Airbrush in Anaheim
(http://www.coastairbrush.com). You might also get Phillip at Hobby HQ to order one for you and if you do,
have him get you a spare pack of Maxi-Pads for it. They come in a pack of three and, while each pad is
supposed to last a long time, it never hurts to keep a few spares around.
Speaking of Coast Airbrush, if you’re ever in the Anaheim area and have a little time to kill, you
ought to swing by this place and take a look. (and bring some money, too). This place is a veritable
warehouse of trick-painting tools, paints, accessories, and all manner of eye-candy. If it has to do with
airbrushing, pinstriping, trick paints, or anything else to make cars, guitars, trash cans, toilet lids, models, and
anything else look really cool, this place has it. It’s worth your time to check this place out.
TAMIYA PAINTS TO BE AVAILABLE AGAIN!!
Here’s another bit if useful news regarding paints that you might find useful. If you’ve been in Phillip’s
store lately, you may have noticed a sign on the Tamiya paint rack that says that, because of labeling
problems, Tamiya’s paints have become temporarily unavailable. I checked with Rich Poulsen at Tamiya the
other day and he assures me that the labeling problems have now been solved and the paints are being
shipped again. So, if you’ve been missing your Tamiya paints, not to worry. They’re on the way!
PHOTOS FROM THE MAY MEETING
Photos by Jesse Chavez
This month’s Theme Night was European Cars and the winner was Brad Phillips Blue Bug! Here are a few
shots of the VW models on display.
Brad Phillips
Mike Sund
Jesse Hermasillo
David Allin
Bruce Snyder
Dan King
Joe Sloppie
Jesse Chavez
Bob Sontag
Dick Dale
Brad Phillips
HOBBY HEADQUARTERS in El Cajon is your onestop car modeling store with kits, paints, decals, and
aftermarket supplies. If we don't have it, we will order
it for you. We're also proud to be the co-sponsor of
the SDMCC 2005 Theme Night Awards.
Our hours are Monday through Friday from 12:00 PM
to 6:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Closed on Sunday
The San Diego Model Car Club meets on the third
Thursday of each month at the Canyonside
Recreation Center located on Black Mountain Road
between Mira Mesa Blvd. and Rancho Penasquitos
Pkwy. From I-15, take the Mercy Road exit, go West
to Black Mountain Road. Turn right and then left at
the first stop light, about 1/3rd mile. Meetings begin at
7:00 PM and the dues are $30.00 per year.
2352 Manion Street
El Cajon, CA 92020
NOTE: CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS AND
SUNDAYS
PHILLIP'S HOBBY HEADQUARTERS
1571 Magnolia Avenue #203
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 562-1790