SPA Modeler

speedgraflex wrote: My dad used to use the head of a match from a book of matches to touch up cars and models. He was a real bad ass with matches. I swear the man had some kind of fire starter personality traits... I just strayed off there from toothpicks... apologies.

Funny that you mention models and matches. Way back when, when MPC released their original Star Wars model kits, there was an article on building their X-Wing in a modeling magazine, possibly Scale Modeler. Anyways, the article showed how the guy did some battle damage on his build by airbrushing on certain colors to make scorch marks and bare metal. At the time I was a pre teen boy with no air brush and my most advanced painting technique was dry brushing. So what was shown in the magazine article was out. Somewhere, somehow, I came up with the idea to light a match in close proximity to the kit in certain areas to get that same look, and then use a metallic color to do the bare metal portion. It actually worked!!! And then when the Snow Speeder kit came out after Empire Strikes Back I did the same thing on that build.

speedgraflex wrote:Do you still have your models? What a cool idea! Kids. Always tap your creativity, my friend. Be it "true flame" scorch marks or hand-built radios or antenna components...

No, I disposed of those builds many years ago. The X-Wing first and the Snow Speeder later on.

Would you ever build the same subjects again?

Of course! I’ve done that sort of thing many times....

I need to hook back into this subject somehow, because I feel myself drifting away from it... and I need to change my attitude towards it, and start gluing... or painting... that’s usually the way. I feel I shot myself in the foot by buying a nice kit. I should have ponied up for a 1/35 motorized Tamiya workhorse!

Has anyone ever tried this stuff before. It's iridescent gift wrap. I got some from Michael's for HUD's that have that look to them. I bet it would work for the periscopes.

Bruce, now you have two Bulldogs? Uh oh...

Doc, I have heard of folks using that stuff for the coated periscopes. That roll would give you enough for a few battalions worth of AFVs... and then some!

I haven’t picked up any more dawgs from the pound but this kit was sitting on eBay about twelve hours ago for five bucks plus shipping...