Recent content by stevethefish

First up is Fine Molds. I took this photo 10 years ago. It was before I got to know the president, Mr. Suzuki. He used to know me by name, but it's been several years and maybe he's forgotten about me. He might recognize me. Anyhow, I went all the way to take a photo and some video of their HQ...

In this age of YouTube, there are useful tutorials on how to achieve a nice gloss finish for a car body. Just light dusting coats, going over the whole car, making sure to get the underside as that is often overlooked. At first it is tacky, just wait a few moments for it to air dry, then slowly...

I think Bandai is pretty much done with Star Wars. Their primary market is Japan, not overseas. The novelty of SW kits has worn off, and those lousy Disney+ shows are incredibly niche in a country that still has video rental stores. While Japan isn't quite as adamantly opposed to woke propaganda...

FWIW, I have never done what Airdave talked about. I've done a few glossy car models in my time and I only wetsand to get rid of dust particles that have landed in the paint job. I have no problem getting a clear coat to stick to a gloss paint, but then again I only do cars in lacquer paints...

I don't know about the forum since I've only looked on there a few times while doing a web search for some information, but the current state of the magazine is a sign of the times. Heck, Scale Model Addict used to be a print magazine, right? FSM had separate magazines for armor and cars, but...

I took this photo back in 2012, the year we moved back to Japan. This was in Shizuoka City, of course. I just came across this photo and thought I'd share it with you.

My problem is that I tend to do too many layers of paint. The effect was rather prominent at first, but diminished with each application of paint. I just hate spraying a model, only to discover later that I missed a place or perhaps it appears uneven in other areas.

Today I put down a coat of Mr. Color SM201, Super Fine Silver 2. The color variation is a bit more visible in-person than in these photos. But if you can compare with the photos above, you'll see that the engine cowlings, the rear end of the nacelles, and the sections of the vertical stabilizers...

Yeah, I learned about this method in the August(?) 2023 issue of Model Art magazine. I show it briefly in the most recent video. If you guys have never seen Model Art, it would knock your socks off. I hear that Fine Scale Modeler is down to only 6 issues per year, and they are pretty thin. Each...

I've finished airbrushing my P-38 with gloss white with gloss black panels. When I spray the kit with a silver overcoat, these alternate panels will show through differently.

I don't own this kit, but Fujimi makes very decent car kits. I can't imagine that you'd be disappointed with it.