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Hello A must have is the" automatic flying parts catcher" . It's a cross between an NHL Champion goaly and a Frisbee catching dog,the Goaly talents for stopping a part from going off the table and the catching skills of the dog to catch the parts that get thru the first line of defence. OH- and most important is the Bloodhound searching skills to find the parts that get thru the first two lines of Parts Flying Away Defence. And to find them when you need them, and not after you have scratch made a replacement part and already used it in your build. I thought that I had seen the "Automatic Parts Catcher" on Youtube,but cannot find it now. Let me and all other model builders where they can get this valuable addition to the work bench. The real test is for the PE parts that you cut off of the fret, they have a will to fly that is only challanged by anEagle or Hawk! Good luck all. Keith

Hello Why not just paint and dry brush it the colors of green that it would be when it's oxidized? A lot simpler method and safer for you and the model. If you try to use acids to produce the result you want now,' it will continue to corode the copper on the surface and under it without any control on your part. So in the future you might end up with a real mess on your hands-like the copper falling off the model or worse. Leave the chemicals alone and be in control using paint to create the effect that you want. It's not like a bronze or copper casting that an artist uses acids on to give age to. By using heat along with the chemicals. You are talking about a model with wood under the copper and other materials and glues. Do you know how the chemicals that you use will migrait thru the wood and how will the vapors affect the rest of the model? Think lone and hard before you risk what you have spent hundreds of hours working on, on a method that you have no long time record of. Keith

Found out already,looked up the banned MFG's. Will not even look any further as to ZHL,sorry to take up space in this last posting. Keith

Hello Just want to know if anyone has this kit,or any experence with buying it from ZHL in China? Are they reputable to deal with? The photos look great,but is the real kit like the photos? Is there anyone outside of China that is reputable that handles this kit? Looks light years better than the Panart kit,but is it just to rip one off? Please let me know if they are on the up and up. Thanks Keith

Hi Try a croche hook's for a glue aplicator. They come in very small hook sizes. They work great for either Ca or PVA glues. Also can be used on glues for plastic models. I use a number 13 for small areas. Keith

Has anyone had experence using Tamiyas spray lacquer on wood? I have used it for years on plastic,and like their semi-gloss black for gun barrels and submarine hulls on plastic moedls and have used it after primmer on white metal. The thing I like most about this paint is that it shrinks down tight when it dries,and doesn't cover up small details. Unlike enamel and other paints. Have you used it on wood? I will be trying some tests in the next couple of days. On basswood,walnut,mahogany and other woods. With and without primmers,both Tamiya and others. Would like to know what your luck has been-either bad or great. I will let you know how my tests come out. Keith

I have seen lots of shades of red from pink to Ferrari type red used. What would be considered the "right" shade of red? And who makes it,so that I might not have to mix it? Looking for water based paint. I have the Model Expo MS4802-B Gun Red-which is to me on the pink side of red. Is this correct for the period and ship? Is there is a paint that I can buy thats correct for the color,or what mix combination would I use to get to the shade of red thats right.Just let me know. Ship that its for now will be the Model Shipways Armed Virginia Sloop,then their Fair American. As for the hull below the waterline,they call out a "tallow" shade of white. Would the classic racing white(which has a cream tint to it,be close to what is called out as "tallow"? Thanks Keith

Hi I have been following your build. It looks great. I also have the Amati kit and was able to also buy the engine kit. I did not start to build because I was unable at the time to find detailed photos of the engine and boat. That was about four years ago. That was before the real boat went up for sale,and then there were quite a lot of photos to work from. I am still looking to find details on the inner structure of the engine compartment and cockpit. Do you know of any? As for the cast metal engine kit,its nice,but doesn't hsave the Ferrari lettering on the valve covers due to copyright issues. It is vastly overpriced for the quality of the castings and the lack of piping details not included for the engine. But its the only game in town if you mwant to add the engine without making your own without any engine prints to go by,as far as I know. Again,if anyone out there has any drawings or other detailed info about either the boat or engine,PLEASE contact me and list for others who have this project to build. Great work,hope you are able to find an engine for it. I see that Armati in their Deluxe kit has plated parts for the rudder and other parts, does anyone know if they are avaliable for sale seperatly from the Delux kit? As for the vac plastic cowels,I plan to build the first version of the Arno without the tail fin and the simple rounded front out of brass or aluminum. Hope to hear from other Arno nuts! Keith Glueck

Just finished fairing in the frames. No problems,now I will put in the filler blocks in the stern and bow. Then I will go to the decking. Thanks Keith

Yes I am sure that they are in the right order. They are marked by the laser with the letter,and I also marked the keel with the coresponding letter. That was my first thought about the wrong order. I have a line up jig that I use that I check with a dial calipers along with dial indicators so that each frame is centered to the keel. I have them within .005 of exact center. And they are set for height to be even across from each other,with the center being even with the keel at the deck level. The most important being the deck level and the frame being centered to the keel CL. I then start out with the first and last frame being glued straight and true to the keel. And work from there. After setting all of the frames,thats when I find out where I need to remove material from the high frames and add material to the low areas.Thats what I have done over the last couple of hours since I last posted. Ther were three high frames- F,I and K. The low frames at the bearding line are F,G and H on the starboard side. And I also have had to add material to the inside of frames F and I in the bulwark area. This shows that these frames are consistant with being too wide from the start. About .030-.040 on each side. No problem,just wanted to get some feedback as to how others have found these and other kit frames,and what the standard for the industry is for ship kits. I find that the laser cut parts being that their sides are not straight,take a lot of hand work to get them to line up,which I enjoy doing. Along with making the frames line up to the keel. After years of lining up large progressive die's it's a nice challange dealing with parts that are not perfectly square. And I realy love to work with wood that can be seen after you finish the model. With the vintage gliders and other planes that I have been building and the plastic models,it's great to see the wood and work that goes into it. Keith

What I would like to know is which kit maker has frames that you do not have to correct the shapes when trying to get a smooth curve or shape to the hull? With the Model Shipways kits that I am building the Armed Virginia Sloop when you line up the frames level on the deck surface,the bearding line of the frames look like a mountain range-up and down along with the curvature of the frames looking like the frames are out of order. Is this a condition with the older Model Shipways kits? I then put some of the frames out of order,switching them around,which did not make the mismatches any better. So it's back to cutting down the high spots and adding to the low areas. After building planes for the last 54 years I guess that I have been spoiled with smooth frame shape transitions. So much for Cad. I have yet to start on my Caldercraft Mary Rose and my Euro Models Schooner Lyde. As a Tool and Diemaker,its not a great task to deal with this problem,just takes some of the enjoyment out of the build and puts it into how do I use my skills to correct the frame transitions. Thanks Keith