Subject: SMML VOL 2674 Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 02:11:53 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Paint 2 Paints - non-toxic 3 Re Paints 4 Re Washington DC Shops 5 Paints - Non - Toxic 6 Re Korean War Essexes (again) 7 H.M.S.Tartar ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From AFisherJr@aol.com Subject Paint I'm also an asthmatic and find that acrylics are much easier to work with. While I still stay away from painting at all when under the weather, I find that the acrylics bother hardly at all most of the time. Testor's ModelMaster paints are my favorites ... they have a maritime line which helps ... but I also use paints from craft stores (Applebarrel, Ceramcoat) for small items. Al ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From "Kurt Van Dahm" Subject Paints - non-toxic Marvin Acrylics are non-toxic and user and environment friendly. I will speak on Badger Modelflex Acrylic Marine Paints as I am very familiar with them as I developed the Marine Paints line for them (color matches, not the chemistry!). The Badger acrylics are non-toxic and the chemists tell me that you could drink a bottle of the paint w/o ill effects though they didn’t tell me the best flavors! Acrylics clean up with water and a bit of soap. A small bit of Ammonia in the water helps too but if it bothers you it can be left out. I use these paints exclusively and have not found any need for a spray booth at all. My wife is real sensitive to the odors from all solvent type pains and she is completely unaware of when I spraying and many times comes into my shop w/o complaining about the odor. I used a respirator mask when I used Floquil paints and had to use a spray booth and worry about overspray problems, etc. My painting set up now is a hospital bed table that adjusts up and down with my compressor under it. The 15” wide top has a sheet of newspaper covering it when I paint. I change it when it gets paint covered but usually do 2 or 3 complete projects before it has enough paint spray on it to bother changing it. When the spray hits the newspaper it’s usually by my directing the airbrush at the paper to check my spray pattern. Overspray is minimal and never reaches the floor as anything other than dried dust that has not been noticeable on my light gray tiled floor. Other than the Badger Modelflex paints being airbrush ready – no dilution, shake and use – what I have said is generally true of all acrylics. They are the way to go. They stick as good as any other paint and I use them on radio control boats that go into the water. Hope this helps. Kurt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From Ron Subject Re Paints >> Is there a line of hobby paints that are non-toxic. I have asthma which I am sure came from years of using such paints as humbrol etc. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I like Model Master Acryl myself. Good coverage and easier clean up than enamels. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From Ron Subject Re Washington DC Shops >> Washington DC shops - probably the best stocked traditional shop is Grandads off the Braddock Road Exit of the Beltway. They have a good selection of almost everything. Hobby Works is off the Rockville Pike in the Bethesda area. Hobby works used to have a branch in Laurel Maryland. They are a little less likely to have the latest ship kits but have some items. Nostalgic Plastic in Silver Spring is sadly no longer open. Doug's Hobby in Waldorf has some kits but relatively few. << I'll agree with Grandad's being the best. Hobby Works still has a Laurel store and you're more likely to find newer/more ships kits there than their Rockville location. Neither Hobby Works carries much in the way of aftermarket. You can also do a google search on KPL Systems, he's a show only dealer but he can get lots of stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Tom Saundry Subject Paints - Non - Toxic Hi, I couldn’t help but notice your post regarding non-toxic paints. I am an industrial chemist and fortunately for you, the entire paint industry has been moving in this direction for 10 years or so. The short answer is to try acrylics, that are water-based rather than solvent based. The technical jargon is that lowering the solvent in a paint lowers the “VOC’s” or “volatile organic carbon” and this has been driven by US Federal legislation in almost areas of paint manufacture. The down side is that the first efforts to produce such paints were not very good and certainly required different application methods, at least. This was so prominent that I have kept away from acrylics since my first poor results, but now I am prepared to take a fresh look at them after 10 years. I have also bought a modeling magazine on Ebay yesterday that claims on the cover to discuss the proper airbrushing of acrylics. If you would like to contact me directly, I am prepared to work with you on this. Frankly, I find the camaraderie of these forums almost as much fun as the model making!! I would also invite input from members who have practical experience with acrylic paint application, since I have postponed trying this as stated above. Kind Regards, Tom Saundry Vancouver, BC CANADA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From jodie Subject Re Korean War Essexes (again) hello all -- Regarding building a Korean War Essex-class carrier from the Trumpeter 1350 kit, someone suggested building the kit as Oriskany. While that would be a neat idea (I've toyed with it myself), keep in mind that Oriskany was the prototype SCB-27A ship, and thus converting the Trumpeter kit would require not just a new island and the later longer bow, but it would also involve adding width to the hull (in blisters that added width to the hull up to the hangar deck level...look at pictures and you'll see what I mean). There's also a thousand other little detail differences, including the big boat and aircraft crane on the port side, the escalator housing, etc., etc. One of the non-converted Essexes might be easier, such as Valley Forge or Boxer or such, and that way your biggest task would be figuring out how to lengthen the bow and make a few other minor changes. Of course, as has also been stated, the absolute easiest thing to do would be to build Bon Homme Richard during her Korean tour. She was the final short-hull unit, was sent to Korea in basically her WWII configuration when the war began, and didn't get converted until after she came back from Korea. Were I wanting to build a Korean War Essex-class ship from the Trumpeter kit, and do so in a relatively painless manner, that's probably the route I'd take. Sorry to add to the confusion! jodie ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From "bert" Subject H.M.S.Tartar Tom, Welcome to the site, The "Piorun" of 1944 vintage was in fact a Royal Navy "N" class destroyer originally named Noble (I believe) but was manned by Polish Navy personnel possibly survivors of the polish Navy destroyer "Grom" which was sunk in Norwegian waters in 1940, during the German invasion of that country, Two other Polish destroyers were "Burza" and "Blyskawica" both of which survived the war.and were still in british ports in 1946. I do not know if there was an original "Piorun" which fled Poland in 1939, if so perhaps someone out there can inform us, I love these titbits of information. Yours Aye (TaT). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume