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With all the painting I have been doing of late - and the fact that this Tomcat Model was dropped into my life complete, however No Decals. My Passion for Macross - and Roy Fokker's VF-1S I wondered what the Last Tomcat might have looked like when the VT's were brought into service... 11 hours of masking and here is the result...so far! I would love all of your input on this direction of model building - imagination, but with thought.

Finally decided to take off the training wheels. By sheer chance, I stumbled on an art store that sells Sparmax compressors, and got the TC-610: The fact that it doesn't rely on battery power is already a major plus point. And finally, I can try out some new techniques by adjusting the air pressure, and won't have to worry so much about humidity, since it also has a moisture trap. Finally, I can experiment on weathering and detailing! Next up is to get a double action airbrush. The store owner sold a brand of Taiwanese airbrushes called "Fairbro" or something, and while testing a couple of them, I found the air pressure a little hard to control using the trigger. I'm not sure if it was just the caffeine tremors (I'm a coffee addict), but it's hard to adjust the amount of air pressure coming out of it. The trigger felt rather stiff and not too responsive, and it was almost impossible to get a gradual increase in air pressure--the moment I press down on it hard enough to get the trigger button the depress, I usually end up pressing it all the way down. The pull-back motion for the paint is fine, though. Will this be an issue in the future? I've never used a double-action AB, so I've no idea what to get. There was another one that accepts gravity and siphon cups, but what I didn't like about it is that when screwed on tightly, the gravity-feed cup ends up almost upside down, since it's mounted to the side of the airbrush. They aren't cheap either, costing about 120-150 USD a piece. Are these okay, or should I invest in a more expensive Badger or Iwata? I'm pretty handy with my Tamiya basic airbrush (single action), only because it's ridiculously simple to use, and handles like an adjustable spray can. IIRC, my local Tamiya store also sells Badger and Iwata airbrushes, although it's pretty out of the way. Most importantly, are all airbrushes compatible with the Sparmax TC-610 compressor I bought? I tied screwing on my old Tamiya basic airbrush on it, and the hose fit perfectly. The thing is, the Tamiya basic AB continuously shoots air from the nozzle, unlike a double-action airbrush that only shoots air when you press down on the trigger. Any and all advice is much appreciated.

Hey guys: In case you're not already aware, there is a great hobby and collectibles show happening at the Crowne Plaza Fairfield Hotel in New Jersey in September called the "Jerseyfest Model Kit & Statue Fair". If you're a hobbyist, it will be worth attending regardless of what type or scale kits you collect and build. Many people from all over the nation and even abroad are attending the weekend long event. Besides the show having many top vendors (some with quite unique and rare models) and artists with great kits and hobby supplies for sale and display, it also has legendary movie model making and effects artists participating and doing presentations. This includes the chief model maker from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) Studios for the Star Wars movies, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, etc. and the original Stan Winston Studios effects artist who created the Predator. Besides the vendors, there will be lots of model related demos, classes, special presentations, exhibits, hobby parties, etc., plus an incredible model and art contest with great trophies, plaques and prizes. Learn more about the show here: www.jerseyfestfair.com.

I was cleaning my airbrush for the first time, and some time during disassembly, a plastic seal called a "packing" went missing. It's supposed to be located between the "central block" and air hose and it very small--I didn't even notice it the first time I took it apart. Below is a pic of the central block and air hose. That figure-eight depression on the red plastic cover is where the "packing" is supposed to go: I know it's a stupid question, but is this part essential to the airbrush? I could have sworn it wasn't even there when I first took the airbrush apart. I searched the entire room, but that plastic part is nowhere to be seen. The airbrush worked fine the first few times, so I was wondering it that packing thing was even needed. Any advice?

Finally set up my Tamiya Spray Works basic compressor and airbrush. I tested it out with diluted food coloring just now, and the airbrush keeps spraying air even when I'm not pressing the trigger. I inserted the needle as deep as it would go without forcing it, and it decreased the airflow, but there's still a little air shooting from it. Or maybe I should use a little more force and insert the needle a little deeper? Is this normal for airbrushes? I thought only double-action airbrushes sprayed air when the trigger isn't pulled? The one included with my compressor set is a single-action one. I'd appreciate any advice.