# Lou Dalmaso to the white courtesy phone please....



## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Lou, can you give us a short "how-to" on the curtains in the Chariot. I just "un-installed" the kit ones from my Chariot, they look aweful! How did you make yours? They look very realistic! Is that just tin foil, or tape, or what?! Thanks for any help you may offer. By the way, I am just struggling with the Chariot figures! I'm not the best figure painter anyways, but making them look right is not any easy trick! Sheesh! My eyes are buggin' out of my head trying to paint them properly!


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## drewid142 (Apr 23, 2004)

Tim... get yourself a set of those magnification goggles... they allow you to see tiny details up close. I got this pair... but others may have better advice

http://www.micromark.com/DELUXE-LIGHTED-HEADBAND-MAGNIFIER,7844.html

Good luck with the Figures!

Drew


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## Just Plain Al (Sep 7, 1999)

No, No, Lou, the _White_ phone.


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

*Curtains, Foiled again!*

Tim,
the curtains are made ot of the same foil duct tape that I use for light blocking. I just take a short length of it, remove the backing and stick it back on itself. the size of it is about 3" long x the width of the tape (2 1/2" IIRC)

Once you have that piece all nice and flat, you fold it into an accordian shape. (by that I mean you fold it back and forth, not actually into the shape of an accordian. those keys would be the very devil to make) I made each fold about 1/8th" wide. I used a tiny sanding file as hard edge to fold against.

After I had it all folded up nice and tight, I pulled it back out to fan out the creases. the foil is stiff enough that you can "pose" the wrinkles to add some character. you can then cut the curtains to final length and width. the 3" width should be enough for both sides of each door set. 

how much you want to "moosh" the curtains is up to you. another tiny strip of the tape is what I used to make the ties. for the curtain rod, I first took a wee finishing nail and drove it thru the top of the still folded up foil, then ran a bit of brass rod (more like wire, really) thru the hole and glued that rod to the inside top of the door frames.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=74705&d=1232986743

I hopes this comes in handy.

now remember. "the white zone is for loading and unloading only. there is no parking in the yellow zone.."


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Thanks Lou! I'll give it a shot!

Drew, it's not that I can't see, I just suck at figures!!! (I did manage to paint the eyes though. I used a straight pin!)


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## mrdean (Aug 11, 1998)

Tim Nolan said:


> Thanks Lou! I'll give it a shot!
> 
> Drew, it's not that I can't see, I just suck at figures!!! (I did manage to paint the eyes though. I used a straight pin!)


It is still way more easier with a Headband Magnifier!! The headlights are almost as important as the magnifier!!:freak:

Mark Dean


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

I don't have trouble seeing the details (where the paint is supposed to go), it's getting the paint there (and avoiding getting it everwhere else). My hands just aren't as steady as I'd like them to be. Of course, I'm sure the morning coffee isn't helping. 

I have hit or miss results when getting the paint to the right viscocity. Too thick and it blobs, too thin and is runs all over. Very frustrating on fine details


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

I am using a combination of different airbrush paints. (brushing it on tho) Most of the opaque stuff is Autoaire drybrushing over a flat black basecoat, then I used Freak Flex for the overtones on the skin parts because it's so thin. I have 3 of them painted so far, and I guess they aren't too bad. The only other ones I've seen finished are yours and Simon Mercs. He did little to detail the faces, yours look pretty darned slick though! (I still reference that thread) Thanks for all the help and advice.


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

drewid142 said:


> Tim... get yourself a set of those magnification goggles... they allow you to see tiny details up close. I got this pair... but others may have better advice
> 
> http://www.micromark.com/DELUXE-LIGHTED-HEADBAND-MAGNIFIER,7844.html
> 
> ...


Drew,.....Uh....I found the same looking ones at Harbor Freight store for less than half price. They work great, and I am blind without them!


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## drewid142 (Apr 23, 2004)

I think I might have gotten mine there too, actually. It was a while back... I don't really remember where I get them. GOOD POINT, though. You are not the first to point out Harbor Freight as a better deal.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Lloyd Collins said:


> Drew,.....Uh....I found the same looking ones at Harbor Freight store for less than half price. They work great, and I am blind without them!


And here's a link: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38896

Looks like a good deal - the same magnification ratings, too.


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## sprayray (May 13, 2009)

hey can this ( foil duct tape that I use for light blocking ) be used on an ironman kit to block out lighting and where can you buy it i never heard of it ?


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

yes. I used it on the inside of the IM faceplate to do that exact thing.

I buy mine at WalMart, but I'm sure any major retailer especially home improvement stores will have it. 

a lot of things call themself "duct tape" but this is actual tape you are supposed to use on A/C ducts

http://duckproducts.com/products/detail.asp?catid=1&subid=4&plid=17


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Yeh, it's actually more like thin aluminum with an adhesive back. I use it on all kinds of stuff. I've always just called it "metal tape" but that's probably not the scientific name! LOL.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Paulbo said:


> And here's a link: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38896
> 
> Looks like a good deal - the same magnification ratings, too.


Man can I really use a pair of those! One of my biggest challenges these days is being able to see the tiny details to paint them!

Thanks for the link!

MMM


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## Quintillus (Jul 2, 2002)

I have all kinds of magnification items from Harbor Freight. Like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94364

and the typical swing arm magnifier lamp: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66398

and a jewelers loupe with an LED that is cut away on one side. That one I can't find online.


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Hey Lou, I've been makin' little solar drapes! So far so good! Did you mount the ones for the doors on rods too, or just glue them to the door panels? If glued, what did you use?


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

I tried rods on the doors, but never got results I wanted. I used a tiny amount of clear epoxy instead.


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## sprayray (May 13, 2009)

*foil duct tape*



Lou Dalmaso said:


> yes. I used it on the inside of the IM faceplate to do that exact thing.
> 
> I buy mine at WalMart, but I'm sure any major retailer especially home improvement stores will have it.
> 
> ...


Thanks lou will give it a shot appreciate all the questions i ask you and you always have the answers great to have you on this board !!!!!!!.

Robert (sprayray)


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

Tim Nolan said:


> I am using a combination of different airbrush paints. (brushing it on tho) Most of the opaque stuff is Autoaire drybrushing over a flat black basecoat, then I used Freak Flex for the overtones on the skin parts because it's so thin. I have 3 of them painted so far, and I guess they aren't too bad. The only other ones I've seen finished are yours and Simon Mercs. He did little to detail the faces, yours look pretty darned slick though! (I still reference that thread) Thanks for all the help and advice.


Hi Tim,I tend to use enamels a lot but the tip is dont mix the paint in the container when painting figures,take some pigment out and put it on a tile or mixing pallet and then thin it down to your liking,this is especially good for metalics as they come out a lot brighter than when mixed with their carrier medium,:thumbsup:
cheers,Gordon


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

Someone posted tip on using foil cupcake wrappers for the curtains -- I bought some but didn't use them as I was too lazy (so can't vouch for how they are to work with), but it would save you time on folding as the wrappers are already pleated -- and also some wear and tear on your retinas


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

I think that may have been me.

The cupcake wrappers I found were too short to use for the curtains. they also had the compound curve thing going on, so by time you cut a straight strip out of it, it was too small. Plus the foil was not substantial enough to take the wear and tear. I did end up using bits in the luggage as thermal blankets, tho.


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## phantom11 (Jul 12, 2007)

Thanks for posting the how to on this, Lou; they look great!


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Well the tape is working just great so far.. The stuff I have has a texture to it like canvas, and it's not so sticky you cant work with it well. I used brass rod to form the hanging rods, per Lou's instructions, and it worked like a charm! 

Here's where I am so far. The rods have to be painted still, and I'm working on the side curtains. I still have to tackle the Aztec Dummys masking kit on another canopy since I killed the first one too!








I did manage to get the rods cut to the proper height anyways!










Gordon, I use plastic lids for mailing tubes to mix my paint in. They work great. You can actually buy them from Micromark Small Tools in quantity dirt cheap. The beauty is the paint just peels off when it hardens, and they are ready to use again!


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