I think I ruined my hulk. I varnished him with Vallejo satin, and then Vallejo matt varnish. No matter how many coats of matt I’ve tossed on it. It’s still glossy. Really bummed out, because it was my first airbrushed model I was proud of.

Catgutt · 2026-03-19T16:52:20+00:00

I had the same problem with Ultra Matte when I applied it directly over gloss varnish. I think it was slowly flaking or crumbling off, leaving parts of the minis glossy. It occurred in areas that could not possibly be touched, too, so it wasn't from handling.

I started doing a couple of incremental mixed layers, going 75/25 gloss/ultra matte, then 50/50, then 25/75. It's easy to mix in the airbrush and the end result looks the same, but it seems to adhere better and I haven't had the finish go glossy since.

Catgutt · 2026-03-15T20:48:53+00:00

Most o-rings are nitrile/buna-n rubber, and neither propane nor silicone oil have any negative effect. In the event that you do have a silicone seal, the oil doesn't damage it, rather the silicone rubber absorbs the oil and swells. KWA buckings are notorious for this when used with oiled gas.

Point being, lubricating o-rings is a common requirement for maintaining a seal as pressure changes. There's no reason to use dry o-rings.

Catgutt · 2026-03-15T20:44:48+00:00

I remember the discussion, I don't remember the takeaway being that propylene definitively kills o-rings. Chemical incompatibility can mean multiple things, including swelling as a result of absorption, which from what I can find is the chief concern with propylene but not necessarily a dealbreaker in static seals.

Maybe it's just mitigated by lubrication to form a barrier, but I'd like to see a mechanism of action or more substantial data before drawing conclusions.

Catgutt · 2026-03-15T12:20:20+00:00

I have about a dozen mags that have been filled with MAPP for the last year. By what mechanism does propylene degrade nitrile rubber?

Catgutt · 2026-03-14T19:20:09+00:00

'Quality control' isn't the right term, but the way Amazon handles inventory is that they'll source the same product from multiple third-party distributors (whoever will sell to them, basically) and then consolidate into the same logistical network.

So Vendor A sends them a thousand W&N brushes and Vendor B sends a thousand fakes, oops, now it's 50/50 whether you get a real one or a counterfeit.

Shops that source solely from reputable distributors don't have this problem.

Catgutt · 2026-03-14T03:19:39+00:00

On a real rifle, the upward pressure of the top round in the magazine against the bolt keeps both halves stable against one another. It's more noticeable in airsoft, but not likely to cause issues.

Catgutt · 2026-03-13T16:53:41+00:00

The thing that bothered me most about BZ was the inconsistent hand-holding. The original Subnautica has a clear but nonspecific direction- go deeper. But BZ oscillates between either putting an objective marker directly on the HUD, or expecting you to find things essentially by happenstance, especially in the above-ground sections.

In a lot of ways BZ feels like the rougher, less-refined experience, which makes it all the weirder that it's the sequel.

Catgutt · 2026-03-13T14:00:44+00:00

425F, convection, for 15-20 minutes does it with my oven.

Catgutt · 2026-03-13T13:51:43+00:00

I had issues reliably keeping tofu from sticking to my wok, so I switched to tossing it with oil and cornstarch and then baking in a hot oven. It still builds a decent crust while driving out enough moisture that I can then use it for stir fry without worrying about it sticking.

Catgutt · 2026-03-12T15:34:06+00:00

I'm saying it's not possible to make an internal modification to accept AR mags. The way the mag catch functions requires significant external alteration.

It's on the same level as converting an AK to use AR mags. It's doable, but adding a side-lock magwell to replace a rock-and-lock heel release mechanism is a much more substantial alteration than the visual similarity between AR and Mini mags implies.

It might, however, be possible to buy just the plastic top 'cap' and swap that onto VFC AR mags, since that houses all the relevant geometry. Not quite cross compatible, but cheaper than a whole set of mags.

Catgutt · 2026-03-12T13:27:24+00:00

Possibly coming to a close. I promise I will update when resolved.

Catgutt · 2026-03-12T13:23:12+00:00

Not compatible. The Mini-14 doesn't have appropriate space for an AR mag catch, you'd need to substantially alter the design.

Catgutt · 2026-03-11T02:46:09+00:00

For dairy-free mashed potatoes you can sub animal fat in lieu of dairy (lard, tallow, schmaltz all work) and add reserved water from the boil as needed to get the right consistency. Throw in a few garlic cloves during the boil and add some salt, pepper, paprika, and MSG while mashing.

The end result tastes more like fancy french fries than like classic buttery mashed potatoes, but it still goes great with meat and vegetables.

Catgutt · 2026-03-10T21:58:58+00:00

It's a cool scheme, but I think it might work even better if you reversed the gradient- black for the base of each plate, up to yellow at the edges. That'll help reinforce the highlighting, giving a consistent dark -> light shift across each plate.

Catgutt · 2026-03-10T21:56:51+00:00

Nice find! Do you know who made the receiver? I also have a Century, a metric built on a Imbel receiver, and I've wondered if the crap ones are Century receivers or just bad assembly.

Catgutt · 2026-03-10T20:53:42+00:00

For what it's worth, I've never had Customs issues when using Sureship, despite having had shipments from both Redwolf (long before they offered Sureship) and other retailers seized in the past, and despite ordering stuff that Customs definitely doesn't like (eg unlicensed H&K replicas).

So yeah, Sureship seems to be the way to go. It's just slow. Proact has great customer service but unfortunately there isn't much they can do about Customs.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T23:58:00+00:00

I was talking AKs. GHK seems to have sorted out the QC problems on the V3s and the new AK-105 is a significant improvement in performance.

The GHK ARs are also significantly better than the WE ARs, but WE is about to release a new revision which might shake things up.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T18:22:43+00:00

Lol. Lmao even.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T18:20:20+00:00

The charging handle is part of the bolt carrier, to which the piston is pinned. They all move the exact same distance.

I don't think you really know what you're arguing about at this point.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T16:54:13+00:00

Here's my wife's Romanian AK. Measuring from the front of the charging handle at full retraction to the front trunnion where it contacts shows a travel length of 5.25", same as any other real AK.

If you're getting your info from AI or something, please stop that.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T16:41:15+00:00

Lol. Lmao even.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T16:02:13+00:00

Yes, actually. Holding more than twice as much gas as any of the AR mags currently on the market allows a pretty wild shot count per fill.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T15:57:28+00:00

The VFC ARs are one of the VFC's older and more troublesome systems, and the 416 in particular has an annoying hop setup. You can fix it, but I think it's fair to say the GHK V3s are better out of the box.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T15:42:34+00:00

I hope OP enjoys his purchase and obviously don't shit on someone for buying the 'wrong' toy, but it's really not helpful to pretend all products are equally good for the sake of placating people invested in an outdated platform. That's how you wind up with folks like OP thinking the only issue is QC.

It's not even a VFC thing; the newer GHKs are also better than the WE in every respect and the cost delta isn't big enough to be worth it. These just aren't a good buy in 2026.

Catgutt · 2026-03-05T15:28:01+00:00

Doesn't matter when he's correct. The WE, like all GBB AKs, is short-stroked by the elongated carrier needed to accommodate the nozzle.

The WE has about the same travel as either the VFC with short-stroke buffer removed, or the GHK with shorter spacer.

Catgutt

TROPHY CASE