surfjunke Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Beautiful work, Micheal! Love what you have done so far. The reference pics are great as well, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustybill1960 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 How about necklace/bracelet wire (Hobby Lobby or Micheals,etc) or Guitar string? I like your work, looking forward to more! Thank You for sharing Later Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooltas Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 use O rings and make some air bags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Scott, thank you. Russ, thanks for the idea. Does necklace wire stay in shape? I don't care if it is harder to bend, as I can use my lathe for that. I saw people on here use copper wire. Any pointers on benefits copper offers? The only thing with copper for me is that the closest hobby shop (or any other place that may have it) is a two hour drive. And I mean at 95mph. Todd, airbags will defy the purpose of the "exercise". Thanks for the input tho. And since O rings were mentioned, I have seen them used by few people on here. But where do you guys get them from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 1/16 inch aluminum tig rod works well, wind it around a mandrel and your good to go. Its a little over scale, but not terribly so. I used it to make thesprings for my 50 olds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan_m Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 i have some different wire here, made by national wire, i dont remember where i got it tho.......ive got 4 or 5 different gauges of it. im sure its tough enuff to hold its shape. try lowes, or your local hardware store, lemme see if i have a pic of the stuff i have.... cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan_m Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 heres what ive been using, ive had these rolls forever! one roll goes a long way.... hope this helps, maybe you can find it somewhere..i still cant remember where i got it. it was really cheap tho.......as you can see by the $1.69 pricetag! cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Thank you Bryan. That 24 gauge copper wire looks exactly like what I need I guess. Mark, thanks for the idea. Thankfully I have Lowes just a stone throw from home. I'll check what they have to offer. I have about 15 different Deuce projects. They are all part of an ambitious project started over a year ago - to build every possible style of 32 Ford. So it is not like I won't have what to do while I figure the shocks out, but I am really itchy to lay down some paint. I should start threads for all of them perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan_m Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 youre welcome mike, i`d send you some of it, but im kinda broke at the moment, i dont even have enuff to cover the postage! LOL ive had these rolls for over 5 years, and theres still alot left.... cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Also, for o rings any hydraulics store or harbour freight/ princess auto type store would have them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustybill1960 Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Looks like they got it covered Michael! Those wires I mentioned hold Looking forward to see what you do Later Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Thank you Mark. I'll look them up and get a stash. I sure can use them on a bunch of projects. Thanks Russel. I have a Walmart across the street that has things like that. Bryan, I appreciate the gesture. No need to send me any. I'll need it in the future too probably, so I'll like to have a roll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scale trucker Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 i really like what you have done ..your next one can run the ferrari motor and put blisters on the hood sides like the 32 roadster that was in hot rod mag a few years back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 No worries man. Happy to help. Build looks class too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonFL Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 A lot of great details. I still don't know how you guys work with such little pieces. I can't wait to see it all finished up, keep it going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Thank you Jason. All the great models and projects on here made me really inpatient about painting something. So I played with some paint today. This is what the result of two and a half hours with an airbrush is. No decals. It still needs some touching up and a clear coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonFL Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 What is that body for, looks kinda like a merc mixed with something else? The paint looks great tho whatever it is, now I really can't wait to see this one finished up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 What is that body for, looks kinda like a merc mixed with something else? The paint looks great tho whatever it is, now I really can't wait to see this one finished up. It is an old Jimmy Flintstone-Model Master collaboration resin model from the late '90s. They were called the HSO series (Hobby Shop Only) and were a series of cool looking rods made in resin and white metal. Some had more detail than others and some were actually real existing cars, while others were fictitious. The model here is called the Mercster and is basically a fenderless '49 Mercury Highboy. It is a very thick hallow shell. Its whitemetal components are very generic and roughly cast, so I am replacing them with Alluma Coupe parts. I also drilled three holes in the hood to place three small air cleaner hats that I turned from aluminum on my lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonFL Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 That thing is pretty sweet. I'm not to familiar with these, I'll have to try and find some photos of one done. Love your paint work on it, I hope you'll be keepin it like that. Did you have a flame mask or is that something you taped off and did free hand? I'm planning on taping my whole merc off then carefully cutting out my flames...should be tons o fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 (edited) Jason, I'll advise against what you plan to do. It will score the paint underneath, which will create all sorts of issues for you. My secret is simple. Take wide masking tape and apply it really nice over the panels of the model. Keep in mind all the curves and make as many separate pieces as you need. On them outline just the panel lines and the overall shape of the model. Then draw on them rough design of your flames, scallops or whatever. Take off the templates you made and lay them flat. Then you draw the flames nicely how you like them to appear. Now transfer the outlines of what would be your mask on a piece of paper. Take your drawing to any place that makes vinyl stickers (like the ones for cars) and ask them to make you stickers in the exact dimensions. Ask them not to remove any material when their machine is done and not to forget to put transferring film over your sticker. Most malls have a place like that and almost any town has a few shops that make signs for businesses that can get this done the same day. It will cost you very little and it works like a charm. If you make friends with the shop, they can keep a template you give them - for example mask for 32 ford and then they can fit whatever you want in it. They can get literally hundreds of flame designs alone from the Internet and then manipulate them to fit in the "frame". If you like a certain flame design that they did for your Merc let's say and then you want to get the same thing on a Chevy pickup they would have your file and just adjust the flames to fit the new "frame. I know it sounds kind of complicated, but it is not at all. Once you find a place to do things like that for you, if you sit in the morning and draw your design, you could be shooting paint the same evening. Hope this helps. Edited November 3, 2012 by mrm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 The detail here is just plain beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonFL Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Jason, I'll advise against what you plan to do. It will score the paint underneath, which will create all sorts of issues for you. My secret is simple. Take wide masking tape and apply it really nice over the panels of the model. Keep in mind all the curves and make as many separate pieces as you need. On them outline just the panel lines and the overall shape of the model. Then draw on them rough design of your flames, scallops or whatever. Take off the templates you made and lay them flat. Then you draw the flames nicely how you like them to appear. Now transfer the outlines of what would be your mask on a piece of paper. Take your drawing to any place that makes vinyl stickers (like the ones for cars) and ask them to make you stickers in the exact dimensions. Ask them not to remove any material when their machine is done and not to forget to put transferring film over your sticker. Most malls have a place like that and almost any town has a few shops that make signs for businesses that can get this done the same day. It will cost you very little and it works like a charm. If you make friends with the shop, they can keep a template you give them - for example mask for 32 ford and then they can fit whatever you want in it. They can get literally hundreds of flame designs alone from the Internet and then manipulate them to fit in the "frame". If you like a certain flame design that they did for your Merc let's say and then you want to get the same thing on a Chevy pickup they would have your file and just adjust the flames to fit the new "frame. I know it sounds kind of complicated, but it is not at all. Once you find a place to do things like that for you, if you sit in the morning and draw your design, you could be shooting paint the same evening. Hope this helps. Wow! That's actually a pretty great idea. I know exactly what your talking about. I know there is a company or two out there that make a few flame maskings but I never thought of doing it like that. This way you can actually get the exact graphics you want. I wonder if you could take the car in the back of the direction sheets and use that as a template. The funds are a little low but when I get the chance im gonna try this. This time around I think I'm going to lay out my 2inch tape, trace the door/hood/trunk/etc. lines, then do a rough outline of my flames, take it off the car, make my final flame outline and then cut it out. Is it hard to lay them back down on the car? That's what worries me, trying to get it all lined up right without ruining it. After painting the flames I was thinking of leaving the mask so I could lay down a better pinstripe, then peel it back and clear it. Thanks for the tip, I'm all ears for any advice I can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 (edited) Hey, no problem Jason. This is what the forums are for, right? Just make sure you practice the airbrush for flames. You need to play with air pressure, nozzles etc. The flames on the Merc are made with 9 different colors. 2 whites, 2 yellows, 2 orange, 2 red and a little blue. It gets confusing when you have the masking on, so I kid you not, you need to know what you are doing. I don't want you to mess up some really nice project you are working on. I just laid down the clear and this thing turned amazing. I don't want to mix the threads and I don't want to start a WIP one for the Merc, because there isn't much to show. I'll just post it "under glass" once done. Edited November 3, 2012 by mrm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonFL Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Your right michael but I appreciate the time that people like yourself take to explain things out for me. Sometimes it's the only way I learn. I'm not so much worried about the airbrushing as much I am about laying the mask back down after I cut out the flames only because I won't be using an airbrush. Just gonna be simple and a lil different my first time around using flat black for flames, lime ice green as base color, and a pinstripe (maybe an orange, not sure). Any advice on how you would go about running a pinstripe around the flames? I'll keep my eyes opened for the merc in the "under glass" section. Looking forward to seeing how that thing looks all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 OK, so I had to take care of some other stuff first, but I am back at it. It's got a name now, which will be Lucky 13- the 30sumtin' rod. First I decided to finally figure out what I want to do with the front end. Still not 100% sure how I'll go about it, but I new that the frame would have to be Z-ed to bring the front into the weeds. So instead of going the traditional way, I just glued the front piece from another frame over this one. This would also stretch it just a touch without affecting the proportions. Then everything was filed to give it a somewhat natural curve, so the Z-job is not really obvious. Also the horns were thinned and curved just slightly. Next I started to work on the rear floor and the trunk. I wanted everything as smooth as possible and as close to the frame as possible. Also there was an issue with the rear diff as it was hitting the floor, so it had to be built around it. So first I made a frame for the panels, to which flat sheet styrene to be glued. This way everything will line up perfectly and also the structural rigidity of the model is greatly improved. Because of the way I made the frame, it was possible to use just one piece of plastic to create the trunk floor and a big part of the rear floor in the same time. Then the two panels on the bottom were made, leaving the middle higher to allow movement for the quickchange rear. A quick check with the frame shows that everything fits just perfect. Later on the front portion of the floor will be made as one piece with the bottom of the firewall and the floor of the interior. I just have to figure out how to make it so there are visible seams even if painted before assembly. Interior Panels were made for the entire trunk. They are glued in, but not the final look. I made templates and drew what the design of them should be. A quick mock up Thank you for looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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