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astroracer

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About astroracer

  • Birthday 12/14/1955

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    yes
  • Scale I Build
    1/24

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    Mark Smakal

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  1. Love the Astro's as well! Nice job on yours! I am building a full size '88 basically, from scratch. Full frame, tubbed at both ends, big block Chevy and a very low attitude... This "full size" kit has kept me away from the modeling bench for a while... Mark
  2. A 1:1 20" wheel (just as an example) will be 3.33 " in diameter in 1/6th scale. That is just the wheel, no tire. Very expensive to 3D print. Do you have a style in mind? A simple salt flat style disc would be easy enough to hand form out of aluminum sheet over a bowling ball or other large diameter object. If you have any woodworker friends with a lathe they may be able to turn some rims out of hardwood. Fill and prime to get a smooth surface for paint. Same thing for tires, turn out of hardwood or black Delrin plastic. For the engine you can scratch build anything you want. Use a kit engine and photos as reference. Mark
  3. Just a tease for some more stuff I have been working on... I modeled the rear end up and sent it to Shapeways Monday. It will take a week or so to get it back but I'll get pics when it comes in…. The housing is modeled along the lines of Curries Fab 9 fabricated sheet metal housing. I also included some drive shaft yokes to build a shaft. I will make the drive shaft and axle tubes out of aluminum tubing. The first pic is of the housing assembled. the last two are as I sent them to Shapeways for printing.
  4. I took some time to do some chassis prep on the Pro Touring build. I am starting with a Lindeberg '61 Impala. I am kit bashing the chassis out of Revell's '64 Impala to get the separate chassis/pan. I trimmed out the Lindeberg front inner wheel wells from the body and cut off the inners from the '64 chassis pan. This will give me plenty of room to route turbos and plumbing. I will replace the missing panels with aluminum pieces. I also made some mods to the rear inner wheel wells so I can get some bigger tires in there. Doing a "Mini-Tub" using the stock inners, cut out, trimmed and then glued back in. The gap will be filled with sheet plastic. Thanks for looking Mark
  5. I started this thread over in the Aftermarket/Resin Section. I wasn't planning for it to become a build thread but that is the way it is heading. It was suggested I move it over to the "on the workbench" section, so, here it is. I modeled these in 3D CAD and had Shapeways print them. Need a nice pair of turbos for a Pro Touring project I am bubbling up. I did a set "mirror image" so I can build them symmetrically in the engine compartment. I also made them three pieces so the inlets and outlets can be clocked for easier orientation. to get the pipes pointed in the right directions. When I model parts I am going to print for model building I model them full size, 1:1. I can then scale them down to whatever size I want. 1/25th, 1/16th, even 1/12th or 1/8th. The detail starts to go away at the smaller scales but the bigger ones, 1/16th and above will show everything. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Mark
  6. Thanks guys, I should probably move this stuff over to the "on the bench" forum. I didn't think it would turn into a build thread but I guess that is the direction it is taking. And thanks for the comments. I have been doing 3D CAD Design for over 30 years so this stuff is very easy for me to do. As far as selling? We'll see, I want to get something built with the parts to see how they look before that happens. Having ran Machined Aluminum Specialties for 15 years I know how to market and sell the product. I also know the price points as I have this stuff printed and most modelers aren't going to want to pay the price... Mark
  7. Can anyone other then myself see this thread? Just curious because I would think there would be a few questions or comments about what I am doing and how I am doing it... If no one can see it I'll stop posting to it... Just a tease for some more stuff I have been working on...
  8. Yea, they do, at least in the Flint Miller Rd. store. The model aisle has gone from a full length aisle to about a 1/4 of one though with pretty slim pickings.
  9. I actually started to "Pro Street" one of these using the small rear tire from the Sprint Car kits. I'll dig it out and get some pics. The back half is real easy to narrow because the rails are so straight. Mark
  10. Wow! No comments at all? That's surprising... Anyway, I took some time to do some chassis prep on the Pro Touring build. I am starting with a Lindeberg '61 Impala. I am kit bashing the chassis out of Revell's '64 Impala to get the separate chassis/pan. I trimmed out the Lindeberg front inner wheel wells from the body and cut off the inners from the '64 chassis pan. This will give me plenty of room to route turbos and plumbing. I will replace the missing panels with aluminum pieces. I also made some mods to the rear inner wheel wells so I can get some bigger tires in there. Doing a "Mini-Tub" using the stock inners, cut out, trimmed and then glued back in. The gap will be filled with sheet plastic. Thanks for looking Mark
  11. I noticed that too on the one I just got at JoAnn's. (With a 40% off coupon.)
  12. Did a little experimenting today. Working up some piping with soft aluminum wire, heat shrink tubing and some aluminum furnace tape. These are pretty rough as I did a quick and dirty proof of concept on what I though would look pretty good to model the pipes and couplers in scale. What do you think? With a little time and more careful building I think these will look great. Mark
  13. I'm not selling anything at this time so I don't have a "store". Sorry.
  14. Yes Sir. Modeled from a few pics I used for reference. Took me a couple of hours from start to finish. Of course I have been using CAD programs for over 30 years. Sizes are relative based on the 3 and 4 inch pipe used to plumb the inlets and outlets. I basically just made them look correct. Mark
  15. I modeled these in 3D CAD and had Shapeways print them. Need a nice pair of turbos for a Pro Touring project I am bubbling up. I did a set "mirror image" so I can build them symmetrically in the engine compartment. I also made them three pieces so the inlets and outlets can be clocked for easier orientation. to get the pipes pointed in the right directions. When I model parts I am going to print for model building I model them full size, 1:1. I can then scale them down to whatever size I want. 1/25th, 1/16th, even 1/12th or 1/8th. The detail starts to go away at the smaller scales but the bigger ones, 1/16th and above will show everything. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Mark
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