Looking for a selection of clear, striated headlight lenses.

[Monty]

I just bought the AMT '65 Ford Galaxie kit and while doing some build research, came across posts from various modeling boards indicating that the clear headlight lenses are oversized and don't fit inside the bezels.  

I'm hoping some company has a good selection of lenses (with period-correct striations) in various sizes so I can get this part of the build as correct as possible.

[matthijsgrit]

I believe Scale Production has lenses?

[Monty]

53 minutes ago, matthijsgrit said:

I believe Scale Production has lenses?

Unless I'm missing something, it looks like the headlights they offer are either chromed plastic or photo etch.  I'm hoping to find clear plastic or clear resin lenses for this build.

[Casey]

I've found the only good source is using those from kits. 

These look good for generic lenses (i.e., no triangular symbol like late '60s GM car headlights):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-84-Clear-Plastic-lenses-for-a-vintage-model-kit-Emergency-lights/162999078388?hash=item25f3808df4:g:cscAAOSwva1a0lAA:sc:USPSFirstClass!53222!US!-1

[Monty]

Not bad, but I'm trying to get as close to original as possible.

[Mike999]

Not sure if this helps, but these headlight lenses are from the Japanese company "Modeler's."  Bought these long ago but I have seen them on eBay.  They include striated and clear round lenses, and some square ones.

 

 

[matthijsgrit]

https://www.scaleproduction.de/product_info.php?info=p1294_headlights-7mm.html

These are available in different seizes (check the website) , but I don't know if they exactly 'fit your bill'.

[Monty]

4 hours ago, matthijsgrit said:

https://www.scaleproduction.de/product_info.php?info=p1294_headlights-7mm.html

These are available in different seizes (check the website) , but I don't know if they exactly 'fit your bill'.

They do have some interesting striations, but again, they look like they're mounted on a photo-etch fret.

I can see why you like the site - lotsa neat stuff.  That V8 distributor kit has the best looking vacuum advance canister I've ever seen in scale form.

[fumi]

These lenses from Barchetta are very nice.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10375903

[ChrisBcritter]

The fit on 1/25 lenses can be a very hit-or-miss affair; if they're too large you could file one down around the edges until it fits, then use it as a template for the other three.

[Luc Janssens]

14 hours ago, fumi said:

These lenses from Barchetta are very nice.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10375903

Indeed

[Luc Janssens]

2 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

The fit on 1/25 lenses can be a very hit-or-miss affair; if they're too large you could file one down around the edges until it fits, then use it as a template for the other three.

Would be nice, if Round-2 tools up an accessory set of lenses, one can use to upgrade their promo-style kits.

Until then the offering by Barchetta will have to do....

[IceMan Collections]

Seems like a lot of work and an extra expense to find the perfect size.  Why not sand them down to size?

[StevenGuthmiller]

You can make your own fairly easily with some mold putty & Laser Bond glue.

Any size or shape that you want.

 

Steve

 

[kurth]

Great answers in this thread. I have so many kits I would like to build but I could not figure out how to resolve the problem of the chromed headlights. 

StevenGuthmiller , do you have any more details or pictures of your process?

 

 

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, kurth said:

Great answers in this thread. I have so many kits I would like to build but I could not figure out how to resolve the problem of the chromed headlights. 

StevenGuthmiller , do you have any more details or pictures of your process?

 

 

 

I've done them in several different ways.

The one I've settled on is to drill out the old chrome lenses and then make molds for the lenses & buckets from existing lenses from mold putty.

You can pick up the mold putty at Hobby Lobby or online.

I use a set of the old smooth custom lenses from some kits molded in reverse for the buckets.

Then you can do the lenses themselves a couple of different ways.

Either use lenses with the "striations" molded on the outside or the inside pressed into the putty with the striations down.

If you use lenses with the striations on the outside you will wind up with lenses that are duller in appearance than you may want.

I prefer to use lenses with the detail on the inside of the lens & then just pile the Laser Bond into the mold giving you a bit of a domed surface.

This will give you a shinier lens.

I did this '62 Chrysler a little differently using aluminum tubing for the tub/rim construction, but you can see that the lenses are not as shiny as the lenses on the '63 Bonneville, which were done in reverse.

 

 

Any way, it's a simple operation of just making a mold & then filling the mold with Laser Bond, zapping it with UV light for 10 seconds & you have instant lenses.

 

I recently used this method using 2 part epoxy for a mold for the parking light lenses for a '63 Plymouth Fury as well.

 

 

 

Steve

[Casey]

7 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

You can make your own fairly easily with some mold putty & Laser Bond glue.

Is the Laser Bond glue going to discolor over time? That seems to be the main drawback when using non-kit lenses. I cast lenses using Alumilite's Clear Cast, and they yellowed after a few months inside a box, with no exposure to natural light, so unless there are other epoxies which are 100% UV resistant for their lifetime after curing, I would steer clear of them.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Casey said:

Is the Laser Bond glue going to discolor over time? That seems to be the main drawback when using non-kit lenses. I cast lenses using Alumilite's Clear Cast, and they yellowed after a few months inside a box, with no exposure to natural light, so unless there are other epoxies which are 100% UV resistant for their lifetime after curing, I would steer clear of them.

I don't know.

But if nobody tries, we will never know.

I'm willing to be the canary in the coal mine.

 

Steve

[kurth]

Thank you for the explanation. I am going to try this. 

[ChrisBcritter]

One other method that's been successful for me a couple times (on kits with molded-in headlights) is to make a mold of the whole bumper/grille with casting rubber. Then I remove the unit from the mold and drill out the lenses. Finally, I put the bumper/grille back into the mold and fill the lens areas with clear UV resin and cure it. Add buckets and done.

Best thing is the lenses are a perfect fit every time, plus you can use the method to create clear lenses that don't otherwise exist, like I did on this '64 Caddy rear bumper: