My parent's 1960 VW Beetle

[Zoom]

Looks really nice!

[89AKurt]

1 hour ago, Zoom said:

Looks really nice!

Thank you!

Painted the thermos with a custom mix adjusting until I was happy with the color, but didn't wish to rush by adding chrome.

Detailed the cooler with foil from a baking soda lid (I think), and guitar string.  I got Coca-Cola decals some time ago for another project, so I'm set for life.

[espo]

Amazing details on the thermos and the cooler. 

[89AKurt]

11 hours ago, espo said:

Amazing details on the thermos and the cooler. 

Appreciate your comment!  Really easy, compared to painting the speedometer.

I whipped out this jig, hoping it would help to paint the chrome evenly around the thermos.  I should have done only the bottom, and come back tomorrow, but NO, had to force making it look used.  

Needed a safe place to keep the Coke cooler, and now I'm tempted to make another one because it fits perfect!  

[mod3l Lover]

   I just love-love-love this build Kurt!!  All those little details (literally)

are what are making this soooo much fun to follow!!

  And that cooler does look perfect in that custom 959!!

    Nice stuff sir,

     David S.

[Jonathan]

Beautiful work.

Where do you get the Corian?  Scrapes from Lowe's / Home Depot?

[espo]

I still have a thermos I bought over 30 years ago that looks exactly like the one you created. I have to say these thing are almost indestructible.   

[89AKurt]

On 1/29/2019 at 7:49 PM, mod3l Lover said:

   I just love-love-love this build Kurt!!  All those little details (literally)

are what are making this soooo much fun to follow!!

  And that cooler does look perfect in that custom 959!!

    Nice stuff sir,

     David S.

Thank you, appreciate it.

On 1/30/2019 at 6:37 AM, Jonathan said:

Beautiful work.

Where do you get the Corian?  Scrapes from Lowe's / Home Depot?

Thank you too!  It depends on the shop, in my case one cabinet shop charged me for 2' x 2' of my choice, because I did some remodel in my kitchen.  The last time, the custom cabinet shop gave me the offcuts, more than a lifetime supply, but I had no choice on color.  I recommend visiting a local shop listed as 'cabinets' and/or 'countertops' in the "Yellow Pages", not Home Deephole, explain what you are doing.  They usually throw out the sink cutouts, for example, so timing is everything.

56 minutes ago, espo said:

I still have a thermos I bought over 30 years ago that looks exactly like the one you created. I have to say these thing are almost indestructible.   

That's too funny, the metal was thick, not easily dented like today's vacuum bottles.

[cobraman]

Great work ! A very fun project to watch come together.

[mod3l Lover]

  Kurt, talking about that thermos, did you ever see the

movie "The Accountant" with Ben Affleck?

  He has a thermos almost just like that in there!! 

Cool movie!!!!

      David S.

[89AKurt]

12 hours ago, cobraman said:

Great work ! A very fun project to watch come together.

Thank you!  I see you like Cobras, I just got my first kit last week, only because it was given to me, and I love the movie Gumball Rally.  I also saw the museum in Boulder (or close to).

11 hours ago, mod3l Lover said:

  Kurt, talking about that thermos, did you ever see the movie "The Accountant" with Ben Affleck?

  He has a thermos almost just like that in there!! 

[...]

Have not.  I see some major detail differences, that would take massive scratch-building skills to modify.  

[89AKurt]

One step forward, two steps back, just to show I struggle sometimes when building too.  I had messed up the body paint, Samuel Lee saw this and sent me an email to consult.  I applied it too much at a time, I'm used to Testors where you need to really squirt it on.  I did many passes with quick mists, and that seems to be the trick!  I wet sanded, instead of taking off all the paint with brake fluid.  It's not going to be perfect, but the skis should distract and disguise.    I also saw a Bug for sale in town, took some pictures for reference.

Since I did this, added a slight curve on the taillights, see it?    I had also messed up the edges of the taillights because I mounted them onto tape, so the edges chipped off when the tape was removed, so I used Elmers to stick inside which also acts like a mask, because the inside has the lens detail.  Crazy double thinking of how to handle those parts!   I also did something I learned on this forum in the past week, scribed the door jambs and painted black before painting.

Added another detail, something only I will know about, a horn.  Used Corian again, starting with the drill press I worked down one end enough to fit in the Dremel, then I turned it using a used #11.  The picture was when I was happy with the unit, then I turned down the back to almost 1 MM before it broke off.  Cut and drilled aluminum plate for the mount.

The reason for the horn, when I was checking out the real Bug, I *had to* open up the tiny oval grills.  I know there are aftermarket photo-etch parts out there, these being one item.  But look at the real thing, not flat.  And I've blown enough money on this project, plus there isn't the "Volkswagen" script on those parts, only the $100+ High Tech Gunze Sangyo kit.

Can anyone tell I hate brush painting?  

[MrObsessive]

So that's what those little 'grilles' are! All these years and I never paid attention to what those were for!

One distinct thing I can remember about VW's is that brake "squeal' that they did when they were slowing down. A young fellow I work with who wouldn't remember these when they were all over the place in the '60's and '70's has a '67. He said they didn't do that, but I distinctly remember hearing more than a few sound like that and these were not old Bugs.

Wasn't that a characteristic of those or did I just happen to hear a Bug (or Karmann Ghia) that had worn brake shoes??

Another one of those distinct sounds that I can remember along with Mopars starting and the sound of a Corvair when it was starting!

Edited February 1, 2019 by MrObsessive

[Spex84]

Beautiful work on the cooler and thermos! I really want to copy them...I have a thermos much like that, purchased from a garage sale. My parents and grandparents had them too--but theirs are more green than blue. I always assumed they were 60s-vintage.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Spex84

[89AKurt]

13 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

So that's what those little 'grilles' are! All these years and I never paid attention to what those were for!

One distinct thing I can remember about VW's is that brake "squeal' that they did when they were slowing down. [...]

Wasn't that a characteristic of those or did I just happen to hear a Bug (or Karmann Ghia) that had worn brake shoes?? [...] 

That sort of detail is what Tamiya addressed with the chrome parts, on other kits it is molded onto the body, and faintly to boot.
My '69 Chevy pickup drum brakes squeaked after I got them done, would guess it's typical of drum brakes.

11 hours ago, Spex84 said:

Beautiful work on the cooler and thermos! I really want to copy them...I have a thermos much like that, purchased from a garage sale. My parents and grandparents had them too--but theirs are more green than blue. I always assumed they were 60s-vintage.

Thanks!  I've considered making molds, and copy my parts.  But they aren't difficult to make.

I have painted Deft clear on the body, came out okay.  I sprayed Testors clear earlier, which remains under the hood and interior, and discovered it peeled off with the masking tape in tiny spots, not noticeable, but still annoying.  Now this stage is done, it's a HUGE relief, and will resist touching the body for at least a week.   Doing the ski equipment should be enough, looked for pictures of vintage ski boots this morning, got Milliput yesterday so will give that a try.  I also ordered 0.15" clear plastic sheet, and Bare Metal Foil.

[Dann Tier]

These are some OUTSTANDING mods!!!.....again, my kind of craziness!!

[MrObsessive]

Kurt, I love the color! That so says "VW".

You're making want to start on that '63 VW kit I got the other day.............warts and all!

[89AKurt]

1 hour ago, Dann Tier said:

These are some OUTSTANDING mods!!!.....again, my kind of craziness!!

Thank you Dann, considering you are an inspiration, and are into the same subjects as me, means a lot.   The ski rack should be fun.

1 hour ago, MrObsessive said:

Kurt, I love the color! That so says "VW".

You're making want to start on that '63 VW kit I got the other day.............warts and all!

That's an understatement.  LOL  It's really close to the Ford pickup my dad also owned.  Glad to be injecting some inspiration in you, that's what this forum is all about.

Might as well show a teaser shot of his pickup.  He wrote an article for Ford Times about a little day trip in the Grand Canyon, where you would get arrested today for driving.   I have the resin conversion and donor kit (actually have two of these, and already built 3!).  So it looks like the paint should work for it too.

[Dann Tier]

58 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Thank you Dann, considering you are an inspiration, and are into the same subjects as me, means a lot.   The ski rack should be fun.

That's an understatement.  LOL  It's really close to the Ford pickup my dad also owned.  Glad to be injecting some inspiration in you, that's what this forum is all about.

Might as well show a teaser shot of his pickup.  He wrote an article for Ford Times about a little day trip in the Grand Canyon, where you would get arrested today for driving.   I have the resin conversion and donor kit (actually have two of these, and already built 3!).  So it looks like the paint should work for it too.

I think we inspire each other!!

 

[Russell C]

1 hour ago, Dann Tier said:

I think we inspire each other!!

Kurt's just that kind of inspiring guy. In following his thread here, it prompted me to get off staring at my photo alteration idea for my possible GSL-XXVII Common Kit category entry, and start sawin'. Further allows me to finally make some use of the bottom of the curbside engine in the Fijimi Koenig Porsche kit that's been rattling around in my parts box for around two decades. Time is short, though, the end of April will be here before we know it.

[89AKurt]

14 hours ago, Russell C said:

Kurt's just that kind of inspiring guy. [...] Time is short, though, the end of April will be here before we know it.

[...]

Thank you for blaming me for inspiring you too!  Yes, time flies when having fun, so that's why I'm in possessed mode now.    Good luck in accomplishing your goal.

[89AKurt]

Worked on two details, that use some favorite materials, guitar string and insurance bumper stickers.  For the taillights I used the chrome part of the AAA sticker to make the trim ring (this would be a nice photo-etch part to make).  Instead of painting red for clear parts, I use the reflective Farmers Insurance sticker (sometimes I also use the AAA red part), in this case stuck onto a plastic backer, which was then superglued (two tiny drops did it) inside the housing.   I did touch up with clear red in the white line area, the part lens texture disguises that.


The second picture used the flash, so you can see how the light, well, lights up.

Since the '60 Beetle had only the left side mirror, and it was round, I cut off the part's mount which is too fat anyway, and cut a length of .012" guitar string (wire), bent with appropriate pliers, drilled with the tiny drill very carefully, but I still nicked the paint.    I also used a Detail Master photo-etch washer.

[89AKurt]

Ski poles are done!  Also squirted a second clear coat hoping it would be smoother.

I glued the turn signals onto wood sticks with Titebond glue, sticks good, and part breaks off when you need it.  Mototow chrome pen used there.

I made a tiny quarter round chisel from an old #11 blade, because I wasn't happy with the process making the first pole basket.  I used the 0.5 MM mechanical pencil to punch the hole first, then lightly marked the four straps, which I then cut with the knife, then I punched with the customized blade.  I folded the basket over the photo-etch ring (Replicas & Miniatures of MD).  Used photo-etch nuts with the baskets.  Painted the long pole with Alclad chrome, brush painted the red poles.  Got the other pair of skis shaped, next are bindings.

[89AKurt]

Ski bindings for my dad's skis are done.  I used most of my tools for this part!  The primary material is aluminum newspaper printing plate.  I also used guitar string, fine solder wire, photo-etch nuts, and wine bottle foil.

I have no idea what the graphic design on mom's skis are, could only see the tip.  Made a pair of gloves from wine bottle foil, since I was airbrushing semi-gloss black, they will be on the seat.  I looked for vintage skis online, not much out there, so will use a similar looking binding for reference.

[cobraman]

Wow ! Incredible.