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1964 Pontiac Grand Prix


StevenGuthmiller

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2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Or, I could do them this way.

More fragile to work with, but actually easier to make and closer to how they should look.

 

What do you guys think?

I'll begin to "mass produce" them once I make a decision.

 

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Steve

 

 

Only if you they come with the knob on the handle.... ?

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Thanks guys!

 

2 hours ago, CabDriver said:

I like both types of knob!  Really nice work on those - are the second version made from styrene bar?  I couldn’t quite tell if it was round bar or flat sheet from the pics.

Either way, nice job as usual!

The base of the crank and knob are just thin slices of styrene rod.

The center "arm" are just two pieces of thinly stretched sprue cemented to the base.

The knob is just positioned at this time, but cementing it will improve the strength of the part.

 

I'm going to continue to refine these ideas and decide which route to take.

 

 

 

 

Steve

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19 hours ago, Bucky said:

Both look very nice. I'd prolly make a bunch of each and store them for future builds. I recently made some similar to your first one here. I need to sit down and make some more.

Agreed! Once you have the supplies out and are into the rhythm..  I do that with repetitive small items. Last time I added plastic thickness to MCG photo etch seat belt buckles, I did enough for 3-4 cars. I was doing them for 3 pickups anyway! Same with making my own distributors. I made 2 more for 6 cylinders the last time! 

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2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Agreed! Once you have the supplies out and are into the rhythm..  I do that with repetitive small items. Last time I added plastic thickness to MCG photo etch seat belt buckles, I did enough for 3-4 cars. I was doing them for 3 pickups anyway! Same with making my own distributors. I made 2 more for 6 cylinders the last time! 

I agree Tom.

I usually fiddle around with fabricating a part that has to be replicated many times until I get it the way I want it, and then I start making the individual components and start the assembly line.

 

My problem is that sometimes during the fabricating stage, I can't stop myself from changing the part numerous times before I'm satisfied, making the part more difficult to mass produce.

I've already added another small detail to the base and knob by drilling a small shallow hole in each to add some more depth to the part.

 

Somebody stop me! :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

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6 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Somebody stop me! :D

No way!  I wanna see how this turns out! ???

I liked seeing how you’re going about making these - I would have made them COMPLETELY differently, and hopefully got to the same point as you did anyway ?.  I think I would’ve tried some kind of wire or metal rod and bent it around a little jig...not that there’s any specific benefit to that way at all - just interesting to see other people hit the same end-point via a different route.  Very cool Steve!

I seem to recall seeing some photoetch (maybe from Detail Master?) that had that same shape and design crank, but obviously they’d be flat so your way is better than those too! 

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On 6/27/2020 at 4:42 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

Thanks so much guys!

 

 

I was getting ready to start casting some window cranks for the interior, but I was curious as to how difficult it would be to scratch build some.

Surprisingly, they're quite easy to fabricate using some styrene rod and strips.

They won't be exactly the same as the '64 Pontiac cranks would be, but they should give a crisper look than the cast cranks that I usually make.

I might use a slightly smaller rod for the knobs.

 

I'll keep you posted on how they go.

 

Steve

 

 

 

Dang, I've tried to make those and just don't have the skills to make more than one acceptable copy.   And my frustration level escalates too quickly.   So I've given up trying for now.   I can't even make a good set of PE cranks - they are too flat and I ust can't gfet them to look right.   Glad you are able to bring us details like this to marvel over.   Loving this build.  Thanks for sharing.

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Thank you guys!!

 

For the time being, I've decided that I need to move on to the polishing of the body.

 

Why do I polish?

Well, in short, it's because I'm not a good enough painter to get a perfect paint job straight from the can or air brush.

But these photos will illustrate that you do not need to have expert painting skills to achieve a great finish.

 

All that is required is some elbow grease and some time.

 

I often get asked how I get my paint jobs so uniform and shiny?

There is no secret.

Just a little extra effort.

 

Before:

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After:

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Steve

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Thanks guys!

 

Haven't had much time to spend in the shop lately, but I have managed to carve out a few minutes here and there to get a little work done on the interior door handles and cranks.

 

Just one door handle and a couple of rear window cranks left to do.

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Also managed to throw together an automatic shift lever.

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Steve

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On 7/8/2020 at 7:42 PM, Scott8950 said:

Nice work Steve.

Thanks Scott!

 

 

I hit a little snag recently with a sheet of BMF with insufficient adhesive, but a new sheet arrived yesterday, so I'm back on track.

Managed to get a little over half of the body foiled.

 

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Steve

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