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Die cast body modification


NOBLNG

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What is the best way to re-shape a body. This Willys pickup has a completely flat windshield. It should have a peak in the center. Will regular solder work? What kind of flux is needed. I saw this stuff on the net and it looks like it may be the ticket if normal solder won’t work. Anyone have any experience with it? Thanks in advance for any insights. Greg

https://www.muggyweld.com/product/super-alloy-1/

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1 hour ago, randyc said:

Is this what you're looking for?  Very similar, but the builder didn't peak his either.  https://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/forums/bulletinboard/viewMessage.asp?id=410747&start=410747  I believe I'd let it ride.  But I understand that might not be suitable to you as builder.

 

Wow. Now that is talent, and perseverance!

The roof has been raised, the cowl re-shaped and fitted with an opened vent. The windshield area has been enlarged, 'veed' slightly, and fitted with a frame gasket. The rear of the cab is fitted with a new back panel shape featuring a wider window, waist high horizontal rib detail, and an indented lower panel. The front fenders now have the correct 'beaked' front peak and a wider front valence panel. In fact, the only components on the entire model I didn't fabricate or extensively modify are the tires (Scenes Unlimited) and the headlight lenses and bezels.“ 

The builder did put the proper peak into it. You can clearly see it in the last picture of all of the primed parts. Also in one pic you can see the windshield frame does not lay down flat on the table. I was afraid everyone would suggest bondo, or living with it.? I can live with most of the other inaccuracies, but the windshield isn’t one of them.

Edited by NOBLNG
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1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

I apologize. I shall refrain from offering you assistance or ideas from now on. 

Hey, I do appreciate the suggestion, and I may wind up taking your advice if a metal repair isn’t possible. I was just thinking that with die casts being so popular that someone may know how to do it?
Greg.

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43 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

All American Models did this truck in resin pens ago.  His stuff does show up for resale, especially on the ‘bay

Thanks, I’ll keep my eye open. Do you know what it’s like? RMR list the wagon as out of stock on their website (and the windshield is not correct). They also list a 50-59 Pickup as out of stock, and no picture of it even.

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1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

Thanks, I’ll keep my eye open. Do you know what it’s like? RMR list the wagon as out of stock on their website (and the windshield is not correct). They also list a 50-59 Pickup as out of stock, and no picture of it even.

I have one so I can pull it out to check. It was mastered off the diecast sedan delivery,  AAM did both a pickup and wagon.  

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Thanks Tom. That looks like a really nice casting, but it does look to be a flat windshield too. I think the roof of my die-cast could be lightly coerced out to the proper angle, but the cowl will require some type of filler to build it up. I was hoping for a metal solution, as I am worried about adhesion issues, but that sounds increasingly futile.

Edited by NOBLNG
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Greg, JB Weld is your friend.  I have done extensive modifications on diecast with JB Weld and it is awesome stuff.  It is a metal based epoxy and sticks like you wouldn't believe.  You can file it, sand it, paint it and according to some point of sale stuff I read, you can even drill and tap it!

Here are some photos of an AU Falcon Cobra that I build for my good friend Dale in Louisville Kentucky.  These photos were taken seven years after I finished the model and gave it to him. The model started out as a 1/43 scale diecast replica of the V8 Supercar Falcon four door sedan . The Cobra was a two door hardtop from around 1978 and as Dale lives and breaths Falcons, i wanted to make him this 1998 version.

After cutting away the B and C pillars, I put this model in a vice and gently squeezed the roof down until i got the fastback roofline I was after.  I then spread the JB Weld around the pillars and left it overnight to dry. 

The original Cobra is renowned for its bulging, Torino like rear quarters so I then wrapped the rear tyres in sticky tape, mounted them in the right spot and applied more JB weld over the rear quarters. After everything was dry I carefully pried the tyres out of the quarters and then filed and sanded it all to shape.

So here it is, over seven years after it was finished ( it would be ten years old now) and the normal Duplicolor primer and Tamiya white paint is still perfect.  There are no cracks or shrinkage after all this time.  

And consider this - the only thing holding the rear of the roof in place, against the tension of its original position, is the JB Weld. Diecast does have some elasticity but everything is still exactly where I glued it.

Although this was one of my most dramatic builds, I have built many other smaller models as well and have never had a failure of any sort.  You can trust this stuff!

Cheers

Alan

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Ay, Snake, whattya got your knickers in a knot about this time, eh?  Ol' mate Greg probably thought JB Weld sounded fair enough, but wanted some fair dinkum proof.  You must have a few emus loose in ya top paddock, if ya ask me!   Why don't we throw a few prawns on the barbie, grab a tinnie and have a go, mate!

Actually, sounds like jealousy to me, because as we all know, your American girls luuuuurve our accent!!!

Thanks for a great laugh so early in the morning Snake.  No worries, we still love ya!

Cheers

Alan

 

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Hey Alan, I ever tell you I do a fabulous Mel Gibson impression? 

It's so good it even works in print. Here ya go: 

Oil drave thet tinkuh! 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

BTW, I'm STILL trying to find that article about the street rod Fiat. I KNOW I have it somewhere--just cant FIND the thing! :angry:

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/13/2020 at 9:16 AM, Snake45 said:

Huh. You weren't interested when I suggested J-B Weld. :lol:

Maybe everything sounds better with an Australian accent. B):lol::lol::lol:

This J-B weld you speak of...does it come in two tubes, or is it a two part clay type stuff like Milliput or Tamiya? I have some J-B Kwik in the tubes but it can’t be the same stuff you use. I did a test with the three of them and the JB is still quite soft after 2 days and can be peeled off. It doesn’t adhere well at all. The Milliput is rock hard and sticks well. The Tamiya is still a little soft (I can dent it with my fingernail) but seems to adhere as well or better than the Milliput.

Thanks, Greg.

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Edited by NOBLNG
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The J-B Weld comes in 2 tubes, white and black. It's mixed 50-50 and ends up an even medium gray. Takes 12-24 hours to cure to a very hard and adhesive patch. 

The problem is either your stuff is "Kwik," or you didn't mix it correctly. I suspect the former. What you describe is typical of 5-minute epoxies--they never "dry" enough to be be sanded. 

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Yeah, the stuff I have says it sets in four minutes (gotta out-do the 5 min. epoxy guys?) I will pick up some of the regular stuff and do another test, but I am fairly impressed with the Milliput.

Thanks, Greg

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Apparently die cast can be soldered if it is copper plated first. I came across a couple of youtube videos where they used a copper plating kit from Micro Mark and then regular solder. I don’t think it would work very well for the amount I want to add, so I will likely stick with the Milliput or J-B.

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  • 11 months later...

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