Quick GMC

If this is in reference to anything I posted about adhesives, please correct me. I've learned a lot of things over the years from a lot of different people and there are bound to be discrepancies. I think if someone is posting incorrect information, it should be pointed out. I try to learn as much as I can but it doesn't help anyone if it's the wrong info. If someone is offended by being corrected, that their problem, not yours.

Thanks guys. Still have some organizing to do before I can spend any decent time at the bench. I sneaked in an hour or so a couple nights ago to make the generator for my Chevy.

I don't follow racing that much, was he having some hard times or did this come out of nowhere? Sad to hear.

correct, it is the curing and/or drying that creates the shrinkage. Theoretically, once it's dry enough to touch without it being tacky or no longer malleable, it is done shrinking. This can vary with certain products.

Yes, you're correct. You can't lump two part putties together though, because they aren't all the same. 2 part resins shrink because of the binders that are used, and when the curing starts, they pull together much more, like hugging each other, so it contracts as it cures. With hybrid epoxy resins, they don't contain styrene. They can shrink a small amount, but not much, they don't squeeze together like the polyester versions. True 2-part epoxies and urethanes won't shrink Not that any of this matters, just fill the hole and sand it down.

When using two part adhesives, you can accelerate the curing time by mixing it faster or longer, which will generate more heat and accelerate the curing. Any resin, that uses a hardener, can be accelerated with a heat gun (hair dryer is too cool) or an open flame. We use a weed burner propane torch in cold weather. resins are extremely reactive to temperature. The difference in working time can be anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour in the summer/winter. depending on the chemical. Most of the ones used for hobbies or general use are room temperature resins and are designed to be used in that mid range.

It's still a chemical process though. It does dry, because it's not wet any more, but a chemical is evaporating from it, changing the chemical properties. That's how it gets hard, instead of just drying into a brittle dust. Thin set for setting tile is another example. You add water, then the water evaporates, yet it's not just drying, it's curing. It off-gasses.

It still off-gasses. It's curing, different than drying. I may be wrong, I'm not really sure on this one to be honest

The best wash I have used so far is oil paint and turpentine. You have to be a little careful. If you get too much, dry the brush on a towel, then dab the wash, it will suck it right out of the crevice. It won't hurt the paint unless you rub, or scrub the area with the brush.

Accelerating the curing process, which is a chemical process, may result in more shrinkage, and/or a more brittle surface. They are designed to cure a certain way, start messing with that and you may not like the results, or it may be fine. Acrylic and polyester resins use a hardener. There is a ratio you are supposed to follow, but some people add more. It usually around 2-5% hardener ratio to resin. If you add more, it will cure much faster, but it will shrink more and become brittle. Epoxies are different. They are almost always 1:1 or 2:1 ratios. If you veer off from this, it just won't get hard. That's why you get more consistent and accurate results.

I must point out, although it is nit-picky, that drying and curing are two completely different things. While a putty may be dry to the touch, it doesn't mean it is cured. Same thing with polyester resin, some epoxies, etc. Putty shrinks as it cures. Maybe not much, but it does. Just because it feels dry, it doesn't mean is time to sand on it, correct? If it's cured, and ready to sand, it's done shrinking. CA shrinks a bit too if you use the accelerator. It's an acrylic, but a bit different. It's an anaerobic sealer, it cures with the absence of air. It will sit in a cup for an hour without drying or curing, but stick two pieces together tightly and it cures instantly. I use it outside of the modelling industry a lot for surface repair, so I use the accelerator. Putty shrinks, end of story. It shrinks as it cures. After it's cured (not just dry) it's done shrinking. If it cracks or pulls away after that, it could be from the climate, heat, UV light, etc. Resin is not UV stable either, it will yellow, contract or turn brittle when exposed to sun light for a long time. The shrinkage is minor. One way to gauge it is to fill a void or joint in a perfectly flat surface. Fill with putty and trowel it flush with the void or joint. Let it cure. You'll notice it is now concave, or below the surrounding surfaces. I'm no chemist, but I work with adhesives for a living, I have learned a lot over the years.

Ford is HORRIBLE with this type of stuff. on one of the Mustang forums a couple years back, some guys got together to make a calendar, comprised of pictures of their PERSONAL vehicles, then sold at a very reasonable cost to the forum members, to basically cover the cost. They were issued a cease and desist from Ford. This is BS, oil execs should all die in a car accident. I bet we're making a huge dent in their revenue, huh.

Yeah, a few months shy of 5 years now. It wasn't horrible, but it was pretty annoying. I put $3k into my transmission and it took a bit to build, so that absorbed all my play money for a while.

Thousand Palms, about 10 miles East of Palm Springs, 2 hours East of Los Angeles. We are on the I10 freeway, which basically takes them straight back to Houston.

Sorry for the cell phone pics, but I was concentrated on the work ahead. I have been using the $70 steel frame shelving as a bench. very uncomfortable and sharp on the edges. I bought a new bench @ Home Depot with a stainless top for $250. New 4 foot High Output fluorescent light, a shelf and a few other things. I also bought a new fan and will be making a new paint booth. I still have to make the paint booth and organize the shelving a bit I made the paint raicks from 1.5" wood and I ripped some door skins for the front and rear Took the whole weekend new setup Office desk and everything came out of the living room and into the closet. Top closet shelf will be for office supplies 6 foot bench, had the stool already. Stole my wife's makeup facial lamp magnifying glass thingy. Shelf was $12 plus $15 for the brackets. 4 foot light under the shelf. Not super fancy, but clean and level Not too fancy but it's a nice hangout room. We have our office, I have my work space, a bed to relax and watch TV in and much more room in the middle so more comfortable for guests or the dogs to scratch their butts on the floor

The human race sucks in general.

was actually looking at this last night, it's nearly the same size as the generator. I will see if I can address this. I have an extra one to mess with

I took the alternator fan blade from the Scale Details Testarossa PE kit, which is too big for the kit it's made for anyway I started cutting up an extra generator I had I chucked it up in the drill and sanded it a bit. Left is original, right is new. Nice looking piece once the blades are bent in shape. Rough mockup, more details needed original vs. new

It's pretty much one of a kind, with A LOT of money behind it. Stealing it would be a bad idea.

I'll be checking that out tonight for my Galaxy, thanks for the heads up!

I feel I'm fortunate to have realized at an early age to avoid this type of drama and stay away from certain people, including family members. I'm not very articulate with words, so I apologize if I sound a bit crass. I guess what I'm saying is people don't REALLY change in their adult life. Beggars will remain, thieves will always recognize an opportunity and people just are who they are. You can exhaust so much emotional energy trying to please people and mediate situations that the one that suffers is yourself. It's hard to turn and walk away from family and friends, but sometimes it's the best thing you can do, health and emotional wise. My condolences for you loss, I hope you are able to recover quickly. It's not an easy thing to deal with.

I physically get goosebumps every time I see those pictures. I don't even like getting on ladders.

I'm 29, I'm a craftsman. I work with my hands. There aren't alot of people on this planet that do what I do. Not because they can't, but because they don't know it's there. The biggest blow, in my opinion, to industry in general, is the removal of any mehanical application in school. I graduated high school 12 years ago. Seems like a long time, but it was 2001. NO auto shop, NO wood shop, NO drafting, NOTHING. I had to spend $18,000 to get an automotive education. It paid off, although I am no longer in that field. The people in charge are the spoiled kids that had everything handed to them. People that make the most important decisions shouldn't be leaving the house without a helmet. The sad reality is if you don't have a smart phone, email, etc. you cant keep up, at least in my field. I honestly think I'am about 10 years behind where I should be, education and general knowledge wise. It's my own fault, I screwed around in school, but now I like to learn. Build things, etc. You can't blame it all on the parents. When someone turns into an adult, they must accept the responsibility of life, and get their act together. You can only be carried for so long before it's your fault. I swear I spend more time screwing around with my phone and my computer than the time it takes to hand write a proposal and pick up the phone and call someone. My most productive days are the ones when I forget my phone, or throw it against a wall. But why'd you have to drag microwave ovens into this? Hot Pockets are a life saver.

The only reason I had an interest in modelling was watching my dad build his 1/12 57 Chevy. I got into it when I was young, built a dozen glue bombs, then didn't touch them again for 10+ years. I am 29 now and have been back at it off and on for 6 years. The reason I got back in was spotting a 57 Chevy at the hobby shop when going in for RC car stuff. If I had never been sat down and shown how to build a model, I wouldn't be building now. I'm not sure he really meant to force your kids to sit down and build with you, but expose them to the hobby. Let them know it's there, show them how fun it can be and let them decide on their own. If I had never been shown and exposed to it, I would have never built one, I know that for certain. I have ditched RC cars completely for model building. One of the reasons was the cost of RC cars, but It's no better with modelling, but more fun to me.

I'm pretty sure this is what's inside: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2011/12/25/7579Risi062PLM2011.jpg