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Everything posted by Russell C
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A nice place to live.
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Any “diet” pop (soda) worth trying out there?
Russell C replied to Monty's topic in The Off-Topic Lounge
Or 1 or two a week. What I do since I am both on the poor side and also could never drink an entire can in a single sitting, I buy the grocery store cheapo brand flavors like orange. lemon lime, or cherry cola in the one liter bottles. I take a swig out of 'em when I feel like a taste, the bottle usually lasts three or so weeks. On top of that, I hate it when I accidentally buy a diet version because I didn't look closely at the label, I have to add sugar to 'em. Worse was the last bottle of orange flavor where I thought they'd just redesigned the label to look more trendy, and after I drank just a little of it, I thought the quality at the cheapo bottling plant had finally gone unacceptably over the cliff. Then I looked closely at the label - "zero sugar." Had to add a half cup of sugar to that one and a bunch of teaspoons of Tang mix to it so that I wouldn't have to throw it out. (yeah, I'm that short of money, can't even throw away a buck & a quarter) -
Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 steamed through my town today...
Russell C replied to NitroMarty's topic in The Off-Topic Lounge
Only seen 'em in 2D videos, must be a hoot to see one live, in 3D! -
Trained graphic artist that I am, I must get myself one of these 3D printers someday … time and cash shortage just doesn't allow it at the present time. 3D printing was still more or less in its infancy back in the mid-late 1990s when I applied for work at a couple places that were using these things to make prototype parts, but I never got hired do do that. My question, since I don't know enough about what virtual artwork is used, is how easy it is to alter the virtual engines to become fantasy ones? Right now I'm doing it the old fashioned way with a Willys Go-Devil engine, turning it into a straight 5 just for laugh's sake via extra plastic on the block ends and one cut-shorter Lincoln V12 flathead. I had a bit more fun with the pure fantasy GM slant 7 in my Red Baron build. But when it comes to something like your above Ford straight 6, or something else like a Viper V10, how easy or difficult wold it be to create a fantasy Ford straight 7 or 8, or an abbreviated "Vipe V6" or comically extended Viperrrrr V14 … or to create any other variety of engine you already print where cylinders could be added or subtracted?
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My irk: the neighbor right across the street. The ancient saying about "children should be seen and not heard" applies to neighbors as well. Best neighbors there are, in my opinion, are folks you occasionally chat with over the fence, they keep an eye on your place when you are away, they'll give you the shirts off their backs in dire emergencies, and you do the same with them. They don't do anything weird, no need to be concerned about what they do. Neighbor across the street is increasingly unable to keep the noise contained, and what I see going on over there (including the person's visiting relatives) is increasingly more irrational when it comes to various activity they wouldn't do if they had any common sense. The activity way late at night is more suspicious lately - this morning, for the first time ever, it woke me up at 2:30am. This is the type of thing to be concerned about, where if it gets further out of hand, their problems start becoming everyone else's to deal with. Such as, do I need to keep my garden hose fully out so that when they finally set their house ablaze, I can quickly put out the sparks landing on my roof.
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What did you see on the road today?
Russell C replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Took me a while to find it, couldn't remember the name of it other than it had something to do with being a 'sorta' Mack truck replica: Elite Enterprises "Mini Mac" https://fiberclassics.org/elite-enterprises-vw-kit-cars/ -
On my 911 avatar, it's cut straight out of one of those ritzy magazines of luxury home photoshoots, where the dark wood was some guy's cherrywood bar. I forget what the light strips were, but from the same magazine, doubleside sticky taped to my wagon. Tape is still holding strong from 1988.
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Making Tracks
Russell C replied to Chariots of Fire's topic in WIP: Model Trucks: Big Rigs and Heavy Equipment
There's a way to do them wrong in 1:1. Over a decade back when I worked at a steel foundry, one of the jobs was to cast huge track pieces for some open pit mine dragline shovel or something. When molten metal cools, it shrinks a bit, so when the open bolt holes are part of the casting pattern, those holes need to be in the right place after the metal cools, for final machining to be done. Problem was, when the tracks for this job were all pinned/bolted together, instead of laying out in a nice perfect straight line, there was a gradual curve happening, I saw that myself when they were laid out alongside the pattern shop. My boss, the pattern shop foreman was blamed for not planning for the right kind of vents to go into the sand cast patterns, thus causing improper shrinkage. He blamed the metallurgist for not factoring the right mixture of whatever went into the steel to ensure predictable shrink results. Most intense hostile shouting match I'd ever seen in a workplace. Tens of thousands of dollars (maybe more!) of tracks that had to be completely scrapped, there was no way to fix the curve problem. My boss ultimately quit rather than sign acceptance for causing this foul-up. -
A new model car magazine
Russell C replied to bobthehobbyguy's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Aha, I wasn't imagining things about a 'bed' covering over those dually wheels, and I did actually see his photos here at MCM of that one after all, but my, how time flies and how memory locations fade. Sure would love to see a ground level front view. Forgot all about his '53 Chev "Road Pig", too. (still luv your '51 Chev IMSA!) -
What would YOU like to see as a model
Russell C replied to JeroenM3's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
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A new model car magazine
Russell C replied to bobthehobbyguy's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
In their website Gallery photos is the "CatIMSA", an early '70s Chevy truck done racecar style. I'd surfed across one or two partial teaser photos of that one 5-10 years ago, might have been here at MCM, but never found the full set of all-around photos. I think it had a bed on the back, but that could be a faulty memory on my part. Anyone know who the builder is, and if it was featured anywhere long ago? -
'57 El Nomado
Russell C replied to customline's topic in WIP: Model Trucks: Pickups, Vans, SUVs, Light Commercial
Jury might still be out on that approach. Was wondering about the idea myself over the years from seeing the pickup conversions where the cab roof just looked stubby. With the straight side-on view, couldn't resist doing a quick photo alteration to see if the quarter window could work. -
Foreign Car Gasser Idea's
Russell C replied to Zippi's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
While this would need the nose aimed toward the sky and a straight axle underneath, it gets the basic sacrilege idea across. https://www.speedhunters.com/2013/07/thats-how-we-rolls-racing-like-royalty/ Now, if somebody would do a Corniche or Silver Shadow kit in 24th/25th scale .... (well, there is the Franklin Mint diecast in that scale) -
Volvo Sow 4x4 Pilot Replicas 1:35 full resin kit
Russell C replied to Ulf's topic in Truck Kit News & Reviews
My problem is I invariably see vehicles that aren't there. 35th scale? Makes me wonder if this idea I've had for these Volvos rattling around in my brain is one increment more doable ... or if the 32nd scale Monogram (now re-released as a Revell) Mack truck hood/fenders would be too oversized to work on this car. -
Let's See Some Glue Bombs!
Russell C replied to Snake45's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Got a soft heart for down-on-their-luck, 2 time price-reduced eBay gluebombs (happened once before) that seem destined for the trash by frustrated sellers if a 3rd relisting gets no bidders. Single bidder last week at $5 +$6 shipping, arrived in the mail today. I can see where the long-ago builder was headed with this idea, but the rear wheel openings not being aesthetically far enough back might have been a frustration for someone with limited skills. Could've been aiming for a wheelstander dragster look, too, I suppose (no clue what kit engine had those Imperial valve covers). Me, from dabbling in photo-altering of one of its eBay photos while I waited through the auction, I think it can be salvaged by filling in/reopening the rear wheel areas farther back, moving the hood's back edge farther forward, dropping in a windshield (from some other to-be-determined body donor victim), moving the reduced size engine vent openings forward, and the center body sills up. Shades of bathtub Porsche 356 and/or Miata targa top. Or something. Save the gluebombs! -
Buick Riviera Nailhead valve covers
Russell C replied to Modlbldr's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
My problem is I'm seeing either "D E E L M A E R" or "O E B L K /\ B K". And now I'm feeling dizzy ... -
Many thanks to our MCM member "rattle can man" for sending his '37 Chev grille and the surfer part of the lower decal sheet he had no need for, So, I could still use a minimum of one sheet of the top decal sheet in my initial post, if not two so that I could put three "Lemon Grove" logos on the surf truck project I have going.
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Glued together the WWII-era Jeep frame today from an Italeri 24th scale Fire Jeep kit that I'd had in my parts pile since the 1990s (better late than never). Clamped on the axles temporarily to prevent the thing from turning into spiral parallelogram, now it'll sit overnight on a glass plate with a flat weight on top. The sink marks in the frame are covered over with super thin sheet plastic - they'll resemble welded-on patches to repair cracks. As for the Willys "Go Devil" engine, yesterday I chiseled off the simplistic molded-on starter / distributor / oil fill pipe (will replace 'em with better ones later) and lengthened both ends of the block, so today I finessed the edges to square up (or rectangle-up, I guess) with a now-shortened '41 Lincoln head I had leftover from a Danbury Continental diecast parts pile. Also lopped off the spark plug ends today and used a ball cutter to grind in clean divots for the plug wire holes that I'll drill in later. I figure if I can use up every last random part I've gotten over the years, put 'em all into finished projects, then I can quit model building. It'll take a while .. I've accumulated a lot of parts. ?
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I always enjoy some Ferrari sacrilege.
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Ah, the good ol' days of jacked up street machines. They were everywhere back in my day. Surprised the customer didn't ask for sidepipes on it.