-
Posts
1,851 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Everything posted by Russell C
-
I built this one way back in 1991 for a club theme contest where we had to build "a vehicle for sale". I figured nobody was expecting anything this small. The kit is a model railroad N-scale '34 Ford, and as can be seen from this first photo which I snagged off eBay, there's only 4 pieces to the kit. Really primitive. I hollowed out the cab, and wiped out the passenger side door purposely so I could hang a crooked scratchbuilt new one made from clear sheet material. It has a very narrow bit of scotch tape to simulate the beltline, and a tiny bit of wire for the door handle. The interior has a scratchbuilt steering wheel, and some scrap bits to simulate the remains of a seat base. The gear shift lever is either very fine wire or heat-stretched sprue, I forget which. To simulate a bent-open tank compartment door and partly open hood, I gouged away the metal and simulated those panels with the same clear sheet material. The "4 sale" sign is just stiff dirty paper, marked with a fine marker pen. I 'lathe-turned' the headlight buckets, horn and wheels/tires on my motor tool. I'll have to do up a photo tutorial to show how easy it is to make small plastic parts like that from scratch. No need to own an expensive lathe to create such things. The headlight cross bar is stretched sprue, so that the headlight buckets could be solidly glued onto it. The weeds are also heat-stretched sprue, yellow plastic pulled to hair-thin thickness, wound into tight ovals, stuffed into holes in the base, then the tops were cut off which resulted in the toothbrush bristle look. The tumble weeds under the truck are wadded up (and glued to hold that shape) stretched sprue, placed there to hide the rods that holds the truck to the base. The 'dirt' is a combination of tan paint heavily sprayed onto the base and then immediately covered with extremely fine windblown dust gathered from a roadside curb. The wood base was a cheap craftstore pine item, stained to look like better quality wood. I forget exactly what paint I used, probably an airbrushed model railroad color with a bit more work with watercolor brown and tan and some dust rubbed into it to get it looking like good ol' out-west rust patina. Handy thing with derelict vehicles, you aren't obligated to create windows.....
-
Where can I find a . . . ?
Russell C replied to Greg Myers's topic in Links to Aftermarket Suppliers
Appears the domain registry lapsed or something. But using the internet archive web site, you can still view what used to be at that site: http://web.archive.org/web/20110622062249/http://straightlinemodeler.org/parts/parts.html -
Aaargh. Zip ties are what holds the aftermarket used '88 grille on my current ride, a 1986 with 300k miles now (plastic odo gear broke right after I got it, so it sill says 86k. Yes, indeed, I would have rather had what I have now as a first car instead of the truck I had in high school. More fun than some ordinary boringmobile. I avoid going offroad for my Colorado vacations like I used to (a bit tough on vehicles not intended for such things), but mine is still a hoot to drive on the curvy paved roads. Remember to keep the shiny side up on yours, and you'll have many happy times.
-
That one, plus 6 others relating to '70s era Chevy Blazers.... and I got roped into being the #2 moderator at the Blazer Chalet / GMC Jimmy Casa Grande owners' & enthusiasts forum.
-
3D printing growing as we speak
Russell C replied to bbowser's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I want a 3-D printed Buckaroo Banzai Jet Car. -
Then there's the integral sleeper version....
-
Found this at Home Depot today
Russell C replied to KingSix's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I favor "dust art" cars, being that it takes a bit more talent to create one..... -
Cheapo junk mail adhesive-backed chrome mylar sticker material from a particular auto club is what I use. Various stickers are smooth all the way across instead of being partially textured, with enough material for sideview & interior mirrors, plus random reflectors for taillights & front turnsignals.
-
A BETTER WAY TO SEARCH THIS SITE
Russell C replied to Ace-Garageguy's topic in Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials
And for those of us who can't read (like me), use that trick under Google's Image search option. Like this. -
Your favourite Box art
Russell C replied to HotRodaSaurus's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
-
Truly demented. If only I had more time, I'd love to make models of the Ghostbusters VW and the silver Prowler SUV.
-
Watched a program last night about Windsor Castle, I have the model car part of it cued to start at the 19:50 point of it - that bit is much too short. A little web surfing turned up this site for the castle itself and specifically Queen Mary's doll house, where if you click on the link at the bottom of that page and rummage around a bit, you can end up on one for the garage and another for the Rolls Royce model. Pre-1925 stuff here, imagine haveing a model car in your collection that is around 90 years old....
-
Quick question about contest judging...
Russell C replied to Rick's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
The ultimate perfect scale model would be one that could be magically brought up to full actual size and be indistinguishable from a genuine vehicle. So, my vote would favor the model with a filled-in firewall even if the hood now was a hingeless mass of sheet metal. You'd at least be a step ahead of your competitors on that particular detal, with the next goal of figuring out a way to make functioning hinges closer to scale size. Other simpler little details might call for attention before something more elaborate. For example, hollow out flat areas where clear color taillight and fron turn signal lenses are glued on and cover those areas with adhesive-backed chrome mylar sticker material so that the lights come alive with depth. -
I never paid all that much attention to 'em, but from the photo below of my former Chalet and from a quick glance at other '77 & '76 Chalets in my mega-pile of photos, I can say at least these two years of GM 4x4 Blazers & Jimmys had 10 slot 6 lug rally wheels. If I ever get to making a factory replica stock of one of these, I'll have to figure out how to make these wheels or hope someone has already done so. At least from my full size vehicle, I learned the difference between the emblems & colors of the center caps on '76s & '77s (except now I wonder if the background circle was black from the factory or painted that way by a prior owner...)
-
My condolences. But your thread asks a question, and if I may, here's something I hope will help: Assuming you have not already seen it, find a way to watch the 2000 Tom Hanks movie "Cast Away". It is much less about some guy cast away on a deserted island as it is an eye-opener for anyone who has experienced some kind of major loss and is wondering what to do next. Most people see the answer to that near the end of that movie.
-
Meanwhile, what if the artist for this original sketch had gone beyond lowering it and hot rodding it?
-
Looking for detailed photos.
Russell C replied to 58 Impala's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Looks like my search thingy couldn't count past six without taking its shoes off..... -
Top Fuel isn't my specialty by any means, so I had to refer to a bunch of various photos to be moderately sure I was plumbing & detailing it realistically. A fun diversion back in 1998 for me.
-
How big is your work table ?
Russell C replied to Fender's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
That's the old Gowland & Gowland 1:32 scale '29 Duesenberg, a glue bomb which my dad bought at a garage sale 'cause he thought it was rare and valueable. I tried selling it on eBay with a starting bid of 99 cents, to no avail, then I thought about using it as a campfire starter for my Colorado summer vacation, but then I came up with a blasphemous idea of a reasonably fun and simple model to build, that would mess with other people's minds. Stay tuned. -
How big is your work table ?
Russell C replied to Fender's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Mine's about yay big, portable, too, since it is an old cutting board. Call me weird, I'm more comfortable sitting cross-legged on a couch. Typical situation where the actual work space is small in proportion to the space occupied by the surrounding tools. Computer nearby for reference material searching, while other parts and building material is in a nearby room. -
1:250 scale Mack cabover
Russell C replied to Russell C's topic in Model Trucks: Big Rigs and Heavy Equipment
Thanks! Always been blessed with thin and reasonably adept fingers, but the ol 'eyes were better when I built that over a decade ago. These days I can still focus unaided at 11-12 inches, but I have to wear my 200 power reading glasses over my 325 ones to focus in at about 5 inches. -
Much delinquent in joining a model car forum
Russell C replied to Russell C's topic in Welcome! Introduce Yourself
Oh, I know. Dale M from Moonlight had been inviting me to drop into the the club for quite some time. The conspriacy of my current at-home paperwork stuff combined with every-weekend care & feeding of elderly parents really eats into available free time. I'm waaaaay behind in basic model building projects..... -
(was nice to see you again Andy) Naw.... maybe some other thing or two just as nefarious. Thanks, it was in a couple of model mags if I remember right, and perhaps in one or two I'm unaware of.... Plus, I couldn't resist mailing in a photo of it to Autoweek's reader contribution section right after they had a piece on station wagons.