Pete J.

I haven't tried this but you mentioned one of the downfalls of Elmer's that was mentioned was the lack of initial tack. I have used a different PVA for years and that is Pacer's formula 560. It is a glue that was developed for R/C aircraft canopies. I use is because it is very much like the other PVA's that you mentioned except it has a high initial tackyness. I am definitely going to try it. It is also very good for clear parts(no fogging) and also things you have to stick on painted surfaces like PE logos, mirrors and trim pieces.

Tim, thank you for your kind comments. As I mentioned at the start, it was your work and Randy's that got me off the couch to start with. Thank you for the motivation. I would be happy to share the engine turning process with you and anyone else that wants to try it. It isn't that complex, just tedious. More challenges to come. Thanks for the support.

Bill, thanks for the comment. I think doing two engines really tests the patients.

Tim, that is exactly what keeps me going back to the bench. It is really pushups for the mind. At 67 I have a lot of pride in learning a new way to do something. Thinking out of the box is really the only way to do this!

Fred and Robert, thanks for looking in. This is going to be a long project with a long way to go.

Randy, Thanks for the kind words and the inspiration. Some times it just takes a friend to show you the path and get you going. Thanks again.

Tim, that is just spectacular! I love the ingenuity of your parts. If you can't do it with one piece, then do it with two! Great philosophy. Thanks for showing us how it is done!

It has got to be something that inspires me. I've built my share of commissions and the customer decided, but even those have to be something that I am inspired to do. Some times the motivation is the challenge to go something I have never done before and will have to develop new skills to accomplish. Other times it is just a subject that I like, such as a vehicle I have owned or would love to have owned. Sometimes it is just a stunning subject that I see as a work of art. Regardless, I have to have some connection with it. Just throwing together a kit because it is in my stash is never an option. I could never feel right about posting a group of builds on the internet and ask others to decide for me. Not that I denigrate that concept but I just don't understand that mind set.

Ok, where to start on this. First the Tags- I have been following Tim Hodland and Randy D.'s work on there special projects for a while now. In December I was looking at what Tim was doing and it inspired me to get into a project that has been sitting on my work bench for a while now. I am not going to go into all the details as that would be an entirely different series of posts, but suffice it to say I have wanted to do this for way the heck to long. I will not post the entire model here as it is an aircraft but the engines that go into it are a pair of Bugatti racing engines, modified(by Bugatti). They are type 50 dual overhead, supercharged straight 8 engines. I have wanted to scratch build them out of metal and their work got me back to the work bench so here is the project. What you see here is what I have done starting on January 2nd. This is going to be a long project and the work I am doing can be tedious and take a while so bare with me. There will be updates as interesting things get done. First off this is all done so far in 7075 aircraft aluminum. I had to start with the blocks from raw bar stock. I then took another piece of bar stock and milled the basic shape of the valves covers. This shows how the three pieces fit up to form the basic blocks. This may look like a "V" type engine but it is actually a straight 8. The "V" section is the overhead cam gear. The next part is a coolant pipe that comes out of the head. This is made by soldering pieces of german silver wire together. There is a taper to the top piece that was made by heating the wire and stretching it. The large block of aluminum is a jig for holding the wire while soldering. I am using a cast resin engine as a basis for a lot of this and you can see the resin part at the bottom. The sheet metal covers on most of the top of the engine and valve train are engine turned. This is the tedious part as each of the "circles' is about .080" with .040" on center. They are turned into the metal one at a time. This shows what I have done to date. The engine turning on one engine is done and the coolant pipe is fitted up. The valve covers are being held in place by wire pins and are not permanent at this point. I still have a lot of work to do on them with parts to add. The next operations for the heads are to drill and fit spark plugs and the fasteners that hold the plates in place.

Cute little car. I had no idea of the origin of this on.

There is nothing that is truly new. All is built on what when before it. Combination may be unique but it all goes back to something else. We still share the layout of our transportation on thousand year old 4 wheel carts. Every once in a while someone has a different eye and puts them together in a different fashion and we get a new trend. This is my contribution. Styling cues from a Dodge Ram, Ferrari and Mercedes with a little hotrod thrown in for good measure.

I've never owned a car with a V8. They have all been sixs and fours. Had a bunch of fun with all of them. Here is the list, oh and I bought all of them as new cars except the last one: 69 Mustang/200cid, dog of a car but great for a college student 72 240Z, loved it, my first sports car 74 911 Porsche, second best driving car I have ever owned A series of untilitarian Toyota pickups, Start of the family years and home ownership 87 Toyota FX16, First hot hatch. Great fun and durable as heck 92 Acura CL comfort with some performance 93 MR2 Turbo- What a car. 200hp top end of just under 150, corners like a gokart. They will pry this one from my cold dead hands. ...so, yes you don't have to have V8 to have fun.

My son once describe those exhausts as "a sheep getting an enema."

Ok, I have never seen anything like this! This is flat crazy. Before you go to the video, be prepare to go through it all the way. It is most definitely not what it seems like at first! These guys have some serious bucks and building skills! http://www.performancegarage.com.au/blog/bda-powered-’29-model-sleeper

This just reminded me of something. I can't believe how either incredibly brave or stupid(not sure which) the drag racers of this era were, straddling the differential! Lets just go sit on a bomb!

Fair warning, the only thing dumber would be to try the same thing during college football(yes football not soccer) season! That can actually get you seriously injured! ;-)

I like the rational groups idea best. It does two things for me. First groups such as engine, chassis, non engine drive train, interior, and body tend to put similar color parts together so I can load the airbrush up and shoot a series with the same paint. Second it keeps me going in logical groups and when I finish one, I get a sense of accomplishment that gives me a boost to go on to the next part. I short, it helps me keep interest to finish the model. I rarely do and entire model in a single run so breaking it into smaller steps help me get through to the end without loosing interest.

Actually, this may not be as funny as you think. Marie Mai it from Quebec. As you may know or not know, Canada has two main languages. English and French. As a Quebecois, Marie is a "French" Canadian and sings in French.

Nice work Tim! This is a great build. I am glad you are sharing it.

Don is right, once you have seen one from this manufacture, you never forget them. PM sent.

Oops! Yes I do. I was aware of the moderator option(I deleted the entire "like button" thread. It was getting nasty), but I was unaware of this one. Thanks for pointing it out. Trust me, I will be using it!

I only wish we had this option for our individual posts. I sometimes get a double post or a blank post and wish I could delete it.

Robert, you have already brought up something that is important in your calculation. That is what you make at a similar "regular" job. What you make there can be classified as "opportunity cost". In other words, when you spend time on making and casting your parts, you have "lost" the opportunity to make your regular wage. In a perfect economic situation you would always compare that opportunity cost to anything you did and make a rational decision on what was in your best interest. However that is not the real world. There are many intangibles that you have already mentioned. The pleasure you get from creating your own product, the skills you develop, the knowledge that you get and contacts that you make doing this are real, if quantifiable facts. All this considered only you can decide what your time and effort is worth. Creativity has always be hard to value. If we went solely on cost of goods sold, a Picasso or Rembrandt would only be worth the few dollars that went into the paint and canvas.

Why? You think he should work for free?

Robert- Very good post and I would like to point something out that a lot of uninformed people discount when looking at models. You are valuing your time at $15 an hour! Try to get skilled craftsman here on SoCal for any where near that price! Anyone with skills is going for $50 minimum. I have always contended that people with skills are under valued and you made that point abundantly clear.