StevenGuthmiller

That was my original intention when I went Hobby Lobby. I was going to just get some modeling clay or something & just try casting these small parts using Testors window maker or something. When I started looking at the resin kits, I thought, if I make some "good" molds that will last a while, I could just quickly cast them as I needed them. That was my motivation for buying the kit, & aside from needing to purchase more mold making material of some sort, I have enough resin with the kit to make 50 sets of window cranks. Steve

I've tried spraying Alclad over several different kinds of black paint & have just settled on using Duplicolor black in a spray can. I've had a couple of funny reactions with spraying over Testors gloss black & Krylon. Mind you, I'm not spraying bumpers & the like. Mostly just small parts like mirrors, engine parts, etc. so I really don't care if it's perfect. If you're spraying small parts, just a coat of primer, a coat of Duplicolor gloss black & then a light coat of Alclad will give you fine results. The outside & inside mirrors & antennas on both of these Chryslers were done in this way. Works for me. Steve

Thanks Steve, but I'll mostly be casting very small Items. I don't do a lot of custom building/ parts swapping, etc. on my stuff. I'm mostly into stock builds. The only reason I decided to try it at all was because it's very hard to find some of these simple parts that I mentioned for that type of build. I have a feeling I'll probably never go any larger than possibly a set of wheels or the like. I really don't have much of an interest in resin casting as a hobby in itself & absolutely do not need anymore expense when it comes to building. I'm mostly trying it out of necessity because I know of nowhere else to obtain these simple resin parts. But thank you for your suggestions. Steve

Well, at least I have a set now for my '59 Bonneville project. Steve

You have to work pretty fast Mark. With these very small pieces, air bubbles weren't too much of an issue. I could just sort of "pick" the bubbles out with the tip of a toothpick while the resin is still liquid. While I was doing that on one casting, the resin had already set up in the cup! Steve

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me down to lie, through pastures green he leadeth me, the silent waters by, with bright knives he releaseth my soul, he maketh me to hang on hooks in high places, he converteth me to lamb cutlets." Steve

I'll most likely not get into casting a lot of parts Ken. But there are a few parts that I find to be lacking in availability to the "factory stock" modeler like me. Parts that I find myself "raiding" from other kits constantly. Parts that I need for almost every build, like mirrors, are my main objective. Measuring small amounts of resin has not been an issue for me yet. Making a small mold, on the other hand is diffucult as the silicon molds require a 10 to 1 material ratio. I had another member tell me he's used the Hobby Lobby "mini-kit" for many years & has molds that are years old & still work well. I'm guessing the molds for most of the tiny parts I'll be casting should hold up for a while. If not, I'm saving my original parts so I can make new molds down the road. Steve

The kit has all the materials you need to make the molds. As far as the cranks themselves, I just cut a couple off of a Revell '59 Impala kit & used them for making the mold. Now, I just need to cast a whole set so I can use them to make a mold so I can cast a set of six at a time. Steve

I decided it was high time I started doing a little parts casting being as I continue to build old annual kits with no interior detail. Pretty simple operation actually. I started out by casting a couple of window cranks from a '59 Chevy kit. Now I just need to put together a mold so I can cast a whole set at a time, & I'll be in business. Now I'll be set for small detail parts like window cranks, door handles, wipers & possibly some outside mirrors if I can get a molding system that works well for them. Anyway, I'm happy with my first attempt. Steve

I think maybe I'll stay away from '55 Chevies. They seem to be unstable! Steve

Welcome Robert! Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in my area either. Sometimes I feel like the Lone Ranger. But I don't mind. Model building is an individual sport! Steve

Very good Harry! Steve

Cool!!! Thanks for your help Darren! It's greatly appreciated! Steve

That's funny Darren, because my original intention was to go to Hobby Lobby & pick up some modeling clay & try the same technique you've described with clay for the mold & just some Testors "Window Maker" glue for the cranks. When I got there & started looking at the casting kits, I decided to try that. Steve

Looks great Darren! That's all I needed to see! If you can do that with one of these kits, a few window cranks should be a snap! One question though. How many times can a mold be re-used? If I could get a couple dozen sets of window cranks out of this mold, it would be well worth the price! Steve

I like it Bill! Although the car in the photo is a Monterey, not a Parklane. But the yellow does look sharp! & I actually like the metallic brown interior. I think if I was doing it in the yellow, I'd think seriously about that color interior. The hubcaps on mine are original to the kit, but I swiped the wheels from another kit & used a set if Modelhaus tires. I do actually have a set of the hubcaps from Modelhaus that I will eventually be using for the hardtop when I build it. They look every bit as good as the originals. Funny part is, I ordered a set of '60 Merc hubcaps many years ago for a glue bomb convertible that I came across but never built, so when I got a hold of the hardtop, I thought I was good for hubcaps. Unfortunately, Over the years, I lost one of them & had to buy another set. So if it helps at all, I have a set of 3 hubcaps I don't need. Steve

That's good to know Darren. I was really just taking a shot in the dark with this. I have no experience with casting resin parts. I removed a couple of window cranks from a Revell '59 Chevy kit & have the silicon mold curing right now. Instructions say 8-18 hours to cure & then I'll try casting & see if it was worth the $30.00. Steve

That's the best part about chrome plated bumpers on these old kits. It acts as a barrier to the model cement. Sometimes, if they didn't go too heavy on the glue, it won't damage the bumpers. The back up lights on this kit did not have separate lenses. I'm confident you don't need mine Bill. I'm sure yours will look great when it's finished. Steve

The artist was Andrew Gold. Steve

Correct!

Picked this up today @ Hobby Lobby. Thought I'd try my hand at casting a few small parts that I always seem to be in need of, like window cranks & mirrors. I'm starting small with a few window cranks. I'll let you know how it goes. Steve

"And if it's bad, don't let it get you down, you can take it. And if it hurts, don't let them see you cry, you can take it." Steve

"He was born on a summer day, 1951, and with the slap of a hand he landed as an only son." Steve

"They rode the sunset, horse was made of steel, chased a gringo last night through a field." Steve

Very nice Ken! Steve