peteski

I know what you mean - back in 2004 I've built a Tamiya 1:6 Harley Fat Boy. I took lots of photos all around a real one for reference. I also measured all the hoses and cables with a caliper so I could make them to scale on the model.

Looks good! The colors look a bit gaudy, but I'm not tug boat expert. The other thing that I noticed is the interior lights shine right through the walls. That looks a bit funky. When I plan on illuminating a model I make sure to make the walls opaque enough to block the light. Usually it is few layers of black paint then silver, then white as the final coat (on the inside). The white paint evenly reflects the light so the single LED inside appears to evenly illuminate the interior (it doesn't look like a bright light in a black room). I use white because it does a better job reflecting the light than silver.

You can replace the out-of-scale hoses and cables with more in-scale items. I often do that on models. It makes a big visual difference. I usually use insulated wire - it comes in many colors and diameters.

Clear coat will make the chrome paint much duller looking.

Harry was the reason I joined this forum: I saw his writeup of the Christie Fire Engine and I joined to ask him some questions about it. We have lost a great modeler and a super-nice guy. I never met him in person but I always enjoyed reading his posts here. My deepest condolences to his family.

Nice model!

I'm curious as to why you are breaking up your model build into separate threads?

Whenever possible I avoid using primers (to minimize the total thickness of the paint on the model. That is when I use plastic-safe paints and there is no body work done to the model's body. Otherwise, I usually use the Tamiya Fine Primer.

That lengthy sticky thread in this forum about stripping paint has lots of examples of what strippers to use with which paints, and what works for some and what works for others. If you insist on starting yet another thread I'll say this much: You have to realize that there is no single universal stripper which works works with all types of paints and with all types of plastics and resins. I have and use about half a dozen of different strippers (which are mentioned at one time or another in that thread I mentioned earlier). I use Floquil/Testors Easy Lift-Off, Scalecoat Wash Away paint remover, Hangar 15 paint stripper, One of the flavors of the Purple Power, Chameleon stripper, 99% Isopropyl alcohol, and few others I dont' recall now (I'm not at home). I also made my own solutions using non-acetone fingernail polish removes, denatured alcohol, and few others I don't recall now. I don't use DOT3 brake fluid, but Easy Lift-Off uses a very similar ingredient.

Sorry to hear of his passing. Few years ago he made it up to Massachusetts and attended the Classic Plastic Model Club's show. He brought some really nice models.

And you drive on this route every Friday? Good for you! If you had to drive under those conditions 5 days a week, you would probably change your opinion.

I'm one of the few, the proud, the ones without social media accounts. I get my tips from online forums like this and Google searches (and from reading paper-based magazines).

I'm also saddened that members regularly delete their older posts. That is lost info which will never come up on a search. I'm actually surprised that this forum allows deleteing. Other forums I participate in do not allow for deleting threads (unless it is done by the moderator).

I've seen Scale Motorsports carbon fiber decals being coaxed to conform to complex surfaces using hot air from a hair dryer.

That is very similar material millions of East- German Trabants were made from. My uncle owned one and he used epoxy glue to fix a cracked trunk lid.

Jeff, did you look at the top pinned thread in this section of the forum? There are many posts in there recommending all sorts of paint strippers. More info than you'll ever need - all you have to do is read it.

And giant cockroaches. . .

As I understand, Polystyrene (styrene) in its natural virgin form is clear. Colored or opaque styrene is created adding dyes and other additives. Plasticizers can also be added to make it less brittle. As mentioned, clear kit parts are usually most brittle, but there should not be any problems with gluing it. I have also encountered clear styrene which was less brittle. I suspect that plasticizers were added to the mix. For vacu-forming clear styrene is not the best material to use. PETG (Vivak) or Polycarbonate (Lexan) are much easier to deal with.

Thanks for the thorough explanation Vinnie. I was also an electronic tech few jobs ago, and I still dabble in it as a hobby. I'm into lighting and animating my models. For a writeup of one of my LED installs see this thread. What are "low-heat LEDs"? All the LEDs I use are low-heat (unless I smoke one, which generates a short burst of high-heat and smoke). I almost never do that - I know better. Sounds like you either want the curbside models to be easily disassembled, or to just glue the wheels to the body and leave the chassis off (so you can install the wiring)? But the interior should still be attached to the inside of the body? As far as multiple scales go, the smaller scale cars could be used in the background, creating a forced perspective. The buildings should also be smaller scale. This trick is often used on model train layouts.

Do you want the modeler to install working LED head/tail-lights, or is that something you want to do yourselves once you receive the donated models? If modelers are to install the lights, what voltage will you be using to power the display? How close will the viewing public be to these models?

It is too bad that the thread was lost and that moderators are unresponsive.

White Strong & Flexible material is IIRC Nylon. It is also fairly porous. Maybe it is absorbing the catalyst from the RTV mix? As others said, I would test how the rubber hardens by just immersing a small part of the figure in it (head or hand).. As far as painting/sealing it, I expect it to absorb paint like a sponge.

Interesting parking location for the wiper blades - spread them wide!

I doubt that Shapeways puts any RTV inhibitors on their printouts. They are simply a printing company. They don't know or care about how the printed items will be used. Plus, what if the designers themselves wanted to use their printout as a master for castings? Out of curiosity, with what type of material was the figure printed? More likely the bad chemical reaction was due to either the material used for the printed object or maybe the wax or rinsing agent residue remaining on the object.

Like Bill said, Pro Weld and Tenax are methylene chloride based. Why buy the stuff from Micro-Mark for extremely inflated price per 1oz. bottle when the similar stuff is available from any well-stocked hardware store. I use Weld-On 3 (which now seems to be the stuff Bill pointed to). It will bond Polystyrene, ABS, and Acrylic.