peteski

Charles, the photos of 3D printed bodies you posted don't convince me. Actually in some of the photos (which with a gray resin don't really show the surface very well) do show some striations and stepped curves. Evaluating the surface of 3D prints is best done viewed in-person. I'm not disputing the fact that 3D printing has already revolutionized scale modeling. I agree that it is a game changer. But not (yet) for everything. Hey, we all have our own standards and requirements.

I agree that for things like engines and similar mechanical parts contemporary 3D printing beats resin, but I have yet to see a 3D printed car body which would have as smooth of a surface finish as resin cast bodies from good resin casters (like RMCoM or Modelhaus, or few others). Say what you will, the layering i still present on the 3D printed bodies. And if you haven't guessed, I do not sand/prime/sand/prime/sand my model bodies. I think for te best of both worlds it would be nice to have someone 3D print a model car body, and then prep it to be as smooth as styrene bodies, then cast good quality resin copies. As for the plating service, the only one I know of is Little Motor Kar Company, but who knows how long Dale will keep the business open. I don't have contact info handy, but it has been posted many times on the forum. Dale is not good responding to emails. Best to call him on the phone.

There is a very recent thread in the FAQ forum about scale spark plug wires. There were also many similar threads here in thee past (and I posted links to them in that thread). Like Bill said, using properly scaled diameter wires makes or breaks the realism of your model. Sometimes it pays to spend more money for smaller (properly sized) wire than being thrifty, and having garden-hose-sized wires in your model. But it all depends what you find acceptable on your models. v

That's is an awesome news! I was hoping someone would eventually 3D print those wheels.

Those are in fact modeled after the '73-'76 wheel covers. The ones used in the '80s (like pictured by Earl, and like the ones I have on my 1:1 '85 Eldorado) are different, but as you mentioned, these are probably the closest one you can find.

Since it is a UV-cure resin I'm not surprised that sunlight solidified it. After all Sun can also give your skin pretty nasty skin sunburn (caused by strong UV light). Resin in the vat has to be protected form any stray UV light.

This BMF trimming method is is very useful, and it is covered in a sticky thread in the Tips section of the forum. Personally I use it in reverse (I put the masking tape on the body first. then BMF over that. Either way, it works well.

It's likely top heavy. Probably sits in the water way higher than its waterline. You would need to add some ballast on the bottom until its waterline is even with the surface of the water..

Thank you Mark! I understand, and it makes sense.

Sure, but building a model using more conventional methods would not get very many views online. "Building" a model basically free-hand, using a pen dispensing a liquid plastic is more of an art than a skill of building a model using what I would call "conventional engineering" methods and materials. I would almost compare this to free-hand paining a picture vs. doing one of those paint-by-numbers paintings. Which would get more interest from an average person watching the video? I suspect that this video is not just done to show off skills, but to make some money. As I see it, the Internet (and ability to share videos with the world has created this phenomenon of showing one's talent to make some dough.

That looks similar to my experience Raoul. Not really sure why some plastic parts were softened more than others. Maybe it has something to do with what paint was on those parts? Not sure. Bit if only the inner part of the roof was painted but both top and inner surfaces are softened, then that theory would not hold. But the line on the body at where the body was submersed is also proof that the stripper does affect the plastic. Seems that plastic absorbs the stripper.

Both models look great! I do like the unusual (but pretty) blue paint. I didn't know that Italeri made a model of that car. Was it Italeri's original, or is this the same kit as the old AMT kit?

TJ, the general type of wire lacing info in that thread, even if incomplete could be useful, but in this specific case I'm curious how Mark approached it on this model. Like I mentioned, I looked through the thread you linked to (and noticed that I even commented there with a similar sentiment as I did here). Why can't I be honest with my opinion?

Usually all the kit's parts that are molded in the same color plastic are all laid out on a large tree which can often be divided before boxing it up. The body is also usually molded from the same plastic (if the body has the same color as the other parts). Were all the stripped parts and the body all immersed for the same period of time? If you smell the stripped parts can you also smell the odor of the stripping solution? Like I mentioned, I placed them in a warm spot, and after few days the plastic got hard again. But that is just not what I would expect from a plastic safe stripping solution.

I read (and even commented in) the thread you pointed to. Interesting method but the info/instructions in that thread is incomplete, and some photos are missing. Also, the lacing method would not work for this model (here the spokes are hooked into large center hub).

It is a lot of work, but the thinner metal spokes really increase realism. How did you replace the plastic spokes while keeping the hub aligned with the rim? Did you do just few spokes at a time, so the remaining plastic spokes were keeping the hub in alignment? If I ever venture to do this, I will likely use thin wall hypodermic tubing for the nipples.

Those do seal tightly. I guess that is worth a try to keep it fresh longer.

A new thread about QCS was started recently. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/179540-qcs-paint-remover-a-story/

For continuity, the original thread about QCS can be found at http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/164852-new-way-to-strip-paint-from-bodies-safe-and-simple/

I bought the stripper in June 2022 and tried it not too long after that. I did not contact them about the problem, but on November 2022 I received the following email from QCS: Dear QCS Model Safe Customer, You are receiving this email because you have purchased our QCS Model Safe product. As we received feedback from our QCS Model Safe customers like yourself, we heard mostly positive reviews, BUT we did hear that some users were having trouble and that our “model safe” product was damaging some models. This was deeply frustrating to some users and understandably so. Because of this, we have decided to temporarily remove our QCS Model Safe product from our website until we gather more information from all of our QCS Model Safe users. In the meantime, if you love QCS Model Safe and would like to re-order, you can do so by contacting customerservice@stripwell.com. Our customer service team can process that order for you and make sure that you still get what you need. I just have a word of caution for anyone still using QCS Model Safe or planning to order more in the future - use caution. There are many brands of models and a variety of plastic types. Any models or parts that have been 3D printed should definitely not be stripped using QCS Model Safe. The damage reports we have received appear to all have one thing in common - submersion in QCS Model Safe for an extended period of time…often over-night. We highly recommend that you keep your eyes on your projects to avoid any irreversible negative effects. Most users have found that QCS Model Safe works within the first hour with no ill-effects. This is not a “dunk it and forget it” process. You can immerse your model, but check it frequently. We appreciate your business and your understanding as we work to create innovative products. Your feedback is so valuable to us as we continuously strive to improve. So, please share anything about your experience using QCS Model Safe whether great, awful or somewhere in the middle. Below is a link to a quick survey. Please take a minute to fill it out. We only know what you tell us. Thank you so much and happy model building! Sincerely, Gary LeClerc Owner of Stripwell I did take the survey, and that is where I described (in detail) the problems I experienced. I have not heard anything from Stripwell after that. I'm not really looking for any reimbursement from QCS. I'm simply not going to use the product on plastic or resin anymore.

Here are links to some good discussions on scale spark plug wire sources: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/173582-best-spark-plug-wire-size/ http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/140409-plug-wires/ http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/177170-what-do-you-use-for-spark-plug-wiring/ http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/118027-spark-plug-wire/ There are also many more related threads on the forum.

If you mean one of those Ziploc bags, they might not work. they are not even truly hermetically sealed, and some solvents can permiate through the plastic those bags are made of. Better would be an empty metal paint can, or a pickle jar.

Scott, it is not that the quality isn't there - the problem is when the craftsman resin caster who produced excellent quality casting close shop, there are no qualified fastidious people who could take over their business to keep producing quality castings. After all, "losing resin manufacturers" is the theme of this thread. 3D printing is a whole new ball of wax. Even if excellent quality 3D prints were used as masters to cast resin copies, whoever is making those resin casts can still produce inferior bubble-ridden copies if they do not have their casting process perfected or they are sloppy people. Remember, this thread is about resin casters.

That's a good news. Will the new rims have more accurate cross-section profile (like I mentioned in my earlier post), or just straight beveled, like what's shown in the recent photos from Daniel?

This is likely due to very dry air in your workshop (like I have here in the winter). Some hair dryers have ion generators built-in. It is for dissipating static electricity (so your hair doesn't stand like you have been zapped by million volts). Make sure to check the package mentioned ion generator or "antistatic". It probably wont cost you more than $20, and you can use it on your hair too. Fond one of those at your local Walmart and see if blowing it (at its coolest setting) will dissipate the static. Or maybe wait until the ambient air gets less dry.