robdebie

There's an identical kit for sale (from a US seller) for just 10$ on Scalemates: https://www.scalemates.com/nl/kits/monogram-2792-mac-tools-planters-buick-lola-indy-car--176404 You'll have to subscribe before you can contact the seller. Rob

I can heartily recommend MRP (Mr Paint). It's an acylic lacquer, very thin, ready for use. I was never happy with my painting results until I found this paint. Here are three examples: There's no overview of all ~400 colors on their own site, so I made one myself: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/mrp-list-all.htm You can also view the 'American colors' only list. I count 96 colors in that range. Rob

Here's my system. My collection of Evergreen, Slaters and Plastruct bags with strip and rod drove me nuts. I could never find the size I was looking for. I solved that problem a few years ago. I used plastic sleeves that are used to put documents in a folder. I used a temperature-controled soldering iron set at 225C to make (say) ten vertical pockets in each sleeve. I made around ten sleeves, and put them together in a paper folder. And then I filled nearly all 100 pockets with all my strip and rod and profiles and metal wire and Albion tubing. I even made small stickers with the dimensions of the content of each pocket. All in all it was a couple of hours work. But it works really well. Every time that I used it ever since made me very happy. Rob

If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, try the cleaning agents mentioned by others in that bath, or in a separate container in that bath. The cleaning power is multiplied many times by the ultrasonic action. Rob

I maintain a 'visible engine' kit list: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/visible-engines.htm The slant six is pretty nice once built, but's a rough kit. A club member built one, or better rebuilt one, he bought it half done. It's rare, never reissued since the mid-sixties. Rob

Maybe I should have asked first how rare 1967–1976 Dodge Darts are as hobby cars? It seems no one here has one.. In the mean time, I watched a few restoration videos on YouTube, and here's my best guess of the rocker panel layout. I only need the two dimensions indicated: This is probably what I want to model, the bare chassis, maybe with a separate engine: Any suggestions are welcome! For example, is there a Chrysler car forum where I can launch my question? Rob

Bill and Trevor, thanks for the kind comments. In the mean time I found a six page article on the Chrysler kit car in 'Stock car model kit encyclopedia and price guide'. It contains some interesting details of the slightly troubled history of both the real thing and the scale models. But nothing on the chassis - it's a classic full body build. The research continues! Rob

I want to build an AMT 'Chrysler kit car' model as a chassis only, less sheet metal, just like you could order back then. I'm slowly understanding the real kit car, and what AMT made of it. One of the lessons learned is that the standard A-body rocker panels were used, as can be seen here (zoom in!) with one roll cage tube welded on top: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/zoom/45220 What I cannot find on the internet are the cross section dimensions of the rocker panels - the width and height. I'm guessing roughly 6 x 6 inches. But maybe someone here owns the real thing, and can measure it? Thanks in advance! Rob

I'm slowly learning more about the Chrysler kit car chassis. What I called 'cabin section beams' are most likely standard rocker panels. In this great photo (zoom in) you can see the typical rocker panel shape, with a recess for the door's lower edge: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/zoom/45220 I think the lower tubes of the side protection of the roll cage are already welded in / on, on both sides. One problem is that nearly every chassis photo shows something different. For example, these tubes are missing on this chassis: http://www.moparchat.com/forums/817679-post93.html The distance between the model's chassis rocker panels is too small, roughly by the same amount as the rear clip, some 4-5 mm. The position of the partial rocker panels on the body appears to be spot on. I'm starting to consider to widen the whole thing. The roll hoop would then also fit better. Rob

Bill, thanks for your comments! I'm apparently not very good at eyeballing sizes ? Hence my search for numbers. I had found the first link too, but the second requires a Facebook login, which I won't do. It would be a great place to ask my questions though.. Thanks for the Ebay tip! I found the issue, and I think it shows a very early (first ?) prototype of the 'kit car'. The end product looked quite a bit different, and I even think there were different generations. I still have to sort out the history. Rob

I always mix two-part epoxy putties by squashing the components with a blade knife, a few times, until they are mixed nicely. I would recommend to minimize skin contact, since epoxies are known to cause allergic reactions with maybe 10% of people. Kneading with your bare fingers doesn't sound like a good idea to me, in the long term. Rob

I have the one of AMT's Chrysler kit car models (this one: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amt-ertl-30271-dodge-dart-kit-car--1068943), but without a body. That made me consider building it as a bare frame, less the sheet metal, one of four order options back then. I've studied the old brochures, and I think the idea could work. However, the chassis itself looks a bit anemic to me, especially the cabin part, and maybe the engine bay part too. The rear part looks good to my eye, but needs filling of the inverted top hat section. I made photos of the three sections: The nose clip chassis beams, scaled to 1:1, are 3.3" tall and 2.3" wide. The cabin section beams are 3.3" tall and ~2" wide. The rear section has beams that are 4.8" tall and 3.3" wide (5.2" including flanges) at their front side. The width tapers to 2.6" at the rear. Is there any way to figure out the correct sizes, or the approximate sizes, of those chassis members? Also, is the K-member open on the lower side, or is there another piece of thick sheet metal there? Thanks in advance! Rob

There are companies providing that service, but I only know the ones on the east side of the Atlantic: https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/ https://www.photofab.co.uk/ http://www.photo-etch.co.uk https://www.ppdltd.com/ https://www.saemann-aetztechnik.de/ https://sites.google.com/site/tinyland/ I'm pretty sure there are many more, especially in Eastern Europe. Rob

Last weekend I went to Euro Scale Modeling in Houten, The Netherlands. To my surprise a (relatively) new manufacturer was present: Wicked Model Cars. They have issued two 1/24 scale Hypercar models so far: Peugeot 9X8 Porsche 963 LMDh All parts are 3D printed, and looked great. Pricing is reasonable I think, slightly below LMM / Profil 24 I think. They also have a fairly large range of slot car models. https://www.wickedmodelcars.com Rob

Not a straight answer to your question, but still a solution: with the technique shown in the video link below, I learned how to paint a body super smooth without orange peel in one go. No sanding between coats required. The Paasche H (or equivalent) is essential I believe, it doesn't work with a more sophisticated airbrush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCKZ_fo4eW0 Here are some test parts that I painted with various brands of enamel paint. Rob

To mention the obvious: have them 3D printed? I designed two sets of louvers for the Lancia LC2 race car. My designs were too thin, so they came out crooked, but you can see the potential. Rob

Les, Dave and Gerry: if anyone of you guys could take some pictures of these boat kits, I would be a very happy modeler! Thanks in advance. Rob

Based on the above, I decided to change the ellipse on the front side by taking off 5-6 mm on the lower side. I removed the sheet of plastic card that I glued on earlier, modified the plastic card bulkheads, and glued on a new piece of plastic card. Two more large pieces of sheet were glued on the bottom of the tank, and it was finally closed. I still need to change the curvature of the front bulkhead. The decrease in height towards the front can be seen here. I will admit the effect is fairly subtle. On the rear side, I made a 17 degree canted cut, and glued on another piece of plastic card. The rear bulkhead will need more more work, since it is bulged on the real thing. Next is an extensive round of adding filler. Rob

That is excellent news! I had wanted to mention that I did not look into the history of that trailer. This could be the bit of information I was looking for! Back to the drawing board. Rob

Bill, I found your model just today, on Youtube! A fantastic model, my hat's off. And know I know your website too, with lots of photos and explanation. I have some reading to do! Until today I did not know about the Keystone 3D printed tank trailer! Maybe that's a good thing, because it probably would have become very expensive before I got in my hands, due to shipping, customs and taxation.. Welcome to the Netherlands! Plus I butchered the Lindberg kit so much that there's no way back ? Rob

Brian, many thanks, that is an excellent photo! It allows the projection of an ellipse on it, if only for the left side of the photo (right side of the tank's front bulkhead). It strongly suggests that the ellipse was flattened at the bottom. Only question is: how accurate is this replica? Is it the exact same tank trailer as in the movie, or was it modified to resemble the movie trailer? Rob

Here are two screenshots of the tank trailer in the ravine, at the end of the movie. It's 100% clear that the bottom side is curved, i.e. part of an elliptal shape. In a previously posted photo, it is easy to see that the bottom of the tank slopes down, from a point behind the hitch, to the 'skirts' with doors: What I cannot figure out is how that sloping section fits in the James Stevens drawings. That drawing has the same ellipses front and back. So if there's a sloping bottom, the center must be a taller ellipse. It could be that the center of the tanks dips down, like this. Maybe that is common on tank trailers? I did a bit of research of current tank trailers, and they don't have it, only tank trailers for concrete. The alternative explanation is that the drawing has an error, and that the front of the tank is a modified, lower ellipse, as drawn here. In both drawings, I made a flat / horizontal area above the hitch. But maybe the slope continues all the way to the front. There are crossbeams welded on the monocoque tank, and they could take care of that slope, and create a horizontal hitch area. Rob

I'm at this stage now. I made a 70 mm long 'straight elliptical' section at the front, and a 100 mm section at the rear. But I'm still very much in doubt about which of the two layouts the real tank trailer had. This shot from the YouTube video 'aVLOGinauto - Duel truck behind the scenes and ride-along' makes me think that the front end was a flattened ellipse. But of course it's a replica. Rob

I've done a lot of homework, especially on this forum, and I plan to build the 281 with the 'first' tank trailer. The James Stevens 1984 FSM drawing of the 'first' trailer appears to be fairly accurate, although I don't fully understand the sloping bottom, as explained above. No plans yet for a Valliant! I wouldn't know where to start, to be honest. Rob

Thanks! ?