OldNYJim

I hope he's doing ok - I really enjoyed his "Fundamentals" video series. I don't know him, but I'd like to chat with him sometime Paging @LoneWolf15 (in case notifications go to his email) - Donn to the courtesy phone!

Amazon is trying a smaller version of this concept right now (not that they’re the only ones doing it): https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-tiny-home-kit-allwood-getaway-cabin-loft-2019-7?amp I’d need about 6 of them to build something actually useful though, and by that time I would’ve been better off just buying a regular house…plus I never manage to build a kit without deviating from the directions anyway ? Cool option for a little structure in a backyard to use for guests maybe or a small home office

In our house, WAP stands for Worship and Prayer ? ?

Nailing it! It’s looking great!

Wow, that’s a lot of replies for a dirty old dumpster - thanks everyone!! It probably SHOULD - it’s 1:25…but I haven’t picked up one of those yet. It’s on my list! Being 3D printed it’s an easy fix to scale it correctly if it isn’t… Not quite - but it could be! It’s currently employed on my desk at work housung what the French call ‘trombones’: Three people at work noticed it already, and all three a) didn’t believe I made it and b) wanted their own. I could start a profitable side-line making mini dumpsters it seems ? I never knew (or noticed) that - good info, thank you! Thanks again to everyone for all the nice comments - these little mini-projects are fun for a quick build! I’ve got some VW bus mini-bikes to complete as a quicky build next…

That’s a cool trick - nice work! You can get a subtler version of the same trick by laying the Saran Wrap down on the paint (un-wrinkled) and smoothing it down with your finger then removing…gives a kind of marble effect! Love seeing people’s paint experiments!

The 37 is cool, but I LOVE that Valiant! That's going to be a killer build too! Good tips on shortening the frame - I've got a few of these that I'd like to build and the kits are cheap and plentiful to pick up right now it seems

I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately, thanks in part to talking to my wife (an artist) about art theory and different ways that art conveys a story. A lot of that kind of thinking is more suited to diorama builders, but there IS some crossover and some interesting ideas that we can apply to our builds. The way I'm thinking is there's a couple of ways to build a model. Most common, and easiest, is to build the KIT. We're drawn naturally through the process by how the kit is meant to fit together, and either fix, or don't, some of it's shortcomings. Maybe add some detail or switch out some parts, but mainly we're building the KIT. That's the activity. The other way to approach this mentally is to build a model of the 1:1 SUBJECT, and probably use a kit as a basis. There will likely be multiple inaccuracies in the kit parts - incorrect body lines, things that are out of scale due to the constraints of the manufacturing process; things that if we're aiming to build an accurate REPLICA of the 1:1 we need to fix. The end goal isn't to complete a KIT, but to build the REPLICA, perhaps using parts from the kit, perhaps building a lot from scratch. If you've ever seen one of Mark Jone's Super 7 builds, that's like the process I'm thinking of. A much different mindset, and much more involved, than working the steps of a kit and letting the way it's designed to fit together guide you. Neither way is wrong, but the mindset that you'll have going through each of these different processes will likely be wildly different. Am I trying to build the BEST replica of a '70 Charger possible, or do the best build of the AMT '70 Charger kit? How deep you want to dive into improving any given kit's shortcomings or perfectly replicate the subject matter will probably dictate which path you end up choosing. Back to the point of telling a story with your build - I've been trying to conscious of what I'm trying to convey with the finished product. For example, say I'm building a race car. Is this thing fresh out of the shop, ready to hit the track for the first time? Lightly weathered, as though it's had a LITTLE running but no serious competition? All beaten up from a long season? I think there's a lot we can add to the STORY our builds tell by thinking about some of this stuff, and it's something military modelers do a lot more than us car guys often do (even without needing to do diorama-y stuff like making a base and adding accessories to LITERALLY set a scene). I like the idea of adding easter eggs to a build too; little details that reward people who give the build more than a passing glance. Maybe the car you're modelling was notorious for dripping oil, so you add a little more weathering to the pan than normal. Or you're building a Chevy van and you show the paint starting to peel a little from the hood like all those white Chevy vans seem to do. Maybe it's a Mooneyes build and you incorporate a Rat Fink sticker because Mooneyes sells all the Roth stuff. I love stuff like that!

Great looking build! Nice job!

I’m trying to make sure to grab at least one of each of the Atlantis bi-scale kits whilst they’re easily available…latest addition is the Mack truck: I think I have one of everything they’ve released in the ‘regular’ scales now…which is good considering they have a bunch of new stuff on the way. I’m gonna have a LOT of fun working through all their kits once I get to them (and there’s a bunch of the 1:32 ones I’d like to pick up too…) Wonder if a Beer Wagon would fit on the back in place of those logs? ?

Thanks Daniel! And thanks Bob for the tip - yeah, I think my hood pin set has wire in there - I’ll have to open it up and take a look. A little more progress… Got the frame cleaned up for paint (after this photo was taken, obviously ?) And into primer: Did a little more cleanup and then got it shot with a nice bright Createx red: I’m trying to show off all the little details on this one, and not just shooting everything black will hopefully help with that… Drilled out the wishbones so I can add some bolt detail to them come assembly time: Cleaning up those wishbones after this pic took as long as cleaning up the frame, but with that done got some paint on these and a few other suspension components, plus the block and some engine parts: And did some prep on the body (even the stuff I think no one will ever see, just because of my conscience and not being able to NOT do it…) And I made a start on detailing up the radiator some, shown here before I had started painting the frame: I separated it from the shock mounts, made new mounts for it I’ll add some detail as I go to bring it up to speed a little… Excited to lay some clear on the frame, give it some light weathering (I’m going for ‘lightly track used new built’ rather than ‘end of season ruined’ for this one) and start to stick some parts onto it! More soon, soon as I’ve done more!

A quick weekend build to practice my weathering…started out with a 3D printed dumpster by Blackbox STL, and some Crayola textured medium that my wife got me “because you might have a use for it, some day”: Next, a couple of rust colors: Then some salt, and a dark green artist’s acrykic thinned with a little Createx reducer: Next, de-salt and add some decals: Then add a lid and wheels and a bunch more pastels and washes to really grime it up…and tada: Just a fun little Sunday project…I’m gonna use it on my desk at work to store paper clips ??

Nice work on those!

I'm going to bet one shiny penny on this kit getting one of Round 2's retool / reissues, as a variation on the '60 truck that has already been announced. I will bet another shiny penny on Tim Boyd completing this long-term project by the time the reissue comes out....and I hope I win on both bets

I never saw this one before - but I wish I had. What an AWESOME build...a perfect mash-up of iconic 1:1s!! WAY cool!

Do you thin that stuff too? A little lacquer thinner or something, or lay it down right out of the can? It's a really nice finish, I'm impressed! Great build! Love the color, and it sits about perfect I'd say - great stance!

Beautiful work on that paint! Great looking build!

I really associated with this post (even if it is from 11 years ago)... I have no fear of putting a kit back on the shelf until I learn the right skill, or can find a particular material that I'm looking for, or until technology catches up with what I was hoping to do (I'm looking at you, 3d printing). For example, I've got an AMT Firetruck T kit where I had the idea that I'd REALLY like to make all the brass parts out of brass rather than use their cheesy-looking gold 'chrome' that comes in the kit. I could fake the look with paint, but it wouldn't be as good, just use the plated parts in the box...or develop my brass and soldering skills along enough to achieve what I was hoping to achieve with the build. That kit has been on the shelf for YEARS...but at some point I'll be suitably equipped as a builder to do it justice. I've got a few other builds in progress, from as recently as late last year, where I've hit a wall in skill and I need to figure a thing out. Actually, on that same firetruck kit I had the idea of learning to do actual gold-leaf lettering, in scale, and have just recently got good enough with that technique that I think I could pull it off now...which I definitely wouldn't have been able to do previously No rush - I'd rather have an amazing project on my shelf unfinished until a time where I can actually MAKE it amazing than have a kit I'm not happy with done and checked off the list so I can say it's 'done'.

This is a great kit, and they practically fall together on their own! I'll be following!

Interesting! I haven’t owned a new enough car ever, apparently ?

I like that Krylon ‘chrome’ for polished aluminum too! It’s a weird paint - it’s tough to get other paint to stick to it sometimes (I tried using it as a base for candies) and the paints I tried would often bead up on the surface, but it’s great for what it’s great for! Really enjoying this build still - it’s a real masterclass

Thank you!! Love your work btw! A little progress tonight, and a little failure…my track rod ends, which I thought I had figured out, all split overnight. Back to the drawing board - still determined to figure out how to make those, but the thin walls just split and cracked on me. I can beef them up some, but I was trying to get them properly in scale AND hollow. I’ll keep playing with that. In more productive news, I started slicing up the suspension to get it where it would actually feasibly work. Separated the lower ‘wishbones’ (kinda wishbones), and sliced the linkages away from a nonsensical tubular support they were attached to and added the sway bar that I had soldered up earlier this week…it’s very rough right now, but at least mechanically feasible now… I still need to figure out how to fix the much more visible stuff on the right-side-up of the suspension - I’ll definitely be making some coil overs and probably separating that radiator and replacing the little hood pins…so, basically, scratchbuilding the whole thing probably ? I ordered some photoetch radiator mesh material on Amazon and it arrived today so that’ll be a big step in adding some realism to the rad: Started some bodywork - removing mold-seams and filling in ejector-pin holes in the underside of the body (although there’s more to do yet there)…I think I’d like to hide some body structure up inside that roof if it won’t interfere with the rollcage too much: And finally a quick mock-up to see if everything still fits together right. Had to tweak the motor mounts very very slightly to get the new improved Revell block to fit properly but otherwise it just fell right in there: Just a small update but it’s all progress! More soon, soon as I’ve done more!

Oh yeah, I get it - no complaints (and I’m really only a lurker over there anyway)…I was mainly commenting on being surprised how much originals are selling for. Some of those are selling for 1:1 car payment money!

Haha, there’s a CBP over on the TRaK board for these and I thought “I wouldn’t mind entering that” but they stipulate you need to build an original issue kit. I still want to enter, but I don’t care about it THAT much to where I’d buy an original at current prices…

Happy Tuesday y’all! A little more progress…and if it seems like I’m kinda skipping all over the place, it’s because I kinda am - but it makes sense in my head. 3d printed the brake drums this evening - had to modify the file I was using to accommodate the square mounting pegs on the kit axle, but no biggie - and they fit like a glove. A slightly loose glove, but that’ll change once there’s a few layers of paint and primer on there… I’ll detail these parts up some more, but I’ve got a good solid starting point now… Whilst I was printing some stuff I tried my track rod ends again and tried a new trick…by mounting them on pins for the curing I can make sure the holes are nice and clean and opened up fully whilst the resin is still a little pliable and sticky, and then when they’re cured the holes don’t shrink down to being unusable. Seems to have worked great, and I’m pleased I’ll be able to use some of these on the build to add a little detail: Not that you can see them in that clear resin very well, but they should look good with some paint anyway ? Whilst the printer was running I dug through my stash for a better engine to use than the MPC big block in the kit. It’s not TERRIBLE…but this Revell version is nicer. Kit part at the back, Revell at the front: I’ll be using the MPC intake manifold and valve covers, plus a couple of upgrade parts like these machined pulleys, a better carb and one of my printed distributors. Check out the detail on that carb ? Next couple of jobs will be finishing up the wheels (which I why was focusing on getting the brakes done so I could test-fit everything) and then I can start mocking up the engine properly and figuring out the suspension so that I can THEN work on the frame. See, told you it makes sense to me ? More soon, soon as I’ve done more!