Bernard Kron

Similar logic to the inner panels - and to be remebered! Thanx.

Impeccable! Very, very nice indeed!

Cool idea very nicely done. How did you do make/adapt the tub? Also, very nice front wheels and tires. Source?

Hey Don! Re: "You need to step up and buy a GOOD spray booth." Unfortunately I have nowwhere to put it. We don't have a basemment and my office/studio/hobby room couldn't tolerate even the slightest leakage of spray (lotsa computer equipment and microchips, etc.).

We Have Color!!! So purty I couldn't resist some quick shots. Now back into the dehydrator!

OK! It's "money shot" time. And here it is: This angle sez it all. Perfect stance and immaculately proportioned. This build could easily go either way, an accurate representation of an old school late 40's-early 50's channeled rod or contemporary rat rod (although pretty tasteful if you ask me). Your call! Fine job on the brake drums. How did you make them? What are your plans for the motor?

Breathtaking! Definitely following this one!

I'm a big DupliColor fan, too. But I have only one gripe. I've never found a reference for what colors are available from them. There's no such reference on their website, there's no color book, and I haven't found an on-line retailer with a very large range. A few weeks ago I posted an inquiry regarding this problem and drew a blank. All that folks could recommend was what I already was doing, namely check out my local auto supply stores to see what they've got. But that's very important. Take the time to check out all the various chains in your area to see what they carry. As some guys responding to my inquiry indicated, in my area the best stocked seems to be Pep Boys, but there aren't any in the immediate Seattle, Wa. area, only north or south of here in the suburbs. Anyway, it's well worth the time to get the lay of the land locally so you have the maximum variety of colors to choose from. I find I go to several stores when I have an idea for a color. Also, I have had excellent luck with Plastkote paints over Duplicolor primer. On the other hand I'm not such a big fan of Platikote primers, even though I know a lot of guys really recommend it. I'm guessing the bottom line is that both these commonly found car parts store rattle can paint brands are excellent choices as an alternative to very expensive hobby paints and often yield better results with a different variety of colors and effects than are available from Tamiya or Testors.

Well, today was paint day. All went well through the gold base coat: But stupidly I got impatient to try out the Metalcast and landed up violating the “many light coats†rule in my haste to get a nice rich Candy Orchid down. The paint gods then begat a nasty paint drip down the center of the hood. Fortunately it’s a 40 Ford hood because I’ve got lots of AMT 40 hoods (I’m partial to the ’39 grill and headlights on the AMT Tudor). One good thing that came out of it is that I decided to see if I could rub out the flaws and discovered that the Metalcast was far more robust than I thought it would be. From this accidental experiment I would say you can polish Metalcast just as you would any other DupliColor paint, at least if you have a fairly heavy coat on it. Tomorrow I’ll spray the fully cured Metalcast with clear just for drill and see if it crazes like the other one did the other day. If not, then the crazing may have had something to do with the primer I used (?)… Anyway, here’s a picture of the hood after I rubbed it out. As you can see the Metalcast held up just fine. Unfortunately there are spots rubbed down to the primer where I had to deal with the paint drips so I have to do the hood over regardless. And just to keep things moving along, here are some pics of the completed motor and chassis: Thanx for lookin’.

Gorgeous fab work! Love it. Can't wait to see more... A suggestion - I almost missed this because of the title of the topic "New Start On Next Build". You might want to change it to something referring to the actual subject or content of the build you've started. Like many, I'm in the habit of clicking on "View New Posts" of going directly to "On The Workbench" and I rely heavily on the Topic Title to decided on what to look at. Keep up the GREAT work and thanx for sharin'...

Those seats look just fine. Just spray them with Testors Buffable Aluminum Plate and you'll have a big smile on your face. One thing, though... you might think about lowering them a little into the body. I notice you have them on pedestals so it should be a simple thing to do. But nice fabrication work, just like the inner panels! Looking forward to more, more, more...

Thanx Andy. Actually it still doesn't have a tail-dragger stance. The nose is quite a bit lower than the tail, just not as exaggerated as before. Once I put the bumpers on it will be more obvious. Sorry, no chop this time. This is a quick build. I've got two '49 Fords to get back to. I'm doing this one sweet and simple for relaxation. But fear not, I have a chopped and sectioned Tudor in the works for later this summer!

Gorgeous Henry. Rattle can or airbrush? This is what I mean about the best gloss coming from an unpolished surface and enamel. But you've got superb technique if you can get to this point without color sanding. Congrats!

It occurred to me, too. I reduced the image to a clickable one in deference to the squeamish...

We have paint! Thanx to Lyle's warning and Steve's comments, as well as the encouraging news from a couple of other posters on the TRaK board that they had successfully cleared Metalcast, I went ahead and test shot Duplicolor clear over Metalcast this afternoon. Conditions were ideal, sunny, windless and about 80 degrees F. I shot outside. Duplicolor light grey Primer Sealer, followed by Duplicolor Sunburst Gold Metallic. Then, Duplicolor Metalcast purple and finally Duplicolor Clear. One coat each. 30 minutes setup time for the primer and gold base in hot direct sunlight (probably equivalent to a 105 degree dehydrator I’m guessing), then 5, 10 and 50 minute setup time for the Metalcast and finally the Clear. As you can see there’s absolutely no difference among the three and they all came out great. However, I should point out that in all three cases the Metalcast was far from cured. If you dragged your finger across it, it was still soft. So Steve’s suggestion is right on, it’s just a bit more tolerant on a time basis. Also, the primer on yesterday’s test shot which crazed was Duplicolor white Sandable Primer, fully cured. Perhaps the Primer Sealer provides a more tolerant base, I don’t know. It seems unlikely to me… In any case I have a system that works! Spraying Duplicolor Clear over Metalcast while the Metalcast is relatively uncured, as Steve suggested, works just fine. Next step is to tempt the paint gods and shoot the fenders because I have extras if I screw up. If that goes well, then it’s time for the resin body which is a one of a kind… Here’s the test pic: I’ve received several comments suggesting I lower the back end tail-dragger style. I did think it had a bit too much rake but I like the nose-the in-the-weeds look so I took another 1-2 scale inches out of the rear ride height. This is pretty much the maximum you can do without deleting the rear suspension entirely or z-ing the frame, neither of which I am inclined to do (it’s supposed to be a quick build). The mild forward leaning rake I’ve got now is, to my eyes, very attractive since it “sells†the humpback silhouette. I’ll save a tail dragger stance for a coupe body. In any case, now the wheel rim has disappeared so I guess I have an extra set a flipper caps! I also cleaned up the window frames and prepped the body and fenders for paint and glued the skirts and grille surround in place. I also got the engine parts painted and ready for assembly. Maybe this’ll be a quick build after all. Of course, tomorrow is the most dangerous day – PAINT!!!! Here’s a pic of the modified stance: Thanx for all the help, guys!

Thanx Steve. I'll try a test shoot tomorrow allowing a minimum setup time.

Lyle Willits posted the following warning to me on the TRaK board, for which I will be forever grateful... Thanx for the hedz up, Lyle. The voice of experience... "Sloppy mess" indeed. Here's yesterday's test shot with a coat of Duplicolor Clear: Click on picture for larger image if you dare! Hmmm... what to do? Spray the tint over a polished out base gold and go without clear? Are you feelin' lucky, punk?

If you're just starting out then you're probably like me, still using spray cans, as opposed to an air brush. You probably don't have some of the more elaborate (and very useful) aids like a spray booth or a dehydrator. It's summer now, so regardless of where you live in the USA (assuming you do) your chances of getting great results without a spray booth or dehydrator are at their best. So here are some thoughts assuming you're using spray can paints. 1) Choosing the right paint. I agree that generally speaking automotive paints will yield better, more consistent results. Hobby paints are expensive when you consider the quantity they sell you. Enamels can yield very smooth, deep finishes and a good deal of gloss, but they take a long time to cure. Even in hot dry weather you should allow a week or more for the paint to cure before you can sand or polish it. Even laying down multiple coats of the same color requires waiting a couple of hours between coats before the car can be handled. So, IMHO, try to avoid enamels if you can. One advantage of hobby paints is that they tend to offer more imaginative colors in spray cans than automotive touch up paints you can buy in car parts stores. If you find just the right color then, within reason, it doesn't matter how much you pay for your paint. If I had to recommend a hobby paint I think it would be Tamiya paints. The cans are small so they land up being pretty pricy (I usually buy 2 cans of Tamiya for a single car because generally speaking for a single color car one can doesn’t provide quite enough paint). But the quality is excellent and they have some very nice colors. Testors makes nice lacquer paints and their enamels are available in a terrific range of colors which can be very tempting. In automotive rattle can paints I get very good, consistent results from both DupliColor and Plasti-Cote paints. Both brands are generally available at most chain auto parts store. It really is worth the time spent to take part of a day and drive around to the various stores in your area to see who has the best variety and selection. For primer I personally use DupliColor sandable primers and primer sealers (critical if the underlying plastic isn't in a light, neutral color like white or pale gray or beige). Plasti-Cote primers have an excellent reputation on this forum as well. Choose the appropriate color primer for the final color you are applying. For example a darker primer such a red oxide, black or drak gray will darken a lighter color coat such as white, yellow of pale blues or greens. For these I use a white primer. For deep reds, violets or maroons I find red axide adds some richness and depth. You will find that automotive rattle can paints like DupliColor or Plasti-Cote will cost you roughly one half to one third as much as hobby paints. My understanding is that both these brands are modern acrylic lacquers. It’s critical that you use the proper primer before applying them to bare plastic because they will wrinkle (craze) the plastic if you don't. I find that the DupliColor primers I use are pretty kind to the plastic. Very important, all these paints a really bad for you. They contain all kinds of terrible carcinogens and other stuff that will do your lungs no good at all. Make sure you paint in a well ventilated area. Ideally, you should get a good respirator if you're going to do painting with any frequency at all. They can be bought at auto paint supply stores or on line. I find that excellent prices can be found on e-bay. 2) Painting under the right conditions. Paint is stinky and can get over anything near it when you spray. As a result, in my case, I have to paint outdoors or at the front of the garage with drop cloths covering virtually anything even faintly nearby. First and foremost, make sure you are painting in an environment that ideally has warm, still air. Paint booths are one way to achieve this. But they cost money and when you are getting started chances are they are out of reach. So try to avoid damp, cool, windy days. The wind makes it hard to get an even coat over the paint. Some of the paint will dry before it lands on the car and result in a grainy dull coat. Lacquers in particular have a tendency to dull or blush when the air temperature is too cool. Summer weather helps enormously in avoiding these pitfalls so you have a good chance at a great result during this time of year. One way to avoid the wind is to paint inside a large box shielding the car from the wind. Cool conditions can be counteracted by heating the paint can in a pan of warm water before spraying and by warming the body under a bright lamp or in a warm room before painting. 3) Patience is the key to good paint jobs, flaws are the enemy right from the start. Good paint jobs require careful work. First make sure that the underlying body surface is absolutely smooth and flawless. You'll never overcome any flaws like scratches, rough spots, glue smudges, etc. once you paint over them. So put in the time to get the bodywork right before you paint. The best way to get the bodywork right is to apply thin coats of primer and check for flaws. Fill and sand the flaws and apply more primer. Once you're satisfied with the body surface apply one final layer of primer and get ready to apply color. One technique I have moved towards is color sanding. This is the technique mentioned by Fletch of sanding out orange peel and flaws between color coats. It really works. Each successive coat gets smoother and more consistent. This is the patience thing again. It's tempting to put down a nice thick glossy coat of color and call it good. But the chances of getting a smooth glossy finish in one or two color coats aren't very good. But if you color sand then you have to let the paint dry hard enough to sand between coats. This is where the very slow curing time of enamel really poses a problem, especially if you don't have a dehydrator to speed things up. If you use automotive paints which are generally urethanes or lacquers and you must air dry then allow at least 12-18 hours before color sanding. A good dehydrator at 105 degrees Fahrenheit will cut this down to a couple of hours. You should color sand using a finer grit sand paper. I generally wet sand starting with 400 grit. As the coats get better and smoother I move to light sanding at 800 grit. I usually put down about 4 coats of color, sanding between coats. Finally, clear coats provide the depth and protection to your color coats that allows you to sand and polish without removing any color. I usually put down 2 or 3 coats of clear before sanding and polishing. Then I generally start with a wet sanding using 1000 grit to eliminate any flaws or orange peel and then a light pass with 2000 grit. Then I'll put down a final coat of clear and prepare to polish it. By now I have enough smooth coats of paint that have been sanded and smoothed that orange peel is no longer an issue. Now I'm ready to polish. At this point I should mention that some of greatest paint jobs by the greatest painters are never polished. Polishing can impart a subtle haze to the paint. So the great master painters sometimes avoid polishing altogether and lay down a final "wet" clear coat to achieve maximum gloss. For us mere mortals a good set of polishing cloths going from 3200 grit to 12000 grit will yield beautiful results. Remember, however, to rub lightly to avoiding polishing down through the color coat. If you are already to the point of a smooth, shiny paint job from all the color sanding, etc. you will be very pleased with the impressive results you can get. Finally, the haze can be reduced even further by using a plastic polishing or sworl removing product like Meguiars ScratchX or PlastX. I hope some of this helps. The bottom line is that patience is the key...

I need another project like a hole in the head... We all know the drill! But anyway, last month attending a local model car show, I bought a backup AMT 40 Ford Fordor Sedan kit for a radical custom I'm planning for later this summer. Since I'll be sectioning and chopping the body I figure keeping a couple of extra bodies around wouldn't hurt. When I opened the box I noticed a second body shell so for $10.00 I was in! Later, showing my find to Fletch and Dave Nelson (racer13) they pointed out that the second shell was the R 'n' D Unique resin Fordor. Hmmmm... mixed feelings. The other night I decided to mock the Fordor up. Turns out it's got bags of personality. So I've decided to slam it, mount the kit Olds V8 with tri-carbs, run flippers and whitewalls and DeSoto bumpers. Today I test shot some Duplicolor Metalcast Purple over Sunburst Gold Metallic. Viola! Instant Candy Orchid! Below are some pics of the test shot and the initial mockup after lowering the front and rear suspension. This will be a quick build, I hope, since I need one as a break from some other not-so-quick builds. What do you think?

Lookin' good! The break line on that two-tone paint job which follows and sits just below the shadow line on the body empasizes the re-shaped greenhouse, the slanted B pillar and the dipped hood line. It really shows it all off to advantage, Can't wait to see some gloss on that baby. Then it'll really sing! The seat looks really sweet, too. A Tastee Treat That Can't Be Beat! This one's My-Te-Fine!

Hmmm.... Dave Fletcher. This clinches it - there is a secret society. I knew it!!! That '39 humpbacl looks mucho cool BTW.

Beautiful lines. I'll be following this one since I've got a radical Tudor lined up for later this summer (sectioned as well as chopped, but with the B pillar intact). But... Towmaster Dave, Treehugger Dave, big wheels, hmmmm... Is this some sort of secret PNW society????

Now that's thinkin'! ... Great imagineering - I woulda thought you'd researched it for sure! I see now that the middle picture shows all three steps in the process. Thanx!

Inspiration is a wonderful thing. The inner panels are sensational. They put the tidy little tuck and roll seat to shame. I'm sure you'll come up with something cool in the seating dept.too. The stance is on the money. Looking forward to more. PS: I'm definitely stealing the door panel idea for a future build. Did you research the details or just imagineer it Either way it works. If you have any detail pics o construction it would be great. Are they one piece cut out from styrene sheet or glue together from strip?

Regarding the rear seeming too high. First I think you should straighten the frame - now that diymirage has spotted it, it might explain the odd gap between the cab and bed as well. But if you still feel like bringing the rear end down after that then it looks to me like the rear axle is mounted below the rear springs, in which case you could move the axle to on top of them. That would bbrng the rear down the diameter of the axle housing. Otherwsie so far it's looking funky cool delicious!