Dr. Cranky

Count me in for a couple too.

Classy, I love it. Keep it going.

I like the modifications to the front. This one is going to stand out and be classy. Keep it going.

Cool doesn't begin to cover this one's beauty and attraction. Excellent work on the details. Those boards are fabulous touches too. Congrats.

Gotta try it with the airbrush, it's really a lot of fun . . . and believe me, you'll probably get better results because I no longer have a steady hand.

Very different, I likes it!

Very true, the cheapest works best.

Tresemme works best and get the pump mister, not the aerosol, this way you can pour it into your airbrush and apply it that way, in a few light coats. Oh, and I normally say to get unscented, but I get SCENTED just to remember that I have in fact applied it! LOL.

You must have read my mind, Rick . . . that kind of super detailing is coming in the last rounds. Right now I am still working on the paint, and then next up is a bit more weathering . . . stay tuned in, please.

Not so fast, chap. Shiny paint jobs are great once in a while just to keep up with that kind of NOT-ONE-MISTAKE stress!

Roger, thanks, buddy. Oh man tutorials, tutorials. There's got to be a whole bunch in this forum. Look around. I know that I've done a couple for the mag, but there are many more here . . . so look around.

No, Tony, there was no big finish, I just have to spatter some Zombie blood and parts on this sucker and it'll be good to go. I am waiting on an order of TAMIYA CAMPUS FRIENDS to arrive, donor parts, if you know what I mean!

LOL, I like that! Nothing like an abandoned car to provide loads of fun with a rifle, some beer, and rattle cans!

So far so good. I like the way you got it posed. It's going to be very dramatic.

Fabulous scratch-building. I love this bike!

That dashboard is perfect!

It's looking good. I can't wait to see it painted.

Here's a bit of clarification on all these techniques. Okay, so the idea is that FIRST you have to decide how rusty and gunky and gone do you want your vehicle. If you want to build a daily driver, then you know you have to NOT over do it. Now, for this build, Cranky went all out because Cranky LOVES, LOVES, LOVES rust and far-gone vehicles, but you already knew that. Okay, so once you figure out how much rust your vehicle is going to have (it helps to have reference sources, pictures or look around in a junk yard, etc) then you prepare accordingly. One little dent goes a long ways, two rust throughs go a long ways, etc . . . So here are the basic approaches, or tricks in your bag. #1) You can decide to paint your model, and then use the sponge technique to add rust spots sparingly with black and brown paint. #2) You can chip and map the paint by using the TABLE & ROCK SALT Method. You can also sprinkle a bit of baking powder in a little bit of super glue strategically placed on the rust spot on your model and this will add texture (old technique, sure) but it still works. Or you can use pigment powders to do the same and affix them with a little thinned out matte medium or flow matte medium. #3) You can buy insurance on whatever rust you want to add by simply airbrushing a few coats of hairspray on the body (over the rust coat) and then using a stiff brush and warm water you can chip away at the paint. Ryan Silva has a great method of using the sponge technique and the alcohol to manipulate the paint even further. You can practice each of these individually and then you can begin to combine them always experimenting to achieve a higher level of realism in your work. After all, this is exactly what military modelers have been doing for years now, getting great results. I just want to make sure everyone understands that these techniques are also available to us model car builders . . .

Thanks, everyone. The chassis and interior are painted but I am giving everything a rest over night. As soon as I can I will start working on the details . . . stay tuned in . . .

Kane, no problem, copy away . . . these kinds of builds are addictive and fun, which is why Doctor Cranky gets CRANKED! To answer your question. The salting technique went on first, then hairspray. The hairspray is really an insurance policy in case you want to add more rust . . . both techniques work well together. In this case, I only removed a bit more paint from the roof, which I did with a stiff brush and some warm water. Before I continue with the weathering, I will seal in the whole paintjob with Future Clear so that I can move on to the washes (I am using acrylic washes, but I will often use oil base washes too), and then when I am done with that I will clear with matte finish . . .

I guess the application of washes and some pigments will help accent some other areas . . . but for now, this one is resting until I finish the chassis and the interior . . . and I still have the engine and the rear tires and wheels . . . the fun shall continue . . .

I guess with a vehicle like this, the more parts that are gone or broken, the more attitude, I guess . . . the next level would be to simply set it on fire and bring it down to ashes broken metal . . . maybe the next one . . .

Here is the latest progress . . . just adding accents here and there, broken lights in the back and the one single broken headlight glass left . . . etc . . . Added a little bit more color . . . just for the effect of it . . .and to break off from the overall color of the roof . . .

Thanks, I really appreciate the good cheerleading. I went back and added just a touch of color with a sponge and a little bit of rust here and there . . . trying not to overdoit, right? Yeah, right. Stay tuned in for more pics . . .

The build is going to be displayed in the diorama with both the hood and trunk lids up . . . Stay tuned in for more progress . . .