bill w

JI Morris Co.

You can go the Montblanc way, a fountain will go as high as 6,000.00, or the ballpoint pen over 2,000.00.

Thanks everyone for your help. The last image on Nells250 post is the one I will be building. I'm trying to get as many detail images as I can. I have the Pocher kit I purchased in 1978 and I want to detail it as much as possible. Thanks again.

I need a website for reference photos. I Googled Alfa Romeo but all I can get is new cars or Pocher models. If anyone can help it would be much appreciated.

I've been making molds for 20 years...I always use petroleum jelly for rubber to rubber release. Never had a problem. All you need is a thin coat!

What I have is a Rout 66 Corvette show inaugural promotional model...it's the official pace car. It has a stamp of #157... don't know if that means anything. It came with a checkered base and a plastic cover...it was given to me around 1999. It also has a certificate of title and transfer of ownership.

Dose anyone know if the AMT/Ertl 1998 Corvette promotional model is a collectable?

What Dave and Art said.

Thanks David, making a 1/8 scale license plate is a lot easier than making a 1/24 scale license plate. It's smaller than 1/8 therefor much more difficult to make. I started this project 20 years ago this past November. This is the only project I worked on aside for a few things I did for friends. I did think of scraping it... but was urged to continue by some friends. So this is it up till now. It's about 99% finished, still have some minor things too make, seat belts for one... I know there is something else just can't put my finger on it right now.

Hi Peter, basically everything that is embossed on the real plate... I drew in Adobe Illustrator, then had my illustration cut out of adhesive backed vinyl, then adhered the the lettering to a piece of .040 styrene. I shot some primer all over... kind of thick to bridge over the vinyl so that it looks embossed. Let it dry for an hour then molded and cast it. After it's cast I painted the whole plate the orange color, I let it dry for 24 hrs. To make the letters and numbers a dark blue... I took my original illustration and had a dry transfer made, applied the lettering and gave it a coat of clear to seal it. And that's it, looks like a stamped plate.

Hey Henry, these are the three parts that makeup the headlight. All three parts where cut on a lathe. I cut tiny strips from .005 ( 0.13 mm ) styrene and glued them to the inside of the lens, clear coated both sides with high gloss, then made a mold and cast the part with clear resin from Alumilite. The tail lights are made with pieces cut from sheet styrene .040 thick ( 1.02 mm ), then cast with clear resin with red dye added. Hosted on Fotki

To Lee, I'm still thinking of a kit, I made a mold of the body and tried casting it, I did get 5 shots before the mold turned to junk. The parts are less than good, but I will try and make another mold a bit different and see what happens. To Tom, thanks, I tried to visit LSM but it didn't seem like anyone has been there for years. To Rafael, I painted it about 5 months ago. I'm not 100% happy with the finish, it has some bug feet and dust, but sometimes you get that when you paint in your garage. To Henry, you're welcome anytime... but I think there is a bit of distance between us. To David, I started this project just too see if I can do it. Before I built cars I was into RC airplanes. I funded my hobby by selling what I built. The last plane I built was 7 1/2 foot F4 Phantom Jet that I scratch built. I was always a car guy... so I decided too try a car. It is a lot more difficult! As for the cost... it was a gradual buildup as time went on. I don't think I would get my investment back. To Mike, I bought a basket case 69 Camaro for measuring and details. I didn't restore it... sold it when it was no longer needed. Here's a pic. Hosted on Fotki

This car is all scratch built. I've been working on this model for 20 years. Thanks for the nice comment.

It's been some time since I posted...life seems to get in the way. I've been working on the Camaro every chance I get, almost finished, but deciding on which chrome paint to use. I think I've tried them all and they all seem the same as far as finish goes, not much difference between them. Anyway here are some pics. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

You can use any paint, just thin the paint more than normal and spray light coats until you get what your looking for!

I use Alumilite clear for all my clear parts and never had a problem. Everything Ace said is true, the mix ratio is 1:1 by weight. Clear resins as well as rubber resins require a Platinum base RTV for proper curing, the Tin base RTV will inhibit the resin and it will not cure. Alumilite clear also requires heat for parts thinner than 1/8" thick. I cast parts that are .065 to .075 thick and I always use pressure and 125 to 150 degrees F heat for four hours and let the mold cool for 10 hours.

I have been making molds for a long time, and from what you described it seems to be a bad mix. If the container was the problem then the silicone touching the container would be soft and gooey, and that would only be 1/16 to 1/8 inches soft all around the container... the rest of the silicone would be cured. If the silicone around the part is soft then the part is the problem. I may be wrong but I never heard of using 3% catalyst for silicone unless it's a new product. I use both tin base and platinum base silicone and the mix ratio is 10 to 1 (10% catalyst) which leads me too believe it was a bad mix. Again I don't know what brand of silicone you are using. If you primer your part that will do the trick.

Thanks for the update, I haven't been there in years. Gonna try and be there.

I remember an out of the box build white Mercedes in the window of the Sharper Image store, price tag was $5,000.00. Just white plastic no paint.

Add the rivets, it's a must.

535.00 for a Pocher kit.

Not working for me either!

Ace is correct. I do a lot of casting and I always vacuum the resin and use a pressure pot. The resin I use has a 20 to 25 minute pot life. I'm not sure about the low viscosity resin not creating bubbles, I have a clear resin that's almost like water and it creates more bubbles! Best bet is de-gas and use pressure for casting. Also super glue is the way for filling pin holes!

First never use black for a chrome base. The best results I have is a gray base, 10 to 40 percent gray. Chrome dose not have color, it reflects whatever is around it. I use a two part automotive urethane clear, wait 5 to 10 minutes and spray Alclad. The two part clear cures in twenty four hours and you can try rubbing the Alclad off and it will not smear.