Skip

When I worked in a tooling shop years ago we used to use a vacuum pump to first draw the bubbles out of parts A & B resin and mold materials prior to mixing. I've seen the Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer at garage sales for as low as $5 and $10 - $20 on Craig's List. These have a small Vacuum pump on them, along with the jar lid attachment some sort of vacuum setup should be pretty easy to make. The vacuum is low enough on the Foodsaver that quart or gallon jars or acrylic containers can be used with relative safety, they are designed to use canning jars. High vacuum and glass don't mix, glass things come apart like a bomb blast!

That's Cool! There is a place in Tacoma, Washington I drive by every day on my way to work that rebuilds these massive behemoths. The locomotives are brought in in all stages of disrepair from accidents, fires and just plain worn out, once they arrive each is stripped down to the bare chassis and rebuilt from the ground up. Rolling stock is brought there from all over North and South America, there was a locomotive in their yard from Peruvian Mining a couple of months ago, I've seen Mexican, Canadian, Bolivia and large and small US Rail Carriers come and go. They have a similar looking building where the locomotives and other rolling stock are rolled inside for paint. Much of the actual restoration process takes place outside, so the progress is visible and interesting to watch driving by.

I remember seeing the Comp. Coupes and Roadster Dragsters run when I was a kid. None of them were ever built with this kind of attention to detail as the Famoso Comp. Coupe shown. Some of the early drag cars were a bit on the ragged side, they were race cars not show cars! Hopefully the Famoso Comp. Coupe makes one of the car magazines soon, it's an interesting subject.

Having been bit by "Hot Lacquer" once or twice I would say test before spraying it on any project. Cheap insurance.

Traditionally the bracket has been 1964 with the Pontiac GTO, through 1972 /1973 Production year, Pontiac, Olds 442, Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Mopar - All manufactured by Detroit's "Big Three" Ford, GM and Mopar. Ending with the Arab Oil Embargo, gas lines and price doubled overnight, the other reasons. Insurance Industry, tired of payouts on this type of car. Legislation Federal and State regulations on Fuel Economy, Safety, Noise... I.e. Politicians ended your driving fun for a while. Three Reasons the Muscle Car Era came about and probably others: 1. Factory and Non-Factory Super Stock Drag Racing - Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday! 2. First and foremost getting the brand name out there, even if they had to fudge the truth to the Factory Bosses, i.e. GTO 3. Factory misstatement of actual Horsepower Ratings for Insurance Ratings, lower ratings = lower insurance. Muscle Car to some is like saying Gasser. To some a Gasser follows NHRA Rules either to the letter or closely in character. To others Gasser is any jacked up car with a big engine that sorta looks like a Gasser did. Muscle Car originally was not an interchangeable title, it fit a specific formula: Big Engine in an Intermediate Car, manufactured by Detroit's Big Three.

Just picked up another Slingster today, always open every kit to do a visual inventory, found part no. 43 Front Axle detached at one end and bent at a 45 degree angle. The chrome on the bent axle is nice, except that real leaf springs don't bend at a forty-five. Too bad otherwise it could be used as a wrecked race car diorama. The website didn't ask for the UPC or proof of purchase, added them in on the comment line. Got a confirmation email after I ordered the part just like the only other time I had to get a replacement part, glass for a New Beetle, got that one in 3-4 weeks.

Nice start on a "Proper Mark I", should look great finished.

Most of the factories still had "Woodgrainers" up until '52 or '53 or so, before the vinyl woodgrain started. Interesting tidbit in the thirties and forties Woodgrainers were paid 5 to 10 cents an hour more than the stripers, so only the best got to be Woodgrainers. Interesting that you apply your Woodgrain opposite of what most do, I've always been taught to start with the tans, reds, yellows before the browns and Siena. Pretty clear your method works and looks great. I've done it on a few big cars, passable but not fantastic, it's a real art to get right.

Crager rims right? The reissued Myers Manx came with Cragers, if I remember correctly they were 14's. The original AMT Myers Manx came with 60 series Polyglass GT's. Not sure what the reissue came with for tires. Specifically, what are you putting the wheels and tires on, that might get you more assistance. Rim diameter? Cragers came in 13, 14 and 15 inch diameter. Most of the 13 inch diameter Crager Mags were four spoke. Are you looking for a modern looking rounded shouldered tire or a Muscle Car era square profile? 60's as in tire profile can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, which is why I'm asking for a little more descriptive idea of what you are looking for. They've been making 60 series tires since the 1960's that covers a whole lot of styles of tires. Don't get the idea that I'm slamming you for asking a question, just trying to constructively point out when asking for information to be specific, most of us aren't mind readers.

Carl, for a ready made Mahl Stick you can coma couple of ways. First as alluded to is the kids baton, I think they still sell them, it is just about the right size, I've even seen a couple in work in the sign business. Two, is the ready made Mahl Stick, Dick Blick sells one, http://www.dickblick.com/products/excel-3-section-mahl-stick/ the wood stick is way over priced. I actually have one similar to that aluminum three piece Mahl Stick. The wood stick shows one in use, they definitely will steady your hand, provide both leverage and add to what strength you are working with. I would whole heartedly recommend the use of a Mahl Stick, I would also recommend the longer stick as well, with the longer 30" stick the end is rested in the crook of the elbow allowing the working hand to move up and down the stick. Over the years I've seen all kinds of Mahl Sticks, the simplest being 5/8 - 3/4" dowel with wadded ball across the end, the trick being making the ball end as non-skid as you can.

Went our first Hobby Lobby today. Federal Way Washington. We found the staff to be nice, my wife stocked up on scrap booking stuff, I found everything from drawing, painting (fine art), hobby and model stuff. This one is forty five minutes away, we have one opening later this month a half hour away. It's nice, it has some of the stuff I normally get, but it isn't a local Hobby Shop. That said, we' ll go back.

Those came out really sharp, thanks for sharing.

graph One Shot will not flow through a Rapidograph Technical Pen, they are made to flow illustration ink only. They are somewhat of a pain to clean with ink, I cannot even begin to imagine cleaning enamel paint out of one. I have uses some of the liquid watercolor paints in them, but at $20 plus per pen I wouldn't feed any other paint through it. They don't like India ink either it's too grainy and tends to plug up then pen nibs. I gave a rather long winded but accurate answer to someone asking almost the same question here. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75616&hl= This was essentially the same question you are asking. For model car leer rearing almost any enamel brush type paint will work, the little Testers jars are about the same consistency as One Shot, Ronan, Little Daddy Roth striping and lettering paints. There are a few old Signwritters and Stripers that hang around here, if you ask nice we could provide a little guidance. While you are looking up lettering fonts look up "Snap" it is the quick informal lettering style used on a lot of race cars and signs. At least that's the name I've always heard that style referred to. There are tons of font styles on the Net, you should have no problem finding more than you need out there. For what you are lettering you might look at a "Rigger" watercolor brush, cutting the tip as described in the other post. Riggers are named so because they are used by watercolor artists to paint ships rigging. Hope this helps you get where you want to go.

Awesome Deuce, believable engineering throughout the model. Straight out of the early 60's with today's building techniques. Looks like you could hop in and cruise!

Very nice indeed! Very plausible, looks like an "Old Lady car" that someone got ahold of and turned into a sleeper. Gray Baskerville and a few other Hot Rod writers used to call them an "Uncle Daniel", they also called well preserved stockers that too. Sort of the best of both worlds a car that looks like stock yet goes like stink! Did I mention that I really like your model! It's cool. There's an older guy who shows up at the local A & W Cruise night who almost specializes in sleepers. He's had a '57 Olds with the J2 Rocket Motor it still had the stock upholstery covered by clear vinyl seat covers, an almost everything delete '55 Fairlane with 428 Super Cobra Jet, currently has a sorta faded green 61 Biscane with dog dish hubcaps, duel 4 barrel 409 in it that was supposed to have come out of a "well known" California Super Stocker sometime in the early '70's. One of those guys you look at who doesn't look like a car guy at all or like he would have the money to play the car game at the level he does. All his cars are quiet almost sedate sounding. Sleepers are and will always be cool! Whenever I drive my Cooper-ized Mini to a cruise night he almost always parks by me and talks my leg off about racing Minis in the '60's, he knows what he's talking about too. He always tells me that a real Mini Cooper is the Fastest Ten Feet Money Can Buy!

Very Nice

If you are using a soft enough aluminum alloy, 5052 (non-heat treatable, work hardens) or 6061 - 0 condition (not heat treated) try cutting the strips and burnishing them with drill rod or the smooth end of a drill against a smooth almost polished flat steel surface. Doing so will be like running the strips through a set of rollers. Alternate side to side, as in work one side, flip work the other and repeat until the aluminum strip is flat. Alternatively you could try to find a 2024 T4, 6061 T4 or T6 or 7075 T6 in thin sheets 0.005 - 0.010. You might have trouble finding this thin though. Try metals depot. Another alternative would be steel shim stock which is easy to find in thin sheet and or strip form, try McMaster Carr. http://www.mcmaster.com He steel shim stock will be harder to work but it can be worked the same way as the aluminum strip. Worked in a tooling shop for a short time and got to watch some amazing stuff being made almost out of thin air! Here would be one source. http://www.metalsdepot.com

http://sgrallying.blogspot.com/2013/05/jrs-dragster-one-bad-hombre.html First thing I thought when I saw these pictures was Slingster, either use the paint scheme on the Bantam body or get really ambitious and cut and paste a '32 Ford Vicky body and make your own. I know that I have at least one old Small Pages article on how to cut up a Bantam Sedan up to make something similar to te Slingster body, it would be a whole lot of cutting to do though. When I saw the new Slingster for the first time I thought Fuel Coupe in all sorts of variations. This just reinforces that idea.

I like your idea, it preserves the past, honors Mike's Dad's work and gives a glimpse to what he was thinking when he originally built it. It's the best of both worlds, using the parts in a current model, preserving them for display, and the story behind them. I just might do something like this with some of my Uncle's model parts. FYI - My Uncle bought me my first model, took me with him to the Drags for the first time, Auto Show in Seattle... I guess that's the reason I am big on honoring his memory.

I like it wheels and all, they look a whole lot better than the 14 inch Crager SS wheels did. Used to see one quite similar to this one auto crossing, the guy had a Empi camber compensator on the back, instead of the swing axle climb it would squat down and slide through the corners. You nailed the stance for a hot street buggy too, used to see ones like yours in Hot VW's magazine in the late 70's and earl 80's. Lots of them had wide five Centerlines too.

Nice 510, a good friend has one. He has the BRE book on how to build one, at last count he has three engines for it in various stages of tune from hot street, prepped auto cross and full Banzai (not quite grenade motor). We like to do a little street burning through twisty roads and stuff his 510 against my Mini. I can normally take him through the corners, he gets his chance in the strait stuff! All in good fun! Ok back to your 510, like the color, like the fact that you used restraint in not turning it into a cookie cutter (Honda) late model tuner car. Tuner cars are OK, but a 510 predates the Tuners by a few decades, so it really looks better in the stock kit form. I remember the first one that I built, think I was like in Jr. High, I wasn't impressed with the multi-piece body. Now that I've had a few mechanical engineering college class or two, I recognize it as a really great piece of tool engineering. I always wondered if Revell built the body that way so they could do a stock 510 by just changing the side panels.

I wouldn't change a thing, use it as part of a diorama. If you want to make a pickup, roadster pickup or rat rod get another kit and build it without those parts. I would urge you to use restraint and thought before using these parts, they are only original once. It sounds as if there is some sentimental attachment as well. The other thing I see is it is the original black plastic, that series was a pain to paint, the black always showed through everything. I have some of my Uncle's model stuff from when he was a kid, most are parts like this. I have restored a few of the complete or near complete models and given them to my Mom, aunt and Grandmother; just cleaned them up and put them back together as he did. My Uncle was killed by a drunk driver in 1970, so they are part of his legacy that I really feel I have no right to change. For that reason I haven't really even used but a few parts from the box for special projects. I would bet here are others who are trusted with parts and kits like these with similar feelings. Yeah it's only plastic, it's also a connection to the past where that person built something with their hands, a window into their mind at the time they built it.

As Art referred to engine turning on Gold Leaf it's now done with velveteen over a dowel rod. Most signwriters I know are good enough they can freehand it! You might be able to do this with BMF, not sure it's soft enough though.

Suggest taking a look at either MiniWorld. http://www.miniworld.co.uk/magazine or Mini http://www.minimag.co.uk magazines websites. You will find that the wheel type you are thinking about running isn't plausible. They would cause suspension failure in short order. Now if you are building a "Tuner" type Mini, a Honda VTec can and does fit into a Mini with significant modifications. Search VTec Mini. The Sportspack wheel arches are normally run with this set up, a 13 inch Alloy wheel is the fitment of choice normally in one of the Mini Lite variations. That would even be on the "Wild" Custom Mini. There are arches which may cover a wheel such as you are proposing, they take away from the Mini's character, search Huffaker Mini, they take up the complete quarters front and rear. They are normally not found on a streetable Mini. I've seen all sorts of things done with Mini's over the dozen years I've owned a Classic Mini, what you are proposing for wheel fitment isn't done, it would require nearly a whole uprated front suspension, lots of body and structural modifications to work, well beyond Tuner modifications. Then again it's your model...

Just received my order from BNL today, it was placed on February 23, very quick turnaround for any resin caster in my book. A quick examination of the parts looks like they are very crisp, sharp lines where there are supposed to be sharp lines and nice round edges where they are meant to be. There is very little if any flash, what there is will easily clean up with a light sanding before use. Ben's Nailhead Buick engine is very nice too,, the fine detailing is not lost in the casting. The other small block Chevrolet stuff, heads, intakes, air cleaners and aftermarket based valve covers are equally as nice. I had looked at BNL's stuff a while ago, wasn't sure about dealing with Ben as I had never heard anything about BNL; after checking out this thread earlier I am glad I took the "chance" and bought his stuff, it's nice. Also, Thanks to those who recommended Ben's stuff, we need more honest recommendations like this. We also need the Hack Alerts when someone is passing off junk. So when you deal with one of the aftermarket sellers let others know about your dealings went and the product quality.