DirtModeler

Anyone else really not like Alain Prost after watching Senna? I saw it a while back, and Prost really irked me.

Thanks for the input. I want this kind of feedback, and hope nobody will worry about hurting my feelings with the feedback. The axle holes are definitely undersized. I had made a choice to make them undersized by design as all of the feedback i had received up to the release of the artwork was that having them undersized so they could be drilled out was ideal for everyone. As a result i'd made a decision to size them for a 1/8" tube and call it good. It was something that just made sense to me from how I build my cars. The Dirt Cars i build have working suspension, and i use a step system on the axle to lock the mounts in place. Stepping down from a larger diameter tube to a smaller one where the suspension mounts ride.. and back up on the other side. It creates a channel that keeps everything in place. If the overall size of the part isn't correct.... Then the demand for parts isn't true 1:16th scale, and some odd hybrid of 1:16th scale? I based the overall drawings from MFG's websites own dimension drawings, like: http://www.rjracecar...6-Prodview.html It's an important topic to nail down, because if these cars aren't in 1:16th scale, then what scale are they? I prefer not to move off the path of true scale, because true scale is a language anyone can speak. When parts begin to be based on someone else's work, rather then the real-deal, you move farther and farther off the scale path. I need confidence that when i find a dimension drawing of a part, or measure a real part, i don't have to make an adjustment to match (insert other guy's part here).

It's in the works, i promise! Likely out of Stainless or Nickel Steel. I'm still undecided... but it's in the works now. You did such a fantastic job on your Liberty Shifter, i thought someone already DID make a PE kit of it. that thing is phenomenal!

That thing is AWESOME!

I think Futurattraction (sp?) has some dzus body plates he's offering too. He does rubber backed etching, that's perfect for things like that. (just like the ones Ratnasty is showing on his post) I use a different method that etches from the front and back simultaneously. It results in a more 'square' part side, and allows me to do 1/2 etched parts on the front and the back for complex shapes... but at the cost of having to have tabs on the parts to hold them in place. The rubber-backed front-only etch method gets rid of the tabs, and puts a nice bevel on the parts edges which is perfect for flush mounted parts.

Heh thanks all, thanks Mikey!

Hi Guys, I'm kind of a different modeler i suppose. I start by designing the kit, then building it. I cast all my own parts, and have all of my own parts etched. The chassis was designed in a 3D program then transferred into Corel Draw so the parts could be etched in brass. This particular build (or builds, i'm actually building two at a time here), is kind of a test to see what's possible in 1:64. The cars already have a lot of detail, but i'm going to see if i can push it a little farther. I'll see if i can add things like plug wires, dry sump tank and hoses... and who knows what else. I stopped, at least for the time being, building for hire.. so i'm going to be spending the time exploring a 'bit without any time limits.

I add a chassis riser next, it sets the space between the two halves, and gives me a nice square point to line things up with. It's soldered into place on the base. Now for some rear suspension mounts: They are folded and put into place on the top half of the chassis. Just tacked at this point. The two halves are now put together. More of what looks like a solder bomb. but it cleans up easily. I dont' do any clean-up until the very end these days. Now we move onto the rear suspension. This is the main shock mount. It's designed to be strong and keep everything square. These cars can actually have working and scale suspension as an option. Rear suspension mounts are put into place. A little more soldering and bending, and we have what is starting to look like a dirt late model chassis. This is when i'll start moving off-script. I've already started cutting open the engine compartment. I'll be adding some new mounting brackets next, then it will be time to clean up the chassis for paint.

I've done a fair number of cars in 1:64 for customers, but have only really built one for myself. I've been in the mood to push the limits for small scale modeling. It started with a stand i'd kind of thrown together on my last set of plates i'd had done. I wanted a more interesting way of displaying the cars without the wheels and tires. Though it's in raw brass, i thought it looked pretty cool. So i thought, why not try and detail a 1:64 car like i did the 1:24th cars.. within reason. and display the car sitting on the stand showing the motor detail without a hood or front panels. I have some new parts, ideas, and adjustments i can utilize since i did the Lanigan car, and take it up a notch. We'll see how it works out. First, i'll build a frame. It's kind of like oragami. Most of the difficult work was done at the design stage. Start with the flat base. Fold the tail up and solder the two anchors in place. Next i have to attach a brass nut, that will be used to secure the car in a display case once it's complete. Now the front suspension mounts. These are a different type then i normally use. these are designed with 'hooks' for the front suspension to clip into. It's folded into a 'C' and put onto tabs etched into the chassis base. Next is the radiator mount crossmember. I actually didn't put any radiators on the for-hire builds i'd done thus far. It seemed and unnecessary detail. With the hood opened up.. we'll want that radiator now! It's soldered into place. It looks like a big solder mess right now. But trust me, it won't when we're done.

The mail on the new cart probably isn't working (it's a new program i'm using). I remember getting mail setup on my old cart was a pain.. this one apparently is going to be the same. you can email me directly michael@dirtmodeler.com I'll work on getting the mail working on the cart.. International order should work, I THOUGHT i had it setup ok

1:16 Dzus plates, brass for easy soldering For 1:8 modelers, i made a set of Dzus plates just for you: (i only made 10 this run, they are very limited edition)

Freshly arrived today is our new line of 1:16th parts. 4-link suspension mounts: Front Suspension Mounts: 1:16 Kirkey lightweight seat: For Dirt racing builders who want to rock 1:16th scale, here's some Rocket suspension and shock mounts:

Thanks, some of that is bound to happen every now and again. The site is already growing as people are starting to share their photos and tag their findings. I hope everyone will continue sharing their reference material and adding it to the site. A strong Scale Reference community can mean the end of trudging through forums and google images to find reference material for your next modeling project. My interest area is Dirt Racing, so i'll be heavily supporting that area. If we can find some other reference material junkies out there for other areas, the site will get huge.. fast!

Finding reference photos for your next modeling project can be fun, but can also be a nightmare. There are thousands of photo websites out there to search through, and it can be a very daunting task to track down the photos of what you're looking for. www.scalereference.com is a new answer to that problem. It's a community site where you can upload your reference material, add comments, and search terms to any photo on the site. The more you add, the more you tag, and the more you share, the stronger the site will become. I'll be adding my 4GB Dirt Racing collection to the archive, and I hope you will share yours. I just tonight finished the basic framework, and will be adding more as time progresses. Coming up next will be tutorials for adding your photos, how to add tags and search terms for existing photos, and lastly a forum for requesting more categories. This site is community supported, and will always be free. I hope you'll take some time and lend your hand to grow the project. Michael S. Crowley Dirt Modeler

I've kind of abandoned larger scales for a while. The orange car is 1:64, the one on it's roof is 1:112th scale. The odd size has to do with the plate thickness I etch my parts in, it's a long story

Lastly, I thought the BIG SCALE modelers might make use of our Dzus Plates.. These are 1:8th scale, and will be easy-to-solder brass. they will be produced in pretty limited numbers (i'm only having 10 of them made this round).

Also coming is our first group of 1:16th scale parts! We're starting with a few parts we thought would be most useful off the bat. Our 4-Link and front suspension kits, originally designed by Clay Kemp. I've taken his design and scaled it up for 1:16th modelers. i also added one more variation to the 4-link plates that aren't in the 1:24 plate. We've also made available our lightweight "kirkey" style seat in 1:16th, our Dirt Late Model suspension mounts, and our Dzus Plates... All coming next month.

We have some new plates coming Early to Mid March to Dirt Modeler. These will all be etched in .012" brass. To make it easy to see how the parts will look, all RED areas of these images are 1/2 etched, black areas are full thickness. We'll start off with our first foray into Pavement Late Models with these 3 different 1:24 Spoiler bracket kits. Each kit will come with a HEFTY number of extra supports in varying lengths so you can get the perfect one depending on your spoiler height and the angle you set them. Each plate will make two complete spoilers.

I've some 1:16 Drag PE coming on my next round of plates. Estimated 2 months. I had to get some other things finished first.. but I can promise they are coming.

MAN that's a beauty! you totally nailed that body! You should post it on the dirt modeler forums, that car is well worthy of a whole lot of praise! I see few modelers nail the look like that (myself included)

I've been having issues running Model Master Fluoro Orange through my airbrush... Does anyone have any tips as far as what to thin it with? I didn't have much luck with Lacquer Thinner (which thins most model master paints just fine for airbrushing).

That's correct, I specialize in Brass photoetched parts. These parts will be my standard thickness .012" brass, to allow for soldering to brass frames, or to easily drill out the holes to your desired sizes. I'll try to hit the most common sizes so they will be ready to use off the fret. I won't be going too crazy with the photoetch stuff, but due to popularity of the drag parts, i do want to expand the line and support the growing number of 1:16 modelers out there.

I'm going to be working on the artwork for some 1:16 drag race parts... namely a 1:16th scale version of the drag race parts I already offer in 1:24. My questions are: 1. What is the diameter of the tube you'll use for your rear axles? I need to set the hole size for the 4-link suspension to match. 2. What diameter do you use for your roll cages? I need to make sure the suspension brackets will fit around them. 3. Lastly, What size screws do you use to connect your suspension pieces (Tie Rods, Suspension Links, etc) to the brass mounts? 00-90? 0-80? 1-72? I've never built at 1:16 so i'm not sure what you would go with? I'll reformat the plates to fit, and also plan on some weld drag racing beadlocks scaled to 1:16. thanks for your input. Michael S. Crowley Dirt Modeler

I did a little work yesterday, but wasn't able to do anything new today. Here i'm mocking up the rear brakes to make sure everything fits. The difference between these brake calipers and others, is that they are connected to the axle with some clips. The whole rotor assembly can rotate completely separate from them. The two 'giant' silver pins you see sticking out the back are those mounts.. they are clipped off after attachment. They are long now as i still have to paint the calipers, they are still in raw brass.