mopar68

I found these at Spotlight, not sure if you have Spotlight in the US, but I guess some other craft store would have these- hex beads. Only cost a couple of dollars, a there's a fair few in there.

Wow thank you George, I really appreciate that Thanks again everyone, glad I've inspired a few people to try it. Have fun! 8)

Thanks again guys. Yea true Rob, I'm still working on that part Here's a set of not-quite-yet finished turbo headers, almost mirrored Thanks George, they're often known as either name down here. 'Extractors' sounds a bit tougher I guess

Thanks Jim I used Evergreen here, I'm not sure if there's a difference either, don't suppose so.

Thanks fellas, hope it helps someone a little Oh I forgot to mention, you can use a jewlers file instead of a dremel bit. When I done this I didn't have any so I made do

Not sure. I look back at models I built two years or more ago, and I know they look bad. I don't need anyone to tell me that either, I can see it for myself Regardless, when I first built them I thought I'd done an excellent job. What I mean is, maybe people get better anyway, without getting having to told how to, if that makes any sense. I learn alot from looking at other people's builds; looking at what they do and how they do it. If I hadn't joined modeling forums, I'd still be pumping out crappy builds. But it was seeing the awesome work that everyone else was doing that made me want to try new things; I think if people had pointed out too many faults in my builds I would've been discouraged. I can definately see your point though,you can't improve if you don't know what you're doing wrong. There's a fine line between constructive criticism and a negative comment, and it's all up to the way it's worded as to how it will be taken. So rather than "Nice engine detail, but your chop top looks bad", maybe something more like "Nice engine detail, only the chop top is a little rough. Next time, maybe you could try ........., this is the way I do it and it makes it alot easier to line up the pillars" etc.. Like I said, it's the way you word your comment that will determine whether it benfits the builder or just discourages them. At least be nice while they're new, until they can handle the hard honest truth Just my 2 cents, not meant to offend.

Here's my little tutorial- http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54897 Hope it helps a little

Time to grab that Dremel bit. You can shape the flange however you want, I chose to keep it simple. Finish it off by cutting off that excess 1.6mm rod sticking out the back of the flange and finishing with the sanding stick. Depending how cleanly everything went together, the transition from pipes to the tip might only need a quick sand. Otherwise, just use a little putty. And there you go, a custom extractor. Now you just have to make the other side Well I hope this has helped a bit, feel free to post up any questions, corrections, or comments. Hate mail can be PM'd

So now you will have something a little like- Put the pipes in one last time, grab your rubber band and add a touch of glue. While that's drying, get your 3.2mm rod and your pinvise. We're going to make the tip (collector I think they call it). I drilled a 1mm pilot hole in the end, then used my 1.5mm bit to open it up. Hobby knife was carefully used to open it further. You probably can't tell from the picture, but I also sanded the end of the rod into a somewhat cone shape. Desired length was then cut off, and cleaned up a little with the sanding stick. Make sure you give the glue plenty of time to dry. When it is, take the rubber band off and mark out where you want the pipes to collect into the tip. This is where you will cut them. Clean the cut up a little, then sand the ends of the pipes down a little, into a little bit of a point. The pic will explain- Now glue your tip on. Starting to look like an extractor now.

Here I will show you how to scratchbuild an extractor. Use this tutorial as a guide only- you can choose your own size/shape/whatever. The same techniques can be used to create all sorts of types of extractors/headers. It's a lot easier than it looks and a whole lotta fun so don't be afraid to try it! Just experiment and have fun This extractor isn't a replica of any particular 1:1, it's just based off the many I've seen in magazines/on the net/other peoples' builds etc... Rito enough talk, let's get building- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are all the materials/tools I used to make this extractor- 0.5mm styrene sheet 1.6mm styrene rod 3.2mm styrene rod hobby knife; No. 11 blade pinvise; 1mm, 1.5mm bits sanding stick dremel grinding bit lighter styrene cement rubber band ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First of all, and the most important thing, is to plan how you are going to make you extractor. What size does the flange/pipes need to be? Is it going to clear chassis rails/steering boxes/whatever else? A little planning ahead will save alot of headaches in the long run. Test fitting is also very important- check the fit of every piece you make as the part comes together. Alright, let's really get building Using the 0.5mm sheet, we need to cut the flange out. If you have the kit header handy, you might be able to use it to get the correct size. Next is to drill 1.5mm holes where you want the pipes coming out (not a bad idea to use your 1mm bit to drill pilot holes first). This will make things alot easier rather than just gluing the pipes straight to the flange. Okay, pipes. to make a bend in rod, I use a lighter. I know some people can bend rod without heat, but I just can't. Well not without breaking it anyway . The trick here is to use just enough heat to be able to bend the rod easily; just a second right above the flame is enough for rod this small. Too much heat and it will begin to pit, or of course catch fire. Also, allow plenty of room from the end of the rod where you make your bend. If you make it too close, the tip of the rod will expand and it won't look so pretty. Neither will it fit in the holes in the flange- First bend- Also a good idea to mark where you want your bends before you bend them. And remember to test fit. Now cut the excess, but make sure you leave plenty of length. Continue using this same method to make the rest of the pipes. Oh don't forget to test fit them as you go . As you can see, there is a fair bit of excess rod sticking through the other side of the flange, this will be trimmed away a little later.

Wow! So many great tips here! Thankyou very much Bill. I have been building for about 5 years now, although I would still consider myself a newbie. It's great to learn a new trick when you can, but there's a whole bunch of gems in this thread.

I just built one, can't be too rare I don't think.

Some pretty serious cubes there Tyrone! Nice

Thanks Greg, I appreciate the comment Wow! That's a very impressive engine bay Erik

This was my first attempt at engine detail, on Revell's 440 Magnum ('69 Charger). No aftermarket gear, just stuff laying around the house that looked useful at the time. It's ruff as guts I know, but I was proud of it, still am actually

Once more, excellent work Shawn. I see this build as a kind of 3D list of modeling skills that I am trying to work towards. Are you going to cast the engine too?

Nope. Didn't miss anything there mate.

Wow you fellas really know how to get stuck into a build I'd still be looking at the box about now Wow that's looking great Paul, gotta love those S&M cars. That engine's looking mean too. Looking great already Luke nice and low Should be sweet if it turns out anything like you inspiration pic

Can't quite get over those consoles. I can envision stuff like that in my head, but getting it out of my head and making it a reality is extremely difficult. Doing it as well as you have is dang near impossible.

So sorry to hear that mate, all the best for you and your family.

I have a question! Are you sure there's enough detail in that?

Not bad at all

Getting another look at this is making me drool all over again

And the best thing is, it get's even better! Keep an eye on this folks, there's some serious stuff on the way!

That van is one of my all time favorites Zenrat.