Bugatti Fan

Couldn't agree more Pete. Mobile phones are taking over people's minds. Just look at how many people you see walking gazing into their phones as though it is some sort of drug they are hooked on. Worse still the idiots who use them whilst at the wheel of a car. It's one thing walking into a lamp post, but driving 2 tons of lethal machinery looking into one can be devastating and not only for the driver but possibly wiping out an innocent family in another car. One of the saddest things I saw was when I went to my grandkids school sports days. Over 90 percent of the parents attending spent more time looking at their phones instead of enjoying the event.

It never surprises me when I see so many people using their phone to pay for stuff. Apart from the SIM card swap scam, the number of mobile phones that get snatched with all their owner's bank information on them from users hands by organised gangs is getting worse. My bank information is something I would never load onto my phone. Having the phone nicked is just an inconvenience, but having your accounts plundered by sophisticated hackers is another thing altogether, plus the banks will not make it easy to get your accounts sorted out !

I know of them but never seen one living in the UK. The USAF Thunderbirds formation team used them at one time I believe. Nice looking aeroplane !

I'm afraid that having a number of part built models would really get to me, so I concentrate on one build at a time until finished. But each to their own. Nothing wrong with being a butterfly modeller flitting from one project to another. Everyone's attention span, boredom threshold, call it what you wi!l, is different. As long as building models is enjoyed in different ways, it matters not one iota . I can easily understand how projects get put on hold when the distraction of that super new, must have kit suddenly takes precedent or another subject catches your eye.

Interesting project to follow.

Fun model build. I used to own a bog standard Fiat 500 back in the 70's. Did many miles in it and very cheap to run, and parking it where many could not ! The rust got to it in the end. Fiats used to rot like a vampire doused in holy water back in those days! So full credit to those who have fully restored examples today.

Cranky for example is one of those larger than life characters, and I just got curious as I had not heard anything about him in a long time, so I did a search to find out that he had not been on the forum for ages. He might still be a 'lurker' on here without logging in. Who knows ?

Sorry guys, my mistake. The PCB drills do have 3.2mms ( 1/8th inch ) shanks as pointed out quite rightly in subsequent posts. Not 1/4 inch. Should have known better as I have loads of them from when I worked in PCB board manufacture using a dedicated CNC drilling machine back in the 80's. One bit would drill thousands of holes before needing to be sharpened. In the trade they were not throw away items once they lost their edge. Only after a number of re sharpenings did they get disposed of. Very small diameter PCB bits are difficult to use by hsnd. Some peop!e get the knack and have very steady hands whilst others do not and suffer more breakages. I will be sticking to my good quality HSS bits as I can use them in a pin vice. I tend to use a very limited range of certain diameters over and over again in my model making so don't buy sets where most of the bits will never get used. I have corrected my original post to reflect the correct dimension of the shank.

Pay cheap and you get shoddy. You can get good quality HSS drill bits from engineers suppliers who don't sell rubbish drill bits as they are supplying to the trade. Dormer for one is a good make but not cheap, and of course there are other good makes available. BUT, quality drill bits will last for ages when used on most model makers materials. wood, aluminium, white metal. zamac and brass that are all a lot softer than steel to drill. The PCB drills made from tungsten carbide generally have 3.2mm ( 1/8inch) shanks ) so using in a bench drilling machine is generally OK if drilling into a flat surface only.

Those PCB board drill bits were not designed for model making ! They are brittle because they are made from tungsten carbide, one of the hardest metals available. They were designed to be used in PCB board drilling machines for purely vertical motion. Trying to use them by hand will end up with breakages with the slightest side pressure applied. Selling them as modelling drill bits therefore is questionable.

Some school kids were interviewed recently about what they wanted to do for a living after leaving school/college. One claimed they were going to become a gamer. Another said they aspired to be an influencer. Both headed for a reality check soon I guess !

I read somewhere (don't ask where) that the Heller kit captures the E Type coupe body shape better than others. Has anyone actually done any comparisons of the kits? Curious to know if anyone has.

I think that using a torch would need a bit of practice first before being let loose on a kit. There are many different sized torches normally charged using butane lighter fuel. Some are pen sized for fine work. Another popular compact sized torch iis the type often seen being used by chefs on cookery programmes. Plenty about from different sources, but check out the prices as there can be quite large price differences for what is essentially the same thing depending on who by and how they are marketed.

That clamp is a jewellery makers tool, and it made me think that jeweller's suppliers might carry various thicknesses of brass and aluminium rod. Have a look at Maddisons of Durham, UK. They have all their tools and materials on their website. Also have a look at the following suppliers of model making tools and materials in the UK. Shesto. Squires. Proops. Albion Alloys has already been mentioned. There are two other companies with very similar sounding names in the UK who supply large ranges of kits, model making and craft tools, materials and accessories. Hobbies and Hobbys Hope this further information helps.

In the UK we now have too many universities offering too many 'Mickey Mouse' degrees that are no use to anyone ! Many of the old skills based Polytechnics and Technical Colleges became universities and gradually slid into the same old pattern. Back when the government was pushing 'Education,education, education' and kids began to believe in the latter that a degree was the be all and end all. Millions were pumped into state high schools to become specialist schools. How many took up Engineering as a specialism? Just 6 ! Unbelievable ! Science and IT fared a bit better, but do you know what? The vast majority of schools elected to go for Arts or. Drama to get easy money. I mean, how many actors and artists does the UK need ? Kids were not encouraged to take up jobs where they might get their hands dirty like trade apprenticeships and goodness knows we really do need those skills today! Unfortunately loads of kids were sold a pup when it comes to university courses and many have ended up with useless 'fluffy' degrees and have to take jobs where all they need experience in is how to ask ' Would you like fries with that?'

All the gear and no idea! How true does that ring? Tyros with tools. Plenty of those around. Actual skilled tradespeople. A dying breed !

We all have different ways of looking at and participating in forums Pete. As I see it there is no right or wrong way. You happen to have a specific and deliberate way of using a forum. Nothing wrong with your methodology I have to say. I tend to look at the forum columns that interest me first after checking out any notifications. Occasionally I will go 'off piste' so to speak hence Cranky, or put in a subject related search that often throws up things old and new. I'm sure other users have their own pet ways when it comes to their forum use. How people use this forum could make for a very interesting discussion in its own right however !

What is GM hoping to achieve by going into F1 using the Cadillac name? I can understand a GM branded F1 car, but I associate the Cadillac brand just being an indigenous market American Luxury car like Ford's Lincoln brand. Is this an attempt to reassert the name world wide? I believe that Cadillac attempted to penetrate the European market with cars made for them by Saab, but the project only resulted in very few sales on this side of the pond. Too much competition from BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Audi I would guess, being the buyer market they appear to be aiming for. Having said that, it is good for F1 to have another 'brand' competing against all the usual suspects.

A real blast from the past. I can remember the little Jetex units from long ago. Putting them on speedboat models and pond racing them ! Those were the days when kids learned from doing stuff that was a bit risky. Not like the molly coddled risk averse society of today with all the safety regulations to ensure little Johnny doesn't graze a knee or whatever. I heard somewhere that Mamod, a manufacturer of working steam traction and static engines has had to close. It seems that anything generating heat of pressure is a no, no today.

Very nice model Rich You didn't mention what kit it was built from. 1/32d scale suggests it might be the Matchbox kit from their somewhat eclectic range of car kits ?

Found the thread whilst idly scrolling the forum as you do Pete. It was actually because I noticed that 12 years had elapsed since any activity from him. As Cranky was one of those larger than life characters who used to be a big noise on the forum and having authored some car modelling books it seems strange that he is not around on here any more. Curious about why he seems to have just 'disappeared' from the car modelling arena altogether. He extolled the virtues of the MCM community in his Rats, Rods n Rust book. Maybe he has lost interest and gone in another direction, who knows. Looking in his book he has a very well equipped workshop for model making, so I find it difficult to believe that he may have packed it up altogether. Maybe he is just doing his own thing modelling without forum participation of authoring these days. Hope that answers your question Pete.

This is a very old thread ! Cranky is at least 12 years older now and seems to have disappeared into the ether. Not aware of any recent MCM forum activity.

Nice model taking shape! I have also struggled with using braid for seatbelts. Leaded foil from wine bottles or aluminium kitchen foil is for me anyway, found to be better for making seat belts. Far easier to fit PE buckles onto and stays put when it is positioned.

I have been following this build with interest. Splendid model Chris, and well up to your usual standard ! The only other kit I can think of for this car is the very old 1/24th scale Merit kit that was reissued by SMER for quite a while and now from someone else. There may be something in 1/43rd of course that I am not aware of..

Picking up part built kits or complete ones that someone has lost interest in is a good inexpensive way of acquiring various items.