Ace-Garageguy

I build a lot of that kind of stuff, and for reference material and inspiration, it's hard to beat OLD Hot Rod magazines...starting in 1949. I started collecting them again in about 2005 (after having given all of them away in the early 1980s). Rather than seeing recent interpretations of "period correct", you get the real deal...often significantly different in concept and execution than the "tribute" , "traditional" or "nostalgia" cars built these days. I've got a couple of go-to books that I don't recall the exact names of at the moment, but I'll post some in a while. For online research as to how stuff is done on real traditional cars, or for an extensive variety of historical posts and threads, the ol' HAMB message board is hard to beat too. This is one of my '32 build threads, and it doesn't get any more "traditional". There's a lot of tech stuff concerning the real cars on this thread too, so it may be of some small value to you. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59708

Nice technique. Works as well as some of the complicated ones you have to have a mill and lathe to make. And works WAY better than those silly wire-wrapped "tube benders" that won't even come off of a sharp radius bend sometimes. Good stuff.

Gee willikers. What a simple and obvious solution. Wonder why I didn't think of that. Oh wait...the reality is that I've overcome more heavy-duty stressors in the last two years than most people face in a lifetime. I survived and kept going, day after day after day. And saved a couple of other asses in the process. But the shitt just doesn't stop. And unfortunately, my bills won't pay themselves...even though within the past several years I've cut them to the bone. I changed my life to make a living doing something I used to REALLY enjoy...building hot-rods...and it's turned into what every job has been...I turn out world-class work, put up with lots of aggravation, spend a fair amount of time cleaning up other people's stupidity, get very little management support, receive more and more responsibility (because I can handle it) with no pay increase, yada yada yada. I'm finishing up a large project, have established a strong local reputation again, and in a couple months, we'll see. But one thing I WON'T do is walk away from a commitment.

Microballoons are very small empty spheres. They're hollow and VERY light, and they tend to float around if disturbed, like during mixing. DO NOT INHALE THEM. USE A GOOD DUST MASK, AT LEAST. A RESPIRATOR IS BETTER. They're used as a LIGHTWEIGHT inert thickener for various resins (and CAA) rather than the much heavier and more common talc-based materials in products like Bondo. They come in reddish-brown (phenolic) and white (glass). Mixed with epoxy, micro makes a very easy to sand, light and almost zero-shrink filler that adheres VERY well to styrene, resin, fiberglass, etc. I use the stuff extensively on real aircraft, and a fair bit on models when I have a need for a high-build product with exceptional adhesion. The white filled ares on these two models required something special, and epoxy-micro was the best choice. I use West-System epoxy as the base for my micro filler. It takes 12 hours to cure-to-sand, but it performs better than Bondo (it's stronger, adheres MUCH better, and will hold edges that would flake and chip using Bondo or similar products). On the custom Challenger wagon, immediately above, I needed something that would allow me to scribe these parallel lines in the roof, very close together. Bondo won't do it...epoxy / micro will. For the Challenger One model at the top, I needed a filler that would NOT shrink over time, because of the faux brushed-metal finish.

I agree in principle. I drive the posted limits, but I tend to accelerate quicker than most, and have zero patience for folks who don't seem to be able to make decisions, or seem to be unsure of where they're going...or most especially, sit halfway through greens while fiddling with something on the seat, or the smart-phone. If you're going to drive, please focus on it, try for some competence, and give it the attention it deserves...or get out of my way. Bruce who?

Duh. My brain be tupid tooday. Huh huh.

Hmmmm...our moderator, Harry Pristovnik, a designer himself, had a series of Photoshop tutorials in the "tips and tricks" section, but it seems to have disappeared.

Got the custom instruments in from Classic for the '47 Caddy / LS build. Making good headway on the wiring harness and integrating all the electronics...got the remote entry system and the pushbutton start gizmos all up and functioning 100%. Getting close now...

Yeah, a lot of these are double-fine. Makes me wanna finish something.

Interesting point of view, and just about the opposite of mine. As I become more and more aware of the last of my minutes and hours ticking away, I'd frankly rather not spend them in traffic...just get out of my way and let me get where I'm going, so I can DO something.

Great color and shine. Sure looks like it was worth the effort to me.

Prominent grille openings as styling devices are nothing particularly new, anyway. '53 Fiat 8V coupe by Ghia... '53 Chrysler showcar, also by Ghia...

I'd think it would be cheaper to just buy another kit. There's the mold-making step that takes some skill and judgment, and then the casting of the part itself. This is complicated further if the part requires a two-part mold. Vacuum molding also takes skill, and it would only be appropriate for gently curved parts with no undercuts or mold seams; a vacuum molded part will also always be either larger or smaller...by the thickness of the material, at least... than the original part, if the original is used for the mold. To get a vacuum-molded part that is the same size as the original, another additional precision step or 2 would be required. Skilled labor costs money...especially when you only want one of anything.

And here's an entire thread about casting resin parts: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74224&hl=video#entry936252

I haven't used Alumalite specifically, HOWEVER...ALL the common silicone-mold / urethane-part ("resin") casting products use similar chemistry and procedures. I have used a number of products made by Freeman Manufacturing for professional model building, prototyping, and mold-making / casting. If you need information, they have a FREE online series of instructional videos, here... http://www.freemansupply.com/video.htm Smooth-On also has a collection of how-to videos here... http://www.smooth-on.com/media.php

These are all solvent-type glues for styrene. The clear blister-pack (or soda-bottle) plastic is highly solvent-resistant, so the solvent glues don't work well. BTD's epoxy is a reliable way to go when adhering parts made from materials unaffected by solvents. You might also try CAA, or PVA-based glues, which have worked well for me where the clear parts fit well.

Yes, zenrat reminded me of the "knife-and-fork" arrangement in post #21, and I modified my statement to "any vee or opposed engine you're likely to encounter in a car"...

If this was the April 1 installment of Auto ID, it might make sense.

The proportions and lines of the old Revell kit (the kit on the left) are really quite nice too, though it takes extra effort to get everything to fit well. The Aurora kit on the right (later re-boxed as Revell / Monogram) has some proportion issues. The bonnet (hood) looks like it was wrecked, never pulled back into shape properly, and poorly sculpted with bondo...just not correct at all, and really spoils a beautiful design.

Nice to see one of these with a 390 FE T-bird engine swapped in. Sure would be quicker than the old faithful flathead.

I don't use a booth and I rarely have dust or hair problems. I make damm sure there's nothing loose on ME by blowing myself off with compressed air before I even pick the model up, then blowing it off too (along with my gloved hands and whatever I'm using to hold the model) just before shooting primer or paint. Pay attention to any air movement around you, and if the wind is blowing, don't spray.

Clear fuel line isn't going to be appropriate for an F1 car anyway. I've found some nicely textured black bead-stringing material that looks great for water hoses in 1/24, in various diameters; it should work for fuel line in 1/12 if you're doing car with black-fabric AN hoses. I've also found some smooth rubber stuff that again, makes great water hoses in 1/24. Should have applications in 1/12 as well. With the variety of beading wire diameters available, plug wire material ought to be a snap. Online electronics supply houses and ebay also have small-diameter wire. WAY cheaper than buying the packaged stuff. Craft stores also often have silvery-braided material that makes a really good looking representation for braided stainless Aeroquip hose.

As in other scales, if you know what diameter hose or wire you need to represent, the craft store or Radio Shack can be your best friend. If you know the diameter of a particular hose or wire in 1:1 (full size on the real car) just divide by 12 to get the correct diameter in 1/12 scale. And because 1/12 is twice as large as 1/24, you can just double the diameter of what you'd use for a 1/24 scale model.

This is serious performance.

Whoa...and it moves under its own power too. Pretty impressive. I wonder what wears out and pops first, the CV-joints in the drive axles, or the tire sidewalls.