Ace-Garageguy

Starting with the Jag D-type

Pretty cool. Before they figured out the swept-wing and "area rule" stuff for supersonic flight. Nice model of an important research aircraft.

For more variations on the venerable Spridget, click here... http://www.vrgonline.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=475

Happy B-day, Rob. Glad you were born, glad you're still around.

In daylight this will be indistinguishable from the real thing. The engine, in particular, looks like a well cared-for but actually used unit. Harry is smiling.

Yes. They're like miniature bending brakes in a sheetmetal fabrication shop. Like a "finger" brake: Like a regular sheetmetal brake: Google : "photo etch bending tools", look at the images, then click on the links to see descriptions, prices and availability. Then click on "videos" to see how they work. Here's one...

I guess I'm more DK than I thought. Damm. Maybe sometimes getting slapped with a cold fish is good for the soul...nah...but the fish seems to be diggin' it...

I'll probably not be paying $1300 for a book on a car I'll most likely never even see in the flesh. If I can't or haven't driven one, I just don't care that much. I DO have a stack of books on the Cobra roadsters and the GT40, however, still occasionally get my hands on one. And I STILL doubt there were differences of SEVERAL INCHES among the cars...unless it was for aerodynamic or other valid engineering reasons, as the cars were developed. The fact is, the "1/25" scale model in the above photographs appears to be 1/24 scale in width, 1/25 in length. As the cars were built on the large-tube Cobra roadster chassis, differences in width would rationally only crop up in places like fenders widened to accommodate wider rubber...like the GT40 cars...not in the width at the sills. But there are many many more experts on this particular car here than I would have imagined, and I will defer to their overwhelmingly superior knowledge. Also please note I SAID :" On old coachbuilt bodies, it's very common for cars to not be entirely symmetrical, and for fractions-of-an-inch variances to creep in, even for scoops and other minor details to move from car to car. But every car in a production run of the same nominal vehicle from the same coachbuilder at the same time in history will usually be very close to the others in major dimensions." I clarified my statement with the phrase "every car in a production run of the same nominal vehicle from the same coachbuilder at the same time in history will usually be very close to the others in major dimensions." A production run can be only 5 vehicles. The "nominal vehicle" means Cobra Daytona, but the other clarifiers "from the same coachbuilder" and "at the same time in history" already accommodate the fact that all the cars weren't built at the same place OR time. I don't quite understand what you want to argue about.

Like I said...

No idea. None, zero, period. Thought I had a clue, but it went nowhere. I thought I had a pretty good handle on things in this vein, but this one's got me stumped. Nice job.

Not really knowing how you mean that...if it's directed towards me as a "self styled expert", all I can tell you is that I never rely entirely on my memory...or even my recollection of my understanding of a particular subject...and I almost always fact-check prior to posting anything technical here or elsewhere. I also often back up my technical information with primary source material from elsewhere on the web (recently from several manufacturers that make the products for industry that 'experts' insisted were unnecessary in some of today's industrial processes)...not opinions parroted from others, or "I saw it done once so I know everything about it" types. I'm vastly ignorant of a great many subjects, and I happily admit it. Knowing you DON'T KNOW something is the first step to learning. I also know rather a lot, from both education and from many years of hands-on engineering, automotive and aviation experience...and just paying attention in general. I try to share what I know to be true, and post factual and correct information. Several folks have seen the need to denigrate that, call me names, insult me, or argue from positions of inferior knowledge or experience. That is something I'll never understand. I personally respect and revere people who know things I don't (and there are a LOT of them), especially when they try to help ME. I also freely admit when I'm wrong...if someone with provable superior knowledge or experience can convincingly illustrate my misconception, with facts. But you know, it does get tiring arguing with ignorant idiots who are too stupid to know they're ignorant idiots...which is perhaps the non-PC but nonetheless accurate definition of the DK effect. And these days, they seem to be everywhere. I'm sure someone will take this little missive personally, complain, and I'll get another warning. And you know what? I really don't much care anymore. PS. And then there's always the clown who has to make some snide but carefully oblique comment, a specialist in the CYA game, but not much else.

I think giving it plenty of time to air or dry out or whatever may happen here (there's no way to really know exactly WHAT the problem is without formal chemical testing and analysis) is a very wise decision. If there's any hope of your resin shell returning to normal, time will surely help. Alcohol DOES in fact mix with water quite happily, so a water soak could possibly be beneficial, but if the alcohol has any hope in hell of coming out of your resin body, simply setting it aside (in such a way as it isn't going to warp) for some time is probably your best bet. Low humidity and a warmish environment would probably be good too...simply to try to encourage evaporation of the alcohol out of the resin...if that's even possible at this point.

Yeah, but the dimensions didn't vary by several INCHES from car to car. On old coachbuilt bodies, it's very common for cars to not be entirely symmetrical, and for fractions-of-an-inch variances to creep in, even for scoops and other minor details to move from car to car. But every car in a production run of the same nominal vehicle from the same coachbuilder at the same time in history will usually be very close to the others in major dimensions. Even "production" vehicles will have symmetry problems. The deTomaso Pantera, for instance, is somewhat different side to side. The first one I did metalwork on, I tried to copy the good side's dimensions exactly as I repaired the other side. No way the sheetmetal wanted to go back into that shape. That's when I got the bright idea to look at a previously undamaged car. Sure enough, there were measurable differences in the LH and RH quarter panels...and these are panels that are built up of machine-stamped sections, not entirely hand-fabricated panels like on the Cobras, where irregularities are much more liable to be present

Good article, and illustrates how the problem has its tentacles in everything humans do. Written by David Dunning, too.

It's something that irked me today, and pretty much every day. I believe it now affects the majority of human interactions and activities: technical workers, drivers, people in positions of authority, self-styled 'experts', students, web developers, programmers, technical writers, journalists in general, politicians, economists, ad nauseam.

The Dunning-Kruger effect seems to be growing exponentially.

Yup.

Polystyrene, the plastic kits are made of these days (and like most plastics) has a 'memory'. When you bend it, it wants to spring back to the pre-bent shape. You CAN bend it cold, but often it's risky (depending on how far you need to bend it). To bend cold, you will need to bend the part well past where you want it to end up, as it will spring back (due to memory). Sometimes it will 'whiten', which means it's on the verge of cracking. The nominal Tg , or "glass transition temperature" of model kit styrene is in the 100C or 212F range. That means that just boiling water will allow your part to permanently deflect. The problem lies in the fact that different "styrene" formulations can have differing Tg , and without knowing exactly what your part is, that can be risky too. 58 Impala has the right idea. Very hot water will get your part close to its transition temp., but won't make it shrivel up. I've had excellent results bending cold, bending in very hot water, and also by fixturing the part in question in exactly the shape I want it to be, and dipping it in boiling water for a few seconds.

I'm more weary every day.

NO. "Polyester resin hardener" is actually an oxidizer / catalyst, the most common one being MEKP...methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, and it ONLY has any effect on still-liquid ESTER resins. Most "resin" parts these days are very likely to be urethane-based anyway, and once cured, aren't going to be affected any further by catalysts or hardeners...especially those used in resin systems based on different chemistry. MEKP is also highly toxic and can be dangerous if handled improperly, is corrosive to soft tissue and can cause explosions and blindness.

That's a fine looking rig. Clean and tasteful.

I'm the guy in the van.

Worth ever penny. Usually available on Ebay, Amazon, and often direct from the manufacturer. http://www.modelcargarage.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=356 Tamiya also offers a set of a different design... https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-TAM74094-Photo-Etched-Craft-Saw/dp/B003JTGZY4

That's a pretty sweet deal for free. I've been running SolidWorks Pro for some time. It's probably a lot more than I need these days, but even doing only one or two formal design jobs a year pretty well justifies the expense. It's one of those cases where I'd rather have a tool and not need it than need it and not have it.

Here's a trick way to make windshields that doesn't require vacuum...