MODIFYING A DIECAST

[E St. Kruiser50]

Hey George

How are you my friend?

In another thread, you asked me about modifying a diecast, because I mentioned a project, the '57 Pontiac Safari I'd be building using several different Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint diecast to replicate the one I owned, and resto-rodded back in the '70's.

I didn't want to answer there and "Thread Jack" someone else's topic. That's why the seperate post's.

Anyhow, over the years in my career and playing in my different interests, I found that the more ya knew, the more you could do .

I've seemed to always have this insastiable appetite to learn about design, creativity, metals and plastics, and art and sculpting and so on.

I loved a class in college called "The Humanitys", where I learnes about Michael Angelo, Picasso and others, that they were facinating people with such varied interests and backgrounds, and had such different ways of looking at life and art, and approaching their own creativities and passions.

As these other artists, I learned that I could use all this knowledge and artistry as a way to express myself, and create things that gave me pleasure, and was somehow satisfying to something inside of me.

As far as modifying diecast goes, I learned from working with all different types of metals, learning the machining trade, and working mostly in the plastics industry for most of my career, mainly vacuum forming light gauge and heavy gauge plastics, that you could do a lot of really cool things, combined with learning about casting resins, fiberglass, a host of different epoxies and pattern woods and adhesives.

What I've found, is that there are two basic types of adhesives used to bond objects, sometimes of vary different types, together.

Testors styrene glue attacks and melts the plastic, using it's solvents - toluene as an example, and "Literally melts" two pieces of plastic together.

Another glue is Elmers type of white glue that when used with wood, absorbs into the pours, and creates a nearly unbreakable bond, incredibly strong.

Then there's "Super Glue", that I learned in the machining trade, you could use certain types that when the surface of the metal was sanded and cleaned properly, would create a bond nearly impossible to break.

I could super-glue metal together, machine it, and then have to use a chisel to drive the pieces apart.

Pretty cool.

So back to diecast, I've done it before on other builds, I'll just sand the surface real good, and clean it thoroughly.

The super glue I use is very stable and doesn't shrink, or warp and you'd have to use a hammer to break the pieces apart

Next year, when I start the Safari, I'll do some posts on this. Been collecting parts for this build for several years, as I do with a lot of projects, so it'll be fun getting to actually start on it.

There'll be a lot of filling, grinding, sanding, gluing, and prep work. Lotsa fun .

To some this mat sound like a lot of learning and doing, but for me I've found that investing in yourself to learn what you love, pays great dividends and rewards in later years.

Have a good weekend George - dave

Here's a photo of the "Project"

Edited December 8, 2008 by Treehugger Dave

[george 53]

Well Dave, Thanks alot for thinkin of me, I REALLY DO appericiate it!.I figgered if it COULD be done, you'd know how. Can't spend most of your life doin what you've done, an NOT learn SOMETHIN, Eh? It never occured to me to try to modify an Mint kits, But the thought had passed thru the vacum in my head.The wip pics do say alot though. I can see it all comin together. Just make sure ya post the end result, cas I KNOW it'll be KILLER! AND, you'll be the ONLY kid on the block with one! Just like the real one! I didn't know about Safari's till about 65, when my best freinds uncle from Texas came up in one, and I thought it was a customed out Nomad! Man it was cool! ALL kinds chrome on the inside! I remember the dash was ALL chromed out! Turns out it CAME that way! Yeppers, that was one really nice wagon! I know yours'll be just as cool! Thanks again Dave!

[Guest Davkin]

I'm glad to see a post about modifying diecasts. Too many plastic modelers turn up their noses at this "alternative modeling medium". I have modifed well over 100 diecasts myself, however they were mostly cheap and simple conversions to Nascar race cars. I did pick up a Franklin mint '53 Buick Roadmaster convertible recently that I plan on turning into a 50's style custom. Try to do that in styrene. Ignore diecasts and you are ignoring a lot of cool subjects that are simply not available in styrene or even resin. You don't have to pay a "mint" for them either. If you are patient and watch auction listings you can often come across great deals. Watch for damaged diecasts in particular or missing parts. In most cases the damage is no problem for modelers like us to fix. Even very minor damage or small missing parts will significantly reduce the price. I picked that Buick up for less than $40 shipped and it's only missing a couple very minor items, it's dirty and the finish is scratched up, none of which matter at all to me since I'll be disassembling the thing and redoing it all.

David

[E St. Kruiser50]

  Davkin said:

I'm glad to see a post about modifying diecasts. Too many plastic modelers turn up their noses at this "alternative modeling medium". I have modifed well over 100 diecasts myself, however they were mostly cheap and simple conversions to Nascar race cars. I did pick up a Franklin mint '53 Buick Roadmaster convertible recently that I plan on turning into a 50's style custom. Try to do that in styrene. Ignore diecasts and you are ignoring a lot of cool subjects that are simply not available in styrene or even resin. You don't have to pay a "mint" for them either. If you are patient and watch auction listings you can often come across great deals. Watch for damaged diecasts in particular or missing parts. In most cases the damage is no problem for modelers like us to fix. Even very minor damage or small missing parts will significantly reduce the price. I picked that Buick up for less than $40 shipped and it's only missing a couple very minor items, it's dirty and the finish is scratched up, none of which matter at all to me since I'll be disassembling the thing and redoing it all.

David

Hi David

Yeah, the "Mint" die casts are beautiful. Much nicer usually, than plastic kit's, and like you said, subjects that you can't find in plastic.

The trim and other pieces on diecasts can really add to the quality of a plastic build.

Good to hear from ya - Another dave

[Eshaver]

  Treehugger Dave said:

Hi David

Yeah, the "Mint" die casts are beautiful. Much nicer usually, than plastic kit's, and like you said, subjects that you can't find in plastic.

The trim and other pieces on diecasts can really add to the quality of a plastic build.

Good to hear from ya - Another dave

Dave I am a fan of the Silver Streak Pontiacs myself . thank you for sharing the pictures with us . I will have to post the pictures of my L'Universalle Van sometime for you . Ed Shaver.

[E St. Kruiser50]

  Eshaver said:

Dave I am a fan of the Silver Streak Pontiacs myself . thank you for sharing the pictures with us . I will have to post the pictures of my L'Universalle Van sometime for you . Ed Shaver.

Hey Ed

Yeah, Pontiacs are cool .

Got to drive my dad's '57 2 door hardtop Starchief in high school. Creme with burgandy insert and roof. Probably build this in the same color scheme. That's where I got the "love" for the style and probably why I bought and resto-rodded it.

Got this in the early 70's, and restored and Chromed everything and repainted it after I had totally disassembled it - NUT'S BUT FUN

Guess we're all a little twisted

Here she is right after I finished her in 1975.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Treehugger Dave

[84vanagon]

OOH,

Can't wait to see what you to to the Safari, Dave!

Ed, HURRY UP AND SHOW US THE PICS!

[84vanagon]

  84vanagon said:

OOH,

Can't wait to see what you to to the Safari, Dave! Excellent 1/1 by the way. I have a 57 brochure that I dig out every once and a while and drool over it. Even the lowly Cheiftains were something special.

Ed, HURRY UP AND SHOW US THE PICS!

This was supposed to be an "edit" STOOPID ME!

Edited December 7, 2008 by 84vanagon

[E St. Kruiser50]

  84vanagon said:

This was supposed to be an "edit" STOOPID ME!

Hi Don

That's funny

I got a couple of magazine adds with both the Safari and the Stachief hardtop that's identicle,even the same color scheme, to the one my dad had, and that I got to drive in high school.

I figure maybe you'd enjoy seeing these two adds, so I'm posting them here for you to see.

They're both originals from '57 magazines. One came from a Saturday Evening Post.

I got them both on ebay. Pretty reasonable prices.

I keep these up on the wall in my model room where I build, and look at them a lot.

Pretty cool memories

I hope you enjoy these - dave

This is just like my dad's car.

Edited December 8, 2008 by Treehugger Dave