Revell 30 Ford

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!  @bill-e-boy - I don’t have a tailstock or drilling attachment for my little Taig lathe as yet, but that tip about using a higher speed is really helpful, thank you!  I should probably get a few more add-ons so I don’t keep having to figure out how to do things the ‘wrong’ way ?

Made some more progress today - got a good run at assembling the engine and adding plug wires:

Still some more detail to make and add, but I love how these Nailheads look!  Revell did a good job on this one (although I understand the port spacing isn’t quite right)…

Next up, now I’ve learned about using a tumbler I gave the tires a few minutes in there to buff the sheen off…

…and then gave the wheels a wash with gray craft paint to add a little depth, picked out the lug nuts and introduced tires to wheels:

Used a little Rub n Buff on those nice finned brake drums, as an experiment - I like how they came out:

And finally for today, I wanted a dark color carpet for the interior but I didn’t want plain old black, so I mixed up black, silver and white embossing powder to make a kinda flecked finish…came out ok I think!

Thanks for looking - more soon!

[Zippi]

Boy that Nailhead is looking mighty nice.  Can you tell us what your choice of spark plug wire & boot material is? Everything else is looking good so far.   

[Andrew McD]

On 11/21/2021 at 12:17 AM, CabDriver said:

Thanks fellas!  Appreciate all the nice words!

Spent a BUNCH of time on this thing today, and barely made any progress ??

I wanted to work on that cool Nailhead today, and although I’m building this thing roughly out of the box I still wanted to add some little upgrades and have a chance to practice my machining skills.  So, I spent the morning making aluminum replacements for the kit’s oil filter, oil filler, starter and starter solenoid:

As you can see, I also added a black wash to the chrome parts too to bring out that nice detail.  I like using either thinned down black craft paint or India ink for my washes, but I sometimes find that they don’t flow out very nicely over chromed parts and they can turn out a little blotchy.  Did some experimenting today and mixed up a little Createx balancing clear with the India ink to see if it would help it lay down better, and it seems like it worked pretty well!  I’ll store that trick away for future use…

Whilst I was at the lathe anyway, I figured I’d turn a new steering shaft to replace the kit piece, just because I thought it would be quick and easy and I haven’t made one before.  Took me the rest of the afternoon ??.  

Tricky thing was that the shaft is pretty narrow at points, but relatively long, which meant I kept bending and ruining them.  I think a better grade aluminum would’ve worked better than the stuff I had here which is pretty soft, but I got something semi-acceptable after five or six tries:

Problem was, I wasn’t really happy with the machining marks you can see on the part and didn’t dare mess with it much more on the lathe for fear of ruining it…but I’d been meaning to try out my $2 Goodwill kid’s rock tumbler for a while and decided to tumble the part and see how it worked out.  Dropped the part in the barrel and added some grit:

And let it spin for a few minutes then gently cleaned it up…success!

Got a nice semi-satin finish and removed most of the marks - it’ll definitely be acceptable for a part that’s pretty well hidden under the header anyway. 

Say all that to say, didn’t get very far on the engine, but I had a fun day in the shop!  

More progress tomorrow, hopefully!

In the end isn't that the objective: a fun day in the shop?  What sort of lathe are you using?  Another modeling dream of mine is to attain the competence with a small lathe or milling machine to do exactly as you have done in adding detail with metal parts. Your work looks terrific. 

I was quite intrigued in the way you accomplished the flame paint job.  Very effective.  Did you cut the flame masks by hand?????

I will definitely continue to follow this one!

Just noted that you are using a Taig lathe.......and the engine is AWESOME!

Edited November 22, 2021 by Andrew McD

[mrm]

Very nice so far. 
when I used to machine some parts (long story short I no longer have a lathe), I always hit them with some wet sandpaper, while they were still in the chuck. It’s the easiest and fastest way to get them perfectly smooth. You can also polish them same way to a mirror finish. 
I just started one of these kits too and I’m painting it candy red too. I couldn’t decide what color I wanted the model, so I actually started two of them. ?

[Dragonhawk1066]

Looking fantastic! That's gonna be one beautiful Hot Rod when it's done!

[OldNYJim]

On 11/22/2021 at 7:31 AM, Andrew McD said:

In the end isn't that the objective: a fun day in the shop?  What sort of lathe are you using?  Another modeling dream of mine is to attain the competence with a small lathe or milling machine to do exactly as you have done in adding detail with metal parts. Your work looks terrific. 

I was quite intrigued in the way you accomplished the flame paint job.  Very effective.  Did you cut the flame masks by hand?????

I will definitely continue to follow this one!

Just noted that you are using a Taig lathe.......and the engine is AWESOME!

Thanks buddy!  I’m a real beginner with the lathe - just using the bare-bones Taig $500 setup right now to learn the basics, but it works ok given my skill level.  I did invest in a $20 set of carbide cutting bits but that aside it’s right out of the box and I’m starting to get ok at making some of the basics

I cut the flames on my little Silhouette Portrait scrapbook cutter - it’s easier than cutting them freehand, but I’ve done that before too.  I like being able to get them symmetrical easily by flipping the design and just cutting a reverse for the other side of the car.

On 11/22/2021 at 9:44 AM, mrm said:

Very nice so far. 
when I used to machine some parts (long story short I no longer have a lathe), I always hit them with some wet sandpaper, while they were still in the chuck. It’s the easiest and fastest way to get them perfectly smooth. You can also polish them same way to a mirror finish. 
I just started one of these kits too and I’m painting it candy red too. I couldn’t decide what color I wanted the model, so I actually started two of them. ?

Good tip - thank you!  What grit do you recommend for polishing the parts whilst they’re still in the chuck?

On 11/22/2021 at 10:56 AM, Dragonhawk1066 said:

Looking fantastic! That's gonna be one beautiful Hot Rod when it's done!

Thanks buddy!

 

Got a little more done today what with the holiday - picked out a color for the seats and shot them:

I actually painted these things three times - once black with a white insert, once red with a white insert, once with stripes and none of them worked well with the rest of the pieces so I dialled it back and just went with the Citadel oxblood color.  I’ll add some more detail to the seats before they’re installed, but I was glad to finally get a color that I liked ?

Whilst I was messing with the interior pieces, added a little photoetch to the dash, installed those tiny decals (with a spot of Future to gloss them up and to look like lenses) and got the insert glued in place - I was going to use the sprint car steering wheel, which is my favorite, but I used that on every one of these I built so far I think so I used the other one for a change…

Added some photoetch bolt heads to the brake drum backers, along with some little machined receivers and brake lines, just to add a little eye candy and detail:

And then started some assembly on the frame - still need to add a wash to the chrome to darken it down a little and add some realism:

(Excuse the polish residue on the frame there, need to clean that off).

Having a blast with this build - can’t wait to work on it some more tomorrow!  Need to figure out rear shocks (which I was going to do this afternoon, but then I had too much thanksgiving dinner and took a three hour nap) and get a few little pieces painted and then it’ll all be about assembly!  More soon!

[OldNYJim]

On 11/22/2021 at 5:43 AM, Zippi said:

Boy that Nailhead is looking mighty nice.  Can you tell us what your choice of spark plug wire & boot material is? Everything else is looking good so far.   

Ohh, sorry, missed this one - I like wrapping wire, which you can get on Amazon:

Colored Insulation Cable B-30-1000 250M 30 AWG 8-Wire Test Wrapping Wire, Tinned Copper Solid Cable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BLZ333V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VP92NXMYHY1NVVK3Y1KB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The boots are just a large gauge wire from a broken old something or other - old cheap headphones or a phone charger or something.  Just slice a little piece off and slide it over the thinner stuff!

 

[Zippi]

7 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Ohh, sorry, missed this one - I like wrapping wire, which you can get on Amazon:

Colored Insulation Cable B-30-1000 250M 30 AWG 8-Wire Test Wrapping Wire, Tinned Copper Solid Cable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BLZ333V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VP92NXMYHY1NVVK3Y1KB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The boots are just a large gauge wire from a broken old something or other - old cheap headphones or a phone charger or something.  Just slice a little piece off and slide it over the thinner stuff!

 

Thanks for the info Jim.  

[chris chabre]

coming along nicely!

[Olskoolrodder]

Engine and interior are looking perfect to my eye  

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!

Got a good day of shop time in today and got this one wrapped up…

Body test fit:

Black-washed the grille and stuck a little FDNY decal on the firewall, for my own amusement:

Finished up my machined shocks, not that you’ll really be able to see them from most angles…

Got the wheels on - tried Loctite contact adhesive for this build, which I liked more than the 2-part epoxy that I’d usually use…same slow drying properties but less messy:

 

Last painting job was applying a little chrome blueing to the headers - I’m using the kit headers right out of the box, minus the underfloor pipes:

And once the headlights were on, taillights painted and I’d made a license plate this thing’s about done here:

Photos under glass soon - thanks for all the nice comments!

[Tom Geiger]

Great project! It was fun following along!

[Paul Payne]

great looking rod and really fun to follow along with the build!

[mrm]

It looks fantastic. I just can’t get over the outlets on the bottom of the headers that don’t connect to anything. Either cut them off and patch the chrome with Molotow chrome or just add some kind of trap/flange/cap. 
  I think that everything on the model looks great and it does not do justice to the overall built to leave those headers like that. 

[Zippi]

I haven't opened my kit yet but I was looking at the pics on the box.  Is this flair over the rear tires present on the body or and option to put on?

[mrm]

1 hour ago, Zippi said:

I haven't opened my kit yet but I was looking at the pics on the box.  Is this flair over the rear tires present on the body or and option to put on?

There is no flair and I don’t see one on the photos either. 

[Modelbuilder Mark]

No flare, just the bead/lip that you see here on this 1:1 body

[Zippi]

Thanks fella's.  Guess I need to lay off the caffeine.  

[bluestringer]

That's a great looking rod. Nice work. I've not got this kit yet. Hoping HL has it for the next 40% week. 

[bluestringer]

On 11/27/2021 at 11:36 PM, CabDriver said:

Thanks fellas!

Got a good day of shop time in today and got this one wrapped up…

Body test fit:

Black-washed the grille and stuck a little FDNY decal on the firewall, for my own amusement:

Finished up my machined shocks, not that you’ll really be able to see them from most angles…

Got the wheels on - tried Loctite contact adhesive for this build, which I liked more than the 2-part epoxy that I’d usually use…same slow drying properties but less messy:

 

Last painting job was applying a little chrome blueing to the headers - I’m using the kit headers right out of the box, minus the underfloor pipes:

And once the headlights were on, taillights painted and I’d made a license plate this thing’s about done here:

Photos under glass soon - thanks for all the nice comments!

How did you do the bluing on the headers?

 

[iBorg]

Nice build.....I'll admit I almost bought one the first time I saw it. Bet I'll end up kicking myself for not doing it.

The use of the rock tumbler is very interesting to me. What did you use for the grit?

[Beamerman]

Love it...very nice projekt...and i need a lathe machine for christmas thats for sure....

[OldNYJim]

On 11/28/2021 at 3:34 PM, mrm said:

It looks fantastic. I just can’t get over the outlets on the bottom of the headers that don’t connect to anything. Either cut them off and patch the chrome with Molotow chrome or just add some kind of trap/flange/cap. 
  I think that everything on the model looks great and it does not do justice to the overall built to leave those headers like that. 

You’re totally right - I meant to research caps or plates or plugs or whatever they use to block those off in a setup like this, but didn’t ever get that far…the port spacing looks wrong to me on those pipes too, so I glued them in such a way that I can replace them at some point to fix that too…

On 11/29/2021 at 2:06 PM, bluestringer said:

That's a great looking rod. Nice work. I've not got this kit yet. Hoping HL has it for the next 40% week. 

I checked my local HL today in case they had them…no sign so far.  Wonder if Michael’s may get them?  They have had the ‘32s pretty consistently for a few years now…

On 11/29/2021 at 2:08 PM, bluestringer said:

How did you do the bluing on the headers?

 

Just shot a little candy blue through my airbrush!  Nothing too fancy!

On 11/29/2021 at 2:28 PM, iBorg said:

Nice build.....I'll admit I almost bought one the first time I saw it. Bet I'll end up kicking myself for not doing it.

The use of the rock tumbler is very interesting to me. What did you use for the grit?

Just the lightest grit in my set - it’s just labelled as ‘fine’ on the packet…still experimenting with this technique…

 

Thanks for all the nice words everybody!

[Mr. Metallic]

Man, that rock tumbler idea is genius for the tires. Much more consistent finish on the tires doing it that way rather than sanding. Less labor too.

I think my mother in law has one gathering dust in her basement.