Scratch building ideas for a Mega Cycle Project

[Darren B]

I am not sure if this is the right place on here to post this, however I thought I would try here. I have been reading how to scratch build and i have scratch built parts for models but this would be an entire build from scratch. I picked up the old school rodz mag the other day and fell in love with ed roths mega cycle. I want to build it and not sure what to build the body out of. As you can see it has a lot of compound curves. I was thinking using plastic rod and making a frame work but that may not be strong enough. Brass rod would probably be better, but not sure where to start. Any ideas would be appreciated. Or ideas on how any of you would tackle this project. In 1/24th scale.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Darren B

[LDO]

Just an idea: carve a solid master from foam and cover it in fiberglass. Smooth the fiberglass into shape, make the cutouts, then pour acetone in it to dissolve the foam. It's sort of what Ed did, but adapted to a smaller scale (it would be tough to use plaster in that scale and then get it all out of the shell)

[Rat Fink]

  On 3/11/2010 at 9:21 PM, LDO said:

Just an idea: carve a solid master from foam and cover it in fiberglass. Smooth the fiberglass into shape, make the cutouts, then pour acetone in it to dissolve the foam. It's sort of what Ed did, but adapted to a smaller scale (it would be tough to use plaster in that scale and then get it all out of the shell)

The EPA would have him in jail and fined up to his neck if that were done nowadays LOL.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Rat Fink

[Draggon]

This popped up on ebay. Not clear how decent it is, but it might be a place to start!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330413174287&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[Darren B]

  On 3/14/2010 at 9:07 PM, Draggon said:

This popped up on ebay. Not clear how decent it is, but it might be a place to start!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330413174287&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Draggon,

I was watching it to see how high it would go for. That was exactly what i was looking for but about 75.00 more than i could have paid for it. So im back to the planning stage again on the body. But thank you for turning me on to it. It never ocurred to me to check out ebay from time to time.

darren

[Darren B]

  On 3/14/2010 at 9:07 PM, Draggon said:

This popped up on ebay. Not clear how decent it is, but it might be a place to start!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330413174287&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Draggon,

I was watching it to see how high it would go for. That was exactly what i was looking for but about 50.00 more than i would have paid for it. So im back to the planning stage again on the body. But thank you for turning me on to it. It never ocurred to me to check out ebay from time to time. Even thinking that such a project might be easie in a 1/20 or 1/16th scale, that is if i can find and engine and bike that scale that i wouldnt have to scratch as well...

darren

Edited March 19, 2010 by Darren B

[RodneyBad]

Don't know if this helps or not.

Here is one a friend did some time ago using a Mustang.

All i had was my Cellphone Camera

[Blake Rogers]

  On 3/21/2010 at 2:14 AM, Zukiholic said:

Don't know if this helps or not.

Here is one a friend did some time ago using a Mustang.

All i had was my Cellphone Camera

wicked!!!!!!!!!!!! zuk

[RodneyBad]

  On 3/21/2010 at 2:23 AM, moparfan426 said:

wicked!!!!!!!!!!!! zuk

Thanks, I'll pass that along.

Bob (my friend & the builder) is an Incredible scratch builder.

All that from a Cartoon he saw Long ago and this was also built that long ago

[Darren B]

  On 3/21/2010 at 2:14 AM, Zukiholic said:

Don't know if this helps or not.

Here is one a friend did some time ago using a Mustang.

All i had was my Cellphone Camera

Zukiholic,

That is awesome!!! Thank you for sharing with us. I was about to put the project on the back burner but this gives me some inspiration. Thank you again.!.!.!

[LDO]

The fiberglass over foam idea works. I tried it a few years ago to make a Ferrari 308 funny car body. The body in this photo is rough, but that's what putty and sandpaper are for.

Get a smooth general shape, then add detail.

Edited March 23, 2010 by LDO

[Darren B]

  On 3/23/2010 at 12:01 AM, LDO said:

The fiberglass over foam idea works. I tried it a few years ago to make a Ferrari 308 funny car body. The body in this photo is rough, but that's what putty and sandpaper are for.

Get a smooth general shape, then add detail.

LDO,

where can i purchase the fiberglass at? and how much? I have never worked with it but the results look fantastic, that funny car body looks great.

Darren

[LDO]

It's very lightweight fiberglass cloth. Try an auto parts store or r/c hobby shop. For the resin, use plain old fiberglass (polyester) resin or better yet, get some 15 or 30minute epoxy from the same r/c hobby shop. The long working time will let you work the bubbles out before it sets up. I laminated sheets of blue foam together with a spray adhesive from a hobby shop.

Cut the fiberglass cloth into small, manageable strips.

Hey- since it's all scratchbuilt, go bananas and do it in 1/8

Edited March 24, 2010 by LDO

[Darren B]

  On 3/24/2010 at 11:41 PM, LDO said:

It's very lightweight fiberglass cloth. Try an auto parts store or r/c hobby shop. For the resin, use plain old fiberglass (polyester) resin or better yet, get some 15 or 30minute epoxy from the same r/c hobby shop. The long working time will let you work the bubbles out before it sets up. I laminated sheets of blue foam together with a spray adhesive from a hobby shop.

Cut the fiberglass cloth into small, manageable strips.

Hey- since it's all scratchbuilt, go bananas and do it in 1/8

Well it looks like I need to get some fiberglass cloth and get building. I will try that. Making it a larger scale would be easier to work with, ill just need to find a 1/8th scale bike to donate the parts for it. Thank you LDO for the help.

Darren

[LDO]

  On 3/26/2010 at 9:06 PM, Darren B said:

Well it looks like I need to get some fiberglass cloth and get building. I will try that. Making it a larger scale would be easier to work with, ill just need to find a 1/8th scale bike to donate the parts for it. Thank you LDO for the help.

Darren

Have you seen these photos? http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2483&page=2

1/8 scale Triumph m/c: ebay item # 120544719543

Hey check out these resto pics: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Mega_Cycle

Edited March 26, 2010 by LDO

[Darren B]

  On 3/26/2010 at 10:19 PM, LDO said:

Have you seen these photos? http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2483&page=2

1/8 scale Triumph m/c: ebay item # 120544719543

Hey check out these resto pics: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Mega_Cycle

LDO

Thanks for the pics, i found those right after i got the mag, i came home looking for other images and those are the ones that got me thinking i can scratchbuild this baby.

Thanks again.

Darren

[sjordan2]

I don't know anything about using fiberglass for scale models, but I do know about laying up fiberglass hulls and decks for full-size boats. In that case, the chemicals that have historically been used can be highly toxic, so see if you need to use a respirator. The boat builders have upgraded the chemicals in recent years, but I don't know what's available for small jobs. All I can tell you is that if it has a very strong smell, watch out.

[Darren B]

  On 3/27/2010 at 7:12 PM, sjordan2 said:

I don't know anything about using fiberglass for scale models, but I do know about laying up fiberglass hulls and decks for full-size boats. In that case, the chemicals that have historically been used can be highly toxic, so see if you need to use a respirator. The boat builders have upgraded the chemicals in recent years, but I don't know what's available for small jobs. All I can tell you is that if it has a very strong smell, watch out.

sjordan2,

thank you for the heads up, i do have a respirator and will use it, I have never used fiberglass resin so not sure how toxic it will be. Hopefully by next week i can pick up the supplies to get started on it, but i will be ready. Thanks again for the heads up.

Darren

[Casey]

I suggest you use both styrene tubing and stryene sheet to build the body. You can laminate the body with multiple layers of sheet styrene, then round the corners and edges as needed. It's going to be a lot of sanding, fitting, and cutting regardless of which construction method you use, but bonding styrene to styrene is easy with some plastic welder.

I would source the engine (V6 IIRC) and Triumph motorcylce first, then use them for properly scaling out the body.

[Darren B]

  On 4/2/2010 at 5:00 AM, Casey said:

I suggest you use both styrene tubing and stryene sheet to build the body. You can laminate the body with multiple layers of sheet styrene, then round the corners and edges as needed. It's going to be a lot of sanding, fitting, and cutting regardless of which construction method you use, but bonding styrene to styrene is easy with some plastic welder.

I would source the engine (V6 IIRC) and Triumph motorcylce first, then use them for properly scaling out the body.

Casey,

I originally wanted to make it out of styrene, (mainly because i work for a transit advertiser and I am the one that installs the ads and the interior ads mostly are printed on polystyrene 12"x30" panels and when the ads are over i get to keep them instead of throwing them out and they glue together with regular liquid cement), if you think it can be made out of styrene then heck yeah ill give it a try since its not gonna cost me much if not going out and buying a bunch of stuff that I would have to learn how to use, since i have a lifetime supply of sheet plastic. I just figured that using styrene it wouldn't be strong enough.

Darren

Edited April 2, 2010 by Darren B

[Dave Ambrose]

  On 3/24/2010 at 11:41 PM, LDO said:

It's very lightweight fiberglass cloth. Try an auto parts store or r/c hobby shop. For the resin, use plain old fiberglass (polyester) resin or better yet, get some 15 or 30minute epoxy from the same r/c hobby shop. The long working time will let you work the bubbles out before it sets up. I laminated sheets of blue foam together with a spray adhesive from a hobby shop.

Cut the fiberglass cloth into small, manageable strips.

I had good results using WEST System epoxies for layup work. You can get the epoxy, and pumps for a fairly nominal price, and it will work much better than resins intended for bonding.

Whatever resin you decide to use, DO NOT mix it in a waxed paper container. The resin will dissolve the wax, which will then inhibit catalyzation. It's a mess to clean up. I like to use yogurt containers. You can also get polyethylene mixing cups for about the same price as a cup of yogurt.

I've also seen some bamboo fiber roving for surfboards. It's flexible and will take to a compound curve. I haven't tried it so you might be better off with the lightest fiberglass cloth you can find.

[showrodfreak]

  On 4/2/2010 at 9:56 PM, Dave Ambrose said:

I had good results using WEST System epoxies for layup work. You can get the epoxy, and pumps for a fairly nominal price, and it will work much better than resins intended for bonding.

Whatever resin you decide to use, DO NOT mix it in a waxed paper container. The resin will dissolve the wax, which will then inhibit catalyzation. It's a mess to clean up. I like to use yogurt containers. You can also get polyethylene mixing cups for about the same price as a cup of yogurt.

I've also seen some bamboo fiber roving for surfboards. It's flexible and will take to a compound curve. I haven't tried it so you might be better off with the lightest fiberglass cloth you can find.

Darren

I did a kit a few years ago using the Surfite Rod from Roth and the Barris Surf woody. It has the basis body parts. Use the surf woody frame to scratch build a chassie then plasic styrene for body panels.

http://cgi.ebay.com/REVELL-SURFITE-WITH-TIKI-HUT-PLASTIC-MODEL-NEW-IN-BOX_W0QQitemZ190387387638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c53f8fcf6

Edited April 12, 2010 by showrodfreak