mad mike Posted June 21, 2011 Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Greetings to all you big scale modelers! I'm new to this forum, and generally not the forum type, but since there's a whole bunch of one-eighth fans around here, I wanted to share my work with you. The first car I did in 1/8 was the fabulous Cheetah by Bill Thomas and Don Edmunds. The model is curbside (no engine or chassis), with the body carved from rigid foam and the details mostly made with rapid prototyping. She had the honor of being the first because to me, this car is sex on wheels. So, have a look... Man, this view is just great Edited June 22, 2011 by mad mike
BKcustoms Posted June 21, 2011 Posted June 21, 2011 Nice Build! looks just like the 1/1 cheetah we are getting ready to build where me and my dad work!
scbaker Posted June 21, 2011 Posted June 21, 2011 Absolutly BEAUTIFUL !!!... The Cheeta has got to be one of my favorite cars of all time... You have done a fantastic job...
jeffs396 Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Welcome Mike!!! An AWESOME job on one of the coolest things on four wheels!
RancheroSteve Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Wow, beautiful piece of modeling, Mike! I'm working on a 1/24 scale version right now.
mad mike Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks for the praise, I'm really glad you like my "cat". I really have to apologize for the poor quality of the pics, if you'd like to see some more, please visit Detailed-Models.de
mad mike Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 OK, I think I got the hang of uploading good-looking pics now. And now, a little WIP photo series of how the Cheetah was carved. It's like magic
Plasticfanatic Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Simply.....FANTASTIC!!! Would also love to see how do you hollow the interior of the body. Truly inspiring work.
mad mike Posted June 23, 2011 Author Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) @ Plasticfanatic: That hollowing was a messy job. I did it after casting a mould of the body. To get access, I cut off the roof and carved it all out. Messy alright, and dusty too! Edited June 23, 2011 by mad mike
Plasticfanatic Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 Thank you very much, is indeed quite a lot of work and effort, but worth every minute of it since you turn out an AMAZING model(S)....again, congratulations on a SUPERB craftmanship and scale models.
Mike Kucaba Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 These builds and craftsmanship really look great. :o Those quilting groups in my community are looking better and better!(jus' kiddin'
bill w Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 Outstanding work Mike! You HAVE talent! Thanks for the pics. Bill
Cato Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 Mike, Is the foam you carve called RenShape? http://www.freemansupply.com/RenShape5045Polyur.htm
mad mike Posted June 25, 2011 Author Posted June 25, 2011 @ Cato: Nope, I'm not using RenShape. Or maybe, yes - it's hard to tell, because I have used leftovers from industrial modeling until now. Basically, it doesn't matter what brand of KBM (Kunststoffblockmaterial - "Plastic block material") you use. As far as I know, it's always foamed Polyurethane, and the only difference may be in the foaming process, influencing the structure a bit. The main difference is about the density of the stuff, which is coded by the color (but the makers may have different colors for their densities of course.) Choosing the right density is crucial, because a light density means easiest carving, but sharp edges (e.g. fender flares) are damaged easily. Also, the bigger the chambers in the foam structure, the bigger your problems at the filler stage are. My observation is, that light foam produces a really heavy orange peel when fillered. You can add a thick filler and sand the peel down, but the filler will continue to set down for months and you will see the peel again in the paintjob. It happened with the Cobra... Heavier density foam is harder to carve, but the filler and edge issues are not as bad. Personally, I found that density around 0,3 grams per cubic cm works best for me. The main issues about the stuff are availability and price. I hope for you that in the US it's easier to get. After all, it is pro material used in the rapid tooling process by industrial modelers. I found that they charge absurd prices in hobby shops for it. I'd really like to support all you modelers out there with the know-how I've got about industrial modeling, because the opportunities are countless. I thought about writing a book about it (like those Kalmbach how-to paperbacks), but I'm not sure wether it would sell.
semijoe Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 woe woe woe another master peice. your have some serious talent with foam. shes a beauty!
Cato Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 Thanks for the tech info about your material. I would surely read your book.
jbwelda Posted June 27, 2011 Posted June 27, 2011 another kudos here, that is fantastic work! thanks so much for posting those in progress photos of the body. sets a totally new bar for me seeing that. incredible.
baddgass Posted June 27, 2011 Posted June 27, 2011 Great work love the cheetah. Are you saleing the body, like to have one. Thanks for the pics.
goldfinger Posted July 8, 2011 Posted July 8, 2011 I thought about writing a book about it (like those Kalmbach how-to paperbacks), but I'm not sure wether it would sell.
Sixties Sam Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 Amazing work! You have great skill and patience, way more than I have! Beautiful model! Sam
Mooneyzs Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Beautiful build. It looks great. Thanks for sharing.
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