'Open' ended question?

[ValvEasy]

Any ideas/pointers on making doors functional?

[W-409]

Basically what you need is metal wire. (Like what we use on Mig-welding) Then some plastic pipe, so you can put that metal wire inside the pipe. Then just needs to do those bendings. Actually sounds easy, and it is pretty easy too. This was my first try with Corvette, and that wasn't easy, because it was first time and I didn't completely know, how to do it correctly.

And look for On the workbench section- and http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=51065&st=0 that topic might help you too.

[Art Anderson]

Probably nobody on these boards has mastered the art/science/engineering of opening doors better than our own Bill Geary (Mr Obsessive). Basically if one remembers that door hinges are mounted to the lower A-post (or B-post in the case of the rear doors of a4dr), and to the framing of the door itself, rather than simply to the inside of of the bodywork skin itself and the insides of the door skins. That's how it's done in real life, of course.

Now, this does take some work, given that our model kits almost never have the body pillars (posts) represented on the inside of the shell. Not since the days of straight upright body shells with relatively thin side panels and exposed hinges (think 'teens through the mid-1940's here) have car doors been purely "plug doors", but rather as bodywork got thicker, and designers wanted the hinges hidden from view more modern car doors appear to "turn in" to the body, at least at the front fender edges.

Now, this isn't rocket science, but it sure does take some thought in order to make work, but modelers have conquered it over the years.

Art

[ValvEasy]

Thanks so much. Ill start on this right away!