General Concern About Kit Leaf Springs

[Cornpatch]

Please Harry not a Cubs analogy. Winter has been bad enough but now looking forward to Spring brings with it mounds of dog poop covered for months by snow and the Cubs.....

Joe.

That's seems appropriate the Cubs and dog poop in the same sentence. At least you can clean up the dog poop in the spring. But nobody has been able to do anything for the Cubs in years.

As Harry would probley say GO WHITE SOX but they didn't look all that good last year either.

[Greg Myers]

I had thought there were a few Photoetched leaf spring kits out there, but i only see a shackle kit by MCG for $8 alone...

Hmm.. maybe i'll look into it.

Could you show us ? Or just a link ?

[Harry P.]

As Harry would probley say GO WHITE SOX but they didn't look all that good last year either.

Yeah, they pretty much blew it last season... but it's a new year. GO SOX!

[Stuntman Mike]

Manufacturers want as few parts as possible in a kit. Me and all the other "serious" scale modelers on this forum and other forums around the world are just 5% of the customers. Nobody gives a fart on what "we" want. Models have to be manageable for beginners (the other 95%...), not for us. That´s what they told us at the ROG headquarter. They appreciate our enthusiasm, but focus on beginners when designing a new kit.

It will stay up to us to upgrade a kit to a point that pleases us. And I´m having loads of fun while making kit parts look better than OOB. There´s nothing easier than making a new set of leaf springs for a model...

It just takes ten minutes to make the blobs disappear:

Let´s just be happy that we´re able to upgrade and seperate our models from others. I like to have details that noone else has. Really...

[Skydime]

I like to have details that noone else has. Really...

Valid point. Still, why can't manufacturers get it correct like the square body S10? A basic screw up across the board is an entirely different scenario than an uber detailed suspension.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Skydime

[Harry P.]

Kevin, nice work on those springs.

[Skydime]

Indeed!

[High octane]

Go Sox Harry? You mean they're going to go for 100 losses this year instead of just 99???

[62rebel]

Kevin, you gave an excellent example of what to do if any part of a kit doesn't suit your expectations or desires. make your own! we're modelers, after all.... we're supposed to be working past simply sticking the parts in the box together. even if that means simply swapping parts at first.... painting details and adding wires, piping, belts.... each new skill a step further along.

I traded models with a fellow student in grade school who built raised suspensions with pieces of broken pencils, of all things.... not cut to length or anything, just pieces of pencils. rebuilding HIS gluebombs was a definite challenge and drew heavily on my sparse collection of spare parts. HE liked them, though; that was what counted to him.

[Alyn]

Excellent work on the chassis, Kevin.

As delicate as shackles can be, to me they're screaming to be made in brass. Thin parts that need strength; that's where brass really shines.

Here's an example I scratch built for a dodge truck. It's just under 1/4" between centerlines, or ~6" in scale:

leaf spring to go with it. No worry handling this model:

[Skydime]

Alyn, that is some very nice craftsmanship. How some people can manuver and create parts this small escapes my imagination sometimes. But it is certainly way above and beyond the level of skill we are talking about. A majority of builders don't go that far. But it would certainly be nice to have something that half way decently represents the part for those that don't have the steadiness or abilities to scratch build something that nice. And then there are people who go all out as you have shown us above. I'm just simply saying that companies could try a little harder on parts that are so common and that they have gotten right in some kits.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Skydime

[FASTBACK340]

I agree. Brass is the way to go.

[Stuntman Mike]

Very nice work Alyn

As far as strength of styrene leaf springs goes...it´s more than just strong enough.

This AMT International Scout fell off the desk during final assembly. No leaf springs damaged, no shackles damaged and no bolts damaged. But the axle broke into three pieces. It takes some serious force to destroy the bolts. They are made from stretched sprue and you don´t have to worry about them. You can easily bend or break a stretched sprue. But try to shear it off. Not too easy. And I never worry about handling this model. It is definately less fragile than an OOB build. Guaranteed.

[Straightliner59]

Springs and hangers are very easily scratchbuilt using strip stock. Use .010" for the springs and shackles, and small (.0325") tubing for the spring "eyes". Scratchbuilding provides the advantage of creating exactly what you need.

[jaydar]

I am at that stage on my '70 Challenger. I will try using the hangers on modified kit springs. Next time I will try the 'full Monty'.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Joe.

[Deathgoblin]

I think brass is gonna be the way I go when I rebuild my 1/12 Cord. It fell off a shelf and a lot of the suspension snapped. I don't think sheet styrene is gonna be strong enough to hold that beast up.