Plastic Modeling

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by shiumai

Link is to a different forum that I'm on, but I was impressed that this guy is 3D printing his own C8 Corvette model since none existed in 1/8 scale: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...project-2.html

Some of the 3D printer work on my model forums absolutely blow my mind. It is without a doubt the future of modeling.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Glad you included the pictures with the coins! The first picture without them is sort of creepy.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

That is exactly the vibe!

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

That is exactly the vibe!

[Tcoat]

[Ultramaroon]

Is that from scratch?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Is that from scratch?

Yep. It is a mid sixties bar stool for the Econoline. More interior pictures soon.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Yep. It is a mid sixties bar stool for the Econoline. More interior pictures soon.

Fantastic! Your "ornaments" are on their way to you.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Fantastic! Your "ornaments" are on their way to you.

Yep. Supposed to be here Tuesday!

[Tcoat]

My '64 Econoline project.

While shopping the Jimmie Flintstone custom resin site for a 58 Chevy body I stumbled across the '61-'65 Econoline panel body. I was over joyed to find it as it is a major vehicle in the Cars I used to Own series of builds.



The Flintstone site does not ship to Canada and anybody that sells the body here charges WAY more I had a buddy in Vancouver Washington (any guesses?) order it and he then shipped it to me. It is still in transit as of this writing.

Since the first generation Econoline's have never been kitted the body is designed to go with he chassis and interior from the Lindberg Lil Red Wagon/Dodge fever Dodge A100 pickup kit. After a long search for one of these available for a price that did not require a second mortgage on the house I managed to score one from a reasonably close toy store/hobby shop. As these have not been released for several years I was beginning to think I would have to sell a kidney to complete this project!



Although it is a Dodge interior the basics are close enough for anybody but the most diehard early sixties van fanatic. In fact it looks like Dodge didn't even try to hide that they were copying the Econoline.



The knowledgeable amongst you are probably saying "But Tcoat the Econoline only came with a six cylinder engine and that is clearly a V8". Well that is actually convenient for me as my '64 had a 351W and C6 tranny from a 96 Fairlane crammed into that doghouse between the seats. So with some blue paint and a bit of squinting the kit 318(?) now becomes a 351. It isn't like you are going to see much beyond the very bottom anyway.



I bought the van already built in late 78 and it had already been done up in pretty much standard vantasic style. There was a bench in the rear that folded down to a bed, a cabinet from an early sixties RV with an 8 track player in it, an ugly (by todays standards) carpet and some early '70s house speakers mounted up in the rear corners The two pieces of foam for the bench/bed were hard to "sleep" on as they always pulled apart so I screwed the base down and threw a cheap RV sized mattress on it. I also wanted a chair so borrowed (forever) an old mid sixties bar stool from my parents and screwed it to the plywood floor. It of course would have meant instant death for anybody riding on it in the event of a crash by those were the invincible days.

So I had to make a bunch of stuff up.









Paint starts to bring things to life. The top of the cabinet was that sort of psychedelic woodgrain pattern that anybody over about 55 years of age will recognize. The carpet, although not shag was a heavier pile than you get using embossing powder so it is short turf fibers used in model railroads. I think I missed a narrow black line between the bigger sections of the carpet but once body is on won't see much of it anyway.











And all painted up. The dash is coming with the Flintstone body and will have white panels like the doors, seats and doghouse have. The blanket will be familiar to pretty much anybody with military, police or firefighting experience anyplace in the world. You can probably feel the itching kicking in already. Still need to make an 8 track player for the cabinet but have to did up a chrome radio I know I have someplace for that. Nothing but the front seat are glued on yet since I need to have the body to ensure spacing is correct.









As far as I know there are no existing pictures of the real thing but most of the details are etched in my brain even after al this time so it is very accurate at least in my head.

That's it for now since...

I ain't got no body

[Kiske]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

So...

Two weeks ago I picked up the Revell kit just for the engine to use in my '58 Nomad project I also ordered some Tamiya spray lacquer in candy apple green (TS-52) for the same project.

I don't know if you open to criticism but, I have a suggestion before you get to your Nomad project which sounds like will be a project of more importance to you. For your consideration.

I'm guessing your limited (to brush and spray cans?) given you bought Tamiya spray cans limiting your options. Here is a step I've seen many builders in the automotive scale scene use. Dullcote.

So often you'll find that the paint's flake is too large, even if you grab a paint formulated with a mica (pearl) instead of a metallic flake (like the TS-52.) By too large I mean it is designed for a 1:1 sparkle and isn't 'to scale' when down to 1/24 and tends to look like a bass boat flaked finish.

A neat effect you can do is apply 2-3 coats of Testor's dullcote (or other laquer-based matte topcoat) on top of your color. In very light, multiple passes.



As you build it up the 'flake' gets buried under light refracting particles in the dullcote, breaking up the 'sparkle' or refraction. After a few passes you can then apply a gloss topcoat and buff the finish to a gloss.Make sure you do any panel lines before any of the top coat as you may loose the ability to do a wash with the buildup.


The results are a very nice solution instead of buying and airbrushing paints that take scale into consideration like MCW paints (funny given you likely wouldn't notice the metallic at that size anyway.) If you build up more coats you can also get a milkiness that is perfect for old jalopy's with single stage finishes.

A nice example of what I mean by in scale.



Another technique I've seen lightly dusting on a similar solid color over your similar metallic paints. As always plastic spoons are fantastic to try techniques on before committing.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kiske

I don't know if you open to criticism but, I have a suggestion before you get to your Nomad project which sounds like will be a project of more importance to you. For your consideration.

I'm guessing your limited (to brush and spray cans?) given you bought Tamiya spray cans limiting your options. Here is a step I've seen many builders in the automotive scale scene use. Dullcote.

So often you'll find that the paint's flake is too large, even if you grab a paint formulated with a mica (pearl) instead of a metallic flake (like the TS-52.) By too large I mean it is designed for a 1:1 sparkle and isn't 'to scale' when down to 1/24 and tends to look like a bass boat flaked finish.

A neat effect you can do is apply 2-3 coats of Testor's dullcote (or other laquer-based matte topcoat) on top of your color. In very light, multiple passes.



As you build it up the 'flake' gets buried under light refracting particles in the dullcote, breaking up the 'sparkle' or refraction. After a few passes you can then apply a gloss topcoat and buff the finish to a gloss.Make sure you do any panel lines before any of the top coat as you may loose the ability to do a wash with the buildup.


The results are a very nice solution instead of buying and airbrushing paints that take scale into consideration like MCW paints (funny given you likely wouldn't notice the metallic at that size anyway.) If you build up more coats you can also get a milkiness that is perfect for old jalopy's with single stage finishes.

A nice example of what I mean by in scale.
Attachment 218134


Another technique I've seen lightly dusting on a similar solid color over your similar metallic paints. As always plastic spoons are fantastic to try techniques on before committing.

Always open for tips!

I do almost all of my painting with the airbrush. I went with the rattle cans because I don't like doing the pearl or flake paints with it. The Tamiya lacquers keep the flake effect to almost scale levels that I can work with. The pictures make it look way more "flaky" then it really is.
I use about 4 bottles of Dullcoat a year as I use it on almost everything.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I use about 4 bottles of Dullcoat a year as I use it on almost everything.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

LOL I was actually going to use something like that but wasn't sure if it was just a Canadian commercial.