#57 Chevrolet Impala wagon .

[Tinman]

No more 300 word posts . I'll let the pics talk

What happened to all of the photos of the process in progress???

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I guess someone has opened a window and they've all blown away...!

Ghosty.

[mrmoko]

I was going to paint it like above but after 20+ hours work i didnt think a 2 minute paint job would matter that much .

Gary, are you saying you only spent two minutes on the paint or ... what does this mean exactly?

Yes Joe . Not much longer than 2 minutes really . One coat of dark blue and one coat on the roof . The longest part was taping off the roof . Next one ill do the roof first ,then cap it .

Ill let you guys in on a secret . I make my own metallic paint . All i do is find the solid colour that matches close and then add "" silver "" Then the silver paint becomes the flake and is to scale as well .

The next build will be uploaded to youtube .

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Gary, you had some very large pictures posted on here earlier, why don't you try opening a picture in 'Paint' on your computer, then you can resize it down to a more respectable size for the forum.

If you are afraid of buggering this up, make copies first so you still have your original pictures, then play with the copy version until after a bit of practice, you will know what to do.

As a general reduction, I resize a lot of my pictures down to 22% from their original large size, which coming straight out of a Camera will be around a Megabite or more!

GHOSTHUNTER.

[mrmoko]

No more 300 word posts . I'll let the pics talk

What happened to all of the photos of the process in progress???

I removed them as they where all out of order and they where huge. Having trouble resizing . Ill try what Ghosty said .

[Jingley]

What a fantastic model, looks like Lesney made it it. Just enough detail without going too far.
What do you use to bond and fill?
John

[mrmoko]

Hi John , I us a two pack glue called araldite . There is no filler used what so ever . All the parts have been file finished . Very close to 20 hours work on this one .

[Jingley]

Hi John , I us a two pack glue called araldite . There is no filler used what so ever . All the parts have been file finished . Very close to 20 hours work on this one .

That is even more impressive, you certainly have a good eye and lots of patience.

I have used JB Weld and JB Kwik in the past but never seemed to get a decent bond, it always peeled or flaked when sanding, even when the surface was spotless and had a good key. I usually finished off with stopper or knifing putty.

I have heard of white metal modellers using superglue with baking soda sprinkled on as a catalyst, that is supposed to give a strong fine bond. Has anyone here used this method?

John

[Tinman]

Plain old two part clear epoxy is all I use and I get a good bond. Apply more if something needs to be built up and shaped as it files and sands well and, again, superior bond. If I need a fine filler, I use high build primer and then sand that with 600 grit. I've given up on spot putty as it's needless extra work on miniature projects and it requires being sealed afterwards to get a uniform finish. The epoxy doesn't require that additional step and it bonds well to itself and more build up can be added as soon as it firms up (about five minutes more or less). The best part about using epoxy is that it's unaffected by paint stripper or lacquer thinner, if I'm not happy with a paint finish, I wash it off and start over and none of my custom or repair work is affected.

I've found JB Weld a poor performer for miniature work and only use it for large 1:1 scale projects/repairs.

You can add baking soda or whiting to most any glues to alter the properties. However, there are better two part products that you simply kneed together to form setting putty (more stable and less problematic). There are also plastic beads that you can heat in hot water, kneed together and shape them into whatever you desire. It hardens by cooling back to ambient temps (can also be filed/sanded).

[Bernie]

Plain old two part clear epoxy is all I use and I get a good bond. Apply more if something needs to be built up and shaped as it files and sands well and, again, superior bond.

Epoxies have a Shore D Hardness ranging from the high 30s to the low 90s. This makes a bit of difference when it comes to shaping your work and if you choose the wrong one it could leave you with an unmanageable lump that requires you to abandon the project. It's difficult to go with specific recommendations because different products are available in different areas but if a person identifies what they've used, it's often possible to look up product specifications and find a suitable replacement in local stores.

I prefer Hardman Orange epoxy. The set up time is very long - 3 hours - which makes it unsuitable for some tasks, but it bonds exceptionally well to diecast. It can withstand 250 F, which is useful if I'm baking a paint job. Shore D is 65, which is midrange about equal to a chair caster. I like the whole range of Hardman epoxies because they are available in one-use separate foil packets for the two parts. I've had problems getting amounts equal when using separate tubes or those double-barrel syringes.