TOPIC:

Plugs cut / sanded back, filled & sanded again ... looks pretty good now - even on the right side where the body mount holes run through a door gap, but you can bet once I get some colour on them they won't look so good  

 

How do you do ? I use plastic putty but still have hollow holes.

stingray-63 wrote:

How do you do ? I use plastic putty but still have hollow holes.

1- Use tight fitting styrene inserts to fill the gap as much as possible, rather than fillers.

2- Push in firmly using a solvent weld (e.g. Dichloromethane) instead of glue to minimise melting.

3- Allow at least 24H to firm up again.

4- Use a flat former to wrap wet & dry paper around (small bit of thick, flat styrene sheet, flat block of wood, or a new eraser, like Staedler Mars plastic).

5- Use a thin skim of a good quality, low-shrink filler - TBH I can only really recommend Tamiya Putty White, not their grey "Basic type", not Revell Plasto, and definitely not anything by Squadron (which used to be excellent )

Repeat 3 &4.

Be prepared to repeat 5 after primer.


 And after all that, you can still expect pinholes & some shrinkage which will only become apparent once you spray the final colour on




 

Thanks a lot Jonny.

I've been looking at what aerosol paint is most like the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine colour.

I want to buy Hycote acrylic (so it's compatible with the rest of my paints). Out of their 70 (maybe more) colours with "Blue" in the name, Ford Olympic Blue is my current number one choice, with Ford Electric / Monza Blue at #2, because it looks a bit too Wedgewood Blue in some pics I found online (grey primer instead of white). 

Fiat Volare (flying) Blue is quite a different colour, being a brighter version of a modern baby blue, but might be an option for a slightly less toy/cartoon look (kind of defeating the point though ).

Airbrushing Tamiya XF Sky Blue seems like too much of a faff TBH



Since I last looked at blue paints (probably for my F-150 Ranger?), there's been a noticeable increase in (Electric?) "Power" blues and the Teal end of turquoise colours.



White - for part of the Ambulance, or all of the Hawkins Power & Light options - is much easier: Ford Diamond White

Driveshaft extension made from 8mm round brass on the "big" lathe:




Tapped M3 for grubscrew:




Fitted:




Still thinking about body mounts - currently thinking vertical posts off the tabs at the rear of the chassis, an extra set added in line with the leading edge of the motor. and using magnetic mounts.

 

Velcro is a solution to.

That chassis is very fitting for the Lunhbox body 

TBH I don't think I've ever had a situation where Velcro would be the best (or even at all viable) way of holding bodywork on ... double sided stuff wrapped around small batteries though, that's a different matter

I rebuilt the shortened rear end/battery box, shortened the battery cabling, and fitted body posts & magnetic tops to each end of the chassis, and epoxied the magnets to the body. Front took 3 attempts to get the ride height because the front suspension is so soft

I had imagined I'd be putting a floor, interior & driver in, but it already feels seriously heavy for what it is, given the size of the motor and the soft suspension. I think it'll go round corners on three wheels at present, loads more weight is not going to help. Instead I'm thinking about blacking out the windows. Even the weight of the light bars may be too much.

I'm also kind of digging the body in white, so that suggests the Hawkins Power & Light scheme ...

Top tip, you can use those top window tints intended for windshield.
Cost about a tenner I guess.

My local motor factors carry them at least.
I personally have never been fond of window tint spary, like Tamiya smoke, as they tend to go on uneven.

Magnets works good.
I can lift my CC01 by the body without the magnets popping off.