Ted Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 I've always wanted to get the Aoshima 1/24 Road Warrior kit of this car. It seems like I missed the boat, they are very expensive on ebay. I checked shapeways hoping they would sell a 3D printed body and they do, but even their 1/64 scale body is expensive. So I figured I'd take a run at scratchbuilding it in my favourite scale. I've carved wooden molds for vacuforming with some success. I'm going to try carving the car out of wood. I would usually use basswood (aka lime, linden) but I have this birch which I've been carving spoons from lately. It's harder than basswood but still carves very nicely. After splitting, running it through the jointer and table saw I have this block that's slightly oversize. I've brought it inside to let it dry out for a couple weeks before I start working on it. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 I should mention that I only feel like this is possible because of watching Bandsaw Steve's amazing scratchbuilds. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 On 28/01/2021 at 07:46, Ted said: I should mention that I only feel like this is possible because of watching Bandsaw Steve's amazing scratchbuilds. Wow! Thanks Ted - I’m very flattered. And also... Wow! This is a seriously weird coincidence... About a year ago Baby Bandsaw ( the mastermind behind the Hogwarts Express project) asked me what the hardest subject to scratchbuild would be. ‘Anything hollow with large amounts of glass. So any car with a hardtop roof’. I replied. That answer lodged in my brain and I have been turning over a variety of possible different methods in my mind ever since. I know some folks on this forum have done this successfully using various moulding techniques and fibreglass shells but I remain interested in finding out whether a coupe, with a hollow cab and glass windows, can be made by more ‘traditional’ methods. The main issue is whether or not the pillars can be formed to be strong enough to hold the roof firmly in position during assembly and how to affix such large areas of curved glass without scratching or otherwise ruining them. This has kept me awake at night and I have looked at several possible subjects to try some ideas on, one of which is Harry Potter’s Ford Anglia but another of which is Mad Max’s ‘Interceptor’ Tonight in the shed I started a small experiment. Following @albergman ‘s advice from long ago I took some composite decking material and started to cut it and carve it to see how strong narrow pillars in a coupe car - say 1/18 - might be. I was sufficiently encouraged to come to Britmodeller and search for ‘Coupe’ (in titles only) to see if anyone else had tried this and immediately found your post which I avidly read and ‘liked’ before finding myself mentioned! So you say that you only think this is possible from watching my builds, but ironically I’m now watching your build to see whether this actually is possible! 🤔 Weird huh! 😳 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted February 3, 2021 Author Share Posted February 3, 2021 13 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said: Weird huh! 😳 Weird indeed Steve I love it that you're well into experimenting/pondering about the same bonkers project. I'm going to start with the outside profile. I'll leave the bottom flat and level so I have a datum for boring holes plumb with a drill press. I'm thinking I'll make the roof and pillars from sheet styrene but haven't decided yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Watching with very great interest!😀👍 By the way, I’m hoping that the mention of Albergman above might bring him into this discussion. He builds brilliant cars and is likely to be able to provide some seriously expert advice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albergman Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 (edited) see next post Edited February 3, 2021 by albergman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albergman Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Hmmm ... my ears were burning and I thought somebody must have mentioned my name! G'day Steve and "neighbour" Ted ... I'm in Barrie. Hope you guys are safe and well in these crazy times. Steve ... glad to hear you've got some composite decking to try. I think you'll like it and in fact I'm building a tug boat using it as we speak. Not sure what advice you'd want but maybe just suggest that you approach the model in small pieces such as 2 sides, a hood, a trunk and then the roof. Rather than trying to carve the final shape out of one block (my GTO was done this way but it's more difficult) draw your side profiles on smaller pieces and bandsaw that shape out then shape and fit a hood between the fenders. Have a look at the TestaRossa or my D-type to see how I started them and maybe that'll make it clearer. You'll find it's easier to shape the hood and inside fender lines when they are separate pieces then fit them together when ready. Same goes for the trunk and rear section. I'll leave it at that but feel free to ask anything. Cheers Frank Follow up to something you were wondering about ... the strength of Composite to use as the A-pillar. I'd say no. It gets pretty pliable in thin strips so I'd recommend any other kind of wood there. Since it will be a painted project then it won't matter what you use. Also, the big problem ... windows. Now, I'm not familiar with this particular car and I've only ever tried to make windows for one model ... my Lola T70 coupe. On that post you'll see that I made a "plug" from Renshape that fit inside the car and defined the window shapes. I then used it to shrink heated, softened plastic sheets over it. I'd had success making headlight covers this way but this was a large piece and It was never very successful and I gave up the entire project ... anyone want it? I've seen others using vacuum chambers to produce windows this way so maybe that would be worth following up. The plastic I was using was lids I'd saved from various gift boxes. So, bottom line ... I don't have much advice on this topic but others may. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Excellent discussion points. At least it confirms my suspicions that this could be very difficult. And yes - I’ll have a crack at finishing that Lola if you want. Although it seems Ted is closer to you so perhaps he should get first bid. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albergman Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 11 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said: And yes - I’ll have a crack at finishing that Lola if you want. Although it seems Ted is closer to you so perhaps he should get first bid. 👍 HA! Steve, I recently received a magazine from a friend in Ohio ... less than 400 miles away and it cost $20 US to mail!! I think you'd be bankrupt and disappointed to ship this thing 18,000 kms! Hope you make a start on this model or some other just to try working with the composites. A model I would recommend building as a starter would be a TR6. It's a very simple design and can fairly easily be shaped from a solid block. I did this one for an Aussie friend from Perth! I took it out to Vancouver where he lived (now passed away) and put it on his car shelf when he wasn't looking. I said "That's nice ... when did you get that?" Was fun to see him scrambling mentally to remember where it came from. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 !!!!!!!! Completely bonkers!!!!! I've just found this thread and am completely in awe in what you're attempting...... and of those pictures of completed models! besides making a body from wood, which 99.9% of us couldn't do (without loosing digits), you're then going to use that that as a form to vac form a body! This has to be a must follow build if ever there was one. This is the sort of modelling I really admire (and wish I could do), so best of luck with this project. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Hi Chaps, An interesting discussion fur sure. Maybe you have thought of this already but why not vacform the whole thing from clear sheet? If the distortion is too great then maybe just vacform the roof including all windows in place, then form the body as a separate mould? I love the cars Alberg! Colin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Definitely one to watch! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 12 hours ago, Colin W said: Hi Chaps, An interesting discussion fur sure. Maybe you have thought of this already but why not vacform the whole thing from clear sheet? If the distortion is too great then maybe just vacform the roof including all windows in place, then form the body as a seperate mould? Yes - good suggestion and one I have definitely considered previously. I wonder if the resulting structure might be a bit too flimsy though. Having said that, I really don’t know. It might be fine... I need more experience in this area to know what method will work best. That’s why I’m watching this build with so much interest. 👀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Well Ted, I hope someone makes a Holden so we can't be accused of any bias ! Good luck Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 Any progress? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 Not even a little. I got distracted by some other projects. Someday I may come back to this. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted April 5, 2021 Share Posted April 5, 2021 OK no sweat- a tough brief this one. Hope you get back to it sometime. I’ll drop by from time to time to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Hi @Ted Sorry to hear this one has stalled, is there any chance of jump starting this build again before the GB ends ? Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 On 5/2/2021 at 4:39 AM, JOCKNEY said: Hi @Ted Sorry to hear this one has stalled, is there any chance of jump starting this build again before the GB ends ? Cheers Pat With the gardening chores piling up, and a deck to finish...it will join the others on my shelf of broken dreams. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 10 minutes ago, Ted said: With the gardening chores piling up, and a deck to finish...it will join the others on my shelf of broken dreams. Sorry mate, I was going to nip round with some tools and a mug for coffee....till I saw you are a little too far away Hopefully we can see it resurface in a future GB. Good luck with the garden projects Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Gardening and building decks are disciplines far too simple and trivial for a man of your talents. Asterix goes Gardening? Dud...🙁 Asterix builds a deck? Not much better?😕 Asterix and the Ford Falcon Pursuit! OMG!🤩 That’s an Asterix Adventure I’d read!👍👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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