Santa Pod Rod - a spares box raid.

[Neddy]

Slow but steady progress on the chassis and running gear.  Front and rear suspension, steering linkage and back axle/diff installed.  Propshaft shortened and ready to go in when the engine and gearbox are fitted.

 

 

I've started work on the exhaust system but the lairy headers I wanted to use foul the chassis so I'll have to go with the stock ones and modify the exhaust further back.  Anybody got any ideas as to how much heat and from what source would enable the plastic pipes to be softened enough to gently bend without them either melting or igniting?  Available options are:-

 

1. Hair dryer.  (Proved ineffective at straightening a warped chassis on a previous model).

2. Boiling water immersion (possible but a bit deadly on the fingers).

3. Naked flame - match, cigarette lighter or similar (see 2 for side-effects).

 

Other possibilities occur to me - Leaving in the oven, under a Harrier jumpjet or in a nuclear reactor - but these may not be practical solutions... 

[klubman01]

Don't think that you necessarily need boiling water to bend plastic pipes.  Quite hot, and then douse under the cold tap, should suffice.

Trevor

[Pete in Lincs]

I normally just use a lighter, A quick pass or maybe two (not too close) should work.

[Toftdale]

If you're trying to get a tight bend, then you only want to heat a very localised spot.  If you use hot water or a hair drier you end up heating the whole pipe and find it very difficult to get a neat bend.  Personally I prefer a tea light over a lighter as this means you have both hands free.  I also find that  rolling the pipe over the flame helps get the heat evenly into it.  Try using some old sprue to practice on, good luck - Andy 

[Bengalensis]

15 minutes ago, Toftdale said:

If you're trying to get a tight bend, then you only want to heat a very localised spot.  If you use hot water or a hair drier you end up heating the whole pipe and find it very difficult to get a neat bend.  Personally I prefer a tea light over a lighter as this means you have both hands free.  I also find that  rolling the pipe over the flame helps get the heat evenly into it.  Try using some old sprue to practice on, good luck - Andy 

I'd second that, I usually do exactly the same.

[mikevillena]

On 12/10/2022 at 12:49 PM, Neddy said:

Slow but steady progress on the chassis and running gear.  Front and rear suspension, steering linkage and back axle/diff installed.  Propshaft shortened and ready to go in when the engine and gearbox are fitted.

 

 

I've started work on the exhaust system but the lairy headers I wanted to use foul the chassis so I'll have to go with the stock ones and modify the exhaust further back.  Anybody got any ideas as to how much heat and from what source would enable the plastic pipes to be softened enough to gently bend without them either melting or igniting?  Available options are:-

 

1. Hair dryer.  (Proved ineffective at straightening a warped chassis on a previous model).

2. Boiling water immersion (possible but a bit deadly on the fingers).

3. Naked flame - match, cigarette lighter or similar (see 2 for side-effects).

 

Other possibilities occur to me - Leaving in the oven, under a Harrier jumpjet or in a nuclear reactor - but these may not be practical solutions... 

If I may, I have in the past used the following (depending on the diameter of the styrene tube or rod (solid):

1. A naked flame from a small votive candle (takes a lot of practice to get a feel for the softening point of the material. I would cold prebend the rod to roughly the right radius and then warm up the bend over the flame. Finesse is key. BTW, this won't work with tubing and the bend area will kink. Solid rod works best. 

2. A mini heat gun such as what crafters use for curing resin. They're cheap and the smaller nozzle directs the heat a lot better than a naked flame and with slightly more control.

3. Steam kettle. I boil water in a whistling kettle with the whistle removed and a makeshift aluminum foil funnel to concentrate the steam output into a small area. Works better for styrene as the steam does not dry out the plastic thus avoiding embrittlement. See some ancient stuff here:

 

 

If you are having to fabricate a custom exhaust entirely then some electrical solder might be easier as the solder is relatively compliant and bends easily. I have also used air hardening clay. Simply roll the clay over a piece of glass (a tempered glass chopping board is a regular fixture on my bench) into a long rod of the correct diameter.  Wait until the clay firms up but still pliable and make your bends. When fully hardened, coat with primer.

 

EDIT: Personally, I would opt for the Harrier. Might be a tad expensive but hey, you only live once. 

Edited December 11, 2022 by mikevillena

[Neddy]

 

Great advice from you all, I really appreciate it!

 

@mikevillena, that's a beautiful piece of work with those headers. 

[mikevillena]

3 hours ago, Neddy said:

 

Great advice from you all, I really appreciate it!

 

@mikevillena, that's a beautiful piece of work with those headers. 

Thank you. Mind you, that's 1/10th scale (part of my Tamiya Fiat Abarth RC car project) so it was relatively easier than 1/24th scale.

[Neddy]

...and finally we have a rolling chassis.

 

 

 

Still pondering the final design of the exhaust system, I may leave that until the body is fitted which is the next stage.  It'll be a bit like squeezing a quart into a pint pot and I foresee some further drastic surgery being needed but hey, it's still fun - so far...

[Pete in Lincs]

Yep, looks rather good to my eye. I'll give you a hand with the shell when I get back from that burger van at the other end of the pits. Want anything?

[Neddy]

After considerable surgery with a miniature drum sanding bit and a router attachment for my mini-drill, the bodyshell has been wrangled into position on the chassis and I finally have something resembling a car-like thing to exhibit...

 

 

 

A long way to go yet but at least the quart now fits the pint pot!  (Metric equivalents are available - work them out for yourselves!)

[Pete in Lincs]

That looks the part. Good stance too. Will it be a modern or retro paint job?

 

(I would have helped, but I had to go back as I'd forgotten your coffee)

[Neddy]

I'm going to attempt a retro paint job in keeping with the whole 1960s vibe, starting with metaliic gold at the front end morphing into metallic bronze towards the rear.  I hope I can pull it off, it's decades since I last achieved something like that but if it doesn't work I'll simply rub down, re-prime and start all over again.  (Someone ought to write a song about that...)

[keefr22]

Good work on getting the shell to look as good as that!

 

Keith

[klubman01]

Definitely looking like a car now!  Keep up the good work.

Trevor

[Neddy]

Swift progress report:-

 

Slowly but steadily I'm getting there.  The engine bay, front springs and firewall are now in place,  Smart air cleaner fitted but that god-awful chrome fan just had to go!

 

 

At the other end, rear suspension now complete with anti-tramp bars fitted.  I've scratched an endplate for the shortened fuel tank from 0.5mm Plasticard.

 

 

...you can see it a little clearer in the next photo which also shows the bodyshell work creeping closer to the next milestone which will be primer.

 

 

Thanks again for your interest and patience!

[Bengalensis]

All different parts are coming together well. Will be interesting to see the development of the bodyshell.

[Spiny]

I didn't want to say as I always feel it's wrong to impose my preferences on someone else's model (unless asked obviously), but I fully agree with you that that fan deserved a trip to the bleach pot. Excellent work going on here - a lot more adventurous than I've been. Don't worry about it feeling slow - it's the end result which counts and when you're looking at that finished model you won't care if it took you a  month longer than planned.

[Neddy]

Quick interim update:  bodyshell primed and would have had a few coats of paint on it by now if not for a slight annoyance...

 

I bought two Revell Aqua metallic colours with the intention of producing a fade-in effect from one to t'other but when I opened them I discovered nothing but crusty-looking moonrock-like substances inside.  They're going back to the shop tomorrow as they must be extremely old stock.  I'm going to try Mr Hobby Aqueous acrylics this time.  More when I can get the paints replaced.

[Vesa Jussila]

Start to look good. I just now had time to catch this topic. Good work so far.

[Neddy]

I've started spraying the 'shell, getting used to the new spraybooth, airbrush, thinners and paints all at once which is quite a steep learning curve!  Having prepped and primed it I started on the main colours, only to discover that (a) white primer over white filler means undiscovered blemishes, and (b) whilst the two colours chosen (Mr Hobby Aqueous metallic blue and metallic green) went on well and the blend worked as well as could be expected, the colours are so similar it's a bit of a waste of time!

 

 

 

Oh well, you live and learn (as the Dalek said, climbing off the trashcan).  I now need to deal with the aforementoned blemishes, re-prime and re-spray in a single colour.

 

I must say in passing how good Mr Hobby Aqueous acrylic paints are, best I've found yet.

[Pete in Lincs]

2 hours ago, Neddy said:

I now need to deal with the aforementoned blemishes, re-prime and re-spray

Isn't that why we do this stuff? Or have I been misinformed?

[Six97s]

Nice colour anyway, even if it's coming off.    It's very reminiscent of the old AMT and Pactra lacquers.

[PatW]

Coming along very nicely!

[Spiny]

Not sure how I missed this one earlier this week. You're absolutely right about primer showing all the defects from filling/sanding etc., which is why many people give their body shells a quick coat to identify the defects. I like what you're doing with it, much braver than me who just assembles kits as directed by the manufacturer.

 

For some reason I wasn't anticipating this colour, but I like it. And at the risk of teaching you to suck eggs, remember you can sand the primer smooth, and you can sand the clear smooth, but don't try to sand metallic clear coats or it will look a mess.