April 14th Sunday Photo Fun.

[onequiknova]

I guess I'll get this started. I have been building the cars for another autorack load. I MUCH prefer filling bi-levels over tri-levels. This time the cars are 73 Novas and Venturas. They still need windshields and bach glass added. I think I'll end up loading these onto the scratch built autorack from a few weeks back. The white two door Nova is a model of how the car currently sitting in my garage looked when new. Doesn't look like that anymore, however.

 These cars were made by shrinking down a 1/43 scale diecast two door 73/74 Nova model with a product called Hydro Shrink. The nose of the Ventura was shrunk down from 1/25 scale using the same product. The four door was converted from the two door after it was shrunk to size.  Custom decals, including all the lights and grill detail were designed and printed by me to detail them.

[riogrande]

Wow, very nice autos!

[unittrain]

Those automobiles are absolutely outstanding! Do you have any how to videos?

[12bridge]

Working on a new line of Bells...

100% to scale.  Bracket and all.



At the same time I realized I hated the stock water fillers on most models... so, yeah, those too.  (3 versions). 



That bell air line..is also scale. .004" Ngineering wire. 

Just the first samples of them.  Still a bit of tweaking to do.  I have about 8-10 different bell brackets in the works.  

[onequiknova]

Apr 14, 2024 14:38:15 GMT -8 unittrain said:

Those automobiles are absolutely outstanding! Do you have any how to videos?

Thanks. No, not really. The only video I've done is how to make the windshields out of Scotch tape. You can find it on YouTube by searching "1/87 Scotch tape windows".

[hudsonyard]

Pair of boxes for this week.

[GP40P-2]

Apr 14, 2024 13:55:59 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

with a product called Hydro Shrink.

Okay, I need to know more about this. I am guessing that you don't just fill a bucket with "Hydro Shrink," drop a 1/43 die cast into the bucket, wait an hour and pull out a 1/87 model?

[onequiknova]

Apr 14, 2024 17:57:58 GMT -8 GP40P-2 said:

Apr 14, 2024 13:55:59 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

with a product called Hydro Shrink.

Okay, I need to know more about this. I am guessing that you don't just fill a bucket with "Hydro Shrink," drop a 1/43 die cast into the bucket, wait an hour and pull out a 1/87 model?

Think of it like a resin that shrinks after it cures, though the final casting is more like rubber than resin. First you make an open cavity silicone mold of what you'd like to shrink, then pour the hydro shrink into the mold. It cures quickly, and over a few days the casting will shrink around 40% or so. You then will have to make a new silicone mold of the shrunken casting and repeat the process. That will get you close to 1/87. To get to exactly 1/87 scale, I use a different method of shrinking that involves mixing a solvent into the silicone when making a mold. Once the mold cures, the solvent evaporates out, and the mold shrinks. This method is much more controllable, but you get a much smaller shrink percentage with it. So, in essence, hydro shrink shrinks the casting, while the other method shrinks the mold itself.

These processes are not easy. It has taken years to get right. With 3D printing seemingly improving by the day, and vehicle files coming out just as fast, these methods will become obsolete soon.

[Baikal]

Apr 14, 2024 17:44:34 GMT -8 hudsonyard said:

Pair of boxes for this week.

Nice.  Who makes the EFCX car?

[hudsonyard]

Apr 14, 2024 18:44:56 GMT -8 Baikal said:

Apr 14, 2024 17:44:34 GMT -8 hudsonyard said:

Pair of boxes for this week.

Nice.  Who makes the EFCX car?

Recent run Genesis car, these showed up in a lot of photos of LHR trains in my era, had to get a few.

[Colin 't Hart]

Apr 14, 2024 18:10:47 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

Apr 14, 2024 17:57:58 GMT -8 GP40P-2 said:

Okay, I need to know more about this. I am guessing that you don't just fill a bucket with "Hydro Shrink," drop a 1/43 die cast into the bucket, wait an hour and pull out a 1/87 model?

Think of it like a resin that shrinks after it cures, though the final casting is more like rubber than resin. First you make an open cavity silicone mold of what you'd like to shrink, then pour the hydro shrink into the mold. It cures quickly, and over a few days the casting will shrink around 40% or so. You then will have to make a new silicone mold of the shrunken casting and repeat the process. That will get you close to 1/87. To get to exactly 1/87 scale, I use a different method of shrinking that involves mixing a solvent into the silicone mold. Once the mold cures, the solvent evaporates out, and the mold shrinks. This method is much more controllable, but you get a much smaller shrink percentage with it. So, in essence, hydro shrink shrinks the casting, while the other method shrinks the mold itself.

These processes are not easy. It has taken years to get right. With 3D printing seeming improving by the day, and vehicle files coming out just as fast, these methods will become obsolete soon.

Freaking awesome results, John!!

[tom]

I primed my X54A boxcar kit from 3D Central/Bridge Line Design. This is a 3D printed car of a PRR prototype. Also note the high tech painting jig.



Instead of using the supplied etched metal flat ladders, stirrups and grab irons I used Tangent ladders (from their X58 boxcar), stirrups bent from Detail Associates flat bar and grab irons from Tichy 0.0125" wire.



Resulting car is very accurate. Car received a coat of Scalecoat PC green and once dry it will be decaled using Microscale decals.

[kentuckysouthernrwy]

Nice work, all.

Nova John….

[danpik]

Dan

[mdq]

Apr 14, 2024 13:55:59 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

I guess I'll get this started. I have been building the cars for another autorack load. I MUCH prefer filling bi-levels over tri-levels. This time the cars are 73 Novas and Venturas. They still need windshields and bach glass added. I think I'll end up loading these onto the scratch built autorack from a few weeks back. The white two door Nova is a model of how the car currently sitting in my garage looked when new. Doesn't look like that anymore, however.

 These cars were made by shrinking down a 1/43 scale diecast two door 73/74 Nova model with a product called Hydro Shrink. The nose of the Ventura was shrunk down from 1/25 scale using the same product. The four door was converted from the two door after it was shrunk to size.  Custom decals, including all the lights and grill detail were designed and printed by me to detail them.

WOW! This is highly impressive. WOW!

[jacksong1218]

Managed to basically finish my model of Guilford 339 over the weekend. Need to touch up the fuel tank and install some finial details, but its good to have it off the project shelf!






Also had time to prime this Atlas MP15DC. KV models sunshades, window blanks, and doors on the cab, along with Canon and Co detail parts for the fuel tank. Primed with Vajello Gray Surface Primer. 

[csxt8400]

Great stuff! Love the 3D printed cars, great detail!

[loco8107]

Apr 16, 2024 10:44:14 GMT -8 jacksong1218 said:

Managed to basically finish my model of Guilford 339 over the weekend. Need to touch up the fuel tank and install some finial details, but its good to have it off the project shelf!






Also had time to prime this Atlas MP15DC. KV models sunshades, window blanks, and doors on the cab, along with Canon and Co detail parts for the fuel tank. Primed with Vajello Gray Surface Primer. 

Great job on the GP! What did you use to fill the holes with where the sunshades were?