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CA Bedford - 1/24 [Resin Kit].

Started by Andi Little, April 02, 2012, 01:15:39 AM

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Andi Little

#15
On with another "catch-up" update.

And another hard won update it would seem?

I had been having the devils own job getting some bench time, and I think to be honest I'd been avoiding it a bit to - as I'd starting to feel like this darned thing was fighting me at every turn. I know the excuses are starting to wear a bit thin but I can still see the problems stretching out in front of me - time to turn up the FI factor methinks.


And so; anon then....................


First things first - I've scribed out the door shut-lines to form a better illusion of them being moveable surfaces, cleaned off the hinge and the window surround detail. I felt this was a bit clumsy and also thought I wanted them to be "opened" up - we'll see how much of a mistake that was!!
So, marked them up and drilled four radiused corners.



A simple shot of the resulting orifice............. note how thick the wall depth is, this is better than most but is still inconsistent in its depth and will cause silly problems later.



Here you start to see where my wisdom let me down somewhat? - I couldn't rebate from the back due to the inconsistencies of the wall thickness, plus it was a tough reach to perform anything particularly subtle by way of rebating. So I chose to rebate from the front, notion being to "glaze and fill" but the wall thickness wasn't the only inconsistencies. The resin itself was exhibiting all sorts of different characteristics - brittle hard in places then sort of chalky like soapstone making it a heck of a job to gain any kind of accuracy in the engraving - in the kits defence though I'm pretty poor at it! ......... note favourite home made tools for engraving therein!!
Actually that little chisel [with blue trim] is one of my "Go to" tools that I have on my bench all the time and usually reach for first - it's a broken "slotting file" that I ground a chisel edge to and jammed into an old wooden handle. I'll be lost when it wears out or breaks.



Here's just a quick pic' of the first method of making the wire frame - this I thought of as I needed to make two identical ........ you may at this point guffaw! It was actually way too soft to make a consistant form and I gave up the idea after several failed attempts. In the end I went with what I know and just formed one in the hand to a drawn pattern and then tweaked as necessary.



And here it is with an acetate window trapped beneath. I shall "backfill" the door frame once it's glued in firmly and just leave a small ridge of wire around to represent the rubber seal.
Having said this it was such a bliddy bear to get this far I have zero confidence in being able to produce another window that will be the same size and in the same place as the first. Perhaps back in a day I would of took it in my stride but I think this thing has got me a bit gun shy?
So I've come up with an idea to establish a back-story that entails the other window being sheeted over either as a poor repair or even as a means to mount a steel roof ladder against the door - But in truth if I have to struggle with this darn thing much more it'll go back in the box to "give me a rest" and basically never see the light of day again.

But it is a great subject - the only game in town in fact ........... so it really deserves better than that. Plus Gordon only flogged it me because he assumed I was actually going to finish it................ grrr!
KBO..................... Andi.

Andi Little

Well ................ finally, an update of sorts.................. I thought seeing as the previous update and this one sort of blend into each other I'd post this as a double update - and this does in fact bring us up to "real time"  - ultimately things will slow down markedly from here!!!

I had really/have struggled for one reason or another, I think perhaps on a build like this there just seems no respite, one solution just leads to the next problem; and I think as much because it's not your own mistakes or errors that you're resolving?
Having said that, the thought of having to cut a duplicate window really filled me with dread - but I've managed it to a lesser or greater degree?

Here you go then...............



Both windows cut out and looking reasonably similar??





So then of course you cut the glass to suit - glue it in [smearing the glazing more it seems by trying to be careful not to]! Fix wire surrounds and then slather in green goop.




A bit rough looking I know - kind of sort of meant to do that - you'll see later that the doors have been strained and roughly treated, lots of damage due to being worked hard - it remains to be seen if I can pull it off and it not just look like a really bad piece of modelling?
The glazing will be restored with future but will only be patinated again eventually.
I've tried to show these hinges in a step by step fashion, you should be able to work out how they go together  - if you squint hard enough [9 pieces per hinge].




Still a bit ropey looking but you can see the "sprung" doors here [still thinking about doing one of the bottom corners too] - I'm hoping I can bring out the best bits and hide the worst when it comes to detail painting??




The rear is finally looking a bit more complete - if not decidedly scruffy, the large "buffer" looking objects are in fact a rubber fitting that the indicators sit on - they need shortening a touch - although to the eye they look right enough? There are discs faired in ready for the brake lights and the reflectors.
I know it's only a small victory, and not obvious to the general viewer but in this pic' I've noticed with much satisfaction just how straight and true the panels are looking - nice! ...............As I said - small victory's.





And just another shot to give you an alternative angle to the dangle.



The worrying thing - As I know in the grand scheme of things I've only just started this bliddy thing..................

...................................................  :'(
KBO..................... Andi.

Gordon Ferguson

As I said worth waiting for ......... It certainly looks a lot straighter now , no longer the blob!

I am almost,almost tempted to get one of these vans again after seeing what you are doing to it ................ And if I do and fail again I know who can sell it on to .........after all Andi after doing the van a pick-up or a milk float will be easy  :D
Gordon

pwranta193

You may have been better off starting with a rectangular block of fire wood... or one of Fitchen Foo's Kalamity Toaster Tanks... as they seem to be closer in shape to your goal than the original Bedford kit  ;D  That is some great putty and scribe work there, Andi.  Which products are you using for your putty work - I'm seeing two compounds?

I'll also be test driving your window frame technique at some point.  Truly a silk purse from a sow's tattered and cauliflower'd ear.  
Paul

"Did I mention this is a bad idea?"

Ray Dunakin

Visit my website to see pics of the rugged and rocky In-ko-pah Railroad!

Ray Dunakin's World

finescalerr

I got a headache imagining the problems you encountered. But your skill overcame the crudeness of the kit you're working with. All in all, I'd have preferred to draw the thing in 3D CAD and save my handwork for the finish. -- Russ

nk

Andi this is really beautiful work. When I lived in London I rode my bike behind pleant of these old Bedford vans and you have captured the battered character of rear doors perfectly. It is also very impressive how you are setting the windows in place with a gasket. I had often wondered how to achieve this effect, and you have shown us one way, which I suspect, if I tried would result in an airborne model.

Thanks for the step-by-step. It is very very intersting.

Narayan
You may ask yourself: "Well, how did I get here?"

http://public.fotki.com/nkhandekar/

Andi Little

Hi Narayan ................ we haven't spoken for some considerable time now, but it's nice to know you're still keeping tabs - and of course thanks for the encouragement.
KBO..................... Andi.

Andi Little

As ever cheps a stuttering update ....................

If you think this is getting tiresome imagine how I feel? But, onward and upward as they say.

Right then after firckling around the back [!!!] I thought it time to move back to the front - and groan - now I remember why!!

Just look at those headlights??



Everything is just so soft and wrong, now I'm realistic in my abilities to repair these discrepancy's and even though I get frustrated at my struggles to achieve what it is I'm after ............... I just don't seem to be able to invoke the FI factor and simply move on!





As a quick aside you might notice I just had to get rid of those louvres and replace them with something a bit more robust.
Also ...................Those resin bezels were taken off and I sourced a new pair from the spares box. These were offered up and bedded into a dollop of Green milliput - taking care to orientate and align them.



Once the bezels were removed it gave me a new set of headlight buckets with which to reshape the front of the wings - probably not picture perfect but a much more sympathetic shape considering the original. ......... [Even these just look better don't they, or is it just me]?




Once dry they're given a basic shape and then a topcoat of "white" putty [so I can see where I'm going/been]. Just smoothed at the mo' with a wet finger??




Bezels back in so I can finalise the shape of the wings.




And then with a large part of the shaping done. There'll be more obviously but absolute final licks will be done after some primer-filler coats so I can really see what I'm dealing with.

Might be worth noting that there is a new trim piece [upper lip] - this just makes the lower lip now look all bad - and I'm really resisting the temptation to rip out the grille and replace it with a new sheet one [groan].

It's starting to look better though isn't it ------- Isn't it?




Double PS ............................................

This is the reason I've slowed to a crawl with barely any bench time at all..............




Gus - slayer of daffodils.

Tibetan terrier - 14wks ................ swings wildly between lunacy and unbelievable cuteness
KBO..................... Andi.

Ken Hamilton

Heck...with all the other work you've done a new, scratchbuilt grill would look better anyway.
Looks good so far.
Ken Hamilton
www.wildharemodels.com
http://public.fotki.com/khamilton/models/

Malachi Constant

Quote from: Andi Little on May 03, 2012, 09:24:13 AM
If you think this is getting tiresome imagine how I feel? But, onward and upward as they say.

;D ;D ;D

Indeed!  We'll all laugh and cry and cheer you on ... laughing at the times we've faced the same sort of issues ... crying as we realize we've got some of them ahead of us on our own projects ... and cheering as you forge on.  Yes, it is shaping up ... and, yes, you'll fall victim to Ken's urging and rebuild that grille too!  ;)

Quote from: Andi Little on May 03, 2012, 09:24:13 AM
................ swings wildly between lunacy and unbelievable cuteness

Delightful!  I'm struggling to type this as a cute, lunatic cat alternates between climbing over my keyboard and biting my arm for attention.  Crazy but good-natured animals are a lot of fun.  :)
-- Dallas Mallerich  (Just a freakin' newbie who stumbled into the place)
Email me on the "Contact Us" page at www.BoulderValleyModels.com

Andi Little

Well, I succumbed to my apparent need for self harm! - and decided I really couldn't live with the grill - truth be told I couldn't ignore how bad it was right from the get-go as they say. But I was hoping that I could "go blind" regards the problems.
However, having posted this about - I cross pollinate a couple or so of boards [apologies to those that are present on those boards also]. The general consensus was that I should give it a go or live with the regret - and I think that's what swung me......... knowing that I didn't do it when I could of.

Anyway, here's how it started........................



This is what I'd arrived at - and in hindsight it was even worse than I'd remembered - it's no wonder I was a bit downcast by it!!




And this gives us a little insight into the less obvious problem!!
Once the grille is marked up on the vehicle you can see how the kit grill is pyramidal in its nature - the actual grille is if fact parallel with just two nostrils above............ you'll see at the end - and what a difference it makes subconsciously.





Open wide!!! .............. this was harder than it looks than just cutting the hole into the model. I spent quite some time working out the spacing and just what I had to work with in order to make it look right - there's a bit of fudging going on over the assembly but it came out better than it was - I think/hope?





And speaking of assembly this is how it happened - basically cutting over wide strips these were "notched" into the grille opening and then a spacer placed below and than above to give support and provide the basis for the central wide bar that appears in the original.
Bottom left you can see the little tool that I made up in order to make sure the next "notch" above was both accurate and level for the next bar.





This was frustrating - I was so wrapped up in getting the spacing right I'd completely overlooked the depth element of the grille. and there is a marked "proudness" to the centre of the grille leaving a decidedly unflattering "flat" look to it. Thus I ended up "skinning" the grille bars in order to give me the necessary depth to sand back into; and I was quite annoyed with myself too as I know from experience the more you introduce and fuss at something the more opportunities you find for buggering it up.





BUT - after much fiddling, filing, filling and sanding - we arrive at something akin to the original grille, the radiused ends were just filled with a bit of Milliput and then "swizzled" with a  wet drill shank - once cleaned up I think it worked remarkably well?
It's much neater now, both the height and depth of the bars - and see what I mean about the parallel nature of the grilles - much better - huh?

I'm close to the point where I have to put it into primer [eek] which will no doubt make some of it look better for pulling it together - and worse because it'll highlight those many flaws I know I'll find.

You could of course probably pick this to pieces as it is - but I'm calling it done - and so you don't have to scroll back up and back down here's the starting point again....................




Sorry it's been a bit slow - this has been a bit more involved that I'd hoped. Gus is being a complete horror and the Optician was startled to find I could do anything at all!!! - New [bliddy expensive] spec's are apparently going to help a bit??

Cheers chep's.................
KBO..................... Andi.

Gordon Ferguson

Already posted elsewhere my admiration for this work so will not bore you again.

Got to say though I am really looking forward to seeing what you do with the paint job.

p.s. made good progress this week on the Town and Country tyre master hope to try and cast from it next week 
Gordon

finescalerr

I still think you're nuts. But keep going. -- Russ

Ray Dunakin

Visit my website to see pics of the rugged and rocky In-ko-pah Railroad!

Ray Dunakin's World