Step-Up Van scratchbuild - Police lights and "tactical step" Nov 20th

[tin shed gamer]

I would make a reverse stamp of both the bonnet and the lights.
The lights could be done in three layers of plasti card.a base layer of card,then a layer with a cut out square for the headlight,and a small rectangle below it.then a layer with a larger rectangle to act as a frame.Infact if you think of the whole thing as a. picture-mounting card-picture frame.
If you use miliput then use a hairdryer to warm the card and soften it(once the miliput has dried)to peal the card away from the miliput.it works with green stuff too.
then cut a hole in the plasti card grill front and put it the light block behind.
Its pritty much the same thing for the bonnet.
This method is easy with throw away stamps.
I hope this is helpful.
Mark.

[6milPhil]

It's an interesting idea, which I'll consider, thanks.

[tin shed gamer]

It's a method I use when building masters one off tools are a masive time saver,when you only need a few copies its cheaper than making a mould.

[6milPhil]

It's a great idea which I shall try at some point, although not on this. Not least because it's only a couple of grams of rubber and I'd already started. Thanks for the heads up mate deffo one for the skill bank. 

Now the arches are dry I join both halves together internally and fit some quarter tube along the top for the roof curve. I leave this longer than needed for trimming later when the other parts are fixed. It makes for a better overall fit and allowws for mistakes. Being out by half a mil is just irritating.



Next onto the front grill and headlights, made a tiny mould to make sure both were identical.



Next attached the front to the hull.



and the back section too



Next up the bonnet and the windscreen...

[Andym]

Ohhhh!....that is looking rather good!

[6milPhil]

Thanks Andy! 


On with the bonnet, with greenstuff on the wings and the rest left to show the opening. And then the windscreen, which I made of sections because it was the only way I could get the inside curves.



Followed by the quarter pipe for the front curve, again slightly oversized, and the roof.


Next is lining the inside of the box with milliput, letting that cure followed by filling it it resin letting that cure and topping it off again with milliput. This is all to make it solid which I've found is best when it comes to making the mould. Many moons ago I made a model and left it as a hollow box and made a mould only to have it collapse under vacuum - never again.   

The only problem with the filling is it has a total cure time of around 9 hours, so it does slow the build.

[warburton]

Nice work

[6milPhil]

Ta.

Having got the main form it's filling any gaps and sanding, and then a bit more filling, and more sanding and then a little more sanding.

Then on the bumpers, at the rear there's a step bumper and for the front a more shaped one. The back one was working in situ, while the front one was made as a component. Again this was milliput so a bit of curing time involved, bit of shaping, bit more curing, some sanding, etc.



Then the front bumper was attached. Again once fully dry this will be sanded



Next will be the wraparound parts of the bumper and the remaining detailing. There's not a lot, so it really benefits from it.

[OSHIROmodels]

Cracking little build Phil 

cheers

James

[6milPhil]

Thanks Jim.

Start to place the detail, ribs along the side, lights and door handles, bolts on rear bumpers.


Bit more filling on the front bumper, and the wraparound has been added.
Need some more filling on the roof front and back and more sanding,


That done rear lights, and the roof lights too.



Although everyone is being very pleasant about this build by now I'm a trifle peeved - I know all the errors in it, where the measurements are out by half a mil etc, the usual creative self criticism which we all enjoy I think.

[OSHIROmodels]

I know all the errors in it, where the measurements are out by half a mil etc, the usual creative self criticism which we all enjoy I think.

No, we don't enjoy it  it happens all the time at work, the trick is learning what people will pass over when looking at something... Quite a skill.

I'm assuming this will be for sale somewhere?

cheers

James

[Constable Bertrand]

 

I'm glad others are not always happy with their creations. I thought I was just a ham fisted oaf... I better keep going with my own attempts then.

Cheers
Matt.

[Ray Earle]

Looks bloody good to me. 

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself, it's a great build.

[Andym]

Keep going mate!! That looks brill! I don't see ANY mistakes!!

[6milPhil]

Thanks geezers. 

I'm truly not being hard on myself, I think just about everyone enjoys suffers similar. Lots of my chums will show me a solidly good piece of work and the first thing they guiltily admit is what they believe they got wrong. 

I think it's also part of the creative urge which keeps us in the hobby, if you were ecstatically happy with each and every thing you did you'd get bored, lose your drive and take up something more challenging. 

Needlepoint anyone?