66 Olds 442 "Clean Build"--More Time to Dry!

The bad news is that I continue to have time for not much of anything....hobbies and crafts being a couple of those things.

The good news is that allowing lots of drying time really helps a painting project!



Take the Alclad process. If you've followed this blog or any hobby mags--this is lacquer paint that will make non-metal surfaces look like they are made of metal--and it really works! Any sort of model builder--planes, trains, dioramas, whatever--is going to need this. You apply black enamel first, then airbrush over the Alclad lacquer. Only during this build have I realized that it's critical to let the enamel undercoat dry and gas out completely (a week!) or else the Alclad will look pitted or have other problems.


These are wheels I cast in resin and then Alclad coated with "Stainless Steel". On the bench they look better than they do in this photo--sadly I didn't have a lot of time to set up the shot--I am reasonably happy with how they came out.



Same thing with this aircleaner. It doesn't look so bad on the bench. The lighting in the photo leaves a bit to be desired....



The other item is scale "carpet". I have tried various means to get this into the build fast (because I never have time for any of this--remember?) but I have found that the best way to apply flocking is slowly and carefully--allowing the white glue several days to dry after its application.



Here it is. The seats and interior trim will cover up the yellow lines I drew as carpet "boundries". Maybe this weekend I will have some time to put together some of the subassemblies--we will see.

442 Olds "Clean Build"--Engine

So here we are a month since the last post--not much more time for hobbies and crafts, but hey, a bit of time here and there is better than no time at all....



I'm taking a bit of a break from customizing and focusing this time on a "clean build". We're talking less runs, drips, fingerprints, smudge and so on, and for me it doesn't come easy! One thing I've rethought is how I brush paint--no more dipping paint into bottles and dragging big clumps of goo onto the build. Instead, careful stirring, pouring into small plastic containers I stole from the local burrito place, and going from there.




Also a bit more attention paid to little things, like putting the lids back on the paint so it doesn't dry out or spill on some other part sitting on the bench. Simple, but, I wasn't always doing it!




So here's what I have so far. Not the clean room sort of thing you see in some of the hobby mags, but for me, it's a lot better.



As I said last time, I got some magnifying glasses I can wear, so I can see details a bit better. It has been a huge help, one of the best investments I've made in the pursuit of the "clean build". Now I can see details that need to be fixed before the camera picks them up.




But is it fun? I don't know. For me, it's different. I am always rushing around, trying to get more done at work, trying to get more done around my house, just trying to do more, more, more. Here, it's good to slow down and concentrate on something monumentally unimportant, for a change.



Next I have to apply the metalizing paints to parts of the chassis and put together the interior. After priming and sanding I have put aside the body for now--a clean build on that will be tough indeed!