Bits, Pieces, & Clutter

[Chuck Doan]

I think we need a Bike Talk forum section!

[finescalerr]

That is why they call the "old" steel frame racers "classic", John. What the new bikes have in technology the older ones, ca. 1965 - 1985, surpass in sheer elegance.

Sorry for going off topic, Chuck.

Russ

[shropshire lad]

I think we need a Bike Talk forum section!

Do we detect a touch of boredom creeping in here ?

   Nick

[Tom Neeson]

Westlake Publishing Forum

Where past and present bike racing model builders come to chit chat.

[RoughboyModelworks]

I have a few years on Paul and I need to point out a flaw in your facts, Marc: We are not "old school". We are just OLD! -- Russ

You do... I'm not sure of that, I thought I was the older fart of the two...

Paul

[JohnP]

Old fart racers learned how to spin and ride beautifully long before the classless wanna-be types bought their way in.

Speaking of model trains, at about 17 I had to make a choice- keep putting time and money into the HO layout (handlaid track etc) or get the Raleigh Pro and a license to race.

There were more girls in bike racing so the layout went.

John

[marc_reusser]

.....and back to the modeling.

I spent the last couple of days messing with cylindrical objects (and am really starting to hate that shape)....I have assembled and prepped 7 barrels, and these welding tanks. I was prodded to move forward by Dallas M's post on the Gnatterbox Forum of his welding cart and tanks. I see my scene at some point needing a jumble of discarded tanks, akin to something like the attached image at the bottom.

These tanks came from 2 different Italierie accessories sets. They are a real PIA to assemble, as the seem to want to continually split at the seams of the halves....I must have re glued and sanded these things at least 3 times each. (nect time I think I will fill the interior with some epoxy putty, that way when one handles them, they can't compress/flex and split, so easily).

The castings quality is OK...nothing great. The area I felt needed the most work was the tops and valve areas. The tank in the front right of the image is what the stock appearance is OOB, for the valve area. I went through and added some variety and detail using scavanged brass valve handles from PSC castings (the brass items), cross handle valves (the black items) from a Grandt-Line Porter detail set, and inline valve from Grandt line, and a hex-nut from VectorCut; other pieces were made from hex, rod, and strip styrene.





The painting approach to these will be the HS method, but I am going to experiment with a new (for me) primer from Games Workshop/Citadel called "Chaos Black". This will hopefully save me a step of having to do a primer, and then an overall dark color, before applying various rust shades.

[Mr Potato Head]

Marc

Do you ware that Swiss Jersey for loyalty to your motherland
Or is it to help the emergency crews find you faster? 
Gil

[marc_reusser]

The reason I wear it is because everyone I ride with knows I wear that, so they always know me...that way they can hide from the a**-hole that's coming their way....unless of course I creep up from behind.

It actually helps keep some of the retards in cars in this country away from me a bit when riding because they think I am with the fire department or a paramedic!  ...no joke....I have been asked numerous times;....of course there are other morons that think I'm with the red-cross! ...again, no joke.......there really are way too many stupid people in this country.....if you were to wade into the world-knowledge pool of the average person here, you would barely get your ankles wet.  You can't imagine how many times when I say I'm Swiss, the people respond by saying....."Oh, so can you/do you, speak any SWEDISH?" ....really!!!?...WTF!!!??


And last but not least...it is the colors of Fabian "Fabulous" Cancellara.

Marc

[Ray Dunakin]

Nice work on those tanks! The various valves and gauges really make a difference.

Never was a bike racer but spent all my teen years and most of early adulthood riding everywhere, out of necessity. Couldn't afford a car and public transit is worse than walking. I use to ride out to the mountains all the time, and even rode my bike out to the desert and back a couple times -- although I must admit I hitched rides in the back of some pickup trucks to save time on some of the uphill sections.

[Gordon Ferguson]

Marc,

feel I have to ask ........ do you have any trouble getting people to understand specific points you want to put across due to your strong diplomatic skills and obvious fear of upsetting people

Anyway, like the cylinders look forward to seeing how you paint and finish them .......... a bit in awe as to the way you can not only find all these little extra bits you use but you know where they came from originally - must be something to do with clock making ancestors & yes I did think about a certain word in front of clock!

p.s. I hope the bottom of the cylinders have that slightly hollowed out look and are not flat!

[marc_reusser]

feel I have to ask ........ do you have any trouble getting people to understand specific points you want to put across due to your strong diplomatic skills and obvious fear of upsetting people

....I was never much for being obtuse, or into the lets-all-feel-good-about-eachother-and-everything approach.....stating the facts/obvious as they are, saves everybody a lot of time and any potential problems from misinterpritation.   

a bit in awe as to the way you can not only find all these little extra bits you use but you know where they came from originally

I have shelves and cabinets full of little boxes with bits ...I frequently buy entire kits, just because a couple of the parts could prove useful down the line....plus I am really lucky to have several good LHS's in the LA area where I can go and stare for hours at all the little packets of parts they have.

p.s. I hope the bottom of the cylinders have that slightly hollowed out look and are not flat!

You caught me on the hollowed-out ....they are not...I tried to add that detail using a Dremel, but the plastic is not thick enough to get any decent depth (wrecked one cylinder trying).....I have been considering turning some more cylinders on the lathe, or having a go at the PAP method.

Marc

[SandiaPaul]

Marc,
It works the other way around too, my wife who is Swedish, gets the same thing, "oh you are from Switzerland?" My 2 step kids, get even blanker looks from the rest of the kids in school when they say they are from Sweden.

[lab-dad]

Marc,
I think "rolling your own" cylinders would be quite easy and take less time (and have the correct bottoms)
I would suggest the correct diameter aluminum.
You would need to make two cutters with the appropriate curves but then it would take less than 5 minutes for each one.
You have the lathe, why not try it?
-Marty

[marc_reusser]

You would need to make two cutters with the appropriate curves......

-Marty

Very funny 'Brass-Boy".....everybody's a comedian. I am not Martha Stewart...I cannot just will shaped cutters out of the ether.


Marc