What's on the Bench 2023

[Neil Merryweather]

I have so much going on at the table an the moment, I forget what I'm doing sometimes. Hot weather has also put a damper on a lot of things. I have managed to make some progress on the gas station through it all,

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Wheels are ready for paint, as is the main tank/frame too. I added the the hex nuts and bolts on the strap holders. I wanted to thread them, but found my tap & die set didn't go down to 0.6mm size, only 4mm...Pump handle and pump is painted and the support cables added using 0.01 rigging from MIG. The most fun was threading it through the brass tubing........NOT!!!...........It's getting there....

Prost
Allen

ooh yum!

[scottie3158]

Allen.
Lovely work my friend.

[Allen Dewire]

Thanks guys! I've hairy sticked the wheels and if the wind dies down, I can shoot the rest with the hissy in the morn...

Mom!!!!.....Neil's hungry again.....Can you whip up a few sammiches for him.............

Prost
Allen

[Mini Me]

Keep it up Dude and you'll have yer very own completed Dio., before you know it! :thumb2:

[Neil Merryweather]

Keep it up Dude and you'll have yer very own completed Dio., before you know it! :thumb2:

Yeah right.....

[Andy T]

The Comet diorama is still sighing at me from under its protective cover, but whilst I wait for inspiration I'm knocking together another quick Tamiya kit - a jeep.

I managed to lose a grab handle so I've bodged one out of wire but the rest is going together really well.

Also doing some test spoons of chrome effects for the upcoming truck GB. I've tried stripping the coating from some of the unused parts too but bleach is taking forever so need to find something stronger.

[minitnkr]

Brake fluid used to work.

[Guest]

a jeep

I think you mean a generic US 4×4 light truck, if you don’t want any trademark lawyers breathing down your neck anyway

[Andy T]

I've heard that elsewhere Paul so will give it a try thanks.

[Mini Me]

Brake fluid used to work.

Absolutely......works like a champ!

[Andy T]

Absolutely......works like a champ!

Maybe a dumb question but how long does it normally take?

I've had a part soaking for over 5 hours in dot 4 fluid with absolutely no change at all

[Tim Marlow]

.??? Bleach usually takes about thirty minutes, and brake fluid is reputedly much quicker? Seems like the surface is totally sealed. Have you tried scraping through the chrome a little on a sprue (rather than a part) to see if that lets the chemical in to do its work?

[Andy T]

Yes Tim. It's a spare part that's not used in the particular version I'm building so I've been pretty brutal with it. The bleach had some effect after a hour. I've sanded the plating from all the edges and even scraped the main surface to try and help it along.

Sanding would be much quicker but there's surface detail I'd lose if I did that.


I fact I've just been and taken a quick snap. All the "damage" is from the bleach or me scraping or sanding. The brake fluid has had no effect after 6 hours now. I'm guessing they've changed it's make up as I remember it stripping real car paint in minutes year ago!



I think I'll just try it overnight in bleach.

[Tim Marlow]

That’s a good point. Brake fluid used to be extremely corrosive. If it isn’t these days then the chemical that strips the paint may have been removed. Hydrochloric acid is mentioned in a couple of places. I’ve not used it for this, but if the bleach doesn’t work it might be worth a go. If you do use it, take proper precautions though. Handle it with rubber gloves and wear a respirator. I think you are supposed to dilute in to 25%. Remember, always do what you orter, and add the acid to the water….if you add the water to the acid the water could boil and spray acid everywhere.

[Mini Me]

I use dot three and 5 minutes later the chrome plate falls off the part in chunks.