# 1:24 BTTF Delorean



## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

So I decided to make a new thread with a title that actually reflects what I am doing.... I am taking an AMT BTTF Delorean kit and making it... better. I have started with the interior of the car. The plan is to have a lit interior, headlights, taillights, flux bands... and maybe even flying lights. Anyway, here are some progress pictures. I will try and keep this thread up to date.

I have taken some liberties for the scale, but I am trying to make it more accurate than the base kit. The wiring is hobby wire, used for making jewelry. I had a really hard time finding to scale wire that looked like wire, so this is one compromise I made. Not accurate, but for the scale, I think it works.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Frickin' sharp! Can't wait to see what you do with the exterior.

I wish PL had just rereleased this kit instead of making their new tooling kit that was ... disappointing.


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Looks good so far. I should be doing this with my version that is in the stash.

For scale wire I've found the wires in the cords of computer cables can work well.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Xenodyssey said:


> For scale wire I've found the wires in the cords of computer cables can work well.


They are too big for the scale, IMO. These wires I am using are 30 gauge. Computer wire is closer to 20. I tried it at first, since I have a TON of extra cable lying around.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Finished off the wiring of the interior for now. Will have more to do once I get to the roof and back areas.


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## 1970AMX (Feb 3, 2011)

Great looking. Will follow with much interest.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Got my first batch of clear parts cast. A few bubbles in the wheels, but considering I am not pressure casting or vacuum casting, I think it is a pretty nice set of castings...


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> They are too big for the scale, IMO. These wires I am using are 30 gauge. Computer wire is closer to 20. I tried it at first, since I have a TON of extra cable lying around.


 Actually, 30 and 32 guage wire is the size of a human hair! This is what the manufacturers use to wind guitar pickups with. What you're using would be more like 20, or 22 guage wire. This is what I used to do for a living (lutherie), and still do on the side from time to time (guitar, and musical instrument making). Very cool. I love the flux capacitor! :thumbsup:


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Ok.. need some feedback here. 

On the left is the body painted in Aluminum. Looks more "metallic", but IMO, too shiny and not quite right.

On the right is an old model, painted in Model Master stainless steel enamel. Not shiny, but I think closer to the proper color.

What looks better to you guys?


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

I like the stainless steel better as well. 

Delorean's weren't shiney cars (unless you count the neon-colors painted ones I saw in an Ohio(?) storage lot in the mid to late 80s).


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## Larry523 (Feb 16, 2010)

The stainless steel looks much closer to the actual Deloreans I've seen. Not surprising, since they were lightly polished stainless steel!  When clean, they have a sort of satin or semi-gloss appearance. I was surprised to actually see one on the road here in Hawaii about a month or so ago. Looked like it was in excellent condition too, though it had no signs of a flux capacitor anywhere...


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Actually, if I were to build another BTTF Delorean, I would cover the body in BareMetal foil and go over it with a Scotchbrite (dish scrubbie) pad.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

That's what these were - scotch brite rubbed. That's how they got that brushed look. The one on the right looks more correct because that's what we think we're seeing - especially in the night time shots. The one on the left is actually correct for a new delorean which Docs' car would've been in 1985 - or closer to new. The darker gray is closer to what it is in colour when it's been through the weather for years. If you take a scotch brite pad to it, it'll remove all the weather staining, but it also takes metal from it too. They make stainless steel cleaner - this is what we used in the food service industry to clean our refrigerators, and appliances with.


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## Neo-uk (May 6, 2007)

robiwon said:


> Actually, if I were to build another BTTF Delorean, I would cover the body in BareMetal foil and go over it with a Scotchbrite (dish scrubbie) pad.


Sounds like a good idea.
I wonder what that would look like.


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## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

Larry523 said:


> The stainless steel looks much closer to the actual Deloreans I've seen. Not surprising, since they were lightly polished stainless steel!  When clean, they have a sort of satin or semi-gloss appearance. I was surprised to actually see one on the road here in Hawaii about a month or so ago. Looked like it was in excellent condition too, though it had no signs of a flux capacitor anywhere...


Actually, there is a company in Texas that is producing "new" Deloreans using the parts leftover from the original production runs and they are also re-building and upgrading existing Deloreans.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

The dealership owner, a billionair, bought all the remaining parts, partialy completed, and completed cars after the factory was shut down by the Irish government. Would love to have a new built Delorean!

http://delorean.com/

Good reference photos!


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Neo-uk said:


> Sounds like a good idea.
> I wonder what that would look like.


 I did this one time to see if I could use it for my 1/72 scale Mustang kit, but it's still too bright, and shiny looking. You can't rub hard enough without damaging the aluminum - it tears too easily! One thing's for sure - it doesn't look like stainless steel! I wish that someone would make a spray on paint that looks like it, but so far all have failed since you'd have to rub it a little to make the dull brushed look. 



kenlee said:


> Actually, there is a company in Texas that is producing "new" Deloreans using the parts leftover from the original production runs and they are also re-building and upgrading existing Deloreans.


You are correct. I saw this on T.V. a couple years ago. Very interesting to see. They also manufacture some new parts, just not the engines.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I think I am going to go with the Aluminum. While the stainless steel "looks" more accurate, I think overall it will look better with the aluminum, plus it means I don;t have to remask everything for the stainless steel paint (which is a rattlecan enamel, not my normal airbrush acrylic).

Anyhoo, I got all the car details painted on, blacks, greys, etc, and did work on the back engine area and Mr. Fusion. Here is what I ahve so far (not complete of course, and not attached(.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Did you remove the molded in wiring on the body?


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

robiwon said:


> Did you remove the molded in wiring on the body?


Yes. I removed all the molded wiring and tubing from the car.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> I think I am going to go with the Aluminum. While the stainless steel "looks" more accurate, I think overall it will look better with the aluminum, plus it means I don;t have to remask everything for the stainless steel paint.


 I thought so too, even though I personally liked the stainless, but the aluminum is more true to the actual look of the car. Stainless steel is actually bright in colour much like polished aluminum, but with a touch more gray. The brushed looked keeps it from being blinding in the sunlight. After seeing so many of these cars, the aluminum is the right choice. :thumbsup:


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I'm just glad that I have the body done, so I can start on the fun part... ELECTRONICS! I am going to try and rig it so that when the car is in "drive mode", certain features are turned off. But when the car goes to "Flight mode", the wheels will light up and the underbody will have lighting too.

Thats the plan anyway. If it turns out to work that way is another story.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I made new molds for the wheels. I Originally made them fully solid, but upon testing for installation, I noticed that the wheel "joints" for the flying mechanism actually go into the wheel rims. So I had to make new mold for the wheels to take this into consideration.

Here is the result. I'm not too worried about bubbles on the interior of the wheel rim, as that area will be unlit, so I can fill any bubbles in and paint it for light blocking anyway. The main concern was the outside being nice and clean.

I think it turned out really well, considering I did not do any pressure casting.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Here is a simple light test of one of my earlier castings for the wheels. I think it will be an awesome effect.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> Here is a simple light test of one of my earlier castings for the wheels. I think it will be an awesome effect.


Wonderful work and fantastic ingenuity. Will you do it clean, weathered, or frozen?


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

This is what makes time travel possible... the Flux Capacitor!


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

kdaracal said:


> Wonderful work and fantastic ingenuity. Will you do it clean, weathered, or frozen?


It will be semi weathered... kinda like how it is at the start of BTTF 2.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> Here is a simple light test of one of my earlier castings for the wheels. I think it will be an awesome effect.


 Perfect castings! I hope to get this kind of quality on all my castings, but only time will tell along with experience. I don't have casting equipment either, but most of that isn't neccessary to do good work. 



jgoldsack said:


> This is what makes time travel possible... the Flux Capacitor!


OH, MY GOD!!! TWO WORDS - ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!! :thumbsup: I LOVE the flux capacitor, and the see through wheels. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/

Added a link to my photobucket, with more pictures.


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## Yo Homeboy (May 20, 2004)

You're doing such a great job. Don't overlook the basics like the seams on the exhaust vents and the ejector divot on Mr. Fusion.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Yo Homeboy said:


> You're doing such a great job. Don't overlook the basics like the seams on the exhaust vents and the ejector divot on Mr. Fusion.


Yeah I have done work on the seams but I can't seem to get rid of them entirely. It didn't help that the parts were slightly warped so the fit was slightly off on them. I still need to finish Mr. Fusion, and you are right I do need to fix that divot.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

That be some lights! Got started on the wiring for the lights. If you look at the album, I have a pretty nifty (I think) ay to light the console at the top of the interior.... just ignore the semi-nasty paintjob on it. I destroyed the cast part so I made a new one and hand painted it... 

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

This is, without a doubt, the best BTTF Delorean build I have ever seen. Period...


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Thanks! There are still a number of challenges ahead of this... I still have to finish the undercarriage, and then do the flux bands... not to mention LIGHTING the flux bands.... and then I also need to make sure that everything will run off the internal power source... yes... all self enclosed. I am nothing if not ambitious. I was gonna make it float, but after everything it simply ends up too heavy, and I am already cramped for space.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Cleaned up the back end a little bit. Filled in the divot on Mr. Fusion, made the seams on the vents a little less noticeable, and also change the orange tube out on the back.. the old one was too big, so I shrunk it down in size. Looks better now I think.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Got my first set of wires done for the sides of the car. Will attach it a little later. I have only 3 colors... black, blue and red. The blue and red at a bit smaller gauge that the black.

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

What did you use for the tie wraps on the wires?


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

robiwon said:


> What did you use for the tie wraps on the wires?



White thread with a dab of superglue


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

This is coming along great! I'm glad to see the talent on this forum finally start to shine all over. I laugh when someone posts a link to another website, and other people here to don't show very much in the way of building praise them, but forget how much talent is on this forum in many ways!  There are a lot of talented people here, so I won't blow my own horn. I'll just sit back, and enjoy the show. :thumbsup:

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> This is coming along great! I'm glad to see the talent on this forum finally start to shine all over. I laugh when someone posts a link to another website, and other people here to don't show very much in the way of building praise them, but forget how much talent is on this forum in many ways!  There are a lot of talented people here, so I won't blow my own horn. I'll just sit back, and enjoy the show. :thumbsup:
> 
> ~ Chris​


Thanks! I started on the wiring last night for the undercarriage and finished off some of the main body wiring. This is where the fun begins. And I suppose I need to start on the flux bars. Those HAVE to be right.


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## hell_fighter_8 (Oct 4, 2005)

Looking really good. Just a thought but you might want to change the color of the headlights, if you can. Maybe its the photo but yours look like they have a blue tint, shouldn't they have a yellow tint. Warm white LED's would probably do the trick.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

hell_fighter_8 said:


> Looking really good. Just a thought but you might want to change the color of the headlights, if you can. Maybe its the photo but yours look like they have a blue tint, shouldn't they have a yellow tint. Warm white LED's would probably do the trick.


It is the color of the photo... but I can't change them anyhoo.. they are there for good at this point.

Doc upgraded to new modern blue tinted headlights


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I has lighting underneath! The wheel obviously are not attached, but the flight mode switch works perfectly. The cutout slots have lights too but I don't have them filled in yet to properly disperse the light.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Got a few updates here. Got most of the wiring done for the upper section of the car, and got my battery holder attached too.. the entire thing runs off 2 3v watch batteries....





There are some light leak spots I need to take care of still but I am quite happy with it so far.

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Wow. This just keeps getting better!


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

The rear lights are a little to "pinkish" for my taste, so I am going to redo them to be more red.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

This is great! I can't wait to see this in action. I have a project that I'll be putting lights in, but that will have to wait a while. I just hope that I can figure out what power source to use for mine when it's time to wire it for lighting. :wave:


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I redid the tail ligths to be more red. I like it a lot better.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

very nice..id maybe consider warm white led for the headlamps that might look more realistic

im doing much the same to a larger 1/15 scale delorean toy , it was very crude so its taking alot of work

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=346695&highlight=delorean


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Redoing the wheels, as I don't feel that the resin used really is solid enough to support the model, even with the tires. IT kinda compresses, so I tested adding some copper rings to the inside of the castings. I think, as seen in these test castings, that it has promise, so I am going to give it another attempt. 

Another alternative is to get some plastic or metal tubing that is the proper diameter for the wheels, and basically embed half the tube in the resin, using the tubing as the exterior of the wheel rim, with resin in the middle for lighting. I got a few options, but as these will be holding the weight of the model (which has doubled in weight since I started), they need to be solid.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Don't expect perfect results the first time. I know - I've been going over some work that I did last month, but find not satisfactory at all. Casting would be wonderful, but I've been delaying so that I can get as much put into silicone rubber as possible in one sitting. This way I don't have to worry about doing it again for a while. I have a LOT of stuff that needs to go into it, but right now I'm only going to worry about the stuff I'm going to use at the moment. The other parts are for the big X-wing, but that will have to wait for quite some time in the unforseeable future.

I've thought about reinforcement for parts that are weight bearing, but I see that you can't get around it with an armature - this is too small for that. You can't just put an aluminum tube through it, and reinforce it that way. I wonder if you could put some type of aparatus inside the wheels that could be made from some type of metal that would be jointed so it could bear some of the weight instead of the resin wheels. At least they're solid so you'd just put lights inside them. The copper rings are a brilliant touch to keep this from being fragile. You are a smart cookie indeed! I would've used an acrylic rod under this with it displayed in flight mode to keep me from worrying about the wheels failing.  You can't display it both ways if you did that!  I can't wait to see this to the end - I'm trying to keep up the pace with you, so that I can get mine done in a reasonable amount of time! I've been slacking lately, but it's obvious you haven't. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I changed how I am doing the wheels. Instead of embedding a copper ring inside the full casting, I instead am going to use the copper ring as the exterior of the wheel itself. This way it will have complete integrity and not warp from weight, and I can add an internal structure to the wheel to allow it to have internal support as well as external.

Here are the results of my first test.

Both wheels.


Small front wheel


Larger rear wheel


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> I changed how I am doing the wheels. Instead of embedding a copper ring inside the full casting, I instead am going to use the copper ring as the exterior of the wheel itself. This way it will have complete integrity and not warp from weight, and I can add an internal structure to the wheel to allow it to have internal support as well as external.
> 
> Here are the results of my first test.
> 
> ...


Brilliant! Just Brilliant!


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I started to work on the flux bands. These first ones are just a test on construction and size. Using 1/32 brass rod, with the leads from LEDs that I have saved over the years soldered on the inside to add stability and a place to put the mesh down to. I think this test looks good, but I need to clean up the solder... my tip is old so it needs a replacement, and I only have so many hands to hold all the little parts!

I also have tiny little brackets that will fit behind these to hold them to the car, which also will have enough space behind to fit the EL wire behind to light them up.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Steve found a wire mesh to fit his Delorean - maybe you can find the same type in the scale you're working in? He had to order it from a Japanese company. PM him about where he got it from. I hope that this may be of some help in making the most of your project. :wave:

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Just a small update. Waiting on some fundage so I can get some more materials to try a few different approaches for the flux bands, and lighting the wheels. In the meantime, I attached the wiring that run along the side of the car (since I removed the molded on wires early in the process).

They are only attached as far as the top of the front wheel wells (so I can adjust the connection to the flux boxes).



















Full album can be found here.


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## hell_fighter_8 (Oct 4, 2005)

Looking good, can't wait to see it finished! :thumbsup:


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

This, folks is what it's all about. :thumbsup:

~ Chris​


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Very very very impressive. Makes my Sunstar look toyish.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Oh the silver tube that the wires run through is simply a piece of aluminum tube. The wires actually do run through it. it isn't totally accurate as far as the detail goes, but it works. I have used strips of silver tape to make the little brackets that "hold" the wires to the car since these pictures were taken.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I also just realized that I am missing the tow bar hooks from the front of the car... so I need to go back and add them in.

*sigh*

lol


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

what kinda wire is that on the sides , i need to find some for mine


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> what kinda wire is that on the sides , i need to find some for mine


The red and blue wire are simply wire tie wire I got from Radioshack. The black was a regular wire from some old electronic gizmo. I had about 12 feet of it in my parts box.

I got the tow box done that goes in the front of the car. I just have to paint it then attach it.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

looks good:thumbsup:


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Yep - looking better all the time! I'm so glad to see this coming right along. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Update!

I started working on the flux bands a little bit. What I ended up doing was using 0.025" styrene rod for the main shape of the bands, with strips of 0.010" styrene suberglued to the back for stability, and to give me something to glue the mesh onto. I painted the entire thing silver before attaching the mesh.

I then used strips of silver tape to simulate the "attachment strips" (for lack of a better term) that hold the mesh to the flux band frame on the real car.

I also fashioned new rubber holder that attach the flux bands to the car out of 3/16" styrene "H" rods, with the lower bits of the H removed so it is more of a "U". I also made small angled shims for the 4 holders than go on the front bumper. The rest of the holders on the car will not have any shims on them.

Anyhoo... here are a few pictures. I think the front "rubber holders" will been to be brought in a bit more, they stick out too far from the car. The plan is also to run 1mm EL wire doubled up behind the flux bands, but inside the "rubber holders" to light up the flux bands. It won't be overly bright, but it is really hard to get it looking right AND lighting up properly at that scale. So I made a bit of a sacrifice there.





























http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Wow! That's just fantastic.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

if i might be a bit picky , id say the band stands out from the body too far 

great detail on the band though

i bought some el wire for mine but felt it wasnt worth the work as it didnt light up anything like the movie car


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> if i might be a bit picky , id say the band stands out from the body too far
> 
> great detail on the band though
> 
> i bought some el wire for mine but felt it wasnt worth the work as it didnt light up anything like the movie car


Steve, I agree on them being too far out... so I moved them in... it is about as far in as I can go now. Here are some new pictures.




























Obviously, the bands are just held in place, and not in the final position either


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

i must say i had fun making the rear ones , theyre a real bear to get reasonble looking


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

The detail on this is fabulous! I love the headlights especially. They have the look of depth, and irredesence - that touch of realism that many other models lack. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I will test the look of the EL behind the mesh later today... if I am not satisfied with it, I simply will not light up the flux bands. Which isn't a bad thing either. Better to not do it and have a good model, then do it and have the effect look like garbage.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

here is the EL wire without the mesh covering it:










Here is the EL wire WITH the mesh covering it:










No flash, normal lighting (I am actually blocking the ceiling light). It does look cool, but I don't think it will do the effect justice. 

I also noticed that during this testing the batteries drained real fast (2 3v watch batteries), and the 9v started melting the inverter (oops), so I think I am leaning towards NOT having the flux ban lighting... which will actually make this easier on me...lol


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

yeah they need to be super bright to be true to the movie , the diamond select im working on had led's lighting some clear plastic that worked pretty well


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> yeah they need to be super bright to be true to the movie , the diamond select im working on had led's lighting some clear plastic that worked pretty well


yeah on a larger model one could get larger diameter EL wire that is MUCH brighter and more real... this small scale is just too hard. 

Regardless, even without the flux bands, everything else is great on this (but that is just my humble opinion


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Is there a way to make it brighter? I love the light on this, but whatever you decide is best in your case. I just hope you can work something out before this is all over with. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

No way to make it brighter without external power, bigger inverter, all of the above.

The car is designed to run off 6v. That test of the wire was done using 9v. The current setup cannot get any brighter. I can;t go bigger wire either because it would be too big.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

I'm sure it's too wide, but what about the EL tape instead of the strands?

(OTOH, you might be able to trim the tape down to the proper width, assuming you make the same width on each side of the center void.)


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Paulbo said:


> I'm sure it's too wide, but what about the EL tape instead of the strands?
> 
> (OTOH, you might be able to trim the tape down to the proper width, assuming you make the same width on each side of the center void.)


I've thought of that, and I have not found EL tape that has a driver small enough to fit inside the car  I only have a very small amount of space left inside... the inverter I had for the wire was 1/2"x 1" x 3/4".


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

So I was looking at the flux boxes that go on the front of the car, and comparing them to the real boxes... and I think the kits boxes are too tall, so I scratched up a new one, just to see if I could, and how it looked.

What do you think? The old box here is from another model.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Cool! A man after every scratch builders'/makers' heart. Sometimes you have to do what you don't want to in order to create the look required. Once you start it's difficult to stop after you get the feel for scratch making your own parts! The only downside to that is if you're trying make all the parts proportional when copying completely from scratch. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

A couple pictures of the part painted up... makes it pop a little better I think.



















Ignore the flux ban angle in the last picture. It actually is straight, jsut the angle of teh image makes it appear off.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> Cool! A man after every scratch builders'/makers' heart. Sometimes you have to do what you don't want to in order to create the look required. Once you start it's difficult to stop after you get the feel for scratch making your own parts! The only downside to that is if you're trying make all the parts proportional when copying completely from scratch.
> 
> ~ Chris​


Luckily, it only appears that the front boxes are the ones that are not sized correctly. The ones on the top and rear look correct enough to not need to be redone.

I love scratchbuilding when i have the opportunity. Maybe one day I will step it up and do a complete scratch build 

But got to finish this one first!


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

One more image.

Hmm dunno why it rotated it that way....


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm flabbergasted! I love seeing the bands on the side, along with the paint colour. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> I'm flabbergasted! I love seeing the bands on the side, along with the paint colour.
> 
> ~ Chris​


Thanks! I tweaked the box a little bit more... see if you can figure out what I did... you may need to compare it to the previous picture... 










I was gonna make a second box, but my superglue bottle glued itself shut, so I need to get a new one... ha! I am going to redo the flux ban itself. This one is getting very worn out and misshapen from all the testing the fitting I have been doing for the parts. But that's OK, because the second one will be even better!


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

i see youve cut out the notch at the front of the box ...must be hard working in that scale


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> i see youve cut out the notch at the front of the box ...must be hard working in that scale


yep that's what I did... and 1 reason why I am going to redo the front band too... so I can have a bit more mesh to stick in there to give the proper look. I need to add about another 1-2mm of mesh on either end.

Most people won't notice when they look, but it is those little details that really make it pop.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

bottom front lower corner should have a slight kick up too


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

I wish they'd re-release that version of the kit. The later PL version is so soft in detail I just couldn't even start it. 

(I was pleased with the original release one I built 20 odd years ago but jgoldsack's makes it look anemic at best.)


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Paulbo said:


> I wish they'd re-release that version of the kit. The later PL version is so soft in detail I just couldn't even start it.
> 
> (I was pleased with the original release one I built 20 odd years ago but jgoldsack's makes it look anemic at best.)


You and me both. I build the AMT kit when it originally came out (1991?).. was one of the first models I actually remember building. I kept that same model for years... until within the last year became the victim of a tragic train accident.

Always been one of my favorite and one I always wanted to redo right. 

if I had the ability to do photoetch too.. man the possibilities for this kit are almost endless.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I got the second box made.










This is with the current flux band.. have not made the new one yet. Boxes are sitting in place with the holes on the kit.. not glued in yet.

And some other picture from different angles...



















And a shot of the rear detail, which was totally missing on the kit.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

heres an orig pic ..they were made of wood lol


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> heres an orig pic ..they were made of wood lol


Doc was on a budget


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

I got the front flux band done. I decided NOT to replicate the little metal straps that connect the band to the frame.. I think at this scale they will be pretty much invisible. If I do decide to add them back in, most likely will be using a little dab of paint instead of the tape, which I think was out of scale.





































The band is not actually glued in, in case I need to remove it later on (if I find better mesh, or something).

now to work on the rear bands!


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

jgoldsack said:


> Thanks! I tweaked the box a little bit more... see if you can figure out what I did... you may need to compare it to the previous picture...
> 
> 
> I was gonna make a second box, but my superglue bottle glued itself shut, so I need to get a new one... ha! I am going to redo the flux ban itself. This one is getting very worn out and misshapen from all the testing the fitting I have been doing for the parts. But that's OK, because the second one will be even better!


 I see that you also drilled some small holes in it to replicate the bolts that held the plates on. Also, I've had some problems with the top becoming permanently glued to the bottle. I soak it in acetone. This removes it completely. Most of mine has dried too hard - solid. So now I've had to add acetone to it to make it more liquid - less viscous. I need more flow to it. Right now when I pour it the stuff looks real thin and runny, but it comes out thick, and sticky! It'll take a while for the acetone to be absorbed by the glue. I'll wait it out to see what happens. It should work - it's worked before. 

That second picture from the top with the lights on looks just like the real deal! Excellent! I'm glad I got to see this. I've been on hiatus for the last week - I need to play catch up again. I've had to make projects for other people since there are so many birthdays in the family this month.

~ Chris​


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Outstanding detail work there. Very inspiring.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Thanks for the kind words... have not made much progress, but I have started on the rear flux bands. I have decided that I am going to scratch build the remainder of the flux boxes, but I also wanted to get the first band made to test construction options and make sure I got the shape right.










I used some thin square rod (forget the exact size) to use as a template for width, since it was the same thickness as I needed for the width of the mesh. Simply taped down the frame strips (after being shaped) then used the little spacers to hold it in shape, which I glued on the cross supports.










Compared to the kit piece I used as a guide... pretty good I think.










And just laying over the car, not shaped, trimmed, or anything else. Just a shape test. I think it looks spot on there. This will also give me a guide on where to glue the holders onto the car too. There is a little bit of wiggle room at the corners to fit it just right.

Now the hard part will be getting those corners cut out of the mesh....

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

This is not dead yet!

I have been working on the rear flux bands, having a hell of a time getting them shaped right, and then getting the mesh shaped right at such a small scale... so I simply took a break from it.

But today I got something in the mail.. a new donor "model".










Yes, than is the 1:24 Welly BTTF1 Delorean. It really is a piece of crap, but I got it for $7 (+ S/H). But I was only interested in 1 part of it... (well, 4 parts actually)










Yes.. the wheels. After a lot of trial and error in making my own, I just could not get it to look the way I wanted, so I decided to get this car and steal the wheels... why? because they let me do this:










They are see through! That is PERFECT for my lighting needs. A couple small surface mounted LEDs on the middle of the wheel to light the interior, and a covering over the back, and it should light up really well. Plus the fact that it is the same scale, and the wheels will fit perfectly onto the AMT models wheel mount points... I didn't see any reason to NOT use them.

I just hope it works in reality like it does in my head 

And just for giggles, here is the AMT car with the new wheels... sort of.


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## FlyAndFight (Mar 25, 2012)

Just finished catching up in this thread and what a great looking job so far!

Can't wait to see more.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

So with my new wheels I decided to do a simple LED test on them. I put together 3 white 3mm LEDs, (after sanding them down to be flat), and affixed them inside the wheel (very little room, also consider I am going to cover the back of the wheel to contain the light and hide the LED while in flight mode).










With no lights on, you can't even make out the LED, even if you know they are there.










And with the lights on...










Its pretty good for a test I think. Need to use the small surface mount led tho because of the room. Plus I think I might use 4 in each wheel, depending on power consumption and brightness.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Very cool! I thought you were going to use the cast wheels? Is there something wrong with them? 

~ Chris​


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> Very cool! I thought you were going to use the cast wheels? Is there something wrong with them?
> 
> ~ Chris​





jgoldsack said:


> ...Yes.. the wheels. After a lot of trial and error in making my own, I just could not get it to look the way I wanted, so I decided to get this car and steal the wheels...


Yup :wave:


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm sorry, I didn't see that. I thought the original wheels were perfect! I guess that since this is your build that you know what look you're going for. Sometimes we can be our own worst critics - what others may like we may not. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> I'm sorry, I didn't see that. I thought the original wheels were perfect! I guess that since this is your build that you know what look you're going for. Sometimes we can be our own worst critics - what others may like we may not.
> 
> ~ Chris​


The castings themselves were very nice. However, I found when attempting to light them, as well as attaching them to the car, combined with the painting... it simply looked like clear cast painted wheels, and they did not feel sturdy enough for me to support the weight of the completed car, even with the copper rings and internal support.

So I made the choice to switch my wheels, and these ones have all the support, attachment, and lighting aspects I was looking for, without having to do any modification to them.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

That's too bad. I was looking forward to this with the original parts, but I guess that what you're happy with as well as what looks good to your eye is all that matters. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> That's too bad. I was looking forward to this with the original parts, but I guess that what you're happy with as well as what looks good to your eye is all that matters.
> 
> ~ Chris​


I will try the wheels again when I get some new LED that I wanna try and see...

I have all the flux boxes done now, and even fixed the bottom rear ones to have the little bracket that they attach to. Flux bands are all shaped and painted, now I just need to get the mesh cut and fit. That's the hard part.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

update!

I decided that I just needed to sit down and get the rear bands done. So what I ended up doing was taking the Welly DeLorean, piece of paper, and a crayon, and made a rubbing of the shape of the rear flux bands. It didn't end up perfect, but it worked pretty well. You can see the basic idea here:











Eventually, I managed to come up with 2 pretty darn good looking flux bands... keep in mind this picture is unpainted, and the mesh is not attached.










I also then painted up enough brackets to support the bands and attach it to the side of the car, and then painted the flux bands and glued the mesh to it:



















Also glued the brackets to the car. This was done by using the band to put them in the appropriate place. One of them had to be moved a bit one the band got shaped to the angles of the car...










And the band is completely attached. And like the front band, it is not glued on at all.




























Now to just duplicate it on the other side.... but i'm gonna do that another day as this one side was rough enough to do!

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Not entirely happy with how it looks, so I may end up redoing it.

EDIT: I managed to fix it up to where I like the way it looks now. Not QUITE the exact shape but I am happy with it, considering the scale...










and from behind:










http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

what stands out to me is youve let the mesh go differant ways ...i think it should face the same way if you get me ?


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> what stands out to me is youve let the mesh go differant ways ...i think it should face the same way if you get me ?


It should but it is REALLY hard to shape this stuff properly. I am using real steel mesh and it is quite hard to cut it to the proper shape. I really wish I was able to find more accurate mesh for the scale, but it is almost impossible without spending some serious cash on it.

That said, it isn't that noticeable of an issue at "normal" viewing range. Up close (like these pictures are) makes it a lot more pronounced.

But again that is also one reason why I have made it the way I have... I can simply remove the bands and completely redo them anytime I want to


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

yeah i know how hard it is..mine must be a fair bit bigger than yours and im struggling with them , for me that corner nearest the door lets them down most


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> yeah i know how hard it is..mine must be a fair bit bigger than yours and im struggling with them , for me that corner nearest the door lets them down most


Ya. I had that corner perfect when I made the bands initially, but somehow between the initial making, to attaching the mesh, to attaching to the car, it got out of shape. Problem is mainly because I am using plastic rod for the bands, not metal, so it will bend easier, and unfortunately, bend out of proper shape too.

I want to redo the bands in metal, but I need to find a really reliable way to very small and secure joints for the cross support beams, which I have not found yet for this scale.

As far as size goes, yours is about 13" right? That' s about twice the size of mine  However, I am thinking of taking what I have learned on this one, and taking an unmodified Sunstar and converting it.... down the road of course...


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

have you considered copper wire ? its strong and easy to form , and you can solder in the cross braces


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> have you considered copper wire ? its strong and easy to form , and you can solder in the cross braces


The wire itself isn't the problem... the problem is I suck at soldering small little bits....


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

haha so do i , at least you can re heat it and ajust things if needed with solder ..and file off the mess when done


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> haha so do i , at least you can re heat it and ajust things if needed with solder ..and file off the mess when done


I got the last one done and no matter what I do it just won't stay put... I have some brass rod I got for this project originally before I swapped to the plastic rod... may go back and give it a try again.

Tho I think copper will still be easier than brass.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

at my scale yes copper is easier to bend ..i then hammered a section and filed it to make a flat bar for the cross braces

its pretty easy to find..mine is welding wire for a tig machine

if you do attempt to solder it , i found pinning it to a piece of wood helped alot , after each brace is soldered on re check the fitment as it moves around


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Did a really quick (literally 5 minutes) test with some 22g black copper artistic wire I had laying around... works pretty well I think. I am going to try with this test piece to use some JB Weld and see how that works....


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

i tried glueing it ...solder is way stronger , but whatver works for you


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> i tried glueing it ...solder is way stronger , but whatver works for you


Ya i tried gluing my first time and it was terrible.. then my soldering attempts were terrible... so I switched to plastics. Then when I was cleaning out my boxes I found my tubes of JB weld, which I have used successfully for my PL 1/350 to bond the metal plates inside that I used for the support system, since it is basically metal glue...lol

Anyway, I have enough to try and see... can;t be any more fail than what I have already tried


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

It's epoxy with metal in it. It works real well with a lot of stuff! It also sticks to your fingers, wear gloves when using it. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> It's epoxy with metal in it. It works real well with a lot of stuff! It also sticks to your fingers, wear gloves when using it.
> 
> ~ Chris​


Yeah I remember than from when I used on my 1/350 E....  I should have a working set of bands done this weekend.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

So I decided to give the flux bands I had already made out of styrene another attempt. This time, because I was having issues with them staying attached and keeping their general shape, I used a high tech device called a hair dryer. It allowed me to warm the plastic so that I could shape it a little better to the shape of the car. it worked fairly well, but in a couple locations the bands still popped out of the holder... so i resorted to using superglue to attach them physically. I wasn't wanting to do that because I wanted to keep it flexible so I coudl replace the bands down the road in case I found better mesh that would closer match the actual car, but I decided that I just needed to get these bands done, and a little superglue is easily overcome if I wanted to replace them down the road anyway.

So all that is left at this point is a bit of wire connecting the rear flux boxes, lighting up the wheels, and attaching the bottom of the car.

So here are some pictures of what it looks like now. More can be found in my album.

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

can i ask how you fixed on the small brackets for the flux bands ? are they strong ?

ive pinned mine for strength...remaking the rear bands for mine as i felt i could do better lol, same idea just trying harder , its funny as the project comes on my skills are improving and my quality control is getting stricter so i keep going back redoing things over and over


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> can i ask how you fixed on the small brackets for the flux bands ? are they strong ?
> 
> ive pinned mine for strength...remaking the rear bands for mine as i felt i could do better lol, same idea just trying harder , its funny as the project comes on my skills are improving and my quality control is getting stricter so i keep going back redoing things over and over


because they are so small, they are simply attached using superglue. If I was to redo it, I would probably find some way to pin them. They are pretty stuck on though, I have only had 1 pop off and that was because I was being dumb.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

how do you avoid the white haze that you sometimes get around the superglue ? and straight on top of the paint ?


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> how do you avoid the white haze that you sometimes get around the superglue ? and straight on top of the paint ?


I actually sanded ever so slightly to expose some bare plastic before gluing. Still gets some paint but not too bad. I have not done anything to avoid the haze.. it just hasn't shown up.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Rub your model down with a little canola oil. It won't hurt it, and it removes the hazing caused by superglue type adhesives. You can use a little dish soap to remove the oil so that this won't be ruined. I just pour the soap over the model in a small amount - enough to remove the oil that removed the haze. Rinse it gently, and allow to air dry. DO NOT TOWEL DRY!! Use a hair dryer on its' lowest setting to remove any water spots, and keep them from leaving a discolouration after rinsing. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Got the little SM-LEDs for the wheels.

I didn't realize just how small they are....


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Fantastic! You could also use these to light the flux band too. I can't wait to see the rest of this now! 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> Fantastic! You could also use these to light the flux band too. I can't wait to see the rest of this now!
> 
> ~ Chris​












That is how bright they are. And that is using 1 3v watch battery.

I can't use it to light the flux bands because I am already past that point of lighting them... plus I don't have a mechanism to distribute the light evenly. Earlier in the project I could have, but not now.

Maybe in my next version 

EDIT: AND DON'T *bleeping* DROP THEM!

but thats why I bought extras...


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

I wonder if lightsheet would work? You could've removed the bands if they were removable, then add something to them to diffuse the light. I guess that it doesn't matter for the moment, but just a thought while this is still in progress. 

In the meantime, those are REALLY bright for no bigger than they are! I take it that these break when dropped? 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> I wonder if lightsheet would work?


Lightsheet would work, if you can get it cut small enough. The bands are really only 5mm wide with the mesh itself only about 3mm. Very small space to work in. But something I had thought of. 



Dyonisis said:


> In the meantime, those are REALLY bright for no bigger than they are! I take it that these break when dropped?


No.

They just get lost REALLY REALLY easily.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

AHhhh.....I see said the blind man!  Thanks for the update - I've been distracted with drama at home, so I've been only able to work at a snails' pace. It's great to see this still going on. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Started on the wiring and wheels. Here is what I did.

Now these LEDs were really small, so i needed to make sure that in the process of soldering them, I did not loose any 

First, remove the LED from the package... carefully. It was simple peel away the cover and pop out the one you wanted.










I attached the LED upside down to a piece of double sided tape. It helped to keep in in place for soldering. I don;t know if you can tell in the picture, but the side of the line that is flat is the positive side.










Carefully solder the positive wire to the LED. The tape helped to secure the wire in place so it would not move either.










Do the same for the negative side.










And of course, test to make sure it was done correctly.










I soldered up 2 sets of lights per wheel. I probably could have done 4 per wheel, but I think 2 is fine.










And I used hot glue inside the wheel, then shoved the 2 sets into the wheel on opposite sides. Then let the glue harden, and test.










3 more wheel to go!


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?!" 

WOW, and WOWEE!!!! I love the brightness, and blinding ability of those lights. I might do something similar to one of my X-wings since I don't have the paint for my 1/12th scale '57 Chevy. I need some type of chrome paint to finish the trim around the windows. I have the aluminum tape stuff, but it looks cheap, and sloppy! I hate it! Either way, I hope to figure out how to wire the LEDs that I have for this car so that I can make the head, and tail lamps work. I might be able to make the dome light work if I can find something small enough to fit inside it. 

~ Chris​


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

theyre some dandy little led's ..have you figured out how long a bunch of them will run on the watch battery?

i was planning to use a 9v pp3 battery in mine


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> theyre some dandy little led's ..have you figured out how long a bunch of them will run on the watch battery?
> 
> i was planning to use a 9v pp3 battery in mine


I have no idea how long they will last. Right now I am trying to figure out how best to run the wire from the wheels into the car, because the folding tire mechanism takes a lot of space, and I don't want to have the wires get in the way.

I think I figured it out, but just need to tweak it. More on that later.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

look forward to seeing how you do it , i originaly planned to light the wheels and keep them tiliting but i couldnt figure out how to make it all nice so gave it in


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

I do not think you really need to hide the wires too much, just paint them. Each wheel should have 1980's style brake lines and Future style power conduits for the wheel-thrusters.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Richard Baker said:


> I do not think you really need to hide the wires too much, just paint them. Each wheel should have 1980's style brake lines and Future style power conduits for the wheel-thrusters.


It isn't hiding the wires.. it is setting it up so the wheels can fold in and out without the wires getting in the way. I have flat covers that will go on the back of the wheels to act as light block and detail (those same covers exist on the flying car in the movies), and I have 2 wires coming out of each wheel into the car. The red wire will be painted block (or simply covered to simulate a hose of some sort), and the black wires left as it is.

That is the plan anyway.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

jgoldsack said:


> I have no idea how long they will last. Right now I am trying to figure out how best to run the wire from the wheels into the car, because the folding tire mechanism takes a lot of space, and I don't want to have the wires get in the way.
> 
> I think I figured it out, but just need to tweak it. More on that later.


Can I offer a suggestion, use Mag-Wire, I use 34AWG most of the time. The 
LEDs (0603) in these pictures are the next size smaller then the 0805 it looks like your using. These are the spotlights for my Chariots.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

teslabe said:


> Can I offer a suggestion, use Mag-Wire, I use 34AWG most of the time. The
> LEDs (0603) in these pictures are the next size smaller then the 0805 it looks like your using. These are the spotlights for my Chariots.


aha! That is nice size. The stuff I am using was the smallest stuff I could find, it works just a bit of modification to the wheel wells is all I needed to get it.

I keep that in mind. in hindsight, I didn't even consider magnet wire, I don;t know why I just didn't. Maybe it is simply because wires that all look the same confuse the hell out of me and I have backwards wired things before (I did that in my 1/350 big E) so I try to stick to the basic red/black for sanity sake.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

teslabe said:


> Can I offer a suggestion, use Mag-Wire, I use 34AWG most of the time. The
> LEDs (0603) in these pictures are the next size smaller then the 0805 it looks like your using. These are the spotlights for my Chariots.


I Love the lighted look!! That's some good sized wire. The stuff for guitar pickups is tiny, but I don't think it would be large enough to carry sufficient current. 



jgoldsack said:


> aha! That is nice size. The stuff I am using was the smallest stuff I could find, it works just a bit of modification to the wheel wells is all I needed to get it.
> 
> I keep that in mind. in hindsight, I didn't even consider magnet wire, I don;t know why I just didn't. Maybe it is simply because wires that all look the same confuse the hell out of me and I have backwards wired things before (I did that in my 1/350 big E) so I try to stick to the basic red/black for sanity sake.


 I use old wire from computers, but you can find some that might work at your local hobby store. 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> I use old wire from computers, but you can find some that might work at your local hobby store.


Yeah the network cable wires are what I use mainly since I have a LOT of it.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

Dyonisis said:


> I Love the lighted look!! That's some good sized wire. The stuff for guitar pickups is tiny, but I don't think it would be large enough to carry sufficient current.



http://www.hobbyengineering.com/H4443.html

Hi Chris,
First, the thing I love about Mag-Wire is there's no PVC or Teflon jacket over the wire, just a thin insulating varnish that gets scraped off where you want 
to solder, so it's very small and fits where other wire can't. It's single strand so you need to be careful not to flex it too many times or it will break. The 34AWG that I suggested is good for 300ma so that's more then enough for most LED hookups. As for guitar pickups, the wire used there is more like 40AWG or smaller, not a good choice here, just a thought.......:wave:


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

No guitar wire is NOT a good thing to use - it's around 43 guage. Too small to do anything with other than increase current. It's enameled, but that's the only thing that makes it nice to work with. It's too tiny to carry enough current for modeling projects, but works well in small spaces. The sad thing is that no space is that small in a model that you'd need something so small! On the other hand, USB cables have just the right size wire for this. I use the inside wire of computers for detailing models as it can be bent to shape and still be in scale. There are a lot of interesting things inside a computer frame. :thumbsup:

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Don't know why the one wheel isn't as bright as the others.. maybe the hotglue I used for light distribution didn't fully fill.. i dunno.. ah well not gonna worry about it.

That is off 1 fresh 3v battery. The entire car runs off 2 3v batteries.

I can still swap the wheels between flight and drive modes.. but it does take a bit of assistance to get it done. In hindsight, smaller more flexible wires would have been better to use, but since I am not going to be swapping modes constantly I'm not too worried.


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

So with hindsight being 20:20, I completely planned the wheel lighting + wiring + drive/flight shifting wrong. So what this means is that the car will end up being displayed only in flight mode. The wiring used was too thick (shoulda used thinner more flexible wire), combined with the fact that when shifting modes the wires move around (and get stuck in the mechanism), and the fact that the wiring for the bottom and the top gives almost no room for wire to move around inside...

*sigh*

But thats OK, because the car (as I built it) looks cooler in flight mode because of the lights. Also, the replacement wheels I got for the lighting end up sticking too far out from the car in drive mode by about 3mm.

Chalk it up to learning. I will have final pictures up later, I have a birthday party today.. my baby is 1 year old!


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

*Completed!*




























All picture of the build can be found here. I will take some better pictures when there is better light.

http://s1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/jgoldsack/BTTF Delorean/


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Fantastic!

Boy I want to see these re-released so I can do a better job than I did on my old one 20-odd years ago. (Note to self: pull Delorean out of storage and put it on display.)


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Thanks  I have not given up on making the flight/drive shift working. I still have the original castings I made, which I can still use. Now that I am using the small LEDs, with some mag wire, I can probably get them to work right. But for now I am done.. need a break from it.


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## steveo3002 (Dec 10, 2011)

try the big one next lol..with your skills you could do some awesome details on it , but beware its pretty shoddy so it all needs a re do


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

steveo3002 said:


> try the big one next lol..with your skills you could do some awesome details on it , but beware its pretty shoddy so it all needs a re do


The next one I am going to attempt to do is converting a "normal" SunStar delorean to a full BTTF one. But that is a little bit down the road.


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## Spidey7 (Jun 5, 2008)

Your build is fantastic. What a great job! I've always loved the BBTF Delorian and it's nice to see that you've done justice to her. As an aside, I ran into this little beauty this past weekend at a car show. I can't even tell you how NEAT it was to be sitting in the actual "time machine". If only I had been given enough room to get her up to 88 mph.


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## Spidey7 (Jun 5, 2008)

Some brief video of it here.

Redskins Rides 2012 :: IMG_3541.mp4 video by Sp1dey7 - Photobucket

[URL=http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/Sp1dey7/Redskins%20Rides%202012/?action=view&current=IMG_3541.mp4][/URL]


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## Spidey7 (Jun 5, 2008)

Some brief video of it here.

Redskins Rides 2012 :: IMG_3541.mp4 video by Sp1dey7 - Photobucket

[URL=http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/Sp1dey7/Redskins%20Rides%202012/?action=view&current=IMG_3541.mp4][/URL]


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

ROCKING!!!! I love the fact that they parked this next to a "nerd turd"!  That's the same death trap that Inspector Cluso rode in the "Pink Panther" movie. Those damn things are dangerous!! Just imagine getting into an accident in one of those! They _had _to park a real car next to it to show them what one looks like! The Delorean was always one of my favourite vehicles of all time. I'm glad they could do it justice in "Back to the future"!​ 

~ Chris​


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## jgoldsack (Apr 26, 2004)

Spidey7 said:


>



Is that paper towel roll canon?


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

jgoldsack said:


> Is that paper towel roll canon?


The automatic transmission definitely isn't.


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## DarthSideous (Mar 26, 2008)

This is a work of art! Your build is inspirational. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do as much detail to this model as you have. Great job!!!!


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