# So, whats everyone's "Detail Specialty"???



## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Well everyone, I have been here now for over 100 posts and have seen a lot of members work and its all impressive to say the least! BUT, what is/does everyone think there strong point is, or specialty is as far as adding details? 

I myself, I have been doing plug wires for many years even before you could buy the plug wire detail to do so! BUT thats not my strong point, I don't think. I think its any of the wiring, piping needed on a model car to make it look "real".

For instance, I'm currently working on the Dukes of Hazard "Rosco's Patrol Car" and in doing so, I've noticed a few things with that kit that I'm not happy with, first off, the interior is OK, not bad on detail, BUT they have molded into the driver side front of the car, a gas pedal, a brake pedal and to the far left a emergency brake pedal.......... WELL on the transmission "tunnel" hump is a place for the electronics of a CB, and Police Radio and stuff, That was to be turned facing the seats edge, This I had to turn and make it more visible to the police officer driving the car! This also limits a floor shifter (you'll see in a minute why I mentioned this!)










Also, A LOT of "loose" guns through the whole car. Sure the gun rack in the back is a nice touch but these normally were carried in the trunk. BUT because it was Rosco's car, I allowed it to be let alone.

Then come to the drive train. The motor, was to be a 440 Interceptor....Not a bad motor for this, I let it be as well. Painted as it would have been tho....Chrysler Engine Blue, with a Chrysler Orange air cleaner (NOT Hemi Orange) BUT the transmission is what got me! The factory part with this car was to be a 440 engine with a Mopar A833, transmission, or well thats what the model kit shows to be. THATS the issue! The A833, its a "Standard" trans mission!!!!! The interior shows to have NO Clutch pedal! SO, I pulled the whole motor! I used a Revell 440 and 727 Torqueflight transmission, that was left over from the 68 Hemi Dart 2'n1 model "Hemified" kit that I built not having either the 440 OR the 426 Hemi that came with the kit, I took the 68 Dart to a whole new level....But anyway, back on track here to the Police car...










See? Notice the transmission of this motor has no "tranny pan" this indicates that its a "standard" transmission. When the interior indicates that the car is an automatic! This motor will be used in a '71 Plymouth GTX in the end!

The 727 is a GREAT 4 speed Automatic in most cases and the Mopar 903 transmission was a 3 speed automatic! NOW we're talkin'!!!!

So I built this as it was to be done in the first place....THEN I looked and did all the "extra's" to the engine. Police cars from I believe 1975 to the present are required to be sold with all the "California Emissions equipment" on them, Catalytic converters, and all that..... SO, I added the dual snorkel air cleaner with all the carb. vacuum hoses, along with the fuel lines from the mechanical fuel pump to the carb. And drilled to have the supply line to it from the fuel tank. I'll be adding the carb throttle linkage, as well as the hoses to and from the carb for the power assist vacuum from the brake booster, as well as all the other stuff, then the battery cables already set out to be added, as well as the Alternator lines to the firewall and will go in and come back out to the battery and all the electrical boxes that it would on a car of the same year.

While under the hood, I'll be adding a radiator overflow line and a tank, along with a regular "city Horn" as well as wiring to it that will lead back to the firewall to look as tho it goes into the dash. I'm going to attempt to see if the wiper motor can be wired as well (some of the old Mopars had open easy access wiper motor assemblies. 

The master brake cylinder, will be lined to go to a equalizer valve, and follow the frame back to the floor pans to be then coupled to the rear end, and then run off both ends to the drum brakes that I made part of the wheel backs to look the part of "drum brakes" AND will have the emergency brake cables as well!

I plan to make my own wheel valve stems while I'm at it. Rosco's doggy will be setting in the passenger side front seat when I'm done as well....

I'll be adding a driver side front "spot light" as well. 

And remember when I said about the electronic items sitting/mounted to the transmission tunnel "hump"? WELL in a Standard thats where the gear shift would be, SO, I got to looking, the steering wheel had NO gear shift either! OR for that matter a turn signal lever, It does now! I mad both from straight pins (wanted the chrome sort of look to the "lever" part, and ended with black knobs, which were done in plastic, and the cap to the end of the gear shift lever is chrome as well! I also added the steering wheel column to have the gauge to say what drive gear you were in "bulge" that would have the P N D 1 2 3 on it.....The CB radio will have a wire going from it to the hand piece as well thats coiled like a phone line but slight "stretched" as it will hang when I'm done. IF I can, I may add empty shells to the passenger side floor for S&G's......This is of course that I can make something that small! I have a pretty good idea I can!

So as I asked, my strong points, I'd say is wiring, pipe, details and the attention to details with the kit.....

SO, what does everyone else think their strong points or specialties are in building models? Lets hear some guys!


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## vypurr59 (Sep 25, 2011)

I think my detailing "specialty" is making something on my car, that others never thought of, LIKE
Homemade suicide knob on steering wheel

Blue Dot tail lights made from nail jewels

Detail wire and Fuel lines and oh yes, that is a dipstick you see

and making parts for my cars, like tachs, steering columns, driveshafts on my micro lathe


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

vypurr59 said:


> And making parts for my cars, like tachs, steering columns, driveshafts on my micro lathe




That is a sweet piece of equipment there.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

vypurr,
Thats a NICE machine you got there. That the new one that Microlux just released in the past few years? (I always wanted one of there regular hobby size units that now, *gulp* exceeds $800.....) BUT yours is the "mini" right? Hows that work tho, I ask as I see it and all and it doesn't seem to come with the features, I'd prefer to have! Does yours come or have a tail-stock chuck for center drilling? And if so, which one does it use? (It doesn't list things in the flyer)

I've got my own tho. (I may get more in due time), but I got 2 lathes and a mill already so.....PLUS, all are completely "stocked" with the accessories too!










My machines set up as a Milling Machine, as you see the mess I've got....I was turning I think it was some gearing or "slugs" for use for making gearing, can't remember it wasa while ago when that pic was taken! 

Then:










SAME machine transforms from a Milling Machine to a Metal Lathe or even a Wood Lathe (I made an accessory for this).... The little critter sure gets a work out tho from one day to the next....

When you do "drive shafts" you use the factory u-Joints? And turn the barrel or tube parts of it?


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

RATZ, forgot to ask....vypurr, what did you use for the oil dipstick? (this is a detail I have been thinking about) and haven't went on about making any....What sort of wire, or "medium" did you use? As that looks great on the l-6 motor!


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## vypurr59 (Sep 25, 2011)

Hemi, Yes it has a live center, dead center and taper shaft drill center. And yes when I bought mine, I spent about $1000 and got 3 and 4 head chucks, all the tooling. I turn the aluminum, drill the ends and use kit supplied drive shaft and cut off the u-joints and insert into aluminum after I hollow each end. The Dip stick was stiff wire, hammer flattened , inserted into some wire sheathing. I wanna say that is 22 Gauge, but don't quote me on that
I wish I had the milling machine, maybe have to buy myself another Christmas gift.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

vypurr,
Thats AWESOME! However what do you mean by "taper shaft drill center"??? Not sure I seen that in the Micro-Mark flyer.....

Anyway, the machine I have, remember, yours, is pretty much "brandy new" to me, mine is a 1954 model Unimat.....I love that little machine! I use it for just about everything when I can get it to do the work (it is small) but works for a lot of home owner things too! The wife, didn't think it do such things but now after having it for a few years she sees, you know?

What did you use for the wire sheathing? Heat shrink? Or? I ask as that looks awesomely done for an oil dip stick!

You know depending on the "milling" you want to do, you can get that attachment for that mini lathe to do simple type stuff......(save a few dollars in another $1,000 machine!)


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## vypurr59 (Sep 25, 2011)

The drill center, is on a taper shaft that fits in the end block.
The wire sheathing was from the 22 gauge wire, I just stripped it off the end of the wire, drilled a hole in the block and super glued it in. I did see the milling machine attachment, But not sure how it works. But then again, I have a dremel on a drill press frame, and have used a milling vise and made some parts.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

The "milling attachment" works in place of your tool post. it then uses the headstock as a chuck (UNLESS you can interchange the headstock with a drill chuck, and then your all set, BETTER way is to use the headstock as the milling can ruin a good chuck pretty quick! BUT if you really get into it, you ought to look into a collet set to fit in-place of the headstock!

Once you have the milling attachment in place it has a knob much like the one that moved your tool post in and out from object being spun, OR the other one that moves the tool post to travel side to side, ONLY the milling attachment moves the object being milled itself, in a horizontal manner not vertical, thats the only difference!


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