Rivets/bolt heads?

nice too see you back, im sure you could replicate them with sheet styrene

Yeah, just get some styrene rod in the diameter of your choosing, cut off bits, glue 'em to where you want, then file them for uniformity.

Here's what I mean...

These are a little large, but you can get any size you want.

Haven't seen you post in a while, what are you working on?

Steve 

 

Hey guys--Thanks!  My recent absence....it's the snow!  The east coast is getting pounded this winter, and my new twin-tips stare at me guiltily if I don't take them up to the mountain for a good thrashing every chance I get.  I get out on winter break tomorow--you can expect my next few posts to be in roughly......  1.5 weeks. 

I'll give the rod a try, I have some that should be just about the perfect diameter, I just wasn't sure how thin I'd be able to slice it. 

Steve, right now I'm finishing up my Comet, it's about 99% done, and waiting for a new airbrush (it's that time o' year) to get some paint.  Other than that, I'm scratchbuilding a 1/35 SADF Buffel (hence the need for bolts), check out my update on it in Armor or Scratchbuilding later tonight if you're interested.  Last, I've been building some other 1/35 stuff that I sell via ebay, since I'm too lazy to go out and get a minimum wage job, when I can make roughly the same amount doing something fun.

 EDIT:  I meant to post this in "Scratchbuilding", so if a mod sees this, feel free to move it where you feel it belongs.

Cool, Ian. Jealous of your winter break... and snow. I feel the inner need to get a sledding trip in when I hear Xmas music.

That's the beauty of the rod method (that's what she said), you don't have to be precise when you make the cut. Line up a row of cut bolt heads, and then sand 'em down all at once.

Don't break anything this year out on the slopes.

Steve

 

 

You guys up in vermont are getting tons of snow, but here in new jersey? This boring stuff called rain. However, I will be joining you on the 26th, my family goes up to Stowe vermont every year to visit my cousins and spend new years with them. I still cant get the hang of skiing, but I guess thats what snow shoes are for!

I know, it's my first white christmas in a looooooong time.  I haven't been to Stowe in a while, either.

I recently went to a model RR shop and got some Grandt Line bolts. They are really big in N scale, but are about 1/2" in 1/35. You can get all sizes bolts with nuts, washers, etc. I also got some stars. They're for decorations on buildings but would go good in a Soviet dio? Around $3 for a couple sprues. We got some snow here in MO, too but I'm already out for christmas. We have some family in from CA, and they're not used to snow, so that's fun.
--------Kevin

Ian if you check your LHS plastic display tree, you can actually get hexagonal rods in a lot of diameters that look exactly like bolts when you shave them off with a straight-edge razor.

Like the Doog said....Plastitruct hex rods make excellent bolts.

For rivets...here's what I do....

Use some plastic sprue from any old kit and stretch it uniformly like you would to make an antenae or the like. If you want it bigger diameter,...stretch to the desired thickness but do so slowly to get it uniform thickness.

Get out an old buisiness card. Any will do.

Use a very small hobby drill bit the size of the diameter of the rivet you want but slightly smaller. About half the size of the rivet that you want.

Use a pin vise and lay the business card on a flat pourus object and drill the desired size hole through the paper card.

Cut heated and stretched spure into small sections.

Insert a section through the hole in the card just enough to let a little (tiny bit) through the card.

Take a ciggarette lighter and gently light and flash the flame across the spure poking out of the card for a split second.

Instant rivet with rounded head.

Drill a hole and insert the stretched sprue to the point where the rivet head is in contact and flush with surface rivet mounts upon. Cut off excess sprue.

Take a little practice but very little.

Here's a pic of my measuring hex rod sizes for my Brummbar I'm working on

Here'a pic of a few hex rods (bolts) in place.

 

 

Wow, thanks for the great ideas!  I'll have to see what I can find at my LHS.

ITo make bolt details, 've bought extruded rsquare, ound and hex rods from my local art shop (architecture students use this stuff all the time) and used the Northwest short line chopper II so that I can repeatedly cut the same lengths.

Here is a link to the Chopper II

http://www.nwsl.com/Brochure%20Pages/broch%20ChopperII%20Tools.htm