Bakster

With ears like that... Debbie could garner a lot of intel. Just saying...

 

Actually I'm worried it may be worse. Debbie may be another of Clapper's cousins... 

Well, three strikes, and I am out. I was wrong again. The lenses on the search lights actually do fit in a recess. All the others, not so.

I thought good and hard about how to glue the lenses in place. Without getting into the idiosyncrasies of all the available glue options, I settled on CA. It offered me the strongest bond, least smearing, better clarity, and the quickest set. In the end, I think that I made the right choice. They turned out great.

To avoid any possible CA fogging, I coated the lenses beforehand with Future Floor Wax.

And at last, I can move on from the lights... for now.

With ears like that... Debbie could garner a lot of intel. Just saying...

CapnMac82

 

 

Bakster

How I missed it the first time, I do not know.

 

 

Well, that is sort of the synopsis of most of the LIS episodes-something goes un-noticed, and creates a problem that wants solving, which often requires backtraccking and finding the missed thing.

Or it's the dam durty apes!

 

Bakster

How I missed it the first time, I do not know.

Well, that is sort of the synopsis of most of the LIS episodes-something goes un-noticed, and creates a problem that wants solving, which often requires backtraccking and finding the missed thing.

Or it's the dam durty apes!

"Next step is to install the lenses. Those should go on relatively easy since they rest inside a recess."

Famous last words. Last night, I found out that this was not true. None of them sit inside a recess. In fact, some seem oversized. Kind of weird how they did it, but it is what it is.

In the scheme of things it is neither here nor there, but I had to correct the record for anyone interested in this model. 

I blame my error on old eyes and not removing the pieces for test fitting. I thought, "I will leave them on the sprue as long as possible for risk of losing them. A few are tiny." Smart... right?

Last night, while removing them, the very last one and one of the tiny ones... ping! There it goes! I watched it fall past my leg where I lost sight of it. Checking my pants, pockets, cuffs, and then on hands and knees... it was not looking good. I found a lot of other garbage, but not the missing piece. I had resolved myself to that I am not gonna find it. I began thinking, now what. Stubborn that I am, I tried again. Cellphone light in hand, on hands and knees, I look. In short order I spot something. Sure enough, that was it. How I missed it the first time, I do not know. It was found in an area that I searched thoroughly, and exactly where I would have expected it to be. Bizarre.

Thus ends another chapter in, The Bakster Chariot Build.

Bakster

Hey Gam, i think my job is done here. I inspired someone... to watch LIS... YOU. I am free to leave on a high note. My mission is accomplished! 

Too funny, Gam. Yeah. Smith should have been vaporized early on.

 

 

Hey Gam, when I had Netflix I watched some of a Lost in Space series they released. I say, I watched some of, because it was just too dark for my taste. I stopped watching it. A woman with mental illness played the part of Smith. The role she played was downright evil. Add in some of the surrounding evil aliens and such... it was too cold for my taste. The effects were pretty good though.

keavdog

 

 

Bakster

 

 

keavdog

Alclad II Airframe Aluminum (ALC 119) is more shiney like chrome.  I did this little DC3 with it.

  

 

 

 

Hey John, that does look good! Looks like i need to order some of that for future testing and use. Did you use a black base as well?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I've used Alclad gloss black and Tamiya gloss black both with great results.

 

 

Hey John, very good sir. It is something more for me to try. Thanks for advising.

Bakster

 

 

keavdog

Alclad II Airframe Aluminum (ALC 119) is more shiney like chrome.  I did this little DC3 with it.

  

 

 

 

Hey John, that does look good! Looks like i need to order some of that for future testing and use. Did you use a black base as well?

 

 

Yes, I've used Alclad gloss black and Tamiya gloss black both with great results.

Hey Gam, i think my job is done here. I inspired someone... to watch LIS... YOU. I am free to leave on a high note. My mission is accomplished! 

Too funny, Gam. Yeah. Smith should have been vaporized early on.

Looks great John!!!

I've used Alcald II aircraft aluminum but never compared it directly to chrome. I'd guess they were pretty close though. 

BTW: I found out that Amazon Prime has 'Lost in Space' and sat down over the last few days and watched the first four episodes. It's fun, I still can't say I'm crazy about the show but it's entertaining. The last two episodes had the Chariot on them and it is pretty friggin' cool! 

Although in the third episode Dr. Smith sabotages John Robinson's jetpack causing him to crash land on a desolate planet and then used the robot to threaten Major West and Mrs. Robinson to abandon John to head back to Earth. And then at the end of the episode he reprograms the robot and it almost kills Will. Honest to God I think I'd have tossed Smith out the airlock and went John Henry on the robot with a maul hammer....

Okay... so... the clear arrived and I tested. As I feared, it knocked down the shine, and depth. Basically, it turned any sort of chrome to a polished aluminum. So... I will not clear the lamp housings. The paint seems durable enough to leave as is. 

Btw, John. I went and ordered a bottle of aircraft aluminum. I probably won't use it on this project, I am moving on, but for future. Unless, that is, I find something else to chrome. Looking forward to seeing what that does for me.

Next step is to install the lenses. Those should go on relatively easy since they rest inside a recess. The main lights on the bumper will be trickier. It is flush on flush with nothing to grab onto. And btw... after taking another look at those lenses, I am again, leaning towards casting new ones. That center mounting pin detracts from the overall look and it is bugging me. I will deal with that at, or near, completion of the charriot. I need to move past the lights! Already, too much time spent on them.

CapnMac82

If Alclad has a flaw, it's in that you wind up with like a dozen different metalic colors, often with only the slightest of differences between the hues.

But, the metal-specific hues do tend to be spot-on, and in a way that is more specific than in just suspending those metals in a clear carrier. 

What ever voodoo it is that the they do, they do it well.

 

That is so well said, Capn. And when you look at the paint, they often look the same... as in this case. The chrome looks like aluminum and I am willing to bet the aircraft flavor John mentioned looks the same and until sprayed. Which at times, I question, is it the same and they  just relabeled? Consensus seems to say not the same.

If Alclad has a flaw, it's in that you wind up with like a dozen different metalic colors, often with only the slightest of differences between the hues.

But, the metal-specific hues do tend to be spot-on, and in a way that is more specific than in just suspending those metals in a clear carrier. 

What ever voodoo it is that the they do, they do it well.

keavdog

Alclad II Airframe Aluminum (ALC 119) is more shiney like chrome.  I did this little DC3 with it.

  

Alclad II Airframe Aluminum (ALC 119) is more shiney like chrome.  I did this little DC3 with it.

Lol, I like it Cap!!! 

And yeah the Alclad Chrome is kinda finicky. As you say too little and it looks like black chrome and too much and it dulls out the shine. It's just a matter of fiddling with the stuff till you get it right.  

I use the Testor's Metallizer sealer on Alclad but it's been out of production for years. I've got a bottle or two but when it's gone it's gone. Looking forward to how the Alclad product works out for you. 

Okay, so here is the scoop.

Based on videos I watched, you need to apply the chrome in light layers. My testing falls in line with that school of thought. There is a very fine line between going too far, or not enough. Too much paint wipes out the black base, too little, and you get a sort of black chrome.

Below: From left to right is more to less paint. You can see the difference.

Below: The light housings.

My verdict? I will say that I am not totally blown away. It looks decent, but in real life, you can see that something is just a little off. However, I am pleased with the light housings and how they came out. I have no complaints, and I guess that is what counts. They are as good as I hoped. About my thoughts on doing a car body. I think, it would be harder to pull off. The bigger the piece, the more room for fluctuations in coverage. Just my guess though.

I should note that I did not prep the spoons. They do not have a primer and in yesterdays image, I think I see evidence of crazing. You can see some bumpiness, particularly around the edges of light reflection. How much that affects the final look, I do not know. 

Joe, it sounds like you have been using this system. What can you share with us? Or anyone else too.

I have not recieved the sealer yet, so that test is TBD.

Before going to the Alclad system I started my testing using Molotow Liquid Chrome. That stuff produces an eye popping chrome. I have used it before. The problem? It is super delicate. Just touching it makes the deep shine turn into a sort of aluminum. And that is a bummer. Mounting the lights will require some handling and it would surely destroy the finish. I don't know if anyone has found a good sealer for it. I tried a few things and it destroys the magic.

Anyhow... I will wait for the Alclad sealer to arrive and then test. If it alters the chrome too much, I won't use it. The paint as is is able to take some handling.Then, I will mount the glass and move into the next phase. That will probably be the curtains.

Thus, my report for the day. 

CapnMac82

The Alclad II metalics are the cat's meow--but you are pretty much limited to airbrushing them.

 

Agreed.

The Alclad II metalics are the cat's meow--but you are pretty much limited to airbrushing them.

littletimmy

Just because it's keeping with our tendency to cross-over between sci-fy projects...

Here's a bit of a coincidence...

 

https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Conrad

 

Wow, Tim. That is really interesting! Quite the coincidence indeed.

Just because it's keeping with our tendency to cross-over between sci-fy projects...

Here's a bit of a coincidence...

https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Conrad

mustang1989

.............aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the order's in. Thanks again Steve. Looking forward to more here.

 

Awesome!

For sure. I will post images tomorrow how it comes out.

mustang1989

Oh my LORD man!! I'm gonna have to order me some of that stuff!! I can get a good enough gloss black but it takes me two stages and a couple of days till it's cured out enough to spray any Alclad over it. Thanks for posting that Steve.

 

Hey Joe... I think you will like it. I also ordered their clear that seals the chrome. I will test that too and report back.

I was thinking that this black would be awesome for a car body. For a straight up black, the gloss is so good one might not need to polish it out. But aside from that.. you could make the body chrome, or Alclad offers a series of clear candy colors. I can imagine some awesome paint finishes.

Glad I was of help to you.

.............aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the order's in. Thanks again Steve. Looking forward to more here.

Oh my LORD man!! I'm gonna have to order me some of that stuff!! I can get a good enough gloss black but it takes me two stages and a couple of days till it's cured out enough to spray any Alclad over it. Thanks for posting that Steve.

Part of the journey.

I have not used Alclads system of chrome, but from videos I have watched, it looks good. I ordered their paint. The first part of the process is to use a gloss black. I suppose any brand will do, but you'd want the paint to go on wet, and for sure, glossy. I figured, what the heck... I will go all in with their system. So, I purchased their black base as well.

Holy cats, their paint sprays like a dream. It spays on wet, it covers well, and wow... you can draw out a gloss with very little effort. And btw, it dries fast, cleans easliy from the brush, and I didn't need to thin the paint. 

Tomorrow, I will try spraying the chrome.

Wo

CapnMac82

Hmm, a bumper sticker?

Something about crossing the streams

 

Works for me, Capn. Show them pesky apes who's boss. 

Hmm, a bumper sticker?

Something about crossing the streams

Gamera

LOL Bakster!!! 

 

Or else Smith ends up on the Planet of the Apes and Zira lobotomizes him.... 

 

Yeah. Dr Zira wants more lab rats. Oh, I mean, patients.