[Model Murdering]

I pick things up, I put them down. Some builds languish for years. Others dont. Most of the gang has already seen my schtick, so I'll skip up to where I'm at now, more or less.


I just finished my twist on Jim Miller's "Miss Demeanor"




I've got a couple Xcellerator based rods simmering on the back burner. The quadralam power makes for some serious fun. No real plan here, I just let them build themselves as I go from mock up, to roller, and finally to runner. What happens after that is anyones guess.

More to follow shortly. Thanks for looking!

Bill

[KensRedZed]

Hi Bill,

Absolutely amazing!

Please kindly post any of your previous builds. Your custom HO cars are most welcome, and inspirational. You're tempting me to look over the fence at all the green grass your standing on.
Start at the beginning. Most of us have not seen anything from that far back. 

[Savage GT]

Miss Demeanor looks great 

[Model Murdering]

Thank you gents. I always appreciate folks stopping by, and the kind thoughts.



Always a Bridesmaid






This model has been around in one form or another since the beginning of Model Murdering. It arrived in 2007 with the nose awol. I promptly cut the top off with a Garlit's based rat in mind. After running the mock up around, I tossed it aside in disinterest, and at some point re-installed the top with a 1/8" chop. Eventually a yellow nose came about in a scrap lot, so I re-installed that too! This body always sat off to the side, and was used for sizing components, test fitments, and whatnot. A tool of convenience.

















I've always been plagued by the cartoonish pinched appearance Of Aurora's Model A, where the front cowling takes off and goes forward. In order to properly kill that weird angle, the nose has to remain as is, and the chubbier rear 2/3's of the body had to be sectioned. No irony lost on the fact that the nose had to be removed to get to it. Har!
















After sectioning, the goofy inward angles on the side aprons had to be opened outward. You can just make out the relief pie cuts on the top apron. As styled the lower cowling is always a mess. I elected to forgo my usual fiddly origami process, and whacked in some full panel grafts. I happened to have enough AFX yellow scrap the time.


Although quite respectable as a Hi-Boy, typically, I can help myself. I raked it out the front for starters, and didnt like it. Finally I dumped it all and settled on the gum scraper look. (That Hi-Boy will be back one of these years!)

**********

[Model Murdering]

Bridesmaid continued












Here's how I build along. In this case above, checking from center. Then later cross checking from side to side. Generally I dont care what the measurement is unless Im checking a center. I just gap things and scratch an arc or dot it. Once in a while I drop what I have in my square, for a an over all visual. Helpful when moving from section to section so that the connective tissue stays straight as you progress.











I wound up here. As a Hi-Boy, the standard box motor would have fit between the frame rails. The Lo-Boy required a rethink. An N-30 Neo mini can looked to be workable, and I had the cradle to fit it. The ancient Cobramite Iso arrangement was adapted. Essentially the cradle gets a deep notch on either side, so that the tube frame can pass through. The frfle is free to move up and down. The PTEG braid carrier sandwiches between the motor and the cradle and is simply bent forward at 90 degrees.








Sometimes it seems like I push these things around for ever. Eventually, ya gotta get after the giddy up, and make it go. This usually happens pretty fast, because I've had plenty of time to sort everything out in my head, while I'm dinking with fussy bits of body work.

The rear axle is titanium, I was gifted a stick, so once in a while I use a chunk when I'm feeling it. A Tyco 440 pinion gear is over bored and then under-sleeved for the mini motor shaft. The modified pinion is flipped around and installed in the inverted "shoulder out" position. A hole card from my bag of tricks, when the running gear spacing starts getting tight, and threatens to stall the project. I like the mesh close to the arm shaft bearing anyway.

Much like your childhood Radio Flyer wagon, Cobramite axles ran right through the chassis frame and motor cradle with no bushing. Rather than hanging the chassis on an extended OD of the cradle bearings in a more traditional fashion, I used four separate bushings fabricated from Tyco 440 brush guides.They're soldered in, trimmed flush, bored to size, then reamed as a unit. Finally, the assembly with axle is lapped in, also as a unit.








The ISO pick up is a drop arm of sorts, except that the pivot point is the axle and the motor moves with it, as the pinion walks the crown and pins the pick ups to the rail. All one piece, PTEG has some interesting properties that I like. Insular being the first and foremost, it has just the right amount of stiffness in cross section, and gets more flexible as you lengthen it. You can fold it slice it drill it file it melt it sand it paint it and it's almost free. The ultra bonus is that it's pert near bullet proof.

Were sporting a new 45 degree angle from center for the braid slots, to induce some preload towards the center line. Braids naturally work around and tend to walk outwards from center over time. Thus far the braids are staying inline and have required no grooming.







She's still sporting my rattly front wheel set for mock ups, and the basic grill shell needs some final attention. Otherwise it's wicked fast, sneaky quiet, and the hip line is no longer gotched at the front aprons.

Next up? I'll rally it around a bit more for fun, then take it apart, polish up the chassis, and block out the body.



Thanks for looking 

Bill

[KensRedZed]

Hi Bill,

Very precise building! Details I can appreciate!

Looking forward to seeing the paint. 

I am finally starting to locate these old hotrod bodies you keep chopping/cutting/modifying. Nobody told me the internet was this big! Lots of stuff to look at. 

[Model Murdering]

Hi Bill,

Very precise building! Details I can appreciate!

Looking forward to seeing the paint. 

I am finally starting to locate these old hotrod bodies you keep chopping/cutting/modifying. Nobody told me the internet was this big! Lots of stuff to look at. 


Precise is such a scary word. The modern, politically correct term, is less woefully inaccurate. jk. With each passing year I'm a little shakier and a bit more blind. The points work quite well for me. In combination with a 50/100ths rule and a small square, I can cobble along simply with very little math or conversions. Perhaps not for everyone, but it streamlines the plotting and marking of the all important working points of a slot car. Ultimately it takes the question of "Is that the spot, or not?" out of my mind.

Yessir. The never ending conveyor of slotcar bits regurgitates the jettison and flotsam of the ages. Patience being the operative requirement. I eventually learned to pick my spots, and limit the intake of other trash, I dont need; simply to get the things I want? Does that even make sense?

**************

I've been known to build other models too. This one is finally getting close.

The Mega Z +



Speaking of stuff ya dont need. I acquired this MG+ with clipped front axle eyelets, to dissect AFX's mysterious (at the time) mini can.





The Captain Crunch Decoder Ring "snap in" motor arrangement looked like something I could pervert, so I figured to save the remains. Not because I'm frugal, but because I like working with good bones, which the MG+ has. Since their introduction, I've always seen them as having great customs potential. Notably, the MG+ is nylatron, so I welded in some T-jet front frame rails to stiffen up the front belly pan.



The N30 neo mini can snaps right in after some trim.



A bit tight back at the shoe hangers. Fugly, but not a whole lot worse than the early 3 D prints ... giggle. With no axle bits, the upgrade to IFS was a no brainer.




A roof section from and AFX Grand Am combines as the forward vertical standoff and lateral stop. A perfect fit. (There's that word)



Mounts from an AFX 510 Spider had the required bodily thickness to span the gap. Absent is a pic of a rear deck from an Aurora Vibe XK 140 used for the rear standoff.



Totally nuts on my little spare room track. Just a hair high up front yet, the front shoe hangers are hitting the spoiler. Im thinking a deep metallic red/maroon, with a gold stripe, or white maybe...?

Thanks for riding along!

Bill

[KensRedZed]

Bill. Less woefully inaccurate works.

All your cars and bodies sit absolutely... less woefully inaccurate? (Just perfect!) 

[Model Murdering]

Ken,

The MG+ chassis seemed to suit the Z. After years of sliding around my bench top, I finally started to straighten the crippled look it arrived with. In truth, when I put my "eyechromoter" on it, things looked dubious. I use the "cram and trim around the edges" method when things dont quite line up.

I neglected to mention that AMRAC Z car is a personal favorite. The resin repops were very popular more than a decade ago, and I FAILED to acquire one. This haggard example wouldnt grab a factory proper chassis anymore, likely from being crushed ... LOL. The header bow drooped, the cowl was slumped; but miraculously only one quarter post was broken. I took that as a positive sign.

I have a couple of nice examples in my meager collection. They see very little action, due in part to their rocket performance, and the fact that AMRAC used "peel and stick" decorations; which at approaching 50 yrs old, like to give up their snug edges if bashed around. An early flux collector magnatraction design without the added inertial dampening traction magnets that were to come; they will skip like a rock across the pond if you lost the line when off throttle.

I just finished a PTEG glass inset, and at  this point, she's prepped to 600 awaiting the final scuff in 1200; before I point some color at those scrumptious lines.

Thanks for riding along

Bill

[Ntxslotcars]

 Serious homemade fun!