[lordjw]

Hi!

I was asked to build a track for taxi drivers stand at local traffick & transportation expo

I will try to post updates on my build here, this should be interesting.

Firstly I had to find street cars which could be modeled to function as taxis. An option would have been to buy racing versions and transform them to street cars. This would have cost much and converting racing versions can be tedious job. I decided to prepare three street car masters(plugs) and make copies in resin. I selected SCX Volvo S60, Scalextric BMW 320 and Carrera Mercedes Benz E-Class. The E-Class already was a street livery. Volvo and BMW had to be prepared.

Silicone moulds were created and I pulled several beautiful street car bodies out of the moulds. Bodies are Axson Polyurethane plastic. At the picture below you can see MB E-Class with white paint job and cast in polyurethane.

Here is a tip for modelers - some of you may already know this trick. Secret of the perfect paintjob of these cars is to prepare your master carefully and paint the mould. Resin is then cast into the painted mould and you will have perfect paintjob.

I will not have interior with my cars. At the picture below I have painted windows black, I will add some detailing and my bodies are finished. I was easily able to manufacture ten bodies in one day.

Detailing and cutting wheel wells will take some extra time. I do not have very much time to spend with the bodies, the complete track should be finished within one month.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Julius

 

[Graham Lane]

Wow, I'm impressed! Das ist vachen gut, as they say in Germany.

 

[cabb77]

Fantastic, the detail on the copies is amazing, well done

 

[richardtheforth]

Wow, looking good Julius. Would love a street Volvo s60. Please show us pix of the event when you get that far.

Graham, Sie sprechen Deutsche Mit Affenzahn(!)

Cheers,
Richard

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Thank you for your positive comments

This day I was able to cut away excess resin with Dremel and side clippers. When cutting hard resin you want to be careful with side clippers.

I decided to make clear headlights for cars and to help me with this I made myself a special headlight mould for each car.

Headlight mould closeup below.

Mould is pressed on the car bonnett and clear epoxy resin is cast from inside. When the resin has hardened the mould can be removed and I have perfectly fitting clear headlights.

I had some bubbles at first tryouts and less and less bubbles as I learned how to mix epoxy as bubble free as possible.

Making headlights for all the bodies was very fast process. I also have painted tail lights red. Car bodies are beginning to look good. Only some detailing is left to do.

Chassis will be Scalextric plastic chassis which I have bought used 2 euros apiece.

Until next time!

Cheers!

Julius

 

[1 32 slotter]

Looking good. Very cool idea with you clear headlights. I will be using that one for sure.

Joel

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Project "taxi" continues...

I needed lots of taxi roof-signs but it would have been waste of time producing them individually sign by sign.

I decided to cast them by simplest way. First I produced a sign master to aluminium.

I pressed the master to modelling clay to form lots of instant moulds. You need to cool the master to prevent the clay from sticking to it.

I didn´t want to paint the signs separately so I decided to color the resin with yellow pigment. This way I should have ready made yellow signs.

At the picture below coloured resin is cast to instant moulds

I selected the best ones for my signs.

Licence plates are photoshopped and printed with inkjet. You have to protect inkjet print with clear cote.

Signs and licence plates glued to bodies.

Next, chassis ....

Cheers!

Julius

 

[Robb]

Wow, those bodies look amazing for copies!
Have you thought about selling them?

 

[lordjw]

Well,

The original design is the property of Carrera, Scalextric and SCX so I am not going to sell these.

I am planning on producing my own bodies in future though. Possibly Volvo Amazon, Saab 99, Lada 1200, Ford Taunus etc... hopefully I can achieve the same quality.

But I have to complete this project first

Cheers!

Julius

 

[loosesalute]

Great thread Julius! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Kev.

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Glad you like the thread ! ... story continues....

It was time to mount the bodies to chassis. Chassis is from Scalextric cheapo cars. These are new line from Scalextric, bodies do not represent any real car. Basically the bodies are super impact resistant plastic blobs.

I ditched the bodies and reused the chassis with my bodies. Chassis are bought used and guide blade was broken on all of them. Unfortunately Scalextric has introduced yet one more round guide blade. I did have spare round guide blades but those did not fit to these bodies. Please mr. Scalextric try to decide which roung guide blade you are going to use and stick to it.

At the picture below wheelbase has been forlonged and pieces of plastic have been screwed on sides of the body. Plastic is from floppy disks. All in all does not look pretty, but bery functional and durable.

I glued the body to chassis with epoxy resin mixed with micro filler. Adjust the body while epoxy hardens and eventually you will have perfect fit. Chassis can be removed and plastic mounting plates are left to the body.

I replaced broken Scalextric guide blades with Ninco spring loaded guide. The chassis was trimmed at front.

With this technique chassis and bodies are effortlessly fit together.

Next... taxi test drive

Cheers!

Julius

 

[Brit Slot Nut]

Great builds

I bet they are fun to drive, those start rally chassis are ok.

Cheers

BSN

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Taxi test drive was very succesful. Cars were very fun to drive indeed. I placed a bar magnet to the front of the chassis and this way cars could make controlled tail slides without deslotting too easily. In several public events I have found out that this is the best configuration for inexperienced drivers. Taxi lineup at the picture below.

I changed rims to some of the cars to get some variation. I will add detailing such as mirrors and taxi logos later on.

Track that you see at the pictures is local club track, Keimola race circuit.

Next... scenery build begins....

Cheers!

Julius

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Been very busy,

Track layout will be my old FinGraf track - I have used this layout with good success many times. Only 3 x 1,8meters (9.8 x 5.9ft).

Shell petrol station will be built on inner curve, pumps and tall shell sign have already been built.

Snacky snackbar will be placed beside taxi queue, snacky almost finished and waiting for customers

Customers are waiting for paint. Cast in polyurethane resin, masters are mainly Preiser.

Cheers!

Julius

 

[mus-28]

Very impressed with how quickly you've got everything together with such good quality. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[lordjw]

It´s all Photoshop and make belief.... above pictures are real but pumps, shell sign and snacky walls and signs are all Photoshopped and printed with inkjet printer.

Cheers!

Julius

 

[lordjw]

Hi!

Some real progress finally, I got my petrol station finished

At the picture below the Shell petrol station lies as inkjet prints

Prints are cut and glued to styrofoam

Walls are built with foamboard, which has cardboard on sides and polyurethane foam in the middle

Tarmac is formed with 400grit sanding paper. This was cheap sanding paper, useless with sanding but good for modelling.

Pertol pumps, signs and poles are foamboard, pumps are simply printed on photopaper.

Finished petrol station. If I have time I will add extra detailing later on. Roofs are made of sandpaper, main Shell sign is printed photopaper.

Next... roadworks

Cheers!

Julius

 

[Robb]

Awesome!

 

[Ember]

Service station looks great.

 

[lordjw]

Hi! Thank you for your positive comments!

This time, roadworks. This idea has been reused from my Fingraf track. If you find the FinGraf thread you can find the same figures and machinery there.

Basic form is cut to foamboard, I cut holes to embed real stones on the board.

Next I glue sandpaper to represent ... sandy areas and wild grass - mat to represent ... wild grass.

Then I embed the stones and machinery -- to break the stones. Stones will be removable for easy transit. My aim is to have all the base-scenery boards as flat boards and I can easily assemble all the details on them on site. Little red-yellow warning posts at the picture below are photoshopped and printed to photo-paper.

Figures are added, polyurethane resin copies of Preiser construction workers

And here is the story: Atlas Copco Megadrill has broken down and a taxi driver has made quick spare parts delivery. Taxi driver is presented by FLY standing driver figure.

Other worker watch as the spares have arrived

The roadworks has been finished, I will add detailing if I have any time left

Next time: lovely sunbathers

Cheers!

Julius