# 1668e



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I went crazy with the plaster and revived an old project. First I molded the sides I need from a good shell.





























This was the first side.

Unfortunately I had the e unit slot open and the pour ended up inside. Luckily I kept the project on wax paper.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Larger hole*

The other side has more missing. Kwikster was right I am running out of plaster. I was checking prices of 5 lb bags today.

My mold is comom construction paper. The side is folded under and taped the top is taped flate and the ends are tabbed. SInce the sides run long I fold the eds back and out and have more tapping area for support. A rather quick way to set up a wall.

This pour was less messy and had little waste compared to the first one.














































Vaseline on the shell did the trick for the plaster form removal. Also not shown the crevace near the top of the engine. Is very sharp so I inserted an extra piece of paper to ease the removal. I did not need this section but it was in the square.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Problem*

The molding was easy. I guess I got carried away after seeing what Downtowndeco could do. Amazing stuff. :thumbsup:

I have to mount the engine. That means I need to support the front wheel assembly. This piece has the slots for the motor. ALso this piece screws into the sides of which now there is none. Earlier I experiment with making metal braces that will fit inside. Now it is clear that I need them They will support the mold surface and the front engine mount. One piece broke toaday so I have to start over. These brackets will be in place when I get to the epoxy stage. 











Progress today but this one will take a while.










This is an older picture but it shows how the brackets work.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I never thought that engine would see the light of day when you first posted a picture of it. Can't wait to see the reconstruction!


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

You're getting really good at plaster castings. I'm curious to see the final result. Learning things here that may just come in handy down the road. I humbly bow to the plaster master 

Carl


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

That is an amazing rebuild you have in the works. I'm with John here ... I never thought that old shell would see the light of day again.

You know that I did some side-shell patchwork on a similar-style 1688 shell. One thing to watch out for with your inner-shell reinforcements ... make sure you have enough room / clearance for the drive rod components to rotate around with the wheels OK. There's not much clearance between the drive rod attachment screws and the inside of the shell, so any reinforcment buildup you do on the inside closes that gap further.

I'm glad the Vaseline idea worked out well. I honestly didn't know if it would or not. Glad you tried it.

Any tips on how you fine-tuned the front-to-back position of the mold on the side of the broken shell? Did the intact details (indents) in the shell sort of give you a self-aligning index?

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I have taken pictures of the clearance. I need the steel to hold it together. That is when I know it will fit since the steel is inside when I test fit the motor.

The plaster is not as strong as the bondo. I have to make the molds thick to hold up. So far everything aligns up. The big piece has a curve of the cab and the smaller side aligns from the curve on the top front side. I am planning on using a plastic wind block from Home Depot as a filler instead of epoxy. It is a 3m fire block, sold in a tube for 6 bucks. It should be interesting. The material is strong but again I will need the steel for adhesion and support. I will have to drill many holes out in the metal too for the stuff to ooze through. 

I will take another look at the center rod. Looked. It barely goes under the shell. I can grind that if need be.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Eagerly looking forward to the finished product!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

I hate to suggest a "cheat", but maybe forego the siderod that goes from the middle wheel to the shell alltogether? That way, you could shorten the crank on the middle wheel, and not have to mount the forward end of that rod to your rebuild shell?

A bit of a shortcut, obviously, but it could save you some aggravation.

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

That's a good idea.I will have to decide to change or modify the wheels. I don't think I replacements.

I worked on the adapter.
Started by epoxy on two studs.










Drill a few holes










test fit


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Going to be really nice seeing that shell rise from the grave. Can't wait to see the progress.

Carl


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I don't think Steve Austin (the Bionic Man) had as many body parts replaced as will this 1668!

Nice work on the front motor mount bracket, T!

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I am concerned about the wings. The front wheel attachment point to the frame. I wonder if I should cut them off. I may use the hole for a wire and then feed it back. The piece may be not removable after I add the sides. 

I got this far.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I got a days wait. This stuff is water based. I wonder of it will work. At least it is gray.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The fiberglass mesh is a smart idea for reinforcement.

Why didn't you go with your standard JB Weld ???

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The areas is just too large and mix at one shot. The new stuff hardends well it just takes time.

I plan on getting more plaster and mold up the rear ladder area, the part you fixed.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Don't forget the slow-cure JB Weld. An hour or so of work time.

I never thought of a mold for those steps. I like your mold concept. Your "female" plaster molds retains excellent, crisp edge detailing. I'm very interested to see how much of that transfers to the "male" final parts.

Keep the Vaseline flowing, though.

Oh ... you may recall that I added some plastic credit-card reinforcement strips to the inside of my rebuilt back stairs ... you'll need something there, too, of course.

Cheers!

TJ


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

My grandfather used to say all you need to fix anything is duct tape and WD40. With T-man and tjcruiser, it's JB Weld and hotel key cards.


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

I can remember when the "standard" fix was bailing wire and a pair of pliers  Guess I'm showing my age a bit 

Carl


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I scraped it. The humidity is a pain. I may go with the slow cure epoxy.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I use the slow cure stuff for repairs that I need more work time for. I haven't found anything that I need more than 20-30 minutes to apply the JB-Weld. I normally use the quick stuff because I'm impatient!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

eljefe said:


> My grandfather used to say all you need to fix anything is duct tape and WD40. With T-man and tjcruiser, it's JB Weld and hotel key cards.


:laugh::thumbsup::laugh:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

John sparked me with a thought. He commented on ugky side marker lights. Here is m twist on a solution. I used a 3mm white but I have red on order.




























The plan is to trim it down in size and cut the front off. The then use paint to have the light emit frrom the front.
he Led is perpendicular to the marker poking through the shell.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Interesting idea, you can do most anything you like with the shape.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The teardrop shape goes nicely with the bullet-nose streamliner.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The item came from a newly opened Hobby Lobby. In the doll house section. I got box of red,green,yellow,blue and clear. Plenty to experiment on.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That bubbling looks just like when I painted over dissimilar primer.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

All I can hope is the paint is sealed before I try again. I am sanding out the shell. My test subject had an uneven surface but nothing like the front bubbling.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Why not strip it and start over?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Only when I give up.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> Only when I give up.


And it's not time yet?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Try Two with slow cure Epoxy.*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> That bubbling looks just like when I painted over dissimilar primer.


That shell has some spots. I thought your post was about the other shell. My mistake.hwell:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

JB ... now you're talkin'!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*After cure time.*




























Now for the sanding part.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

That actually worked much better than I thought it would. Good job!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That is pretty amazing.  Excellent job, hopefully it'll hold up with the work and painting.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Now the big hole*

I am impressed with the strength. It needed a lot of sandig.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

When I did the side-patch on my 1688, I had to sand/fair the side, too. What I found that worked quite well (especially to add crisp edging to those square lengthwise ridges) was the following:

Get a brand new, super-sharp single-edge razor blade. Hold it near-perpendicular to the surface to be faired ... say with a leading angle of 80 degrees or so, and then pull it along the surface with some downward pressure. You'll essentially "scrape" away a thin layer of epoxy, but in a very smooth manner. You can trim the razor to width, if needed, for your 2nd and 3rd "rows" of recessed areas.

Change blades as needed to keep the edge crisp/sharp. On occassion, turn the blade facing the side-edge of each "lengthwise ridge" to straighten and crisp up those edges, too.

Food for thought ...

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Sand and wait*

Good idea . :thumbsup: I used it today.

WHile the latest cures I researched the fire block from last week. 

It finally hardened up.





















A few more times and I have a scrap load of doors!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Times up!*

IT"S ALIVE!





































After cleaning.



















This is beginning to look good.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Sand and shave, sand and shave and sand*

I am going to let this thread slide. The work is boring and progress is slow. I will return when I get to painting Here are some outdoor pics.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, it will be fascinating to see how well this turns out after painting.  I would have never considered trying to rescue that shell.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

Wow! That molded / cast left-side-ectomy is amazing. The detail in the surface is quite convincing, and the overall contouring and surface mating to the adjacent shell is very good.

I'll offer a big cheer from the peanut gallery ... your mold/cast method gets a huge thumbs up!

TJ


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

We may need to think up a "T-Man challenge"--what's the smallest chunk of an item that he can rebuild an entire locomotive around with nothing more than epoxy?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Love it! I have a few metal shavings lying around my bench somewhere ... I wonder it T-Man can "fix them" back into a new loco?!?


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Next thing we know he'll make a set of dentures with nothing more than JB Weld 

Carl


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

T-Man is our resident MacGyver; give him a paper clip and he can build the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, almost.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I had to etch this groove out with a precision screwdriver.

TJ's method works well I have scraped quite a bit with two xacto knives.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> TJ's method works well I have scraped quite a bit with two xacto knives.


Glad to be a bit of help, T. Your newly molded edges are looking quite crisp!

TJ


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## Handyandy (Feb 14, 2012)

That is awesome T-Man.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Just an update.*

I filed, sanded, and chiseled in every combination.

A update.





































I know I am slow. I still need plaster and with that I can finish up the back. I am also working on removing the grey finish. It has bubbled up in some places.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Not as slow as I am, that sucker would still be sitting in my junk bin!  I'm amazed you're bringing it back.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

They rise from the dead in T-Man's miraculous hands ...










Excellent work, T, in reconstituting all of that shell detail. Quite the transformation.

TJ


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

I'm waiting to see this for sale on eBay: "Near Mint Condition!"


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

It's done all the time, eljefe!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Stress*

Before I worked on the cab I wired brushed the gunmetal finish and found more stress crack. I knew the shell has a messed up past and this shouldn't be a surprise. I plan on to grinding them out to relieve stess and expoxy them up. They could of been there since the first drop. I don't know but that finish is thick and can hide a lot of defects. 



























































Just about there. At least TJ, works faster.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I think you had a bit more to deal with on that shell!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

That ol' loco has seen a LOT of stress in its lifetime!

You probably know this, but your best course of action to prevent the stress crack getting worse is to drill a small, round hole at the very end of the crack. This will relieve any stress concentrations ... essentially creating a "dead end" for the crack. You can fill the hole with caulk or something flexible prior to paint.

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Drill a hole. I like that idea. :thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I had an oops. While drilling a hole a had a tight grip on the cab and it snapped. Just another fix with epoxy. Right Ed! :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

This ol' loco is beginning to remind me of the Mr. Bill clay cartoon figurine from some years back ... poor guy never got a break ... uhh ... well, scratch that ... in fact, he got way TOO many breaks ... and squishes ... and missing limbs ...










Funny thing, though ... he always got put back together and came back for more action.

Hope you're loco has a few more Mr. Bill reincarnations down the road!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

By the time you get done you will have $100 bucks of epoxy on it.
And another $1000 in labor.

But it sure looks good T man, I have been watching.:thumbsup:
Can't wait for the paint to go on.

If that was in my junk box it would have been in a scrap yard scene on my layout.
Or chained on a flatbed car for a load.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It never would have occurred to me to try to rebuild that shell.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Next is the door repair so the molding will start. WIth a few shells I have two good doors to mold.

The good sides.










The bad sides


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

How many of these things do you have?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

I think you (or maybe Stillakid) had the idea to add a rectangular-U shaped metal bracked for reinforcement underneath the existing cab floor and down the rebuilt side. I added some vertical reinforcements (hotel keys) on mine, but I had more shell to work with ... the door was still there, the steps gone.

Regards,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I forgot about a brace. That will have to be added later.

John for shells i have three. One I am working on and a spare 1688 and a 2668. I do have a running 1668 that I got on the west coast. This project has dragged over time so I did get shells. Lucikly I have two good doors. I don't have to mess with the working engine.


Now quick steps on the mold process.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It is amazing what you can restore if you want to put the time and effort into it.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

"2668", T? ... 

1668 ???

Nice prep work on the mold pour.

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Yeah a 1668. 

The steps didn't take. Maybe it is worth snother try. Perhaps a smaller mold.


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

T-Man, your skills are admirable, your patience and persistence are remarkable. I'm enjoying watching.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Not trying to steer you in a different direction, but you may recall the steps I made out of strip-sliced hotel key plastic ... perhaps something to consider as Plan B? ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=78675&postcount=33

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Thanks, Plan A just needs a modification. I didn't use enough vaseline in the step area. Otherwise the molds came out well.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Isn't there some sort of mold release agent that might work better than Vaseline?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It's been a while and time to show the shell. To answer GRJ question I coat the mold with craft paint. Then the piece separates after it dries and has a first coat already.

I finally painted the shell, it has come a long way.


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The before


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

This could win the RESURRECTION award, T!

TJ


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## icolectto (Nov 28, 2012)

T-Man your work has been very enjoyable to watch as it progressed. You are a very skilled craftsman and your love for the hobby shows through. A+++++++++++++ :appl:


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Ah yes, I'd forgotten this little project. Nice to see it's made it so far! Now the next challenge will be to recreate an entire locomotive out of epoxy given nothing more than a side rod spacer...


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man's on it, El J.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That sure would have looked nice in Alien Green.:thumbsup:


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Nice, I had to re read as I forgot about it. Looks great as there was nothing there before! Next time we want a complete custom shell  T mans restorations. I think I said it before, time call the history channel! Nice work!


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## Trent Bishop (Jun 8, 2015)

Fantastic Job.It just goes to show you serious collectors can do anything.


Trent Prewar collector for 33 years.


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## Ed.James (Apr 6, 2017)

WOW ! Amazing transformation !! Nice work !!


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I would never remotely be able to attempt anything like that. I can't wait to see the finished product either.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It definitely was a study on the use of epoxy resin. Considering the sides are supported with some fiberglass mesh and a few paper clips. For a while I had stress cracks and the shell has stabilized . Now I have to find all the parts. They were around here somewhere? 

I keep telling my LHS owner that if he kept the broken pieces I could probably fix it. Just because parts go out of production.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We don't call him *Mr. Epoxy* for nothing!


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Wow, great approach. Detailed photos This is a fun project to watch. Thanks!!!


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## balidas (Jun 3, 2011)

T-Man said:


> It's been a while and time to show the shell. To answer GRJ question I coat the mold with craft paint. Then the piece separates after it dries and has a first coat already.
> 
> I finally painted the shell, it has come a long way.
> 
> ...


Amazing work! I'd call that colour Batman grey.


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