1988 to 1991 Ford Crown Victoria

[Mastercaster]

www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/111472-1988-1991-ford-ltd-crown-victoria-scratchbuild/










I got this in the mail today.  I will take it to Mike Schnur for a inspection and to create a buck to make a set of vacuum form windows.

[grozny]

I like this one. I don't think I will be getting it (72 Matador 4 door is nearly done), because I know I will never get to it but it is certainly one of the better offerings in recent history. I wish I could build everything I want to, but it's just becoming obvious that one can buy them and even start them a lot faster than one can conceivably complete them all. As you already know, this will be a best seller. Less and less are being done the old fashioned way, and more offerings are coming from 3-D printers. My Matador is the last one I will have done with plastic and bondo. I will not do anymore that way. I will always prefer the vacc-form glass and some of the older arts though. I am glad he sent the master to you two.This is a great alternative to all of those horrible recast/hackjob late 80's caprices out there that they have been recasting off each other and Don.

[Mastercaster]

I took it to Mike and he fell in love with it. Dwayne has done an amazing job creating these master parts. Are you going to cast your 4 door Matador?

[grozny]

I'm going to cast for personal use only.
I am sick of dragging re-casters into court. I have recently wrapped up number 3, and 4 should be done by summer. Too expensive and stressful. I got in it as a hobby, and I'm leaving it as a hobby. I'm back to building for myself.

My next one/s will be done in 3D, and I still may redo the grille in this one and 3D print it. I am well along on a 70 and a 71 Fury. I am still at the point where some things do not print as well as I want, but I have students that are REALLY good with this part of it and they are a tremendous help. One will walk up and look at me and say  "Hey Mr K..... you better change that, it will go haywire when you print it". There are still things I do not like about 3D printing but it is getting better. The tiny grooves have to be removed and some other issues arise so most people have to print a copy, then prep the heck out of it and THAT becomes the master. The nice thing is that if you damage the master, you have a great big heads start on another one.

[grozny]

I saw some of Dwayne's other work, and it's top notch, as is yours. I know that there are other great casters that were an option, but if he sent it to them it could easily be 5 years before the first resin casting became available and I am not exaggerating. That's just how things are I guess. I never took in other people's masters, and I was still always behind.

I'll post pics, but who are you using for reliable hosting now? I don't currently posting/hosting anywhere.

OK,  I saw where you use this host.

[Mastercaster]

I upload to the IMG box to post to this forum and I post to Photo bucket to post to the Phoenix Model Builders forum. I have been doing casting and uploading photos from photobucket to the Phoenix model builders forum for about ten years now. I would like to make you tube resin casting videos, it might be kind of fun.  Thanks for posting your photo.  


I have learned to make really nice resin bodies.  Setting the mold in a bent piece of sheet metal to keep the sides tight was a great idea I dreamed up.  And the simple way I cut vents into the mold is just as big a help.

[Mastercaster]

Here is an example of sheet metal cradling a body mold and how I vent a body mold.  If only I could see what happens to the mold once placed in a pressure pot and about 62 PSI put on it, I would know what happens to it.  I usually mix and pour 60 Milliliter into this mold and it overfills.  I would like to think that the filled trench allows air to escape and the pressure forces resin into every detail of the molds cavity.

[Mastercaster]

Here is a start of a hood mold.  The hood is going to need some work that Mike will perform to create a bit better version.














Here is the interior tub.  I use these letters that I created to mark what the mold makes.  Silicone will go around the backing plate and hold it mostly secure within the molds wall for easy identification.  The mold for this is pretty big but it is a odd shape.  I like to take the handle of my exacto knife and push it into the clay to make these dimples.  These indents will help lock the two parts of the mold together.  It keeps the inner core from shifting under pressure.

[grozny]

You're moving quickly. It's going to be a popular bonus that the hood is separate. The thing I see with you is that you move quite quickly. I understand the OLDS wagon master needs a lot of work so that is different but generally if you get a good master it isn't long before it is cast.

[Mastercaster]

[Mastercaster]

Here are the 92 Ford police wheels and caps clayed up. These are Modelhaus parts. I did email Don and Carol for permission to copy these and they were kind enough to grant me permission to do so.

[grozny]

I am going to need two of these. "Babushka Car". White with a blue top and a bug guard.

 Still see VERY many of these here in Floduh

[Mastercaster]

Here are some of the first police wheel parts. 

[Mastercaster]

The top photo is a buck that Mike Schnur made.  This will be used to create the vacuum form glass sets that will be included in this kit.  I made two copies out of the resin I use.  Once in his hands additional work might need to be done.  They might need to be remade.  I added the lettering.  Some time ago I wanted some small letters.  I found the underside of clock radios in my house to be a gold mine.  If only I would have started here first when I wanted to mark my molds.  I made certain the area was free of oils and debris.  I sprayed mold release on the surface and waited ten minutes or so for it to dry.  I then mixed and poured a small amount of silicone over the surface and waited for it to cure.  Once the silicone cured, it peeled away easily.  I then mixed and poured resin over the mold and squeegeed away the excess.  I then put it in my pressure pot and placed a toilet plunger cup over it.  This deflects the air charge so the incoming air does not blow the resin out of the open face mold.  After you have made a mess inside your pressure pot you will learn to do something different to get a different outcome.  Make certain your clock radio is as level as you can make it when you pour your silicone over the letters as any liquid will seek it's own level.  Making certain your working surface is as level as you can get it is important.

[grozny]

Looks good. I suppose, knowing you these will be for sale soon. I'll have to get some money out of the mattress soon eh? Are you going to use Task 8? Another note.....you may have pretty good sales on just the sets of wheels. Now that there is this Molotow pen fad, people aren't so concerned with a part like a hubcap being un-plated. They seem to sell just as well and a lot less hassle.

[Mastercaster]

I got these tires today from Joseph at Fireball Modelworks. I asked him for four CAD drawn Masters and he printed them at a cost of only $45.00. I think that is pretty reasonable.

[Mastercaster]

Here is the body Form together.  Silicone has been poured in.  The mold is marked with letters that I make.  I also like to know where the front or back end of the body is in the mold.  This is important to know when taking the mold apart once the resin cures.  The mold fits nicely as planned in the sheet metal.  Once the mold has freshly mixed resin poured in the sheet metal holds the sides of the body tight to help create a nice resin body with very thin flash in the window openings.





I cut and sanded smooth a nice piece of basswood.  This wood becomes buoyant in the liquid silicone.  I used a piece of clear acrylic and a folding ruler to hold it down until the silicone cures.  I was in a bit of a hurry to do this.  It is not a good idea to spray some coats of varnish on the wood as there might be a problem with the silicone not liking the varnish and then becoming goopy and fully curing.  The wood block creates a void that allows me to fold it in to help release the body and reduce the chances of damage to it.  BE PATIENT!!  Make certain that your silicone is completely cured before moving on to the next step.  Make certain the resin is also fully cured before trying to remove it from the mold.  I also do not suggest that you place a uncured mold out in the heat of the sun trying to rush it's curing.  Heat like this will cause the mold to blow up a bit causing hot air to pocket in it.  It might also cause the clay inside to expand and distort the mold.  Being patient will help you be more successful.  You can refrigerate your resin to give you a couple of more minutes of working time.  It will also extend the curing time too.  Leave the mold in a pressure pot if you are using one for say ten minutes then you can remove it and let it set for a hour.  resin can draw moisture out of the air.  Pressure casting will crush most all of the bubbles.  If your resin foams up badly it is getting very hot and boiling the moisture that it can contain.  A vacuum chamber and pump can remove it.





The mold is done.  The body did get damaged from removing it from the mold.  This body actually started life as a 1:24 scale 70 Roadrunner.  Mike Schnur estimates that there are several hundred pieces added to make it look like this.  Dwayne L mastered this body very well.

[Mastercaster]

Here are the tires that Fireball Modelworks made for me.





The mold is now completed.  It fits nicely in the sheetmetal.  I trimmed the ends down so that it fits nicely in a 6 quart pressure pot.  All the vents have been cut in and the trough cut in for a place for the excess resin to go and settle in.  This helps create a nice body too.





I cut the holes open so that the cured excess can be removed more easily so that damage to the mold can be kept at a minimum. 



Take a careful look at the "V" notches that are carefully cut into the mold.  These are inline with the holes I made in the other part of the mold.  They help the mold vent and possibly allow more of the liquid resin to fill voids once the mold is pressurized at 65 PSI.

[Mastercaster]

This is a photo of tire making material being tested without any dye added.





Here is a photo of the second body made.  Now you can see what those "V" shapes do in the mold.  Notice that the flash in the window openings is nice and thin.  The body is also a bit thin too as you can see the blue silicone color through some of the sides of the body.  A lot of this flash breaks free when the body is removed from this part of the mold too.  Makes cleanup a breeze.

[grozny]

This is poised to become one of the best resin kits ever offered to the hobby. Glad you got Joseph helping with wheels and tires. I plan to build a Floduh "God's Waiting Room" edition when these are ready. They are very common here in Miami. May do one as a wagon, who knows. I have a bit of time now, and I love building again. Keep up the great work guys, this one is going to keep you busy.

[Mastercaster]

I sent Dwayne some bodies, hoods, and wheels and caps.  Dwayne does not really like the hubcaps we chose.  Dwayne sent me this and some other photos of these caps.  He likes these better and I do too.  So....I sent the photos to Joseph who agrees to create this cap in scale.  He also mentioned that in hindsight that a complete tire, wheel, cap package be designed for this body.  I agreed that this is a really good idea.  He and I will work on this.  I am going to send a body to Joseph so that he can work hands on with the project.  I talked to Dwayne on the phone.  He was just in AWE of holding a resin copy of his work.  He was very pleased.  You all will be pleased too.
I have George Bojaciuk  Bo-ya'-chuk (accent on the second syllable) sending me 70's Firebird items that people are already putting in orders for, I should be getting those parts at the end of this week.  Rocky has been having issues with a foot injury so has been staying away from the chemicals but has been working to get some equipment I have purchased up and running properly so that we can make cool stuff for the hobby.  I also have Dan Baker ready and willing to come to learn the casting and help in the shop.  So much to do.

[grozny]

Good news then. So how many of you total? This is a great thing and the demand is there, I can tell you for certain. I am one of the many who are no longer offering hobby items in the USA and I can only imagine the huge void there must be as I still get a lot of emails asking "when I will be back".

[Mastercaster]

Four of us so far.  I already have a huge and talented support group.  Mike Schnur is the master maker and vacuum glass guy.  He knows names of car bodies I never knew.  I did not know a car had a tulip panel. I think Dan still works, I still work a 40 hour a week job. I would like to quit and do the resin thing full time. I had a plan to retire early but it fell through.  Hopefully Dan can learn what we do easily and settle in and work freely on his own. Dan is into the Darryl Starbird cars.  As a kid he used to hang around Darryl's shop and watch him build cars.  I have a Cosma Ray that I had made molds of but I would like to update the silicone materials.

[grozny]

The hubcaps themselves would sell quite well. If you get a site with enough traffic to list and sell the parts, after some time people will know where to go. Ebay is really on the decline, and their rolling server blackouts mean that there is a good chance you will pay to list something and nobody will see it, or they won't be able to find it with their never ending search tweaks and glitches. This Queen Victoria is big news, but selling small parts will continue to be important as people lose things, are dissatisfied with what's in a kit, or buy kits missing things. You need not spend all of your time prepping parts for the plater now either, people are into those chrome pens so un-plated parts don't seem to be an issue like they used to be. Your group will have no problem ramping up to the parts and kits market. Things are changing quickly, and you guys are talented and energetic. Put on a welding helmet, the future is THAT bright !!! Promise me Shartin Looms is coming back......

[hill]

This is fantastic, I’ve praying for a 88-91 CV for decades. This car looks awesome. Any updates on it?

[ntvypr]

You can contact [e-mail] or [e-mail] to get info on purchasing a kit. Thanks!

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