Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

i had no idea op started out like that cool pics and project

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Me and my younger brother are planning a build of a 1:1 Pete 359, we were both raised in them and instead of a classic muscle car or hot rod build, which we'be already done were gonna build something that can.make us a few bucks lol.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Great job on the fenders, Bob. I wish I could work with styrene like that. Everything I try with styrene gives me results that leave something to be desired, but you seem to get great results without any problem! Even on rework, like your fenders. Very nice.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

They still need some smooth sanding on the inner curve, to get them looking nice. I just take my time and plan things out.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Got the hood reattached today. Its mostly sanded down, need to fill a few little spots, and blend the right in a little better. But nearly there.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/57.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/58.JPG

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

So i'm getting pretty close to laying down some paint and am in a quandry. The OP movie truck has a thin light blue pinstripe around all of the dark blue flames (example below), but it is very thin, in most photos you cant see it. Only in close ups is it visible. It looks like its maybe 5-6mm thick, (a little under 1/4") which if it was painted with a proper pinstripe paintbrush would be about right.

Trouble is in 1/14 scale, that makes it somewhere in the region of 0.3-0.4mm thin.

I do have some 1mm pinstripe paper masking tape which is reasonably flexible, and i think i've seen some vinyl 0.7mm online but using that to mask the complex flame design will be a *****. Liquid mask is no help as i'd never be able to cut a consistent thickness pinstripe.

So, do i try and paint a 1mm pinstripe, leave it out altogether, or perhaps try and use some thin blue vinyl to tape the pinstripe?

Suggestions?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/50.JPG

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I'd pretty much dismissed the thought of printing them as decals. Compound curves aside, i'd never be able to get a printed blue flame to match the painted blue of the sleeper/cab. And its the reverse problem for the cab and sleeper flames. I'd never be able to print them in a red to match everything else. Would end up with the whole truck decalled.

And to make it worse, all the rivets and panel lines would lift the decal up, it wouldnt sit flat. Pretty sure printed decals dont like decal softening/setting solutions either.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I've been going through it in my head, and have come up with 2 ways to paint it:

Spray the light blue as a base, then put the 1mm tape over it, then spray red or blue as appropriate. Let it cure, then mask off that colour and spray the other, then peel it all.

Or, spray the light blue, mask off one colour along the light blue, and spray it. Once it cures, mask that colour and the 1mm pinstripe along with it, then spray the other colour.

Make sense?

Either will give the same end result in terms of layers, but it comes down to how evenly i can mask and trim the pinstripe in the 2nd method. The 1st will give a more even line i think. 2nd way also risks scoring the surface as i trim tape.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I'm not much of a painter, but maybe you could use Testors's enamel paint markers, if the tips are fine enough? They've got close to the right color available -

http://www.testors.com/category/4583..._Paint_Markers

Masking would be a pain, but perhaps the best way to do the job. I think the flames would look a little bland without the pin stripe.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

You know if you don't add that pin stripe you are always going to wish you did...practice on something else first but go for it...

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Ha, i know. Gonna spray a bit of scrap styrene, see how it turns out.
Can make sure the colours come out how i want them too.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Well, the hood extension is all finished, sanded and primed. Also relocated the sleeper mounting point from the sides to the rear, will hide the screws that way. Also after all the paint removal, sanding, priming etc the windscreen frame was looking thin so re-styrened that too.

Did a test fit of the body and fenders, starting to look the part now!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/61.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/62.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/63.JPG

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Wow, Bob! That cab and sleeper are looking flawless! Great work with the body. I like that you relocated the mounting holes.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Thanks Esp, many rounds of putty/sanding/priming/sanding/putty/sanding/priming/sanding to get it that good. Filling every pit and scratch i could find.

Will give the whole thing a 600/800ish sanding before it gets any proper paint. Going to do a test paint on a bit of spare styrene first though.

Next up i'll be fitting the steps, tanks, and toolboxes, obviously needed the body extended and ready so i can get placement right.
Need to trim 10-15mm off the rear end of the chassis rails before mounting the light plate too.

I suppose i better start soldering up some LEDs soon too.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I think you did an amazing job on the extended hood, and all your custom body work . I love the front fenders. I'm very impressed with the amount of detail your putting into it. But I do see one big problem that in my opinion is overlooked by a lot of people when the do peterbilts builds. The height ans shape of the sleeper and cab roof. The cab and sleeper roof are supposed to be the same height, and more rounded. The way the king hauler sleeper sits way higher then the cab and is so boxy up top drives me crazy. Please dont take offense to my comments, I just see the lengths of detail your aiming for, I would hate to see you over look this. But like I said, this thing looks great already.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Hey Brick, actually i had noticed it, but its one of those things i decided not to adjust. Mostly its an effort vs result thing.

Looking at the reference pics, the sleeper cab should still be a bit taller than the sleeper, sort of the rounded top of the sleeper starting at the height of the roof. But yes the top isnt as flat as the KH roof.

In scale, the KH roof would need to be dropped about 2-3mm, and the middle of the roof built up with putty to give the more curved look. The 2-3mm drop would be simple, but the puttying and curving would be difficult to keep even, consistent and the same side to side. Plus the actual curve of the top of the sleeper would need tweaking too. Basically rebuilding the sleeper roof, but in a way that would be a real B!tch to keep even and consistent.

In the end i decided its one of those things that i'd probably not be able to do to my own satisfaction, and realistically the difference would be almost unnoticable to anyone not specifically looking for it.

But now you've made me think more about it it'll bug me if i leave it lol

I might not re-do the curve, but i think i will drop the roof a bit.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Incidentally, i was asked in pm how i did a cut so evenly, and scribed the lines for the door trim.
I used a scribing tool made by Trumpeter. Cost about $5, and will scribe a nice neat square line, not quite 1mm thick. Several passes will basically cut through the plastic leaving a nice neat line.

http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/36077.html

http://www.hobbyeasy.com/upload/supp...4/TRU09912.jpg

There are several others as well, tip and handle design, but this one does the job just fine for me.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

So that's the tool, Bob? I was wondering about it as well, but I never asked. Did you trace, or free hand the radii in the corners of the doors?

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

They were done with a compass cutter like this. Should be able to get one at any decent stationary or craft shop.

Basically like a regular drawing compass but with a blade instead of a pencil. I turned the blade around so the square side would scribe instead of cut.

http://www.blackrocktools.com/media/.../c/m/cmp-1.jpg

Also came in mighty handy cutting the circles out for the rear fenders.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Very cool use of tools, thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see paint on it.