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Nikko85

Bodyshell material

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I want to make a 1/14 scale Lunchbox body for a car from scratch. Ideally I'd make a net and then glue, rivet or tape into the correct shape. I'm going for the LB because it's very simple shape, and Tamiya never made a LB QD.

Has anyone done this?

Does anyone know a material that might work? Ideally some sort of plastic which is rigid like thick cardboard, but can be bent to a crease. Correx perhaps, but I can't see that bending against the grain, so to speak. Cardboard could be an option perhaps? 

I don't have much machining ability so it couldn't be aluminium or anything too fancy.

Thanks,

Andrew

 

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Plasticard, otherwise known as styrene sheet.  It is made exactly for this purpose.  Comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses.  Most hobby shops sell it in A4 size (or thereabouts), you can get A3 online.  I've got some 0.5mm which is very bendy and forms to shape easily, up to 3mm which is very rigid.  Can be cut with a scalpel like Lexan - score then fold to snap.  Thinner bits can be cut with scissors.

If you rough up the surfaces then it glues very well with regular modelling glue.  You won't need a net former if you build it with structural rigidity in mind.  I tend to use some square section styrene bar (Evergreen Plastics is a popular brand in the UK) for joining right-angle edges.

This video from RC Car Action gives a good example of what's possible if you put your mind to it - I don't usually go that far with my stuff :o 

https://www.rccaraction.com/scratch-build-styrene-video

 

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The normal choice is white styrene sheet, usually .040 inch / 1mm thickness. It's cheap, widely available (find a plastics shop, don't buy the little packages from Evergreen or Plastruct) and easy to work with.

Another choice would be expanded PVC sheet, sold under the trade names Sintra or Komacel. Available in thicknesses from 2mm up to 19mm, you can either heat-bend it to shape, or use thick slabs and carve it like wood.

Some good info, and tips & tricks, here: https://scalebuildersguild.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?246-THE-BODY-SHOP

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2mm  styrene sheets? I`ve managed decent results by scoring and bending. I have even manged one or two decent rolled corners using a lighter to warm and a bit of copper pipe out the van to use as a former

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I've used plastic card for a lot of mods and builds . Here is an example of some fabrication from using different thicknesses of card , it can be heat bent and shaped too :-

From this in pic 1  - to this in pics 2 and 3

 

P1240005.JPG

P3110002.JPG

P3110001.JPG

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thanks all.  

I was bored today so tried one out of cardboard, just a bit of fun, but I'll use styrene as suggested.

Don't mine it being thin and then braced.

16154977924478936587590663363009.jpg

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That's awesome :D

I'd call it a Box Standard 

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9 minutes ago, Mad Ax said:

That's awesome :D

I'd call it a Box Standard 

Or ' the box your Lunch came in '.

Looks good .

When you build it from plastic you can build up the inside roof and rear door corner lines and then rub down the sharp outside corners to 'round' it in like the actual LB body for a smoother look

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It is far too wide, as I was following the size of the box, but it's a fun experiment.

It's double layered and pretty sturdy, so might actually work.

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9 hours ago, markbt73 said:

Nice! Just needs a UPS logo on the side.

or HDS, with an Ace Ventura mini figure

"HDS comin' thru, got a package, people!"

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Well this morning it got cut in half, trimmed and stuck back together. Much better size.

This is just a model before I make the real thing, but  I like the look.

16155403044892160623040002291259.thumb.jpg.2a276e25135631db306f5baac22d5255.jpg

 

The box is from Oddbox, a UK  fruit and veg subscription company so I might use their livery.

It really does look like a mini lunchbox now! 

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1 hour ago, Mad Ax said:

or HDS, with an Ace Ventura mini figure

"HDS comin' thru, got a package, people!"

My all time fav film !! - alrighty then !!

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43 minutes ago, Nikko85 said:

Well this morning it got cut in half, trimmed and stuck back together. Much better size.

This is just a model before I make the real thing, but  I like the look.

16155403044892160623040002291259.thumb.jpg.2a276e25135631db306f5baac22d5255.jpg

 

The box is from Oddbox, a UK  fruit and veg subscription company so I might use their livery.

It really does look like a mini lunchbox now! 

Cardboard templates are always good for a lot of fabrication jobs

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All done now. Will survive a few trips to park I guess. Edgar is the cat btw. I might make a little driver for it (as a cat).

I might fill it with dreamies and see if he'll chase it.

16155544372271001302158246039957.jpg

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