Any helpful techniques other than taking some other kit's clear parts? I couldn't think of any creative ways to scratch-build an oval headlight part. Let me know. Thanks in advance.
(Image posted for discussion and educational purposes only)
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Making headlights
Petition2God
Joined: February 06, 2002
KitMaker: 1,526 posts
Armorama: 1,294 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 09:28 AM UTC
I was putting together the old 1/35 Tamiya M151A2 Mutt kit and wanted to get some advice on how to solve the no clear plastic part for headlights issue.
Any helpful techniques other than taking some other kit's clear parts? I couldn't think of any creative ways to scratch-build an oval headlight part. Let me know. Thanks in advance.
(Image posted for discussion and educational purposes only)
Any helpful techniques other than taking some other kit's clear parts? I couldn't think of any creative ways to scratch-build an oval headlight part. Let me know. Thanks in advance.
(Image posted for discussion and educational purposes only)
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 09:50 AM UTC
There are a couple methods. One is to drill out the opening, but not all the way through so you have a depresion or bowl-shaped hollow. Paint the interior part chrome silver. At this point, yo have a couple options. SOme companies sell clear lenses in different sizes. Measure your opening and buy the correctly sized ones to fit. Another option is to fill the depression with clear resin. Drop a bit of resin in and build it up until forms a mound on top so it looks like the rounded headlight.
Here is how the resin method comes out.
Good luck.
Here is how the resin method comes out.
Good luck.
JohnLam
Joined: August 11, 2010
KitMaker: 3 posts
Armorama: 2 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 10:01 AM UTC
There are several after market parts for lens. The best known is probably MV Lens, they make them in quite a number of sizes and were originally made for the railroad modeler. I find that a number of them are useful in cases such as these. They do have some in rather large sizes so you should check to see what matches. First either with a dremel tool (if you have one) grind out the plastic where the lense go or the old fashion manual way with a xacto knife followed by a curved chisel and make a scalloped portion to the kit part to fit the lens. Good luck!
thathaway3
Joined: September 10, 2004
KitMaker: 1,610 posts
Armorama: 684 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 01:09 PM UTC
The kits used to make houses for model railroad layouts also have clear plastic for the windows and most often have some left over which can be ground to the correct shape.
I like to use a piece of aluminum foil as a backing to the lens. That also works pretty good as a rear view mirror as well.
I like to use a piece of aluminum foil as a backing to the lens. That also works pretty good as a rear view mirror as well.
redleg12
Joined: March 11, 2007
KitMaker: 872 posts
Armorama: 831 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 12:05 AM UTC
As you can see there are a couple of different ways to go. It really depends on what you may want to spend $$ and how much time you want to spend. I prefer the MV lenses method, for me it is faster and consistant but I hane also used the clear resin with good results.
Rounds Complete!!
Rounds Complete!!
Petition2God
Joined: February 06, 2002
KitMaker: 1,526 posts
Armorama: 1,294 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 03:12 AM UTC
Thanks guys for the advice. Doesn't sound like an easy task.. I will have to visit some hobby shops to figure it out.
Quoted Text
As you can see there are a couple of different ways to go. It really depends on what you may want to spend $$ and how much time you want to spend. I prefer the MV lenses method, for me it is faster and consistant but I hane also used the clear resin with good results.
Rounds Complete!!
Petition2God
Joined: February 06, 2002
KitMaker: 1,526 posts
Armorama: 1,294 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 03:54 PM UTC
Folks, I want to share this tip! OK, after years of trying to resolve this issue, I found a cheap and somewhat easy way tonight. The solution came from clear push pins!!
Step 1: Get clear push pins from your desk. I'm experimenting on Tamiya Landy.
Step 2: Pull out the metal pin with a plier then cut the top portion.
Step 3: Get your ordinary drill and insert the cut clear plastic part into where the drill bit goes in.
Step 4: Send the clear plastic to the desired diameter.
Step 5: Fit
Step 6: Cut and sand the clear plastic part then glue. Instead of painting the inside, I glued aluminum foil behind the headlights. The final result does not look as clean as I wanted but heck a lot better than silver paint on pink plastic.
Step 1: Get clear push pins from your desk. I'm experimenting on Tamiya Landy.
Step 2: Pull out the metal pin with a plier then cut the top portion.
Step 3: Get your ordinary drill and insert the cut clear plastic part into where the drill bit goes in.
Step 4: Send the clear plastic to the desired diameter.
Step 5: Fit
Step 6: Cut and sand the clear plastic part then glue. Instead of painting the inside, I glued aluminum foil behind the headlights. The final result does not look as clean as I wanted but heck a lot better than silver paint on pink plastic.
Dangeroo
#023
Joined: March 13, 2009
KitMaker: 2,058 posts
Armorama: 1,656 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 07:59 PM UTC
I use aluminum foil as a backing and then build up the lens with Micro Crystal Klear. Gives you a perfectly clear "lens" but also makes any mistakes made with the foil well visible, so be careful at that stage... This method also allows for the entire vehicle to be built and painted before you do the headlights, making masking unnecessary.
Cheers!
Stefan
Cheers!
Stefan
GeraldOwens
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 08:15 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I was putting together the old 1/35 Tamiya M151A2 Mutt kit and wanted to get some advice on how to solve the no clear plastic part for headlights issue.
Any helpful techniques other than taking some other kit's clear parts? I couldn't think of any creative ways to scratch-build an oval headlight part. Let me know. Thanks in advance.
(Image posted for discussion and educational purposes only)
Academy has revised their clone of Tamiya's old M151A2 kit, and it now includes clear headlights, solving the problem for future builds. They also opened the lightening holes in the wheel hubs, which looks better. This kit is quite cheap, so give it a thought before spending any major money on replacement parts.
One easy workaround with the older kit is to cover the headlight glass for "tactical reasons." Photos of US Jeeps in Grenada in 1983 show that the troops had covered over the headlights with strips of green plastic tape so reflections wouldn't give way their positions. No doubt troops also did so during some training exercises for the same reasons. You could simulate this with strips of green decal cut into narrow slivers, or with actual tape (if you can find some thin enough). The tape wasn't applied with any particular finesse--it overlapped onto the metal surround.
SdAufKla
Joined: May 07, 2010
KitMaker: 2,238 posts
Armorama: 2,158 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 - 12:13 AM UTC
Quoted Text
... One easy workaround with the older kit is to cover the headlight glass for "tactical reasons." Photos of US Jeeps in Grenada in 1983 show that the troops had covered over the headlights with strips of green plastic tape so reflections wouldn't give way their positions. No doubt troops also did so during some training exercises for the same reasons. You could simulate this with strips of green decal cut into narrow slivers, or with actual tape (if you can find some thin enough). The tape wasn't applied with any particular finesse--it overlapped onto the metal surround.
In our Scout Platoon in 2-6 INF, BBDE, we used pieces of green plastic sand bags to cover the 1/4 ton headlights. This was a driver's responsablity and took only about 5 minutes for both headlights. With a screwdriver the bezel ring was removed from the headlight, the piece of sand bag was wrapped around the lens and the bezel ring screwed back on.
We preferred that to using 100-mph (OD green duct tape) because the tape left a residue that was hard to clean off (for inspections) and the "tactical" sand bag treatment could be easily removed for highway convoys or night non-tactical movements and re-installed for tactical driving around the ol' LTA.
Petition2God
Joined: February 06, 2002
KitMaker: 1,526 posts
Armorama: 1,294 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 - 04:10 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Academy has revised their clone of Tamiya's old M151A2 kit, and it now includes clear headlights, solving the problem for future builds. They also opened the lightening holes in the wheel hubs, which looks better. This kit is quite cheap, so give it a thought before spending any major money on replacement parts.
One easy workaround with the older kit is to cover the headlight glass for "tactical reasons." Photos of US Jeeps in Grenada in 1983 show that the troops had covered over the headlights with strips of green plastic tape so reflections wouldn't give way their positions. No doubt troops also did so during some training exercises for the same reasons. You could simulate this with strips of green decal cut into narrow slivers, or with actual tape (if you can find some thin enough). The tape wasn't applied with any particular finesse--it overlapped onto the metal surround.
I already have both kits and am using the newly discovered method to update the Tamiya kit. Strip cover option- good suggestion.
Thanks Stefan on the info about Micro Klear.
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