TOPIC:

Gorgeous museum. I would like to have glassed shelves like yours Jonny. Only a little bit more.

One of the threads I've not seen before.

Nice work Jonny

I'm using my old PSU to power up my charger and the ledstrip on my work bench.
But seems it shorts out when using anything other than 12v, so think several leads with the same color actually sends different voltage, that in turns short out the PSU.
Still works fine tho.

I fitted a resistor make it go

Jonny wrote:

... obviously some replacement work is needed, but I'm also wondering if it's possible to hide some shorter strips in a near-scale looking way for the "garage" diorama ...

Your LEDs might last longer if they are fitted with heatsinks. There are lots of aluminium extrusions designed specifically for this and these might do for the diorama too.
Alternatively for a scale look, what about frosted perspex rods/tubes with a single 3mm LED at the ends for fluorescent tubes? The flickering would be realistic in this case!

Thanks, I'll look into that

AWESOME!!
Fantastic display

Got most of the way through the left unit, adjusting shelf positions for my collection as it stands now, and fitting all new LED strips to the L-shape aluminium forms I bought to do this the first time around but took an age to arrive. The bottom glazing panel has been missing for some time - I originally used 2mm acrylic sheet & that one broke quite spectacularly considering it was just the plastic handle of a pair of grabbers that fell against it.

There is a local plastic "specialist" not too far from me, but it's awkward to get to, never has quite what you want, and is always expensive, so although I'd rather have something today & get it done, I've bought online this time.

I wanted to upgrade to polycarbonate, but the size is a bit big for sending through the post so that really cuts down on potential suppliers. The first one wanted 33 GBP for a genuine Lexan 1.5mm sheet, fair enough but a bit thin, plus they would send it rolled up (!) & it had a delivery date in June.

I looked at PETG sheet instead, cheaper & not quite as tough, but in the end went for a 2mm generic polycarbonate sheet - same 33 GBP but they would also cut to size & gave a delivery date early to mid next week


I had planned to write up something along the lines of "MYO Display Case on the Cheap", but by the time you've bought the shelving units, sealing strip, wood for the surrounds, tape, lighting, wiring etc, and especially the glazing, spending a few hundred quid at Ikea looks a better idea

Martin wrote:

...Your LEDs might last longer if they are fitted with heatsinks. There are lots of aluminium extrusions designed specifically for this and these might do for the diorama too....

I looked at the costs of this (13 GBP for 2M of profile with frosted insert (ok), plus 17 GBP for the plastic end caps ()) I was a bit put off TBH, but having made up & fitted some new LED runs on basic aluminium L- forms & found they do seem to run cooler, this could be the way to go - even if the ....I'm spamming.... mark up on the cost to make the end caps will smart a bit.

Also been working on layout, and what needs to go; this is how things stand at the minute, unfinished:





First thought is that the introduction of Wild Willys into my scale garage spoils it (as do those silly overscale ramps) so the rusty non-SRB beetle will move in instead.

Second thought is that the Willy setup above has potential - obviously needs walls, ceiling, floor & other bits (tyre bead breaker, balancer, 2 post (probably 4 post if I'm honest, so it doesn't fall over) lift, cheese plant, etc).

3rd thought - not at all sure about the RC10, I appreciate the engineering but perhaps I should just cut my losses & sell for what I can get for it, rather than worrying about getting my money back, my focus really has narrowed to older, hard-bodied Tamiya vehicles & scratchbuilds.

4th - not sure about where the CMP truck will go, still unsure about it as despite putting some stripes on to brighten it up, I still have very little interest in it. The combine will go (I think) in that vacant space, the Clod is going to me a donor for a tractor project than can go back up on top of the Ikea cabinet when done.






On a similar note, moving things about means that most of the leftovers have ended up on what I'm tentatively calling "The Wall of Marginal Utility": stuff that ought to go to make space/pay next months credit card bill, but that's really cutting into stuff I'd rather keep.

From the far end:
* DT-02 Grasshopper - not my idea, but I did spend time re-doing/improving it. Been driven once since that;
* Blue vintage Fox - re-re hammered the value on the vintage cars, I suspect I would barely get back what I paid for the (vintage) body set & period Tamiya front rollbar, never been driven since restoration;
* Black vintage Fox - ditto on value, been driven once since resto;
* vintage Frog - too many of these about to hold much value - even if I did spend a lot on restoration, never been driven (since resto);
* dark(er) vintage Bigwig, somewhat "modified" to accomodate brushless motor/ESC, driven twice since resto/mod, re-re has hammered value of less than perfect examples;
* 2nd vintage Bigwig; has a little more value a more original with technigold, been driven once since resto;
* re-re Hotshot, driven maybe 3 times since build, lots about affects value;
* March BMW, never driven since resto, damaged original front bumper (& GRP replacement) affect value, but i'd never get back the cost of a new replacement, if I could find one;
* re-re Brat - driven twice since build, I'm inclined to fit the (blue) Lexan body & take the hit on price, keeping the red ABS body in case I ever get around to making the "5th SRB";
* vintage Pajero wheelie - driven once since rebuild (can't really call it a restoration, it's one of the first cars I did, so it's a bit basic) - in some ways I'd like to keep it as there is an article/guide out there about making a hard back for it to replicate later Dakar cars, these never had a lot of value, the re-re/re-hash hit the value of less than perfect cars even further.

TL;DR - cars cost me X+ 2X or 3X to get to this standard, likely sale price X/0.75 or worse, what happens if I change my mind later on a want to replace?





This isn't even the end of it - I have a rather abused (but with new body) FF-01 and TA-03F that I haven't touched in years, plus a Lunchbox and a Pumpkin covered in dust (but the gearbox & wheels might be the basis for a project), plus two Holiday Buggys and a Bruiser to find shelf space for. TBH I'm struggling so much with around 40 cars (and wanting to reduce to 25), I wonder how on earth I coped when the number was 100+

Mixed progress on this, replacement polycarbonate sheet arrived (precut to size) so got that installed; cut a thin MDF board to extend the right hand unit top & have got the combine installed - with about 30mm between the topmost point & the ceiling Still have to re-do the top lights.

On the minus side, the sellers of the decent quality, surface mount aluminium form & expensive end caps sent me some nasty thin, shallow recess profile & cover strip of very poor quality, rattling about unprotected in a silly oversized tube, and end caps that again were nothing like those I ordered.

Some (non-LED specific) U section is now on its way from elsewhere - I'll make my own end caps & covers

Edited to add - at 1/3 the cost

The foolishness continues - seller accepted the return of the end caps and aluminium profile, as they were originally dealt with as two separate payments (despite me adding both to basket and paying for them in one transaction, or so I thought) I got two return labels. The end caps have gone back in a jiffy bag, but the tube the profile came in was too long & the post office refused to take it on that service.

Tempting as it was to go home, saw everything in half & return it, denying all knowledge of how it got that way , instead I talked with an actual human being at eBay & they will contact the seller & give them a week to attempt to sort it out ...