BLMA Gon Modifications

[tom mann]

So I wanted a gon that was bowed as a result of years of hard use.  One thing you can do with the BLMA gon (and the ESM gon) is to pry off the sides and reposition them.  I heated them up in hot water to get them flexible, and then glued them back down a little lower in the middle.  I had trouble getting them to stay put, so I used an old drill bit to "pin" the middle of the sides in one place.  I admit this looks ugly:



The end result is something like so:



If I had to do it over, I would go for a little more drop.

A quick repaint and some SP decals later (like 3 years later):



And I seem to have lost a brakewheel, so this is still on the workbench!

[Dave V]

Tom,

These don't have brakewheels...  It's the brake lever in your picture.  It's still intact.

To wit, the overhead photo of my two BLMA gons:

[tom mann]

These don't have brakewheels...  It's the brake lever in your picture.  It's still intact.

What a relief!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think the amount of sway to the back is perfect. Subtle, yet effective.

[Catt]

The ol girl looks like she earned her keep. I like it.

[Denver Road Doug]

Awesome.   Thank you for sharing the pics and ideas.   It's a beautiful model.   As I was coming into work this morning I swear I saw that exact car in a UP train.  Didn't have the circle logo but otherwise it was just as beat up and bent up.   

[chicken45]

So how does one make the bulge in the pants panels?

You know...if your book ever got a sequel, I know at least one person who would buy it.
Seriously, I learned more in your 40 pages then I did in 3 years of MR.

[tom mann]

So how does one make the bulge in the pants panels?

There was a guy here a few years back, name of @Red Rock.  He had the idea to use super glue to build up layers to make "faux bulges".  A few drops at a time, let it dry, and then lightly sand.  Sounds easier than it is to do.

You know...if your book ever got a sequel, I know at least one person who would buy it.
Seriously, I learned more in your 40 pages then I did in 3 years of MR.

Thanks, good to hear.

[chicken45]

Did you use a soldier iron at all for those dips in the top of the frame?

[tom mann]

Did you use a soldier iron at all for those dips in the top of the frame?

I don't think so- as I recall, the hot water was good enough.

[chicken45]

What does hot water and bending that do to the paint job? Did you strip the car, add the glue bulges, paint, decal, and weather?

Can you divulge your secrets of your work in the ESM Sovereign Modeler Series G26?

[tom mann]

What does hot water and bending that do to the paint job? Did you strip the car, add the glue bulges, paint, decal, and weather?

Can you divulge your secrets of your work in the ESM Sovereign Modeler Series G26?

Yes, the original paint is buried in there somewhere.

As I recall, the ESM cars have slightly thinner sides so they could be "pushed" out using a variety of tools - like rounded point tweezers.

[chicken45]

How do you get those little flecks and flakes of flatish texture on the sides?

[John]

How do you get those little flecks and flakes of flatish texture on the sides?

why is there a drill bit buried in there?

[davefoxx]

John,

If I remember correctly, Tom had a floor that was extremely bowed, and he used the drill bit to "pin" it back into place.

DFF