Making tail lights?

[SCRWDRVR]

Anyone have any suggestions for a way to make a set of tail lights for this?

 

[BigTallDad]

Go to the scene of a car wreck and pick up some pieces of red (amber too) plastic; sand & polish for tail lights and parking lights.

[Can-Con]

The windshield from a '50s car might have the right curve to it on the ends. 

If you can find one with the right curve you could cut the lenses from it and paint them with clear red paint.

[SCRWDRVR]

4 minutes ago, BigTallDad said:

Go to the scene of a car wreck and pick up some pieces of red (amber too) plastic; sand & polish for tail lights and parking lights.

 

1 minute ago, Can-Con said:

The windshield from a '50s car might have the right curve to it on the ends. 

If you can find one with the right curve you could cut the lenses from it and paint them with clear red paint.

Both very good options, I'll have to stop next time I see a broke tail light on the road, I'll start digging in the window box now

[Brutalform]

Possibly a plastic drinking straw, cut to fit, painted silver, with some “stop light” red paint. 

[89AKurt]

Here is the hard way....
Make a pattern, I used Corian because it shapes easy and is resistant to heat (can bend metal sheet, say a soup can for example).  Profile should be the back, my mistake was outside profile.  Use a parts box windshield, heat over your range to get it soft (hold with pliers), then slap on the form.  The piece should be much larger, then pick the best section, saw cut (don't use a knife), sand edges to final shape.  You could do aftermarket "Alteza" style lights too, they are clear lens with round red lights.
If you aren't a sadomasochist, then ignore this. ?

[SCRWDRVR]

18 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

Possibly a plastic drinking straw, cut to fit, painted silver, with some “stop light” red paint. 

Hmmmmm, possible, that gives me an idea though. I wonder is there is a soda bottle thats red? Dr. Pepper is to dark...

 

8 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Here is the hard way....
Make a pattern, I used Corian because it shapes easy and is resistant to heat (can bend metal sheet, say a soup can for example).  Profile should be the back, my mistake was outside profile.  Use a parts box windshield, heat over your range to get it soft (hold with pliers), then slap on the form.  The piece should be much larger, then pick the best section, saw cut (don't use a knife), sand edges to final shape.  You could do aftermarket "Alteza" style lights too, they are clear lens with round red lights.
If you aren't a sadomasochist, then ignore this. ?

 

I like the Alteza tail light idea, that's a good alternative and makes for much more leave way....

[Snake45]

Keep your eyes open for all the vac-formed food and "bubble" packaging that comes your way. Sooner or later you might find one with corners of just the radius you need. Cut your taillights from this plastic, then color it with either Model Master Clear Red Acryl or (I'm not kidding) a red Sharpie (on both sides). 

I made the missing right taillight for this glue bomb rescue Elky from a Walmart blueberry container (just folded the plastic) colored with red Sharpie. It actually fits and looks better than the kit part on the left. 

 

[paul alflen]

how about using section  from a  clear red tooth brush from the dollar store . right color, right contour , cheap enough, just cut to fit and polish, polish, polish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NOBLNG]

Line the recess with scotch tape or similar thin tape. Fill the void with bondic (this could be done in a couple stages to keep it from running?) and then color as per Richards idea. The tape will hopefully keep it from sticking to the plastic.

[SCRWDRVR]

All great ideas, I’ll get one of them to work that’s for sure...

[larry ray]

I save all clear red plastic that I come across The Top from deodorant ballon sticks or what ever.

[SCRWDRVR]

4 hours ago, larry ray said:

I save all clear red plastic that I come across The Top from deodorant ballon sticks or what ever.

I never really thought about it before but you can bet I will from now on...

[Russell C]

On 11/13/2019 at 2:34 PM, SCRWDRVR said:

Anyone have any suggestions for a way to make a set of tail lights for this?

What is that, though? A 24th or 25th scale, or one of those larger scale diecasts? I've got a set of two clear lenses (where of course the small backup lens area is left unpainted) from one of the GM truck kits or the Blazer / Jimmy, but those are firmly earmarked for my own GMC Jimmy project. Not that I discourage scratchbuilding, but somebody else may have the lenses rattling around in a parts box ......

[SCRWDRVR]

4 minutes ago, Russell C said:

What is that, though? A 24th or 25th scale, or one of those larger scale diecasts? I've got a set of two clear lenses (where of course the small backup lens area is left unpainted) from one of the GM truck kits or the Blazer / Jimmy, but those are firmly earmarked for my own GMC Jimmy project. Not that I discourage scratchbuilding, but somebody else may have the lenses rattling around in a parts box ......

It is this kit and it's 1/24th

[Russell C]

Should look like this, then, for the Monogram kits. Still not sure which kit mfg'er I'll choose for my '76 GMC factory stock project, but I remember that the taillight lenses in the MPC gluebomb I got really seemed not to have the proper curve to them. More sharply L-shaped. Hard to see, but these lenses have tiny raised ribs around the backup lens part, and itty-bitty dots in the corners for the mounting screws. I don't care for the kit locating nubs on the back sides, they look like giant gas bubbles, so those will be sliced out for my project.

[SCRWDRVR]

1 hour ago, Russell C said:

Should look like this, then, for the Monogram kits. Still not sure which kit mfg'er I'll choose for my '76 GMC factory stock project, but I remember that the taillight lenses in the MPC gluebomb I got really seemed not to have the proper curve to them. More sharply L-shaped. Hard to see, but these lenses have tiny raised ribs around the backup lens part, and itty-bitty dots in the corners for the mounting screws. I don't care for the kit locating nubs on the back sides, they look like giant gas bubbles, so those will be sliced out for my project.

Looks about right, I think this kit they were red plastic but that's an easy change for them to change in each carnation of the kit...

[Foxer]

I made some tail lights for a 50 Mercury that might work for you. I had cut out the lights to form the same shape as the body curve. I put some tape across the outside and added Bondic light-curing plastic from the inside to form the lens. The lens was then tinted with a red sharpie.  This build page shows how I did it.

 

[oldnslow]

You could use a transparent red toothbrush handle and file it to shape and polish it .

[Greg Myers]

On 11/14/2019 at 8:27 AM, paul alflen said:

how about using section  from a  clear red tooth brush from the dollar store . right color, right contour , cheap enough, just cut to fit and polish, polish, polish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go to the bar often ? Swizzle sticks used to stir drinks

[SCRWDRVR]

5 hours ago, Greg Myers said:

Go to the bar often ? Swizzle sticks used to stir drinks

I don't go to the bar often but that's a good idea...

[djflyer]

Clear round acrylic push pins can be another source.  You can get them in colors including red, or clear only then paint them with a transparent paint like Tamiya clear red or yellow.  They can be chucked in a pin vise and then turned to the desired size/shape.  Bonus is the attached pin can double as the bulb is some cases (or be removed if carefully done),

[SCRWDRVR]

3 hours ago, djflyer said:

Clear round acrylic push pins can be another source.  You can get them in colors including red, or clear only then paint them with a transparent paint like Tamiya clear red or yellow.  They can be chucked in a pin vise and then turned to the desired size/shape.  Bonus is the attached pin can double as the bulb is some cases (or be removed if carefully done),

Interesting idea.... that would be great on round lights...

[slusher]

Get some red tabs that go on top of file folder or in note books. They are flexible and can be cut with scissors. You can put bare metal foil on them before you cut to fit. Can be found at Walmart...

[SCRWDRVR]

7 hours ago, slusher said:

Get some red tabs that go on top of file folder or in note books. They are flexible and can be cut with scissors. You can put bare metal foil on them before you cut to fit. Can be found at Walmart...

I like that, very simple doing it too. Nice...