Opening Doors and Panel Lines | For opening doors, or any panel, try this one: Using a small, round Moto-Tool cutting bit, grind away plastic from the inside of the body following the panel lines as closely as possible. Do this until the plastic left is not quite thin enough to remove the panel. Now follow the panel line with the back of an X-Acto blade till the panel is free. This makes the work quicker and easier than doing it with only a blade, and lessens the chances of a sliced finger. It also leaves the removed panel with much thinner edges that look much more in scale than thick panels. For cars with internal door hinges, try MAS (Machined Aluminum Specialties, 10177 S. Byron Rd., Byron, Mi. 48418). They make a very nice photo-etch hinge kit, can build 2 different styles with it. For cars with exposed hinges (through '48), try doll house door hinges, they can get very small, and look in-scale when peeking thru the body. The hinges are normally brass, no need to worry about breakage. Doll house caster wheels for beds, etc. make very nice wheelie bar wheels as well. They come on brackets that also look very in-scale, and are normally brass...Vince Bayarinas |
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Improving
"Hinges" On Early Fords
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Ed
Fluck passed this cool little idea along. It's a technique he
employed on a '39 Ford Coupe, but it could just as readily be
used for many early Fords. Ed wrote:
As usual, I found something I couldn't live with! I had to make
the door hinges look more realistic, without going overboard.
I sanded off the lower hinges, and carefully removed the upper
hinges with a fresh X-Acto blade. Then, I drilled them out to
make a little slot for the new "hinges" to slide into.
I just shaped a piece of Evergreen strip with some files to he
correct profile--or close to it. I didn't notethe exact size I
used, since it was a scrap piece left over from another project.
Simply find something that is close to the size of the molded
on hinges. I think these look much better than the ones that were
molded into the body...Ed Fluck, Jr.
We
agree, Ed. That's a pretty big payoff for relatively little work!
Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Rivets
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The
question arose about how to create rivets for our models. Several
methods were posted by different members. Here they are. Experiment,
and see which method you prefer.
1)
Sharpen a toothpick to the necessary size. Shake up a bottle
of Testors aluminum. Dip the toothpick in the bottle cap,
and blot it one time and then print the "dot" on the object to
be "riveted". Try it on scrap first to see if you are happy
with the result. Repeat the process the same way for every
rivet. Watch out for paint buildup on the sides of the toothpick
which will make the rivets get bigger around. After the
dots have dried, use a .005 drafting pen to put a speck in the
center of each dot. They'll look like pop rivets!
As always, practice first. Good luck!...Jay Moody.
2)
How about the old trick using a mechanical pencil and Bare
Metal foil? Where you use a .05mm mechanical pencil (with
the lead retracted) to punch a little dot out of the Bare Metal,
and then push the lead forward to eject the dot and attach it
to the model (also leaving a little dot from the lead in the center)...Mark
Brown
3)
I guess I'll throw my two cents worth into this subject.
On the dragsters and funny cars I have crewed on, the windscreens
or windshields were mounted with 10-32 countersunk phillips head
screws. What I do, is use a .016 drill bit (to mark the position,
and retain a consistent diameter), and rotate the drill 3 to 4
revolutions, just to create an indentation of the diameter of
the drill. Now, when you apply a dot of paint it remains in the
drilled area. Practice on a piece of scrap first to get the feel...Riceman
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Tonneau Snaps | | Since many race cars feature snaps to hold down tonneau covers, I needed a method to create them in scale. Beginning with a 1" length of 1/16" brass tubing, I sharpened the inside edge of one end to create a punch, which I used to punch small disks from aluminum duct tape. Since the tubing is sharpened on the inside edge, as it punches through the tape, it pushes the disks into a slightly domed disk, which nicely replicates the look of a tonneau snap. They look great! Give it a try the next time you need to replicate snaps...Dan Himmel |
Ny-Ties |
| Ny-Ties
or Zip-Ties can easily be replicated using monofilament fishing
line. Simply heat the end of a length lightly and flatten it between
your thumb and forefinger, before it cools. Once it's flattened,
use a straight pin or sewing needle to poke a hole in the flattened
end. Wrap the monofilament around the objects to be tied (in the
photo to the left, the yellow circle indicates a tie on the fuel
lines), push the opposite end through the hole, snug the line and
super glue the line at the hole. The pictured engine also has Zip-Ties
on the plug wires. They're simple to make, once you've got the hang
of making them, and, they add much character to any assembly they're
used on...Dan Himmel |
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Zolatone&Vinyl Tops-Paint as Texture
| | Zolatone was a common paint application for race car interiors in the sixties and early seventies. What does Zolatone have in common with vinyl tops, you ask? Both can be simulated using the same simple technique. Basically all that’s involved is misting on coats of paint from a distance.
First, to replicate Zolatone (above), spray a base coat to provide good coverage. In this case, I used automotive primer, and would suggest using flat colors anytime you’re replicating Zolatone. After the base coat is applied (it doesn’t have to be drier than “to the touch”), mist on a light coat from a distance (twelve inches or more--experiment on scrap until the desired effect is achieved), so that the paint partially dries before it reaches the surface of the model. Now, mist on one or two more colors from a distance (again, experiment--different paints dry at different rates) to achieve a rough, mottled surface. This technique, once mastered, produces a very convincing finish. Check out their website at: http://www.zolatoneaim.com or check the image below for their color combinations. | | | Sometimes, when replicating or constructing stock-bodied racers, it may be necessary to to create a vinyl top. That can be easily accomplished by using the technique detailed above with two simple changes. First, use a semi-gloss paint as a base coat. Follow the base with a mist of the same color, and move in a little closer in order to create a less coarse finish (see below). Once those two applications have dried, topcoat it with the same color. These descriptions are simplified, so always experiment! Also remember to add the chrome spears that separate the top from the rest of the body, and the seams in the top itself (the seams are easily replicated using thin tape or Bare Metal Foil)...Dan Himmel | |
Figures | | The figure in the pic shows that with correct placement, you don't need to paint the face that elaborately! However, a few little details will help. Note the "opened" pockets...use a hobby knife to open the pockets up some, to add some dimension to the area. Paint the interior of the pocket with a darker shade of the pants color. I built up a wallet in the pocket. I added a small piece of sheet styrene to make the wallet, then made the top of the pocket open, a bit. I added a watch, salami-sliced some styrene rod, used styrene (.005"x.030") strip for the band. Scribed some points on the watch face with a dental pick, then applied a wash of black to reveal the etchings. The shoes are a bit scuffed on the bottom, but that doesn't show too well. I used a bright flash to get details to show, so I DID dullcoat the figure, it just doesn't look it. I undercut the shirt where it meets the waistline of the pants, again to give a bit of dimension. I did the same with the shirt collar. I cut off the shoe, and thinned the pant cuff some, then re-attached the shoe. So, using flat paints, some knife blades, and some imagination, I had a figure in no time! See, not all figures will be facing the viewing angle. | Here's another good trick. Cut off the shoes, and thin the cuff material to give an open look. Then, drill a hole in the shoe and up in the leg. Use .040" rod to attach the shoe to the figure. A mechanical joint is always best. Note how this gives a more lifelike effect to the figure, and still no face showing! I scuffed the shoe soles some, although it does not show well in the pic. I applied a wash of black to the show laces, again, to give a dimensional effect. Sorry about the blurry pic! Here's the same technique of cutting off a limb, and hollowing and thinning the cuff material. This time, it's the T-shirt.I made the welting on the collar with some .010" rod, applied some Testors Liquid Cement to the rod, and mashed it down with a hobby knife blade. I then carefully (!) cut under the rod/welt (after it was dry) and gave the area a wash of black. Note the ragged sleeve cuff...Dave Pye | | |
Drybrushing and Washes | When I drybrush, I always use Testor's bottle paint, and it is very rare that I ever thin it at all. A
cool trick-- when painting the interior, after you paint the seats, mix up a little batch of a lighter
shade of the basic color, and drybrush the seats. It adds a great deal of realism. I also use my
fingertips to rub the paint afterwards-- gives it a nice shine like leather or vinyl. For washes, I generally prefer to use water-based inks, but I've also never had any problems using
thinned-down Testors, as long as the paint beneath is completely dry. For me, the ideal mix is really
thin-- I once read that it should look like tinted thinner, not thinned paint. With water based paint, adding a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid will help the workability of the wash and keep it all from sliding down to just the low spots...Tim Emsweiler |
Replicating Duct Tape | Yet another tip involving the use of paint comes from Flyin Phil:
This has been discussed both on and off site. I believe the foil will be almost too (scale) thick.
I needed to put duct tape on a seat of a beater towcar for the dio. I tried painting cheap masking tape; Not bad but...
The most satisfying look so far has been masking AROUND the space that I want to look like duct tape and painting the remaining space with flat aluminum paint. When the masking tape is picked up, the remaining thickness of paint looks pretty close...Flyin’
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Guitar
Strings
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Our
friend Chris "Cap" Capucini asked how to replicate all-thread--that
long, threaded rod that is commonly used in mechanical applications.
I suggested guitar strings. Jack Smith added the following:
Guitar
strings come in silver color (usually some kind of nickel) or
gold (some sort of bronze) and they come gauged so figure out
what you need for size. Find any semi-serious guitar player or
go to a local luthier or guitar shop and they should have a ton
of pieces of strings (new and used) laying around. The extra string
that is cut off when installing a set is a lot for hobby use.
I have shitloads of them and usually restring weekly if you need
them. They're also really good to use to pin things together because
the threads help hold the glue in along with the friction against
the plastic they're sunk in to...Jack Smith
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