97Dustang Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Looking for some input on how others do it. It seems that when i build a model, no matter how carefully i do it, or how i set it while the glue is drying, that the finished model wobbles because the suspension is slightly off. How do you guys keep everything square and level while building. Also i just finished my enzo build, and it wobbles quite a bit, whats the easiest way to fix this on a completed car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacoballardtattoo Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 This is a great question! I just finished my first build and found the exact same problem. I'm hope you and now we can find some good answers to this. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to find the answer before my next build, and I hope I can have enough self control to wait for my next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64SS350 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Maybe check before you start to see if the chassis base is true and flat, it could have a twist in it straight out of the box. If so, use some of the techniques discussed here to straighten it. Also check your suspension parts for the same issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 One thing that helps me is make sure everything fits befor you glue it. You would really be surprised what can throw a model off. I also take my time and let glue have time to dry. I let things sit sometimes hours to overnight. Build the suspension on the chassis then let it sit and work on the engine. Never force anything.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Also, using a piece of true plate glass helps! At each stage of a build, that allows one to see if all 4 wheels do indeed touch the surface. This problem can happen at any stage of a build, from assembling the front and rear suspensions, to a slightly warped chassis (you can check the chassis for "true" right there on that plate glass before you even add anything, and if there's a problem, a twist, take care of it right then, Then, assemble the suspension on--if there are brake drums or at least backng plates in the kit, test the chassis with suspension and those parts in place against the glass. The same goes with adding wheels and tires--check the assembly again for straight and true. And last, it's not a bad idea to test fit the body shell--many modern model car kits have bodies which fit tightly on and around the frame--make sure that nothing is interfering, and you might also check the body shell itself against the plate glass (the rocker panels should lay flat against the glass with all but a few subjects (due to their styling). It's also a good idea to test fit the body onto the chassis with the interior assembled in place--there could well be a bind here, or something sticking up there which can cause the entire car to twist slightly out of shape. Just some thoughts on this old issue--any of us who've built model cars for any period of time have experienced this. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_G Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I rotate the wheels around until all 4 touch, then glue 'em up solid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 an alternative to the glass plate i find helpful is a magnetic jig. there's all different recipes, but i have a sheet roughly 12" x 18" of 16 ga. galvanized metal contact cemented to two layers of 12 mm baltic birch plywood. because it was the most convenient source of magnets that day, i bought some single & double cabinet door magnetic catches and discarded the brackets. all types of washers, nuts, and other bits'n'bobs can be used for shims to get things where you want them before gluing. you can use slow setting epoxy ( 5 minute, 30 minute, overnight) or put things together dry and then adhere with touch & flow styrene or super glue. i've been know to put a sheet of wax paper down under the model so i have no cleanup woes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomicholiday Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 If the chassis does have a twist to it, how do you straighten it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 usually heat will do the trick. that can come from a lightbulb (not one of those silly fluorescents!), a dunk in hot water, or a swish from a hair blower. i've bent styrene with a heat gun, but too much and it curls and distorts so i am not advocating it. sometimes you will need to distort the chassis the same amount it's twisted but in the opposite direction as styrene seems to have a memory. if you do build a metal (magnetic) surface, you can weight the chassis in its intended position and then apply heat from source #1 or #3 above. number #2 might get a little messy. depending on the chassis style and amount of distortion, you might be able to make a relief cut, crank it back into shape, and then glue your cut back together. or make a cut and jamb a hunk of styrene into it and use it as a wedge. this would be in a location not visible on the finished product. obviously there will be six more replies telling you why none of these methods will work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomicholiday Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 obviously there will be six more replies telling you why none of these methods will work! That stuff will NEVER work! (just kidding) I'm gonna give either the light bulb or hair drying a shot pretty soon. My '59 Impala build doesn't sit level and I didn't notice until it I had the suspension on it. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 sometimes though, despite all your best efforts, one of the wheels just hangs up there in the air. i know because it happens on virtually all builds where i do not employ this technique. i will basically spend a lot of time with the otherwise finished model (permanently attaching the wheels almost dead last in the build process), gluing the wheels onto whatever they attach to, usually a stub axle of some sort. my basic technique usually is to get the model to sit flat on three wheels, eyeball engineering wise, and then if the fourth makes one of the other wheels lift off the ground, make the wheel hole of the still unattached wheel oblong with a file or dremel or something. then i use 5 minute epoxy (which i typically use on all four wheels because it gives you some time to align things) with the wheel in proper orientation to fasten it, and try to leave it in place for a few hours before disturbing it. so there is a little compromise there, but the model will sit with all four wheels on the ground and generally the difference is only about 1/16 or so, so you don't really notice it underneath. also as Art mentioned, a piece of glass is ideal, and i also use a metal magnetic jig thing that is flat for all practical purposes, and on that i have scored parallel and perpendicular lines lightly in the finish. jb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 came across this - straightening plastic: http://www.austinsms.org/Straightening-Warped-Plastic-Parts.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenrat Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) I leave gluing the rear axle in place until I have fitted the chassis, interior and body together for the last time (as IME that is when previously un-noticed twists appear). Then, with the front wheels in place and the rear wheels fitted to the axle I put 5 minute epoxy on the attachment points, put the rear end in place and sit the whole thing on its wheels on an old Microwave turntable I keep for just this purpose. Usually, if there a slight twist then one or other of the rear wheels will drop slightly (although sometimes it needs to be helped down). If this happens then the glue will bridge the gap (and the gap will usually be very hard to see). Sometimes I need to put a weight on the front of the car (usually a tin of paint) to stop it sitting back while the glue dries. If you've got leaf spring rear suspension a tricycling car can sometimes be levelled by popping off the glue at the back of the springs and removing the shocks before gently but firmly pushing down on the rear end. Then reglue. Again you may need to keep weight on the back while the glue dries. Edited February 3, 2015 by zenrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 that microwave turntable sounds like something I need to get, not only are they flat glass, or can be, but they rotate around without disturbing the model while the wheels are drying. I am constantly fiddling with seeing the car from all angles and it would be much easier moving the car rather than my head. thanks! jb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenrat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Glad to help jb. I salvaged mine when they got a new microwave at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intmd8r Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I've been building for nearly 20 years and still have this problem. Some of these tips I've tried without much success, but at least I have some new ones to try. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 My magnetic chassis jig cost me next to nothing since all the stuff used was leftover or being tossed from one project or another. The plate is .125 X 12 X 8 mild steel sheet, and a bunch of magnetic cabinet door latches, the kind with the magnet sandwiched between two peices of steel sheet metal. Works well can be squared up really easy. I have seen similar sized mild steel sheet for sale on eBay, the magnetic closures too. You can get the magnetic latches at Lowes or Home Depot or almost any hardware store. You can set yourself up with a magnetic chassis plate for $10 - $12 bucks or less versus whatever the commercial type ones sell for at Model Expo or similar suppliers. If you get the steel sheet to use as the baseplate just make sure you file the sharp edges down, when they saw it there will be sharp edges that will cut you, I filed all edges and all four corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I rotate the wheels around until all 4 touch, then glue 'em up solid Agreed. You would be suprised how may I've fixed just by spinning tires around. Especially using old tires from the stash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 another way i've used is to gently rub the assembled & wheeled chassis on a piece of 120 grit sandpaper "vroom, vroom" style. this can even out 4 spots on the tires so the whole thing sits even. some guys do this a little more aggressively to simulate the weight of the car on tires in real scale ( or 1:1, whatever we're calling it this week). aircraft guys will go to the trouble of bulging the sidewalls on resin tires, but that's not in my handbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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