graintruck Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 so, first of i think im looking for results to fast. its been years since i've done a model. heck. i wire a distrbutor when i was 14. anyhow im doing the revell 1/25 peterbuilt and i know in the end its going to be on a shell, but i want something i can point out to people just what ive done. so again here is a list of question and open thoughts. 1. seeing the seem line after glueing something together. such as a fuel tank. is it something ijust need to take time with and use filler putty? and if so how do i then get that crome plated look again or do i just use a can of chrom paint ? (not as mirror like but color is close) 2. how do most people assemble there models ? i mean what are some of your favorite was to do it ? what have you learned is best ? as in put a bunh of suspention parts together then paint for a more uniform look ? then if you wanna detail a item (all of frame suspention black. then come paint shocks red later? im thinkin that might be a stupid question but i'll ask it. 3. when you do paint spray or by hand, what is the minimum time till i can touch it. as in whats best 1 day 1 week ? i feel i always get oily finger marks. so im sure gloves is a good start! 4. is it good to make a list of what you wanna do with model, as in what you want it to show ? i wana put a drop axle on it at some point, find a step deck(or make one lol someday) and haul construction equepment. so along them lines being a beginner is doing advanced things like streching it and adding a drop axel felling hole/ changing body something i do later in advance? im sure these are odd/dumb question but i really wanna enjoy this hobbie. and i dont wanna loose a drive for it, i think looking at the model mags has made me reach for a platu that i shouldnt be looking for this early in the game !! thanks gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRG Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I just got back into building models myself a little over a year ago. My first concern was in getting some built, doing what I knew how and doing my best. After that I started with simple detailing, wiring the distributor and such. Then I moved on, with the next model to some detail painting, flocking and BMF. When I start a build I first start with the body and then the interior. I have found, for me at least, these are the things that take the most time for the paint to dry completely. Then I move to the frame and suspension and finally the engine and compartment. My best advice, that I can offer is, slow down, take things one step at a time and enjoy the building of your model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 so, first of i think im looking for results to fast. its been years since i've done a model. heck. i wire a distrbutor when i was 14. anyhow im doing the revell 1/25 peterbuilt and i know in the end its going to be on a shell, but i want something i can point out to people just what ive done. so again here is a list of question and open thoughts. 1. seeing the seem line after glueing something together. such as a fuel tank. is it something ijust need to take time with and use filler putty? and if so how do i then get that crome plated look again or do i just use a can of chrom paint ? (not as mirror like but color is close) 2. how do most people assemble there models ? i mean what are some of your favorite was to do it ? what have you learned is best ? as in put a bunh of suspention parts together then paint for a more uniform look ? then if you wanna detail a item (all of frame suspention black. then come paint shocks red later? im thinkin that might be a stupid question but i'll ask it. 3. when you do paint spray or by hand, what is the minimum time till i can touch it. as in whats best 1 day 1 week ? i feel i always get oily finger marks. so im sure gloves is a good start! 4. is it good to make a list of what you wanna do with model, as in what you want it to show ? i wana put a drop axle on it at some point, find a step deck(or make one lol someday) and haul construction equepment. so along them lines being a beginner is doing advanced things like streching it and adding a drop axel felling hole/ changing body something i do later in advance? im sure these are odd/dumb question but i really wanna enjoy this hobbie. and i dont wanna loose a drive for it, i think looking at the model mags has made me reach for a platu that i shouldnt be looking for this early in the game !! thanks gary #1, That my friend is the problem which vexes us all. Chrome parts almost appear to be an after thought to manufacturers. Only recently have we been receiving chrome with sprue attachment points in places that won't show. Some of us, lets say, more anal modelers would just strip all the chrome, sand the seam away, and use a product such as Alclad to achieve a realistic finish. You can touch up bumpers and the like with a bright chrome silver paint. How's your skill set, your budget, and your desire to do your very best? Then too, here's the anal part of me, what color is the real fuel tank anyway? #2 Personal preference here for sure. I will assemble those parts that will be painted the same color, paint them then add on as required. I keep in mind though that some colors don't cover as well over say black. In my opinion you will have a heck of a time painting a shock red after spraying it black. #3 Again personal preference. I'll spray a body, a chassis,and interior parts if I have a spray can of the correct color. I'll brush paint small parts and details. The paint you use dictates how long to wait. Enamels have a long curing time, especially if gloss finish. Laquers dry to the touch faster but can ruin plastic. Acrylics fall in between as far as drying times but are on the fast side. The temperature, humidity, and general weather conditions of your area effect painting. What will dry fast here in the desert might take forever in a humid area. #4 There is absolutely nothing wrong with notes, sketches, or diagrams to aid your build. At some point we all have an idea in our head what we want the thing to look like, so why not write it down. Keeping track on the instruction sheet is a good habit also. You won't forget things, and can plan sub assemblies such as mentioned above. Good luck, happy building, and take pictures. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Welcome Gary, and I agree with Donald 100%! I've never given up modeling since I started building at around 8 years old almost 25 years ago, so I really can't offer anything better than what Donald said knowing he is in your shoes, so to speak. However, being a modeler that used to compete in shows quite regularly years ago, I can tell you that when you start sweating over every little detail, it starts taking the fun out of the hobby. I had gotten to the point where every seam had to be fixed, every nut and bolt had to be detailed, and everything had to be correct, and I was to the point I never wanted to work on anything again and give up the hobby I love. The best advice I can think of is take baby steps and enjoy building! Anyway, on to your questions and since it is a truck you're working on, who better than a truck fanatic to help out! 1. The way I do the fuel tanks on my trucks is just like you said, I'll glue them together then I'll sand the seams and if that does not eliminate the seam, I'll go over it with some putty. As for the coloring, if you want the chrome look, the best way is to wrap the tank in Bare Metal foil or even some aluminum foil from the kitchen with adhesive applied to it as long as it does hide any details. I used aluminum foil applied with a sprayable craft glue to make this trailer look like a stainless steel trailer. You can also use the "Chrome" paints like you said, and that does give a more natural aluminum look to the tanks, and I've found DupliColor Chrome spray is the closest to a shiny chrome. Even though this is not the greatest picture, the fenders on the back of this tractor were painted with the DupliColor Chrome, where the trailer was painted with Krylon "Make it Chrome", and the Krylon is just not as shiny. 2. I will, at least when it comes to truck models, assemble the entire suspension then paint as a unit, and either leave the things I don't want to be the same color like shocks off until after. The parts I can either not assemble after painting or molded to another part I want painted the same as the frame I'll carefully paint after painting the frame. 3. The handling time differs by what tpye of paint it is, I've had some I can handle after an hour or two and some that takes a day or two before safe handling. I tried latex gloves one time, and the heat built up from my hands being in the gloves ended up burning my fingerprints into the paint THROUGH the gloves! 4. I would say, like the example you gave for a stretched truck, a plan is important to have an idea to get the finished product you have in mind. Some test fitting and measuring is also important with that, just like with the drop axle you mentioned. Try to picture how you want the truck to look in your mind and maybe even some rough drawings would help to get the finished truck. In the build of the cattle truck I posted the pic of, I knew I wanted the sleeper to be a scale 180 inch sleeper, so I built it first and I also knew I wanted the trailer postioned a certain way so it was not close to the sleeper, and I stretched the frame using the sleeper and the trailer position as guides for the stretch. If you want to see more of that build and how I did some of the stretch, here is a link to it in the trucks section here on the forum. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28849 I hope this helps you out and was not too much to absorb in the process, but I do tend to get "talky" sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graintruck Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 hey thanks guys. thank you so much. the aluminum foil tip is great. i love just reading on here and seeing the tips people have for tricks its amazing, who they come up with this stuff is beound me ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmikevee Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Hey Gary, Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the coolest hobby in the world. You've come to the right place, everyone is interested in helping you succeed, don't worry about the frustration, our standards are now higher than they were when we were kids!! Take your time, have fun, and you can't help but improve. Make sure you show us some pictures when you get your rig built, and once again welcome. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brudda Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Just build for the enjoyment, have fun and everything else will fall in place.The guys here are cool and will answer any question, but most important HAVE FUN!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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