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1958 Plymouth


jsc

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I've always wanted to build "Christine", but once I started on it I just wasn't feeling the red and white. So I chose blue and ivory, with some flat gray for the spear and seat inserts.

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I liked the kit, but had some fitment issues putting it on the rails. But for a shelf model I can live with it!

Enjoy!

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Are you using a sharp blade to trim the foil?

Does it look like it? That's one area I've really tried hard to work on. But for the life of me, even with a sharp blade, it doesn't come out as smooth as I'd like. I'm open to suggestions!

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Does it look like it? That's one area I've really tried hard to work on. But for the life of me, even with a sharp blade, it doesn't come out as smooth as I'd like. I'm open to suggestions!

John. Try using a lighted magnifier to start with. It really helps to be able to really see close up what you're doing. Another thing that works really well for me is to run a piece of blue painters tape along the edge of the trim after applying the foil & before cutting. This helps give an edge for the blade to "ride" against to keep your cuts straight. The contrast in color between the tape & the foil is also a great help. Make sure you use a fresh sharp blade for each job. They're not expensive, so don't skimp. There are a lot of great tips on foiling out there. These are just a couple. Steve

Edited by StevenGuthmiller
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Does it look like it? That's one area I've really tried hard to work on. But for the life of me, even with a sharp blade, it doesn't come out as smooth as I'd like. I'm open to suggestions!

Like the guys said... use a sharp new blade, and let the tip ride against the edge of the trim as you draw the knife along that edge. It doesn't take much pressure at all, just let the blade follow that edge. Aside from using a new blade, about the only other tip I can give you is to practice. Foiling is something that takes practice to do well, but once you get the hang of it, it's not hard to do.

One trick I've found that works for me is to not try too hard to keep the blade tip "in the groove." I know it sounds goofy, but the harder you concentrate and try to keep the blade going along that edge, the harder it seems to be to keep the blade on that edge! I've found that I get the best results if I just relax and let the raised edge of the trim be the blade's guide. If you're relaxed, your grip on the knife will be looser and you'll get a smoother line. I hope that makes sense, it's sort of hard to put into words.

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Nice build! One thing I've found that helps with foil is to use your Exacto blade, and make a slight "trough" in the area you want to foil when your doing your body prep work. That way after painting, your blade will have somewhat of a guide to run along, thus minimize the chances of the blade slipping.

One car that comes to mind that this is a must is AMT's ancient '58 Chevy kit. That chrome along the rear fenders is a real CHORE to foil! :blink:

As Harry said-----"Practice makes Perfect!"

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Nice build! One thing I've found that helps with foil is to use your Exacto blade, and make a slight "trough" in the area you want to foil when your doing your body prep work. That way after painting, your blade will have somewhat of a guide to run along, thus minimize the chances of the blade slipping.

One car that comes to mind that this is a must is AMT's ancient '58 Chevy kit. That chrome along the rear fenders is a real CHORE to foil! :blink:

As Harry said-----"Practice makes Perfect!"

I'm actually working on a rebuild of that one now. It's one I had originally done in the '70's

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Thanks for the tips! I haven't tried the painter's tape, but I will on the next one. My old eyes aren't what they used to be. Magnifiers are great!

B)

That's why I like to use the tape. My eyes aren't what they used to be either. :) My problem is, by the time I get done laying on 3 primer coats, 2 or 3 color coats & 3 or 4 clear coats, that moulding edge can get a little rounded & the blade can kind of have a mind of it's own. Scribing the edge of your mouldings can be a good solution also, but when you're dealing with something like that '58 Chevy...... That's a heck of a lot of scribing! :huh: On the ocassion that you find yourself with a kit that has rather faint trim, which happens a lot with some of the old kits, the tape thing works pretty nicely. Even if the trim is hard to see, you can still tape it off & get a perfectly straight line. Of course I only use this technique for long straight sections of mouldings, which are the ones that are hardest to keep straight. The rest I just do free-hand. Steve

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