Questions about funny car bodywork

[Brandon17]

Hey guys. I'm getting back into building again. I'm building Don Schumacher's Revell's super shoe vega funny car. I'm sure everyone knows with the early revell funny car kits the body is not one complete piece meaning the front and back must be glued on. How does everyone make the body look like one complete piece after the front and back pieces are attached? Thank you for any advice as I'm getting back into building and stepping up my game. Thank you for the help.

[Ace-Garageguy]

It's fairly straightforward to fill and smooth the seams with the putty of your choice. Done correctly, they will be entirely invisible, as though the body had been made in one piece originally.

Get your fill work right, primer it, sand, repeat until it's perfect, and paint.

Be sure to adhere the parts very well, as nothing is more frustrating than having cracks show through your fill and paint work if the seams aren't very solid, and reinforced.

Several putties are available to do the finish work, but many of us use this two-part Bondo #801 stuff made for real cars, and available at most auto-parts stores in a modeler-friendly small tube.

Be SURE to get the two-part. The one-part tends to shrink over time, and takes longer to dry during application.

 

Edited November 28, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

5 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

It's fairly straightforward to fill and smooth the seams with the putty of your choice. Done correctly, they will be entirely invisible, as though the body had been made in one piece originally.

Get your fill work right, primer it, sand, repeat until it's perfect, and paint.

Be sure to adhere the parts very well, as nothing is more frustrating than having cracks show through your fill and paint work if the seams aren't very solid, and reinforced.

Several putties are available to do the finish work, but many of us use this two-part Bondo #801 stuff made for real cars, and available at most auto-parts stores in a modeler-friendly small tube.

Be SURE to get the two-part. The one-part tends to shrink over time, and takes longer to dry during application.

 

I'm gonna look for some of that stuff on your recommendation. Tell me, is the mixing ratio easy or critical? That's been keeping me from the 2-part products, except for J-B Weld which mixes at a handy 1:1. 

[Mark]

Look at the lower part of the tube... what's hiding behind it is the tube of catalyst.  You don't need much at all, but if you have to choose then "a bit too much" beats "not quite enough".  If you add way too much, the stuff will kick off before you've had a chance to do anything with it.  You want to knead the little tube, as the catalyst does separate quickly.  You want that to come out consistent (not watery), then you're basically just adding enough of it to the filler itself to (barely) change the color.  Mix until it's all one color with no swirls, and you should be good to go.

As for where to get it, check the websites for whatever auto parts store chains are in your area.  Around here, there's Pep Boys, Auto Zone, NAPA, and CARQUEST.  I'm pretty sure I got it at Auto Zone.  There are a couple of body/paint specialty shops around here (one of which mixes paint and puts it into spray cans), but those guys generally don't carry the tubes, they sell it in larger quantities.  

[TarheelRick]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

I'm gonna look for some of that stuff on your recommendation. Tell me, is the mixing ratio easy or critical? That's been keeping me from the 2-part products, except for J-B Weld which mixes at a handy 1:1. 

I have used it quite often and the mixture is IMHO a bit critical.  Seems to me I have difficulty getting the hardener correct.  Either it gets hard within 2-3 minutes of mixing, or it stays a bit sticky for quite a while, however I still prefer it over most of the "hobby" putties, because it sands smooth and doesn't shrink.

[Mark]

32 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

I have used it quite often and the mixture is IMHO a bit critical.  Seems to me I have difficulty getting the hardener correct.  Either it gets hard within 2-3 minutes of mixing, or it stays a bit sticky for quite a while, however I still prefer it over most of the "hobby" putties, because it sands smooth and doesn't shrink.

You want it to harden within 2-3 minutes of mixing it.  If it gets sticky on the surface, either there's not enough catalyst or it isn't thoroughly mixed.

[TarheelRick]

4 hours ago, Mark said:

You want it to harden within 2-3 minutes of mixing it.  If it gets sticky on the surface, either there's not enough catalyst or it isn't thoroughly mixed.

What I mean is that it begins to dry on the mixing palette and  on my spreader within a couple of minutes of mixing, doesn't give much time to apply it to the parts.  I think ideal time would be between 5-7 minutes for hardening to begin.

[gtx6970]

52 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

What I mean is that it begins to dry on the mixing palette and  on my spreader within a couple of minutes of mixing, doesn't give much time to apply it to the parts.  I think ideal time would be between 5-7 minutes for hardening to begin.

Try just a little less hardener

[Ace-Garageguy]

6 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I'm gonna look for some of that stuff on your recommendation. Tell me, is the mixing ratio easy or critical? That's been keeping me from the 2-part products, except for J-B Weld which mixes at a handy 1:1. 

The mixing is fairly critical because you're mixing such small quantities.

The time you have to work the stuff depends on the temperature in the room, and how much catalyst you use.

Mixed right, you should get a good 5 minutes of working time.

However, getting the mix-ratio right isn't as hard as people seem to want to make it.

FIRST...you want to stir the material in the tube with something like a stir-stick from Starbucks. It WILL separate into liquid resin and goo, and it needs to be UNIFORM before you remove it from the tube to mix in the catalyst.

SECOND...knead the tube of catalyst too. It will also separate over time.

THEN...the key to correct catalyst-mixing is REPEATABILITY. 

EXPERIMENT and PAY ATTENTION to how much stuff you're using. 

For instance, if you always mix just about a thimble full, you'll need a dollop of catalyst about the size of a match-head.

Again...PAY ATTENTION to how much putty you use and try to use the same amount EVERY time. Adjust your amount of catalyst until you get a nice uniform pink color, and you get about a 5-minute working window.

Once the stuff STARTS to "go off", STOP trying to work it...you'll only make a mess.

Give it a full 20 minutes to get fully hard, and to develop maximum adhesion to the substrate, before you start shaping it (once you know what you're doing, you can easily sculpt it when it's still "green" to save sanding time later).

It's just another skill to learn. It's not hard...if you PAY ATTENTION and THINK about what you're doing.

I use it exclusively, everywhere I need a heavy fill. It always works, and I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.

There ain't no magic.

Here's a thread that shows a lot of work done with the stuff...

 

[Brandon17]

Thanks for all the tips! I'll be picking some bondo up soon. Once again thanks for the help everyone!

[Muncie]

something specific to these Revell funny car bodies - the edges of the body and the end pieces are very thin.  They don't have a lot of contact surface for the glue so the joint can be fragile.   I usually build up a layer of gap filling super glue or gel super glue inside the body in the corner.  Normally about 3 coats allowed to dry between coats before starting the body work and filler on the outside.

[gtx6970]

Another method is

Run a bead of liquid glue along the edge of what you want to join. . While its  still wet put  the 2 pieces together , let sit a minute or 2 , pull them apart slightly. then squish them back together.

it will squash a small amount of plastic out. Let it dry a day or so then sand the seam .Ive done this a few times with zero bondo required

[Ace-Garageguy]

18 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

Another method is

Run a bead of liquid glue along the edge of what you want to join. . While its  still wet put  the 2 pieces together , let sit a minute or 2 , pull them apart slightly. then squish them back together.

it will squash a small amount of plastic out. Let it dry a day or so then sand the seam .Ive done this a few times with zero bondo required

Actually, that's an excellent technique wherever you may need a little extra strength in a joint.

AND...a single layer of .010" strip styrene on the backside of those joints can add a good bit of reinforcement to a very small bond area.