Most Involved Part of Building?

[Force]

All of the above but it depends on the model I'm doing at the time.
If I'm doing a replica model of something the research part is quite extensive to get everything right, or at least as right as it can be...but it's also a fun part of the build and you learn much.
Engine detailing is fun but time consuming sometimes, at least when you do an engine that's visible, one example is engines on Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars , hot rods and other cars where the engine is a focal point and needs to be "busy" to look right.
Interiors are fun to do, prepairing for paint, paint, polishing and BMF is challenging to do and a 50's car with lots of brightwork are somewhat tideous, I just remember when I did my AMT 58 Chevy Impala model where the foiling was fiddly and took a long time.

[Spottedlaurel]

The job I put off most is painting black window trims on the inside of glass fitted to stuff from the '80s onwards. Sometimes I mask them, but that's not something I enjoy either, so usually it's 'just' a case of painstakingly brush painting them in. Sometimes I'll chose to start something older so I don't have to do that, trouble is there are a lot of 1980s/90s cars that I like and have in the stash.

Wheel detailing can be a chore as well, getting one done is satisfying but then having to plough through another three is rather repetitive.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Since I do so much kitbashing a scratch building, I would say engineering and fabrication.... -RRR

[NOBLNG]

47 minutes ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

Since I do so much kitbashing a scratch building, I would say engineering and fabrication.... -RRR

That is definitely what is holding me up on my current project. I’ve been casting copies of my scratch built parts and parts from kits that I don’t want to steal from.

[alan barton]

Absolutely bodywork!  Getting every last piece of putty feather edged, gaps smooth, straight and even, definitely the bit I find the most challenging.

My favourite bit is putting decals on race cars - it's the moment when the model comes alive!

Cheers

Alan 

[cobraman]

For me, final assembly and mating the body to the chassis. installing windows as well sometimes.

[doorsovdoon]

Depends what kit it is. For me, I find the suspension components can be the most involved part of a build on newer more detailed kits. Older kits, it's the interior detailing because of the tub usually being one solid block. Foiling is kind of up there too for me but that's more time consuming rather than challenging.

[papajohn97]

Lately scratch-building exhaust headers using 2mm solder. I’ve been obsessed lately building early/mid-60’s SS and A/FX drag cars using stock kits that don’t include drag parts. Seems like I’ve spent the last two man-cave sessions trying to make both headers perfectly symmetrical and clearing chassis/engine mounts. Hoping this gets easier as I do more....

[Tom Geiger]

I’ll agree with the guys who said engineering. Since I rarely build anything the way the model company intended, I’m always concerned that all my varied parts go together right.

And right now I’m working on an extensively modified project I hadn’t touched in 25 years. I don’t remember a thing about how it’s supposed to go together.. it might as well have been someone else’s old project! 

[89AKurt]

32 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

[...]

And right now I’m working on an extensively modified project I hadn’t touched in 25 years. I don’t remember a thing about how it’s supposed to go together.. it might as well have been someone else’s old project! 

? I'm not that bad, yet.  Not me.

Depends on the project.  Paint is becoming annoying.  Getting over my head is an issue.

[TransAmMike]

34 minutes ago, papajohn97 said:

Lately scratch-building exhaust headers using 2mm solder. I’ve been obsessed lately building early/mid-60’s SS and A/FX drag cars using stock kits that don’t include drag parts. Seems like I’ve spent the last two man-cave sessions trying to make both headers perfectly symmetrical and clearing chassis/engine mounts. Hoping this gets easier as I do more....

I'd sure like some tips on doing this.  I made a set recently using 2mm aluminum "wire".  I need to make a set for my '55 Chevy build and not looking forward to it.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, papajohn97 said:

....headers....Seems like I’ve spent the last two man-cave sessions trying to make both headers perfectly symmetrical and clearing chassis/engine mounts. 

Concentrate on making them fit, DON'T worry about making them symmetrical, much less "perfectly" so. Many--maybe even most?--real-word headers of the day weren't perfectly symmetrical. They were interested in function and fit, not form, and besides, you can't even see both sides at the same time once they're installed. Hope this helps! 

[papajohn97]

Hey TransAmMike, Here’s a quick header build description I’m using, hope it helps:

I use 2 mm rosin core solder, cut 3” long pieces, straighten by rolling it between the palm of your hand and table top. I’ve never. Tried aluminum but I would think it would be much more difficult to bend unless it is close to pure aluminum with minimal alloying. The rosin core also makes it really easy to drill out the ends if you don’t use a collector.

I drill out holes in the engine same diameter as solder:

I use a four hole “header” for the header, the one shown here is from Speedcityresin but you can also make your own using sheet styrene (photo below shown with solder installed, I didn’t photograph the plastic part with the four holes but you get the idea):

I bend the solder by clamping it in a PE fixture (you can probably just use a small board and a weight or clamp) and place a drill bit shank of the diameter you want the bend to be, then pull the outer leg of the solder upward using a blunt tool (back of a knife?) to make the bend:

I then take the solder pieces, insert them into the plastic header (don’t glue them yet!) and dry-fit it with the engine block and chassis until I get the rough form I need. You can tape the exit end of the solder pieces together to keep it together temporarily. At this point, I’m done making a “rough draft” of one side header and go back and re-cut and bend four new pieces for which I have a better idea of where to make the bends. The nice thing about solder is you can recycle the dry-run pieces by restraightening them using the rolling technique. Here’s a shot of a dry-run fitting of the headers to the chassis and engine block:

I used a 1/4” diameter styrene tubing for the exit collector in this header. Once I’m happy with it, I bond the entry header strip and the exit collector to the four solder pieces using CA:

Here’s a shot of the headers and BBC dry-fit installed into the chassis of the Revell ‘65 Chevelle I’m building:

I suspect there are other/ better ways of doing this but I wanted to pass on my current method. Hope this helps!

John

[StevenGuthmiller]

35 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

 and besides, you can't even see both sides at the same time once they're installed. Hope this helps! 

I've begun take the same attitude when re-working interior door panels.

As an example, my current '68 Coronet has had the majority of the door panels completely scratch built.

I at first was concerned about getting them as close to exact as possible, but then your philosophy came into consideration.

They don't have to be exact.

There's no possible way to view both door panels at the same time once they're in the model.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[ewetwo]

3 hours ago, doorsovdoon said:

Depends what kit it is. For me, I find the suspension components can be the most involved part of a build on newer more detailed kits. Older kits, it's the interior detailing because of the tub usually being one solid block. Foiling is kind of up there too for me but that's more time consuming rather than challenging.

I just can't get a handle on foiling. Especially the really thin side trim.

[JollySipper]

2 hours ago, ewetwo said:

I just can't get a handle on foiling. Especially the really thin side trim.

If the side trim is perfectly straight, you can cut the foil to width with a straight edge while it's still on the sheet......... Just make it a little longer than needed, then just place it over the trim.

 

[doorsovdoon]

Yes, cutting thin strips with a straight edge then laying it down has proven to be far more easy, and safer, than trimming it on the model. I sometimes slip with the blade or go off course if I trim it on the model.

[TransAmMike]

1 hour ago, JollySipper said:

If the side trim is perfectly straight, you can cut the foil to width with a straight edge while it's still on the sheet......... Just make it a little longer than needed, then just place it over the trim.

 

What TJ said. You definately need to cut the foil wider than the trim while still on the sheet and using a straight edge (I have a 6" metal ruler) cut the length you need.  As a few heve mentioned, I now use masking tape as a guide to trim the foil. Works great.  I think I described it adequately.

[TransAmMike]

4 hours ago, papajohn97 said:

Hey TransAmMike, Here’s a quick header build description I’m using, hope it helps:

I use 2 mm rosin core solder, cut 3” long pieces, straighten by rolling it between the palm of your hand and table top. I’ve never. Tried aluminum but I would think it would be much more difficult to bend unless it is close to pure aluminum with minimal alloying. The rosin core also makes it really easy to drill out the ends if you don’t use a collector.

I drill out holes in the engine same diameter as solder:

I use a four hole “header” for the header, the one shown here is from Speedcityresin but you can also make your own using sheet styrene (photo below shown with solder installed, I didn’t photograph the plastic part with the four holes but you get the idea):

I bend the solder by clamping it in a PE fixture (you can probably just use a small board and a weight or clamp) and place a drill bit shank of the diameter you want the bend to be, then pull the outer leg of the solder upward using a blunt tool (back of a knife?) to make the bend:

I then take the solder pieces, insert them into the plastic header (don’t glue them yet!) and dry-fit it with the engine block and chassis until I get the rough form I need. You can tape the exit end of the solder pieces together to keep it together temporarily. At this point, I’m done making a “rough draft” of one side header and go back and re-cut and bend four new pieces for which I have a better idea of where to make the bends. The nice thing about solder is you can recycle the dry-run pieces by restraightening them using the rolling technique. Here’s a shot of a dry-run fitting of the headers to the chassis and engine block:

I used a 1/4” diameter styrene tubing for the exit collector in this header. Once I’m happy with it, I bond the entry header strip and the exit collector to the four solder pieces using CA:

Here’s a shot of the headers and BBC dry-fit installed into the chassis of the Revell ‘65 Chevelle I’m building:

I suspect there are other/ better ways of doing this but I wanted to pass on my current method. Hope this helps!

John

Thats a great tutorial John. The aluminum wire bends pretty easily but I'm am sure the solder is more pliable and better suited. Thanks, gotta try that.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

I now use masking tape as a guide to trim the foil. Works great.  I think I described it adequately.

I was going to suggest that.

For long straight stretches of trim, it's almost a requirement that you have some sort of system to aid in keeping the cuts straight, unless you have hands as steady as a rock.

Blue painters tape makes a great guide for foiling.

You can apply the foil and then lay thin strips of tape along the sides of the trim.

The blade can then ride along the edge of the tape as a guide, and the blue color of the tape adds contrast between the shiny foil and blade to make it easier to see what you're doing.

I do all of my foiling using this method and it makes things a whole lot easier, and now all of my trim is absolutely straight.

 

 

 

Steve

[TransAmMike]

2 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I was going to suggest that.

For long straight stretches of trim, it's almost a requirement that you have some sort of system to aid in keeping the cuts straight, unless you have hands as steady as a rock.

Blue painters tape makes a great guide for foiling.

You can apply the foil and then lay thin strips of tape along the sides of the trim.

The blade can then ride along the edge of the tape as a guide, and the blue color of the tape adds contrast between the shiny foil and blade to make it easier to see what you're doing.

I do all of my foiling using this method and it makes things a whole lot easier, and now all of my trim is absolutely straight.

 

 

 

Steve

Good clarification Steve.  I also use the blue tape, sometimes the Tamiya tape for slight curves  but like the blue tape better for straight lines.

[Bills72sj]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:15 PM, Snake45 said:

I'm always looking for Torq-Thrusts, Cragars, Keystones, and chrome reverse wheels. 

Snake, I am with you brother. I was fortunate enough to buy multiple boxes of just wheel and tire lots on ebay when they could be had for $10-20 in the early 2000's. I now have 3 FULL model boxes of tires and one full model box of rims. Many of which you would like. My problem has been lately I am out of deep dish rims to sacrifice to make deep dish rears for the 'Street Machine' look. I have actually purchased a mini-lathe expressly for the purpose of making hoops to mate styrene mags with wider tires. To me STANCE is everything.

[Bills72sj]

7 hours ago, papajohn97 said:

Hey TransAmMike, Here’s a quick header build description I’m using, hope it helps:

I use 2 mm rosin core solder, cut 3” long pieces, straighten by rolling it between the palm of your hand and table top. I’ve never. Tried aluminum but I would think it would be much more difficult to bend unless it is close to pure aluminum with minimal alloying. The rosin core also makes it really easy to drill out the ends if you don’t use a collector.

I drill out holes in the engine same diameter as solder:

I use a four hole “header” for the header, the one shown here is from Speedcityresin but you can also make your own using sheet styrene (photo below shown with solder installed, I didn’t photograph the plastic part with the four holes but you get the idea):

I bend the solder by clamping it in a PE fixture (you can probably just use a small board and a weight or clamp) and place a drill bit shank of the diameter you want the bend to be, then pull the outer leg of the solder upward using a blunt tool (back of a knife?) to make the bend:

I then take the solder pieces, insert them into the plastic header (don’t glue them yet!) and dry-fit it with the engine block and chassis until I get the rough form I need. You can tape the exit end of the solder pieces together to keep it together temporarily. At this point, I’m done making a “rough draft” of one side header and go back and re-cut and bend four new pieces for which I have a better idea of where to make the bends. The nice thing about solder is you can recycle the dry-run pieces by restraightening them using the rolling technique. Here’s a shot of a dry-run fitting of the headers to the chassis and engine block:

I used a 1/4” diameter styrene tubing for the exit collector in this header. Once I’m happy with it, I bond the entry header strip and the exit collector to the four solder pieces using CA:

Here’s a shot of the headers and BBC dry-fit installed into the chassis of the Revell ‘65 Chevelle I’m building:

I suspect there are other/ better ways of doing this but I wanted to pass on my current method. Hope this helps!

John

John, Thank you for the tutorial. I am currently working on some engine swapped Mustangs. None of the supplied exhausts are going to work. Especially the 427 SOHC in an AMT 67 Mustang GT or the Boss 429 in an AMT 69 Mach 1.

[moparfarmer]

12 hours ago, cobraman said:

For me, final assembly and mating the body to the chassis. installing windows as well sometimes.

I agree

 

[Bills72sj]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:12 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

Isn't it funny how different operations are perceived by different people.

I look forward to the foil work.

It's one of the most relaxing and rewarding parts for me.

 

 

 

Steve 

I'm with you Steve. I find the foil work very gratifying. I still have a steady hand, though my aging eyes requires a lot of light.