Vinyl Tops - best method?

[BDSchindler]

What is the best method of replicating a vinyl top?  I know everyone will have opinions on what is the best way to do it but what works best for you?

Some people in my club have suggested using masking tape but that seems like the paper would fail and peel later down the road.  I was blown away to see Steve Guthmiller's vinyl tops!

So I want to see what others think and the steps with which to do it.

Thanks

Edited June 25, 2023 by BDSchindler

[Straightliner59]

I like styrene strip for the seams, then paint, dusted on to create fine texture. Finally, a gloss or semi-gloss clear coat (depending what you're going for). I thought I had better photos of this. If I run across them, I'll post them.

[Bugatti Fan]

Masking tape does have the scale texture of a vinyl roof. Where the seams run the length of the roof, a very slight overlap of the masking tape will simulate them. My experience with masking tape is that it becomes more difficult to remove the longer it is left in place. More so if painted and left.

[Dpate]

Model car garage sells a vinyl top kit black or white that will give you the best look you’ll get other than using textured paint say from MCW etc. You can get the kits for like $8 they’re legit. You can get them from MCG direct or places like model round up etc. Faux spray could work too, and can be paired any color afterwards using enamel. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Dpate

[NOBLNG]

Here are a whole bunch of threads on how to do vinyl tops.

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Amodelcarsmag.com+vinyl+tops&source

[StevenGuthmiller]

My opinion has always been that masking tape is far too heavily textured for 1/25th scale.

 

If you look at photos of a 1:1 vehicle, you'll see that the texture is nearly undiscernable.

Far finer than what you'll get with masking tape.

 

 

 

I agree with Daniel.

After applying seams with the thinnest strip plastic that you can find, and adding the C-pillar trim, mask and spray the color of choice from a foot or so away from the subject.

This is a circumstance where you want a fine orange peel tecture.

 

Personally I find that a flat paint, shot from a distance and then rubbed with your fingers once dry gives a pretty convincing vinyl sheen.

The oil from your fingers will polish the high points of the orange peel, leaving the base flat.

 

 

If you want to go a step further, you can fill the top seams on the inside edges with some putty and sand to help alleviate the inside edge of the overlap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

[Can-Con]

Personally, I don't use plastic to make the seams.

I run a strip of masking tape where I want the seams to be and put a thin layer of putty on the edge. When it's dry, I sand the putty down to the tape and bupp the tape off. This goves a thin, crisp strait seam. I also do the "overspray from a distance " thing to finish it off.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Can-Con

[BDSchindler]

Thanks everyone!

[peteski]

I  would also stay away from masking tape.  It is not designed for long term use, and even with paint over it, after some time the adhesive will either dry out, causing the tape to lift at the edges, or the opposite, the adhesive will turn gooey and running, and will make a mess.  I've experienced both types of failure, not on vinyl roof, but when I used the tape for long duration applications.  Which variation of adhesive failure might be dependent on the brand of the tape, or maybe even on the surface to which it s applied.

Remember, masking type is designed to be temporary!

[ctruss53]

I have not tried it yet, but I saw a youtube video where someone put baking powder in acrylic paint so it was textured when applied. They appeared to have really good results.

Again, I have not tried it yet, so I am not speaking from experience.

[StevenGuthmiller]

53 minutes ago, peteski said:

I  would also stay away from masking tape.  It is not designed for long term use, and even with paint over it, after some time the adhesive will either dry out, causing the tape to lift at the edges, or the opposite, the adhesive will turn gooey and running, and will make a mess.  I've experienced both types of failure, not on vinyl roof, but when I used the tape for long duration applications.  Which variation of adhesive failure might be dependent on the brand of the tape, or maybe even on the surface to which it s applied.

Remember, masking type is designed to be temporary!

I agree.

 

I remember a circumstance a couple of years ago when I dragged out a 1/8 scale Camaro IROC kit to look it over for a possible trade or sale.

There were a few areas where I had applied some masking tape for whatever reason, probably 15 years ago or more.

The tape was an absolute mess!

In some areas it was so dried out that it was essentially turning to dust and flaking off, and in other areas, it was stuck down so tight and dried up so much that it had basically fused with the plastic and was all but impossible to remove.

In either case, it left dried adhesive everywhere that would either have to be scraped off, or chemically removed somehow.

 

Granted, the tape was bare, without the added protection of a couple of coats of paint, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it.

On virtually every model I build, I have certain areas where masking was done for whatever reason, painted over, and inevitably the tape has lifted on the edges as the paint dried and shrank a bit.

In some cases it's not a problem if the painting is finished, but in some instances, I have had to re-mask if there was more painting to be done.

This seems to happen most frequently where the tape is stretched fairly tight and has some tension on it, but I would assume that in order for a simulated tape vinyl top to hold shape, there's going to have to be considerable tension in many areas.

 

All of that uncertainty, doubled with the fact that the texture is far too out of scale for my taste, will insure that I'll never use tape to replicate a vinyl top.

Heck, I won't even use most masking tapes for actual masking!

 

 

I don't want to dis whomever the builder of this model is, but it exhibits exactly the concerns that have been discussed here.

The texture doesn't look correct or in scale, and it's already exhibiting "lift" in several areas.

It's too bad too, because other than the top, it appears to be a pretty nice model.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited June 25, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Can-Con]

53 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I don't want to dis whomever the builder of this model is, but it exhibits exactly the concerns that have been discussed here.

The texture doesn't look correct or in scale, and it's already exhibiting "lift" in several areas.

It's too bad too, because other than the top, it appears to be a pretty nice model.

 

 

 

 

Steve

I know exactly who's model that is, Steve. I'll let him know you liked it when I see him in a couple weeks. 😉

[peteski]

4 hours ago, Can-Con said:

I know exactly who's model that is, Steve. I'll let him know you liked it when I see him in a couple weeks. 

So do I, but it does illustrate the problem with masking tape rather well.  I'm sure that when John built the model he didn't plan for the tape to lift.

[bisc63]

Agree wholeheartedly with Steven G. and CanCon. Less is more; the texture of a vinyl top is practically nil at 1/25 scale, but making simple, straight seams and proper trim are far more important than some over-complicated texture effects. I like Krylon semi-flat black shot in short bursts from a distance. If you get a little too dry, hit it with a slightly wetter burst.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

So do I, but it does illustrate the problem with masking tape rather well.  I'm sure that when John built the model he didn't plan for the tape to lift.

As I said, no disrespect, but I picked this photo purely and simply to illustrate the point.

 

 

 

Steve

[Bugatti Fan]

Well guys, I looks like my masking tape tip took a bit of a hammering!

I tried it way back when vinyl roofs were in vogue on real cars at the time and was happy with it back then. The model was disposed of shortly after I built it so it did not hang around long enough for me to observe any lifting after a period of time as shown in a previous post.

So in light of the other better techniques to simulate vinyl described on here, I have to concur that the masking tape is probably best left alone.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Bugatti Fan

[Nicholas]

i have recently ventured into the vinyl tops ,i used thin.025 styrene glued to the model for the trim/overlaps,  then use MCW either black or white textured spray,comes out looking great.

[Can-Con]

14 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

As I said, no disrespect, but I picked this photo purely and simply to illustrate the point.

 

 

 

Steve

No disrespect perceived, I did mean I will legitimately tell him you liked it. ,, not a joke. 

[1972coronet]

22 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

It's too bad too, because other than the top, it appears to be a pretty nice model.

One of my neighbours bought a brand new 1966 GTO (he kept it until 1974). He said that the vinyl top was curling and peeling within six months ! Haha. Perhaps this is a more accurate replica than we'd imagine.

[tbill]

So, what’s the trick to getting good ‘trim’ around the vinyl top? 

[NOBLNG]

5 hours ago, tbill said:

So, what’s the trick to getting good ‘trim’ around the vinyl top? 

Everyone has their methods. First download some good pics of the 1:1 version you want to copy. For the moldings, usually about .010”x.020” evergreen strip?  Here is how I did one on a ‘68 Chevelle.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/168095-‘68-chevelle-ss/

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by NOBLNG

[tbill]

11 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Everyone has their methods. First download some good pics of the 1:1 version you want to copy. For the moldings, usually about .010”x.020” evergreen strip?  Here is how I did one on a ‘68 Chevelle.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/168095-‘68-chevelle-ss/

 

Thank you for that, exactly what I was looking for, I will be trying this at some point …..

[carrucha]

Very useful tips!  Thanks guys!