How do YOU assemble your project?

[beefheart22]

Just curious how everybody assembles their projects.

Personally I glue and paint (sometimes paint, then glue) as I go, but I am curious how I do it compared to others.

I know, it's like asking if you stand or sit, but bare with me.

Cheers

Nathan

Edited March 31, 2009 by beefheart22

[Foxer]

In reality, I usually manage to glue one tire on every 3 months. ehhe

In actuality, I pretty much have it all painted before any gluing. With my extended projects, I will sometimes get an interior or chassis painted and assembled before the bodywork is done.

[RodBurNeR]

I have always been sick.

I paint the body first and let that negotiate my next move. I can't vision interior or anything else until the car has color on it.

[Custom Hearse]

With reckless abandon!

Actually, it depends on what part of the kit I'm building. If I'm putting together the engine, I build most of it then paint it. Then paint the small parts (starter, belts, oil filter if separate, etc,). It doesn't really matter how it's done, just as long as you are happy with the results....

[James W]

Like most who have responded here, I glue sub-assemblies then paint them.

I have found that I usually end up putting paint on just a little too soon.

That is why I have half-assembled models that have frames with 3 coats of paint on them.

If you don't account for every detail you will add later you handle the parts more then you should and there goes the paint job!

[djway3474]

I glue every sub assembly as much as possible before painting those parts. I do all the mock ups and totally tape it together as much as possible before any body painting is done. This allows you to check for fit problems and ride height et cetera. I then complete each sub assembly as much as I can before final assembly by adding the parts of differnt colors, chrome pieces and such. I also detail paint each part along the way as needed, before it becomes difficult to reach the needed area.

I often re engineer the kit so I can remove as many seam lines as I can before paint especially on the body.

After I paint the body the only handeling is final assembly.

Dwayne

[bobss396]

I do the sub assembly thing too. I tend to do the engine first, then the interior, chassis and save the body for dead last. There is nothing harder than keeping a painted body looking fresh when test fitting and having the body off and on something like 50 times. But all my projects tend to be frankenstein in nature, everything has to be MADE to fit.

Bob

[E St. Kruiser50]

  beefheart22 said:

Just curious how everybody assembles their projects.

Personally I glue and paint (sometimes paint, then glue) as I go, but I am curious how I do it compared to others.

I know, it's like asking if you stand or sit, but bare with me.

Cheers

Nathan

SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPTIONS .

[CAL]

One part at a time.

[sdrodder]

I always to my pre assmebly first before painting. It always helps me with the fit and finish and the overall cleanly ness of the model.

[4BKT VET]

Some sub assembly work. Usually I test fit things and try to figure out if painting is feasible assembled. Differentials, transmissions, oil pans, some seats, etc. need to be cleaned up after assembly to get rid of seams. When it comes to the body, I do like real cars, jamb it, close the doors and hood and shoot the entire body all at once, even if it means modifying the frame or something to assemble later. Nothing like seeing a metallic paint job sprayed different on the hood, or where the paint collected along a glue seam for a roll pan or front nose when it should look like one piece (no seam).

[MrObsessive]

  bobss396 said:

I do the sub assembly thing too. I tend to do the engine first, then the interior, chassis and save the body for dead last. There is nothing harder than keeping a painted body looking fresh when test fitting and having the body off and on something like 50 times. But all my projects tend to be frankenstein in nature, everything has to be MADE to fit.

Bob

I do the same thing too Bob------except I might change the order somewhat. I'll do cleanup of the body, and any bodywork (doors, trunk, etc,) before the engine, chassis and interior.

Nothing's more frustrating than having the car painted, and then struggling to get the body on because I didn't figure out a method to mount it before painting the body!

Since painting's the last thing I'll do, I can start planning/doing research on the next car while the paint is is drying.

[Scott Colmer]

I tend to do a lot of scratchbuilding, so parts must be mocked up somehow before they are ready for paint and preassembly. I learned the hard way by having to grind painted pieces when they would not fit or line up correctly.

Now I try to pin as much as posssible so there are no vague mounting points. I also use a lot of liquid tape. The trick is trying to figue out how all the parts with ineract with each other. Just like the guys on the bike building show, I try to get the muck up done as far as possible, then I break it down for paint. Working in subassemblies also helps keep things organized. I may have to fire up the air brush more then once for the same metalizer, but it works for me.

My most recent project has some pretty tight chassis to body tolerences, so I have decided to assemble and paint the chassis first and components, then do a final body fit around it - considering room for paint -before laying on the body color.

It's actually fun doing mental assemblies to figure this stuff out.

Scott

[beefheart22]

Looks like we're all on the same page.

I used to file and paint my parts on the tree and touch them up after assembly, but like others mentioned, I would more often than not find out that parts don't fit right and need more filing/filling, and then I would have to repaint and repaint until there are too many chunky looking layers gobbed on a single part.

The best thing about building in assemblies is watching the project grow bit-by-bit. I usually paint the body first though. That way by the time I'm done most of my project the paint is cured and easier to work with when applying details and decals.