1/12 AMT/Lesney cord sportsman rebuilder Tips/Tricks needed

[Andria H]

 semi-

gonna be ordering this semi-unpainted build of the AMT/Lesney Cord to rebuild my way. Any tips/tricks to help out a fellow hobbyist since I have never had a jumbo scaled rebuilder and these are my favorite prewar US classic.I am going to open up the trunk and tonneau cover, or hope to anyway, it'll be Cadet Grey or Ganges Green with stock top/carpet/hides colors and I want to make a nice effort from a likely to be damaged en route classic

[Spooker]

Rule one of dis-assembling a built model is patience.  Looks like you've got a pretty decent build there, no visible glue, not a lot of paint.  If it was assembled with tube glue, it SHOULD come apart fairly easily.  Also, try the freezer trick on stubborn parts.  Soak the parts in water and without draining or drying, put them in your coldest freezer over night.  Many times the expansion of the freezing water will force the parts apart without too much damage.  X-acto chisel blades are a big help, too.  Good luck and don't fret over minor damage, it's only plastic!  Most any breakage can be repaired.

[NOBLNG]

Photo-etch razor saws like Tamiya makes are great for separating parts that need to cut apart. They are very sharp, can be used in tight spaces and remove almost no material. I think they come in both 0.010” and 0.015” thicknesses. Once separated most parts can be drilled and re-pinned with either styrene or brass rod.