Help with making this trim piece

[loudcherokee]

Hi Folks,

Any idea on how I can make this piece of chrome trim that goes up the side and around the back of the seats on the 70 chevelle? The kit seats dont include this trim, and it's a piece that I feel really needs to be included on my kit.

Thanks,

LC

[Lyle Willits]

Or,,,,,,,,,,,,just add some thin silver wire obtained in any craft store.

[Harry P.]

Wire is definitely the way to go. Hobby Lobby has it in many colors, including "chrome" silver... it's meant for stringing beaded necklaces and such. I used red wire to create the bead around the shifter in this photo:

The silver wire should be just the thing for the seat detail.

[loudcherokee]

Wire is definitely the way to go. Hobby Lobby has it in many colors, including "chrome" silver... it's meant for stringing beaded necklaces and such. I used red wire to create the bead around the shifter in this photo:

The silver wire should be just the thing for the seat detail.

Well the wire definately looks like the way to go! And here I was trying to think of how I was going to bend the smallest piece of square evergreen I have into the shape of the seat, and then sand it to a round shape. I never even thought of wire, and I'm sure I have some hardline somewhere that will be accurate in scale. Thanks guys!

What would you suggest for gluing the wire to the already painted seat? I dont want the CA to fog the seat or the wire.

Thanks,

LC

[Harry P.]

I used tiny drops of CA. Actually what I did was form the wire, test fit and positioned it into place, then added just the tiniest amount of CA by putting a drop onto the tip of my X-acto blade and touching the tip of the blade to the wire. Capillary action drew the liquid CA along the length of the wire.

[Art Anderson]

I used tiny drops of CA. Actually what I did was form the wire, test fit and positioned it into place, then added just the tiniest amount of CA by putting a drop onto the tip of my X-acto blade and touching the tip of the blade to the wire. Capillary action drew the liquid CA along the length of the wire.

I've found an even better "wire" for making trim like this. One of the drawbacks to bead wire is that it's ever so slightly "springy", and that can make it difficult to hold in place until CA glue sets up. However, Michael's and Hobby Lobby both sell Sterling Silver wire in a size that is just about perfect for that seat trim. Sterling Silver is quite soft, so it will bend and conform to just about any shape you need, and it doesn't try to spring back. Just secure it in place with gap-filling CA, and once that's set, buff it lightly to remove any tarnish, then clear coat it to keep it from further tarnishing.

Art

[loudcherokee]

Well, I finally went and gave it a go. The wire I used formed to the shape very easily. Some kind of 30g wire i picked up from Michaels. I'm not extremely pleased with the results, only because of the finish on the seats. The CA glue did fog the paint, so I sanded that a bit, and brush painted it with gloss black, then hit it with dull coat. Let me know what ya think.

LC

[v8horsepowercj]

I have an additional way to simulate that trim that I thought I'd pass along to you. I was looking for something to use on musclecars to simulate all the chrome trim on muscle cars that (just as in your case) for whatever reason failed to get molded into the kit interiors. What I found worked best for me is some stuff called line-o-tape. It comes in an actual chrome finish I use the .010 size mostly for replicating the pieces similar to the seat chrome like your doing. The great thing about it is the adhesive is strong enough so it stays put, it conforms to curves easily and you don't have to worry about any glue "fogging" on your painted seats. If you can't find the tape at your LHS let me know through an e-mail and I'll try to get you the companys address.

hope this helps.

Chris

[sak]

For next time, what you could do is glue the wire first, before paint, before anything else. Then paint and simply polish the paint off the metal wire, which will be ever so slightly raised higher.

[loudcherokee]

For next time, what you could do is glue the wire first, before paint, before anything else. Then paint and simply polish the paint off the metal wire, which will be ever so slightly raised higher.

I thought about doing that. I do have 3 more of these kits that I can steal some seats from. I may just leave these though. I just cant make up my mind, nor can I get the motivation to actually do something with this build.

LC