JTalmage Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 I've been thinking about doing some severe mods/customizations to some of the models I have yet to build, but I'd like to know what types of tools you all are using to accomplish such awesome work?? i was looking at the Kustom Carz CBP thread, and seeing all these perfect cuts, and body panel blending, and shaving of large parts off of these cars, and I really would like to try and find the tools that make doing these things easier. What do you use to perfectly cut parts? What do you use to shave details perfectly? What do you to hold all of this together and shape things? Secondly, I've just recently started using resin parts for some of my builds, but I notice that things dont stay glued to resin very well. I had 8 Hilborn injection tubes for my big block in my '55 Chevy gasser I'm building, and just last night the engine slipped out of my fingers and fell, knocking all of the injection tubes off the engine like they were never even attached! (Made me pretty darn mad!) Are resin parts special and need a completely different approach to paint and glue? Is crazy glue or something similar the best to use? I've used testors glue over and over again on them and they dont hold. Thanks and sorry if any of these questions are redundant.
ScaleDale Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 To be a little more verbose, CA is short for cyanoacrylate (that may be misspelled) and is generally called super glue. In a hobby shop, ask for CA. It comes in various thicknesses with drying times from instant to not so instant. Heed the warning label: Bonds Skin on Contact. I think the web site for Competition Resins is compresins.com and they have info on CA. Resin won't stick to anything other than CA or epoxy. I use 5 minute epoxy if I can get away with it. The instant freeze property of CA gets me into trouble sometimes. I like a bit of wobble room with parts assembly. If you CA something and it needs to be removed, don't pull it apart. It has very strong gripping force but can be cracked by twisting the effected parts. There is a product sold with CA called Un Cure that will break the bond. Without it I would have interesting things attached to my fingers to this day. Dale
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 (edited) Clean, precise cuts = razor saw. I build a LOT of heavily modded cars. I use RC model airplane fiberglass cloth and decent epoxy (NOT the 5-minute garbage) to reinforce all of my major joints. It never cracks and is plenty strong enough to do heavy bodywork and panel blending. Two examples: See post #51 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66935&page=3 See posts 22-25 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65965&page=2 Edited January 23, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy
Jantrix Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 What do you use to perfectly cut parts? I use a pair of flush cut diagonal cutters to separate parts from the sprues. What do you use to shave details perfectly? A sharp #11 hobby knife is your best pal. Also check the nail care area of your local beauty supply store for sanding sticks. What do you to hold all of this together and shape things? Umm. I don't quite understand the question. All of what together. If your model needs rubber bands and bungie cords to keep it together, your doing something wrong. Secondly, I've just recently started using resin parts for some of my builds, but I notice that things dont stay glued to resin very well. I had 8 Hilborn injection tubes for my big block in my '55 Chevy gasser I'm building, and just last night the engine slipped out of my fingers and fell, knocking all of the injection tubes off the engine like they were never even attached! (Made me pretty darn mad!) Stop dropping stuff. Are resin parts special and need a completely different approach to paint and glue? I have not yet used resin, but I think a super glue (CA) will do fine. Prime and paint as usual. Is crazy glue or something similar the best to use? I've used testors glue over and over again on them and they dont hold. I use a gap filling super glue called Zap-a-Gap. There are many generic brands of gap filling glue available, and for the most part they work fine. Testors glue is BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH. It's messy and poor at it's job. Throw it away. For clear parts use, standard white Elmers glue. Feel free to send me a private message if you have further questions, I'm happy to help.
ScaleDale Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 It's debatable, but one of the best plastic cements is Tamiya thin in the hex shaped bottle. Not the orange label, the other one. Dries fast. Avoid Bondo for strength-critical body work. I like a two part epoxy putty called Milliput. It comes in three different finishes with white being the finest. Dale
JTalmage Posted January 23, 2014 Author Posted January 23, 2014 What do you use to perfectly cut parts? I use a pair of flush cut diagonal cutters to separate parts from the sprues. Well, for this question I really meant body panels and such, which would be the razor saw. I use some good cutters to remove parts from the trees already. What do you use to shave details perfectly? A sharp #11 hobby knife is your best pal. Also check the nail care area of your local beauty supply store for sanding sticks. Ahh, a file.... good thought. What do you to hold all of this together and shape things? Umm. I don't quite understand the question. All of what together. If your model needs rubber bands and bungie cords to keep it together, your doing something wrong. I'm not sure what I meant there, I was multitasking and apparently not completely paying attention. I think I meant to ask What everyone uses to hold the bodies of cars together, and also what type of putty is best used to reshape? Secondly, I've just recently started using resin parts for some of my builds, but I notice that things dont stay glued to resin very well. I had 8 Hilborn injection tubes for my big block in my '55 Chevy gasser I'm building, and just last night the engine slipped out of my fingers and fell, knocking all of the injection tubes off the engine like they were never even attached! (Made me pretty darn mad!) Stop dropping stuff. Tell me about it... lol Are resin parts special and need a completely different approach to paint and glue? I have not yet used resin, but I think a super glue (CA) will do fine. Prime and paint as usual. Is crazy glue or something similar the best to use? I've used testors glue over and over again on them and they dont hold. I use a gap filling super glue called Zap-a-Gap. There are many generic brands of gap filling glue available, and for the most part they work fine. Testors glue is ######. It's messy and poor at it's job. Throw it away. For clear parts use, standard white Elmers glue. Feel free to send me a private message if you have further questions, I'm happy to help.
JTalmage Posted January 23, 2014 Author Posted January 23, 2014 All in all it sounds like I need to pick up some tools soon. And I thought I was a good model builder before.. sheesh!
Tom Geiger Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 All in all it sounds like I need to pick up some tools soon. And I thought I was a good model builder before.. sheesh! Tools are always a good investment. Never skimp on good tools, you will enjoy using them for a lifetime! Here's one of my favorite tools. The Chopper gives you perfectly clean cuts on Evergreen plastic strips and basswood strips that I use for scratch building. You can set up angles too. When I need 4 pieces exactly the same, I'll tape them together and cut them together. This is about a $50 tool. I've had people ask how I could waste that much on a tool, but consider I've had it 10 years and I have used it on every project I've done, it's truly cost me nothing!
gluebomb Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 Tools are always a good investment. Never skimp on good tools, you will enjoy using them for a lifetime! I totally agree weither it is tools for modeling, household stuff, fixing cars don't skimp. It may seem like more money now but in the long run you will save yourself more money. I have had one 3/8" drive Snap-On rachet for 15 years, use it all the time, it needed one rebuild and is still in use today.
southpier Posted January 23, 2014 Posted January 23, 2014 in all seriousness, "experience". tools & stuff will go a long way helping achieve your goal, but it's the "next one" that's really going to shine!
Jantrix Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Tools are always a good investment. Never skimp on good tools, you will enjoy using them for a lifetime! Here's one of my favorite tools. The Chopper gives you perfectly clean cuts on Evergreen plastic strips and basswood strips that I use for scratch building. You can set up angles too. When I need 4 pieces exactly the same, I'll tape them together and cut them together. This is about a $50 tool. I've had people ask how I could waste that much on a tool, but consider I've had it 10 years and I have used it on every project I've done, it's truly cost me nothing! I've been wanting one of those myself for a long time. Making perfectly square cuts are tough.
JTalmage Posted January 24, 2014 Author Posted January 24, 2014 I've built model cars for many years, but they were always out of the box, or at best kit-bashed, but I've never done any serious custom work... and I want to after seeing all of the wonderful creations on here it makes me want to push myself to go to the next level.
JTalmage Posted January 25, 2014 Author Posted January 25, 2014 Bought some CA glue yesterday to try and hold my injector stacks to my resin lower intake.... they wouldn't hold at all. I got mad and took that intake off and will be putting my dual tunnel ram intake on.
ScaleDale Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 CA is a contact cement and both surfaces must be clean and flat. If they are, just a touch of CA to one surface and a press to the other should do the trick. Vibration or movement during the setting period, were talking seconds, will defeat the bond. Practice on a few pieces of scrap with similar parts. You only need enough to make one surface look wet, a drop is too much. Dale
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