Custom Trim and Dipsticks

[slowlylearning]

Couple of simple small tutorials

Custom trim (side mouldings) (takes a little while)

You'll need:
-masking tape (I used Tamiya and a bigger low tack type)
-easily workable putty
-model car body (I used an old one for practice)

Tape off a design

Make a big mess, build up the putty a bit over theasked off area, remember, its easier to add more than enough now rather than later.

Wait for the putty to become slightly tacky but not overy clumpy, I waited about 5 minutes but it would vary with different putties.

Unmask it carefully and let harden.

Once its hardened you can very carefully shape it with sandpaper (I used 800grit), the end of a file for the edges and an exacto for those trickier bits.

I shot undercoat on it at this point so it was easier to see where I skrewed up and took too much off/chipped it.

After this its just a matter of adding small amounts of putty to the problem area and working it more.

Its a bit of trial and error, but thats why its fun!

Stickin in a dipstick! (5-10 minute detail modification)

You'll need a pinvice with 1mm drillbit,sparkplug boot tubing, .5mm wire, engine and your trusty xacto.

Drill a hole in the side of your engine, from reference you can decide how accurate you want to be.

Wrap the .5mm wire around your 1mm drillbit so it forms a loop like in picture 3 and cut off the excess.

Put the straight end of the looped .5mm wire in the end of the sparkplug boot tube.

Place it in the aformentioned super-accurately placed hole you drilled in the engine and bend it about until youre happy with the way it looks and youre done!

You can also add a tiny 'washer' between the loop in the 5mm wire where it goes into the sparkplug boot tube to add a bit more detail, or use smaller copper tubing instead of the sparkplug boot tube for a smaller scale look.

[slusher]

Very cool, thanks for sharing...

[carrucha]

Useful tips. Thanks!