Hobbies

Plastic Model Car Care And Upkeep

Model cars, once a very popular hobby, have since seen a slowdown in their following. During the 1980’s building and collecting plastic model cars was replaced by video games and a popular television music channel. The new generation just did not have the same time for model building that it once had. Now that the older generation is coming around again modeling is enjoying a resurgence. New model builders and old collectors alike are beginning to buy the hottest new models as fast as they hit the shelves.

One thing that many model builders do not seem to remember is that plastic models, just like their pre-assembled die cast cousins, require a bit of upkeep and cleaning to make them and keep them looking their best. This means cleaning them well before assembly and after they are together as well. While it is not very difficult to do it can be a bit hard to remember. Make yourself a note and leave it somewhere you will find it or just jot it down on your calender. By doing so you will ensure that you are able to enjoy your model for years to come.

One of the very first things you will want to do is to wash the different parts of your model car in a small container of water. This water should be warm but not hot. Heat can damage the part by causing it to become misshapen. Also add a very light amount of dish detergent to the water. Sometimes during the manufacturing process the parts can pick up a residue and this will make it hard to paint as well as making it hard for the adhesive to do its job.

If you want to make sure that it is very clean within the detailing you should use a brush. A soft bristle toothbrush is usually perfect for this job. It can easily get into small tight spots in the detailing much better than a harder bristled brush would.

Once you have assembled the windshield and windows you should check them for left over adhesive. Adhesive can be very hard to get off of them so you should try to wipe any that is left out to the edge of the clear plastic. This will make it much easier to remove. Once the model car is completely assembled you may use one of two methods to clean it. A keyboard vacuum can do a very thorough job just be sure that you secure moving parts on the model as the spinning brush could actually damage your car. The other way would be to use very light bursts of aerosol keyboard cleaner. If you spray too long you risk damaging your paint job and decals.

After the model has been finished make sure that it is properly sealed. If it has not been then there is a chance that water damage could cause your car to lose its decals or suffer damage to its paint job. A properly sealed model car can be wiped off with a slightly damp lint free cloth. By using lint free cloth you save the aggravation of having to clean off bits of lint left behind by a normal paper towel. If you take care of your plastic model car properly you will make sure that it is around for your enjoyment in the years to come.

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Adding Age To Your Model Car

Many model car fans love to add detail to their cars. From adding custom paint jobs to adding or removing parts that they feel that the car may or may not need, the nice thing about models is being able to customize them as much or as little as you would like. One nice touch is to weather your car so that it looks as if it had actually come off the assembly line back in the forties, fifties or whatever model year it is based on.

One way to do this is to add damage. By doing this you can make your model car appear to have been through the mill and back. There are a few different ways to do this. By using a sharp pointed hobby knife or straight pin you can make simulated bullet holes in the car so it appears to have been shot up. You can also damage bits of the bumper, fender, or wheel wells with your hobby knife so that they appear to have been banged about a good deal. If you have added a cloth top to your model car you can then carefully peel just a little bit loose with the point of your hobby knife to add wear and tear to it. Remember, any damage you do to your vehicle such as this cannot just be undone. Make sure that you are ready for these changes to be permanent.

Another step to weathering your car is to simulate chipping of the paint job. To get this affect you should first paint your model car with a metallic silver color so that it appears to be an actual steel body. On top of this you would apply the paint that you are going to color your car. The only difference will be that you should make sure to miss spots so that the silver can show through. This will make it appear that your car’s paint job is chipping and fading with time. The best spots to do this are wherever dings and dents are most common on a car such as the door, bumper, and fender.

If you are wanting to texture your undercarriage and frame to show wear then you should sand it very lightly with a low grit sandpaper after it has been painted. If done properly you can dull the finish this way but if you apply too much pressure you can totally eat through the paint and damage your car. You can avoid this issue if you also apply several coats of paint to the model as well. A quick note, if you are using different colors of paint on a single area make sure that you let one layer dry before you add the next. By adding them too quickly you can end up with quite a mess and have to attempt to redo the work.

With some creativity you can add a good deal of aging to your model car. It will also make it a one of a kind since you were the one who came up with the changes that you made it. Soon you will have a fleet of antique and classic cars that look just like they rolled straight out of Detroit.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model trains, and model trucks.

Model Car Designing For Advanced Builders

You have put together a few hundred models (well, it feels that way anyhow). You have even custom detailed several and all it took was a little thought and some extra elbow grease. Now you are starting to get a bit bored and feel like a real challenge but you are not sure what to try next. You can either try assembling your next model blindfolded or you can try to design your own model from the ground up. It can take a bit of creative skill and the ability to read a measuring tape but with little more than this you will soon have a model car of your own creation.

The first thing you must do is to find a car that catches your eye. If this is your very first attempt you should pick one that may not have too much fine work on its exterior. This way you will get a bit of practice in before you get to the really hard stuff. Take pictures of the car from all the angles that you can so you get a good idea of the detail that will be included in your end model. Once you do this then you should have someone assist you in taking measurements of the car. Measure every bit of the car that you can get to. From front to back side to side and everywhere in between, every measurement that you have will make it that much easier once you are ready to draw your model to scale.

Once you get to the drawing board the first thing you will want to do is to rough sketch your car. It doesn’t have to be to scale yet but it should look pretty close. Also make sure you draw many different viewpoints of it. By doing so you will make it much easier when you bing to make a mock-up. Now that you have sketched out your car you can also sketch out the various embellishments you would like to add. Whether it is a fin or spoilers by adding them to the sketch they will also be much easier to visualize as well. One thing that is very useful is to use tracing paper to draw these embellishments on the vehicle. This way your primary drawing will not be compromised and you can try out several different looks.

Now that you have your design ready you will want to do a bit of deciding. If you are rather computer literate you might give using a CAD program a shot. Cad can allow you to render your model car in 3D so that it is much easier to see what it is going to look like once it is completed. If not then you are ready to move on to the next step. Find an existing model that looks somewhat like the car you have designed and use it as a base to work from. If there are parts that you need that are not included in this existing model you may be able to find them in other old models that can be picked up from yard sales or flea markets. It may start out seeming like a bit of a cobbled creation but once you get everything fitted, sanded, primed, and painted you will truly have a model car that you can call all your own.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car aficionados, model trains, and model trucks.

Drawing Your Own Model Car

You have done it what seems like a thousand times. You buy a new model car, open the box, assemble, paint, and then done and on to the next one. Yes, it can be rewarding in its own way the first several times you get a model out with its neat list of directions and pictures to follow along with. What happens if you decide to do something a little bit different though? What if you want to design some of your own customizations for your new model? The best way to think through the customizations you are considering is to draw them out. A sketch drawing will allow you to try out different looks before you actually begin the building process that way you won’t have to worry about something not working out and having to be cut loose or changed after it has already been attached to the model car.

What you will need to do this is just a pencil and a couple sheets of paper. The first thing you should do is to sketch a picture of the car as it would look fully assembled. Work from the pictures on the box or in the directions if necessary. This will give you a good base to work from. Once you begin drawing your different ideas for your changes you should do so down the margins of the paper nearest the part of the car to receive the new treatments. This will allow you to begin visualizing what those changes will look like once the car is finished. One thing to remember is that you should not just draw one change for each section. Get creative and sketch out a few different ideas for each part you wish to change. This will allow you some leeway in your creative process.

You will also want to draw your model car from several different angles or views. This will allow you to see your intended modifications as they will appear and to see exactly how they can best be adapted to the car. Something else to consider is that by customizing your car like this on paper before you actually begin the assembly process will also let you experiment with different paint schemes as well. By using colored pencils to add color to your sketch you can try out many different styles such as adding flames or pin striping without having to try it out on your model first.

Once you have chosen the different modifications that you wish to incorporate into your model sketch the finished design out on a separate piece of paper along with the paint job you are going to use. This will allow you to see how the model car will look when finished. One thing to remember is that you should attempt to draw your car as close to scale as you are able. If you do not then the modification you wish to make may not fit once you attempt to add it to the car. Now that you have the concept of drawing your desired modifications the next step you might come to would be to design your own model car. Happy modeling!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for unique model cars, model trains, and model trucks.

How To Properly Assemble Your Model Car

Maybe you have just decided to try building your first model car. Maybe your loved one decided it was something you might enjoy doing. Either way, you are about to begin a voyage into a much loved hobby that is enjoyed in many countries across the world. Model building can be very rewarding and can also be a great stress reliever. One thing you will need to know before you begin is the proper method to assembling a quality model car.

The only thing you need to get started are your model, some model adhesive, and a toothpick. It is also handy if you have a small hobby clamp to hold small parts together as the adhesive dries. While it might not take long to do so the parts can sometimes slide allowing the parts to slip apart. Something else that can come in very handy is alcohol wipes and a drop cloth. The drop cloth will catch any drips that happen to come from the gluing process and the alcohol wipes can help to clean up any glue that goes astray.

The first place to start is by identifying the first parts you need to assemble. Go ahead and carefully remove these pieces from their plastic frame. You may notice some extra bits of plastic that are left over from the manufacturing process. These pieces of plastic are known as flashing. It is okay to go ahead and carefully cut them away from the parts as well. Once you have done this you can try a dry fit. A dry fit is when you hold two parts together and see how they will match up before you glue them in place. If the fit is good then you are ready to proceed.

Place just a small amount of the adhesive onto your toothpick. You will then take the toothpick and use it to place a small amount of adhesive on the parts to be attached. The reason you use the toothpick is to prevent making a mess by applying too much adhesive to the parts that are being joined. Once you have done this you can place the parts together. If you have a clamp and are able to use it on these parts then you can feel free to clamp them lightly. After you have attached the parts together you should then set them aside and let them dry for a few hours to ensure that the adhesive has time to set up.

There are a couple of points that you will want to remember. Treat your adhesive right. By making sure that the top is replaced properly each time you will be able to get several models out of one tube. Improvise if you don’t have any hobby clamps. A rubber band, or paper clip may work just as well. If you are working with chrome plated or painted parts you should make sure and remove the bit that will be in contact with the glue. It can cause the parts to not fit as well if it is left on. Above all, do not worry overly much. Model building can be very fun if you allow it.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model antique cars, model trains, and model trucks.