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advice on styrene wraps to add rivet detail
Thread starterbob_suruncle
Start date
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Posting this across a couple of forums hoping to get some quick and good advice:
Okay so I have been playing with a scratchbuilt cab on a Bachmann Mike to do a freelanced back date on it. I have now made 2 attempts to apply an .015 wrap of styrene that I studiously embossed with rivets. The initial application looks good but after a few minutes the solvent cement starts to attack the .015 causing wrinkles and bubbles. Second attempt I used less solvent but with the same result. I was using Testors liquid cement as in my experience it tends to be the least potent of the ones I have worked with (plastructs and ambroid being the other liquids I generally use).
I have now had to re-sand the roof of my cab twice and I am not sure if my nerves or the cab roof will take another failed application. I know some of you apply styrene wraps to scratch built tenders with success so what am I doing wrong? the cab took a few hours of messing to get the roof line right and it looks amazing except for the missing rivet details.....
this is likely not a proper way but the way I make simple rivets is to take a sharp hobby knife and dot the surface in an even line. I do this when building my water tenders and have to cut the coal load out and incert a flat sheet of styreen. its one of those things that you really dont notice that the dots are recessed unless your looking at it a few inches away. It gives the paint a surface to kling into and thus looks as if its raised or recessed etc...
I would think .015" styrene would be thick enough to avoid distortion. How much solvent are you using? One idea would be to hold the overlay in place and apply solvent just at the edges. I'd suggest the Ambroid instead of Testors for this approach. If that isn't practical, maybe a water-based contact cement would work.
I would think .015" styrene would be thick enough to avoid distortion. How much solvent are you using? One idea would be to hold the overlay in place and apply solvent just at the edges. I'd suggest the Ambroid instead of Testors for this approach. If that isn't practical, maybe a water-based contact cement would work.
I am using just enough solvent cement to barely moisten the roof of the cab (at least that was the case with application #2). I usually save Ambroid for the really aggressive applications as it seems to really melt the plastic (great for structures or that hard plastic in Walthers cornerstone kits).
The edges of the lamination seem to be where the problem is biggest as there was no distortion in the center of the lamination just around the edges. I would worry that applying cement to the edges may leave a "bubble" in the center of the roof as well. I know liquid cement wicks into the joint but not sure how effective that would be with the lamination process. Is this something you have tried?
I've used .005" styrene as an overlay to show rivet details without any problems. I paint the area where the overlay is to go with a small paintbrush and not too much Testors liquid cement. Just enough to make the surface tacky, and not wet. All rivert details on this HO scale double ended plow were done this way:
This may be more than you want unless you will have more work needing rivets. I have seen the results of this machine and they are fantastically good. http://www.micromark.com/THE-RIVETER,7146.html
Now there is a name I recognize! Thanks Bob.... I guess I just need to go even lighter on the cement..... I am just dreading if things go wrong again as it will probably mean rebuilding the cab completely this time.
Do you cover the entire surface with cement or work your way across?
This may be more than you want unless you will have more work needing rivets. I have seen the results of this machine and they are fantastically good. http://www.micromark.com/THE-RIVETER,7146.html
The edges of the lamination seem to be where the problem is biggest as there was no distortion in the center of the lamination just around the edges. I would worry that applying cement to the edges may leave a "bubble" in the center of the roof as well. I know liquid cement wicks into the joint but not sure how effective that would be with the lamination process. Is this something you have tried?
If the problem is at the edges, I was way off base. What you're doing should work. How are you holding the lamination in place while the cement sets? Maybe too much pressure?
Steve: just holding it in place with my fingers until the edges no longer pull away.... maybe I am being too ham fisted. Another thought I have had is that although I am laminating .15 styrene its still relatively flat and being applied to a surface that has fairly tight curves on the edges.... maybe I should heat the material slightly in some hot water or with my heat gun and bend it to shape first? I did this with the roof section that I am laminating this too and it worked well... after a few trial runs....
Now there is a name I recognize! Thanks Bob.... I guess I just need to go even lighter on the cement..... I am just dreading if things go wrong again as it will probably mean rebuilding the cab completely this time.
Do you cover the entire surface with cement or work your way across?
It would seem I was using too much adhesive.... I tried again last night and was much more successful. I found that the Testors applies with a soft paint brush sparingly worked much better than when you use the brush in the bottle. I then used ambroid afterward around the edges. Worked so well I had a blast of ambition and did the side walls, the rain gutters and smoke deflector. I didnt have time to set up proper lighting and a tripod to take a quick shot this morning but here is the progress.
So I had an epiphany this past weekend (which my friends will tell you is neither remarkable or unusual) in that I was reviewing my locomotive inventory and found a Rivarossi heavy mike that I thought would look good with an all weather cab..... so out came the razor saw and .... hey wonder what that cab would look like on my current project..... well after a few hours of replacing the cab front and windows I decided to go with this cab instead. Now before you start brow beating me for bailing on my scratch build let me tell you that I promised myself I would not start building my new layout until this current project was completed.... well I just cut my completion time in half so the new layout is that much closer to reality... you can all forgive me based on that right?? I will probably complete the scratch build as well but this really gives me a leg up on this project.
Attached a pic of the new.. new cab. Now all I have to do is paint and letter... oh and install a Tsunami.
(please excuse the plastic dust in the images.... )
I just had to add decals to one side to see what it was going to look like. I have these decals printed up by Els trains to match NYC steam but for Finger lakes. I think I like the results very much
and the decals are very well done.. Thanks Els!
for some reason I couldnt attach a picture to my post so here is an image in my gallery:
Wooo wooooo chuggga chugga .... decoder is in and funtioning! hope to get some nice shots on the layout this weekend and maybe some video too. Very pleased with the results
I didnt have time to set up proper lighting and a tripod to take a quick shot this morning but here is the progress.
