PNKFLOYD
Mikey
Several weeks ago, I posted where I was assembling some vehicle kits and I was asked to walk thru the assemble process with pictures.
This is a metal '56 Ford pickup with a camper Alloy Forms HO kit with the components shown in picture 1. Alloy Forms is no longer in business, but you can find kits at train shows. This is the process I follow and is not the only way to assemble a model. Results may vary.
This kit was pretty well formed and did not require too much filing of flash and rough edges. After filing the pieces, I wash the pieces in soapy water to remove any greasy mold release.
The biggest skill needed for one of these kits is patience as paint and glue dry. Because these are small projects I brush paint with acrylic craft paints for quick water clean up. Since I want a bright orange color, I paint a white primer coat on first and let it dry for 12 hours. I live in the very humid south so I let it dry thoroughly between coats of paint. I often have more than one painted model drying at a time.
At this point, you could glue (ACC) the pieces together and have a model.
However, I like to have windows in my vehicles. I found that cutting and gluing small pieces of clear plastic in vehicles is frustrating and not very effective.
I have found that Elmer's school glue is thin enough to bridge small open spaces and dries translucent. This works for about a 1/4" square opening in most cases. Regular craft glue and regular Elmer's glue work, but are too thick to look like windows. Dry time for the glue is 24 hours before handling it.
T bridge wider spaces, like the windhield of the '57 Chevy, I cut a small piece of plastic and glued it to the opening. When dry, I bridged the open spaces with glue and covered the plastic piece with glue, too.
T bridge wider spaces, like the windhield of the '57 Chevy, I cut a small piece of plastic and glued it to the opening. When dry, I bridged the open spaces with glue and covered the plastic piece with glue, too.
To bridge larger gaps, like windshields, I cut a small piece of clear plastic and glued it to the utsie of the opening, as seen on the "56 Ford. The '57 Chevy shows the side gaps bridged with glue and theplastic insert also covered with glue.
After ACC gluing the bumpers and the camper on the Ford, I have one more step to protect the paint from handling. DULLCOAT is difficult to find and is not shiny on cars. I learned that some car modelers airbrush MOP N GLO wax on their models.
I apply a thin, quick coat to my craft paint vehicles. Do not apply a heavy coat of this thin watery wax, as it can melt the glue of the windows.
Below are the vehicles I have assembled over the last few weeks. All have one or two coats of wax. They are metal, plastic and molded epoxy products, but assembly is basically the same for all of them.
This is a metal '56 Ford pickup with a camper Alloy Forms HO kit with the components shown in picture 1. Alloy Forms is no longer in business, but you can find kits at train shows. This is the process I follow and is not the only way to assemble a model. Results may vary.
This kit was pretty well formed and did not require too much filing of flash and rough edges. After filing the pieces, I wash the pieces in soapy water to remove any greasy mold release.
The biggest skill needed for one of these kits is patience as paint and glue dry. Because these are small projects I brush paint with acrylic craft paints for quick water clean up. Since I want a bright orange color, I paint a white primer coat on first and let it dry for 12 hours. I live in the very humid south so I let it dry thoroughly between coats of paint. I often have more than one painted model drying at a time.
At this point, you could glue (ACC) the pieces together and have a model.
However, I like to have windows in my vehicles. I found that cutting and gluing small pieces of clear plastic in vehicles is frustrating and not very effective.
I have found that Elmer's school glue is thin enough to bridge small open spaces and dries translucent. This works for about a 1/4" square opening in most cases. Regular craft glue and regular Elmer's glue work, but are too thick to look like windows. Dry time for the glue is 24 hours before handling it.
T bridge wider spaces, like the windhield of the '57 Chevy, I cut a small piece of plastic and glued it to the opening. When dry, I bridged the open spaces with glue and covered the plastic piece with glue, too.
T bridge wider spaces, like the windhield of the '57 Chevy, I cut a small piece of plastic and glued it to the opening. When dry, I bridged the open spaces with glue and covered the plastic piece with glue, too.
To bridge larger gaps, like windshields, I cut a small piece of clear plastic and glued it to the utsie of the opening, as seen on the "56 Ford. The '57 Chevy shows the side gaps bridged with glue and theplastic insert also covered with glue.
After ACC gluing the bumpers and the camper on the Ford, I have one more step to protect the paint from handling. DULLCOAT is difficult to find and is not shiny on cars. I learned that some car modelers airbrush MOP N GLO wax on their models.
I apply a thin, quick coat to my craft paint vehicles. Do not apply a heavy coat of this thin watery wax, as it can melt the glue of the windows.
Below are the vehicles I have assembled over the last few weeks. All have one or two coats of wax. They are metal, plastic and molded epoxy products, but assembly is basically the same for all of them.
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