Simulating weld beads on Daylight passenger car roofs

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StratCatGenius

StratCatGenius

New Member
Hi folks,

This will take some of you WAYYYY back...

I'm putting together a couple of Limited Editions SP Daylight car kits from the 70's (I know, I know, the BLI and MTH stuff is coming...).

The sides and roofs are extruded aluminium pieces, but there is no roof seam detail...it's just smooth. Any ideas on how to get the seams in the roof panels showing? :confused:

for reference...
http://www.traintrack.net/Engines/Images/PricisionCraft/680.gif

Thanks, GENE
 
Gene, that really is a trip in Way Back Machine. :) I built a few of these when they first came out and tried a number of ideas for the weld seams. What seemed to work best was waxed dental floss in the smallest size you can find. I think it's one that's advertised for sensitive teeth. Just make some reference marks for spacing along the roof and cut the dental floss with enough to hang over the sides by a few inches. Coat the dental floss with thin CA and carefully lay it across the roof at your reference marks. Hold it in place for about 10 seconds with the overhanging sections and then move on to the next one. When they are all dry, use a sharp #11 blade to cut off the overhang right where the roof meets the side. Once it's painted, takes handling well and looks pretty realistic...or at least I thought it did when I did it. :D
 
Good idea - I had purchased some thin black plastic wire for beading from the local buck store with the same idea, but I was too chicken to try it. Sounds like it might work. And I think many will agree that you found the best use for dental floss!;)

GENE
 


The suface decals might also be a good option but I've never used them. They weren't around in 1972 so dental floss was the best I could come up with. :)
 
Wow - I had never heard of surface decals like that before. What an awesome idea! Archer #AR88005 looks like the ticket. And they make different types of rivets too...definitely need to keep that in mind. Now I just need to find out where I can get them up here in the Great White North. Some dude in England has them on eBay, but hopefully I should be able to find something closer...

Good ideas folks...thanks!

GENE
 
Never seen half round styrene that tiny and it would have to take a pretty good bend. I suspect the surface decals would be the way to go today if they are available.
 
Get a candle, some leftover sprue trees from a kit, and stretch sprue to your heart's content. If you stretch enough, you'll end up with several thin rods you can trim and apply to the model to represent weld beads.
 


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