SCRATCH BUILDING

This page will be a "how I" not a "how to" project. There is no right or wrong way to build. Its what works best for you. These are the methods I have worked out for myself over the years. Many of the models pictured on our web page are built with these methods. Use it as a guide to help develop your own methods.I hope you will find this a simple way to get that one of a kind model without spending a arm and a leg for it.

I like to build with styrene and plexiglass. I like these materiels best because they bond well, they are easy to cut and bend, take paint well and most of all because of the large selection of sheets, shapes and sizes available. This really cuts the construction time down. Lets get started.

The basic tools you will use are:
1 Your choice of razor knife and blades
2 Straightedge, ruler and scale ruler
3 Mechanical lead pencil and extra lead
4 Fine sandpaper
5 Assorted files**
6 Small set dividers
7 Hand nibbler
8 Templates***
9 Rubber bands and small spring type wood close pins
10 Pin vise and wire drills
11 Cutting pad or board.

** Get a new set of needle files and use them only for your plastic modeling. It can be a inexpensive set but you will be glad you did. they will cut clean and stay sharp for a long time. Save the good ones for your metal working projects.

*** I will explain these later as we go on.

Glues and Solvents

I like the solvents for bonding styrene. One thing to remember is they are not all alike. I use a number of different types. For general assembly I like to use Amborid. For fast setting Tenx 7R works well. These work well on thin sheets and shapes. Testers and some of the others take longer to evaporate and stay soft longer. If you apply to much after it totally dries you will notice "solvent burn" on the surface( wrinkles). This will ruin the model. Best to glue some scraps together first, let them dry overnight to get the feel of it. I use the Testors or one of the other slower ones for the heavier work, floors and interior stiffeners. Save the expensive ones for the outside work. One thing to remember is to keep the cap on these. On the more expensive ones that evaporate fast you can see the level in the bottle go down just watching it. Will talk more about these as we go along.

Also you will need some ACC type glue or epoxy. I like to use the thicker gap filling types of ACC's as they stay where you put them and don't run. One other very important thing is to read and follow all safety precautions on these products.

Now we have to decide on a model to build. If this is your first attempt at scratch building you might want to start with a wooden prototype. A freight motor or something without a lot of windows would be a good choice. I only say this because steel cars with a lot of rivet detail require embossing rivets and laminating thin sheets. Get the feel of the thicker sheets first.