General Model Kit Building Thread

Here are some pictures of my finished the Supra!
I didn't attempt to put on a new exhaust because i was worried i might ruin the car. For the lights i got a drop of super glue and dipped a toothpick in it, then rubbed the toothpick around the edges of the lights and stuck them on with no problems :)

I got a bit frustrated with the rear lights though because they wouldn't fit so i forced them in and they cracked :indiff:, any ideas on how to make it look less noticeable?

And finally, my favorite part of the car is the engine because i spent so much time on it and it turned out very good.


My next kit is the Skyline gtr vspec ii. At first look it seems a very good kit because it also has nismo accessories like extra wheels, a wing and an exhaust and even an nur badge! but when i looked closer i realised there was no engine to build :grumpy: Oh well i guess you cant have everything...
 
Looks pretty good. Decent paint, nicely detailed engine, but a few interior details are missing (grey stereo??).
The headlights look like they turned out nicely.... You can only see a slight line on the passenger side one. As for the taillight, I would suggest simply leaving it alone. Any attempt to fix it will likely exaggerate the problem.

One thing I would suggest for bits like the interior and fine details is simply using a toothpick. Dab a little paint on the end, and you can get very fine details.
Do you have a good set (or just a couple) of fine paintbrushes? I find the few that I have help alot when I'm doing detailwork too big to do with a toothpick.
Also, did you put a coat of clear on, or is it just paint?

Edit - Springtime now, so hopefully not too long until I can resume work on my chopped 'T.
 
Well i had two fine paint brushes but one snapped :embarrassed:
And for the paint i mixed metallic silver with a bit of gloss black and finally some clear lacquer. Because its cold in the garage i had to paint indoors which is dusty so instead of giving it 3 coats i just mixed the lacquer straight in with the paint to reduce the dust marks. Also the car was two colours before the final silver. It was first black but i already have a few black cars so then i painted it red but the paint was too thin and it didn't look too good. But at the end it turned out reasonably good.

good idea about the toothpick btw.
 
Yes, dust sucks.
The solution I use no matter what is to mount all the bits I'm painting on a peice of cardboard (Usually with toothpics/blocks of wood and stickey tack) and then cover it with a larger, clean box after I've applied the paint. If you have electric heat, then heat up one room and move the model in there before covering it with the box, and remove the cover after 10-15 minutes to let it gas off. This keeps the dust off the paint while it is the most vulnerable. Then once it's dry enough, give it a light sanding and apply the next coat.
 
I don't know if anyone remembers me, but I was last on here, sometime last year. Those that do remember me will know about my shocking modelling skills. Well I'd like to thank whoever it was that believed in me because, I carried on. I purchased a Tamiya Nissan Skyline GTR V-spec II R34 and as a tribute to GT4 (and my love for the car, I turned it into the R-tune.







My next project. Tamiya Nissan Calsonic GTR R33 turned Tuner car





The guy with the Ferrari site, with the tutorials is www.italianhorses.net There are more, such as www.briansmodelcars.com and one everyone should look at is www.spc.org.uk

The answer to that question about the glue on windows is. Don't use that glue at all. Use P.V.A (The white glue) It's not as strong, but it dries clear.
 
I found this to be useful. After I started building models again (just last week) I took a trip down to walmart in the middle of the night cuz I was desperate for some more interior paints and I came across this. "Testor's Super Glue for Plastic, Metal, and Wood Models" and it's great. :dopey: It dries REALLY fast like super glue but it dries clear (even on clear parts) unlike normal super glue. It was cheap too, only like $2 I think. I like it better than having to spend like a few days building one step cuz of normal glue's drying time. :crazy:
 
DRIFT4EVA
I don't know if anyone remembers me, but I was last on here, sometime last year.
I remember your thread about that girl, Corine(sp?) right?
 
Slick Rick
Wow http://www.briansmodelcars.com/ have got some good tutorials 👍
That R33 looks promising, keep us posted. Is your R34 Nismo the tamyia v-spec ii kit??
I find myself using those tutorials a fair bit now. Anything to add that bit of realism.

Yes, that is the V-spec II kit. I modified it, a little at the front, so it has the R-tune front. I chose to leave that little scoop in the bonnet/hood and I used different wing stays, but that's just me being slightly original. It's still an R-tune

GTRacer4
I remember your thread about that girl, Corine(sp?) right?
Up yours! J/k. Yes I am that sap. I have learnt from that mistake..... Both mistakes.
 
2 pre built 1:18 scale die-cast models. 1- Dodge Viper SRT/10 ($50.00) and 1- 2004 Glenn Seton and Craig Lowndes Ford BA Falcon Bathurst Cat Ford V8 Supercar ($150.00)
 
Live thread, live!

I'm getting interested in these, now I also have the money to buy them. The only think I'm worried about is painting them. I think I'd wreck them totally.

Has anybody got any new projects they'd like to show? I'm interested.
 
I'm currently working on a skyline r34 gtr but progress is slow...

Before starting to paint a model i like to do a bit of research on google images to get an idea of what colour things should be because the instructions with the car arnt too helpful. Get plenty of pics of the interior and engine. If you can, find any other models similar to yours that other people have done, see what works and what doesn't.

For paint on the body the worst thing is dust so keep the area dust free or paint outside. Its also better to use an air brush or spray can than to use a normal paint brush for the body.

If your interested and willing to spend a bit, like Slicks said earlier buy some thin brushes for detail. Also buy around 3 shade of grey paint, a silver paint and a gloss black, matt black and a semi gloss black paint because you will be using those paints quite a lot and the car will look much more interesting with a few different shades of the same colour instead of one shade all the way.

If your painting a part that needs 2 or more colours make sure you do them one at a time and that the last coat has dried before adding a second. It may take longer but in the end the results are much better.

Anyway i think the research on google images works best for me. If you have detailed pics of the real thing you cant go too wrong with the paint.

DRIFT4EVA has posted a some of links of sites with some tutorials which might help you too.

👍
 
Great post, SlickRick. 👍 +rep

I'll also add that primer can help the paint adhere better, and if you're kitbashing, make sure well before hand that the motor/wheels/tires you've selected will fit your kit that you're working on. Also, if you're doing a two tone or any other paintjob that requires masking tape, wait a long time to apply the tape. Some paints take longer to be dry enough to be handled.

Oh the most important tip: Don't use Roadstar Orange by Boyd. ;)
 
Thanks guys, I'll look into it a bit more this week (I'm on school holidays :P)

What do you guys think are the best beginner kits? When I used to play around with models when I was like 12 Tamiya was definately the highest quality but alse the highest price tag.
 
The two kits that go together perfectly, and are good for a beginner, would either be the Revell 1967 Chevelle, Or the Revell 1932 Ford 3 window.
 
Yea, a nice american muscle car would be a good start.
And whatever you do, dont buy a kit from Airfix!!
Tamiya or Revel are good. I think Rally cars are also good starters because some have ready painted bodys and the ones ive come across dont have complicated or no engines to build just the suspension, interior and body with plenty of decals to apply which is good for practice and experience.
There are quite a few Revel rally cars on ebay which i would recommend having a look at...
 
The best models to start with, IMHO, would be a curbside kit (One with a sealed engine compartment and no engine). A '2' skill level is usually good to start, because it can be built faster than a '3', yet still has a half-respectable level of detail.
Just remember, that the best tool you have is patience. Especially when it comes to paint.
 
I checked out a few sets today. There was some awesome Tamiya's around, quite a few I would have loved and there was also an RX3 which I was particularly partial to but the price tag was $65, a little more than I'm ready to pay right now.

Thanks for your help guys, I'll keep at it.
 
If your looking to get back into it, but want to get a couple of cheap kits for practice, check out Wal-Mart. They usually have a 4 pack of Revell kits, mostly muscle cars, with something else mixed in (ie. Stock car, Hot Rod, etc) for around the same price as 1 or 2 of their kits. 👍
 
Also, I expect you to be far smarter than this, but Please, don't buy an AMT Ertl kit. 5 bucks at walmart, but they have zero quality. They usually use "kingpins", which are little tiny plastic pins to pose the wheels. They are unbelieveably frustrating, especially for a beginner.


Slicks: You are a very patient man. How did you put up with that Orange for so long?

Slicks: :lol:@ the avatar.
 
High-Test
Also, I expect you to be far smarter than this, but Please, don't buy an AMT Ertl kit. 5 bucks at walmart, but they have zero quality. They usually use "kingpins", which are little tiny plastic pins to pose the wheels. They are unbelieveably frustrating, especially for a beginner.

Ive never bought an AMT kit, are they all that bad?
 
All the newer ones are. There were a few in the past that were awesome, but don't buy a newer one.

You'd be appalled by the detail, and Someone with your high skill level would get really bored.
 
High-Test
Also, I expect you to be far smarter than this, but Please, don't buy an AMT Ertl kit. 5 bucks at walmart, but they have zero quality. They usually use "kingpins", which are little tiny plastic pins to pose the wheels. They are unbelieveably frustrating, especially for a beginner.


Slicks: You are a very patient man. How did you put up with that Orange for so long?

Slicks: :lol:@ the avatar.


How did I put up with it? I still am!!
I've just kind of gotten another start on the model... I'm filling in the back windows, shaving the back door moldings/handle off, and then I'll give it another try at paint.

Which avatar? The cut=custom one?

[Reminds me, I've got a digital camera for the weekend, so I'll get some pics up of my recent progress.... eventually].

And guys, do yourselves the favor. Do not buy a crap-kit. The initial investment will be representative of the results, unless you love scratch-building.
 
'bump'

my skyline's almost finished...just the body details left. It was going really well and the underside and interior have turned out nicely but the body seems to be plagued with problems. If it went smoothly i may of had the pictures ready today :grumpy:
 
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