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Customizing Tips & Tricks; Submit Or Request A Trick Of The Trade!
Topic Started: Dec 3 2006, 12:21 PM (19,409 Views)
Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
Pharaoh
Sep 2 2008, 04:07 PM
Yup, that's the same kind alright.

Thanks for the help. Actually you're the only one who managed to give me a useful answer out of all the sites and board I contacted... makes me wanna stick around :-)

Thank you again.

Glad I could be of help! And you've made my day by wanting to stick around! :) I think you'll like it here. :thumbup:
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Pharaoh
Microcar
And for my next request (yeah I know, I'm a noob)...

As you know I'm in the process of restoring the cursed yat ming van... (1st coat drying now)

However, I'd like to know how to print stickers to apply them correctly (can't print decals, and don't know in what kind of shop to find that stuff)
.
Designing them isn't really the issue, it's finding the right size to be as close as possible to the original design...

Any tips on resizing accuratly? Or should I just keep trying, guessing and cutting until I get it right?

Thanks.
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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
That's a good question, and I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. I've never played with decals or stickers at all.

Trial and error may be the best course of action here, especially since every casting is different. Once you find that perfect size you'll be set for future projects- just make it slightly larger/smaller depending on the casting being used. I think you can get decal paper in the Wal*Mart electronics section with the rest of the printer paper. If not, try Staples or Office Depot.
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camarors
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Station Wagon
A New Customizing Tip

1/64" chrome tape. It's the right size for putting chrome trim on cars. A member from HT customs board passed this along. So I gave it a try.


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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
I like that!
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bob8748
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*In Memory Of*
My friend John used to order decal paper from Trains and Things in Traverse City, Michigan. I've even ordered some for him. Traded some supplys for a couple trailers. They are real great to deal with. make a phone call. gave them my card number. pick it up in the mail box.
http://www.traversehobbies.com/
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QuicksilverDC
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Mopar Fanatic
Question? Do any of you have any use for the 3M vinyl tape like as used on 1/1 cars? I have a number of broken up tape stripe kits with the vinyl tape and am sure even 1 section would go a long way on scale cars :toy: or dioramas etc.......let me know if you have a use for it. :wave: I have gloss black, matte black, some white, maybe some red, and maybe even some reflective....cars not included ;)

Example of what I am talking about:
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Sak
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Ezekiel 25:17
Filling in holes. I've been doing this for some time now, and it's all trial and error. The problem is, that after you've filled in the holes, and they look great, it seems that the paint settles after twenty-four hours, and you can see where the holes were. I have found that you have to do four or five applications and sandings of the putty...sand down each time to a smoothness. A tedious process, but it seems to work well!
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james_autos
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Minivan
You're right, George. Most filler jobs I do look great once sanded down, but as soon as I prime them, any blemishes and cracks will show up. Most of the time they are only small and not worth extra attention so I'll just carry on.

So you might do a filler job 4-5 times then? I thought you had no patience!
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bob8748
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*In Memory Of*
OK... there has got to be a better way!?!
Removing axle assemblies from the base. In this case Johnny Lightnings. I'm using a dremel with a cone shaped cutter but I cant do this without chewing up the axle. Is there a trick to doing this without damaging the axle itself? :angry:
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gunn
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Station Wagon
bob i save all my small dremal cut off wheels. i use them by going back and forth the top of the crimps. when i get very close to the axle i use a sharpen old small screw driver to chip out the rest. i lock the frame in a vice to keep both hands away from the home made chizel. just follow the axle area and tap on the screw driver.....not hard. and KEEP YOUR BODY AND HANDS OUT OF THIS AREA. DO NOT PUT FRAME IN YOUR LAP! always think safety..... use a vice. later gunn
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bob8748
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*In Memory Of*
I'll give that a try Lee. I'll have to get some more wheels, down to one. Good excuse to cut something up! :thumbup:
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craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

I went to Wal Mart last week to find some new Klean Strip stripper that they sold in a spray can. WM had nada of the spray type so off I went to Rural King, which is like TSC, to look for some. Apparently in my area you can no longer buy the spray can type, but they did have this 1 quart can with a spray bottle for $10. It works just as well as any other premium Klean Strip solution and appears to be more economical to use as well imo. I did wear heavy duty kitchen type rubber gloves as this stuff will burn and irritate your skin quickly.

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I did a bunch of primer painting this past weekend and found something to be quite good to use as a stand. This is a floral arrangement frame that flowers go on for grave markers. I can fit about half a dozen cars on there at the same time and cover most of the bodies.
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Harvestman
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Captain Slow
A few tips and tricks which may or may not have been added:

1. If you want shiny chrome, as opposed to satin chrome like a silver Sharpie, try a Pilot extra-fine Silver Marker. I found mine at Staples. It's not as shiny as Bare-Metal foil, but much shinier than a silver Sharpie.
2. To scratch up the paint on a junker without going too deep, as might happen with sandpaper, try steel wool. It's great for light, broad scratches.
3. Often at stores such as Goodwill, prices will be written on the plastic bubble with a Sharpie. To remove them, spray a bit of Odor-Eaters spray on the writing. Wait until it dries, then just wipe it off. It doesn't even leave an odor!
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funeralxempire
SUV
Fun fact: Kneaded erasers don't bond to epoxy, making them suitable for filling a body that's having a roof attached.
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gustovski
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Compact
i bend the metal axle tabs out the way with a screw driver just jam it between the tabs and twist
then i use a chainsaw file to grind them away
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Harvestman
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Captain Slow
If you have any spare credit cards or gift cards (or anything using that type of flexible plastic), they're perfect for scratchbuilding.
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Dugite
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Midsize
So you want to dismantle your diecast car and customise it.
Thats good, love doing that.
To keep the value of the cast and to facilitate revisiting the custom you
will need a neat almost stock way of getting that casting and base back together.
I searched the forums and came up with the perfect answer for me.

This is not my idea so I can't claim credit and I found it on a different forum
so if you read this and it was your idea, then jump on and claim your Kudos.

This works best for me and the way I wish to get my diecast back together.
There is a cost involved but if you are serious then it is worth it.

You will need to aquire the following: These are the original reccomendations from the customiser
and is what I use. parts numbers are Enco but any hardware store should have them.
Enco 318-0010 #0-#8 CAPACITY T-HANDLE PLAIN TAP WRENCH
Enco 306-8049 #49 jobber drill.
Enco 325-4764 2-56 H1 bottom tap
Enco 510-0794 2-56 x 3/16 BH Cap Screw 18-8 SS (packs of 100) these little guys are the beez kneez.
Enco 510-0244 2-56 x 1/4 BH Cap Screw 18-8 SS (packs of 100)

Once you have drilled your rivet heads out of your custom, drill the remaining
post to about a `1/4 inch deep with the #49 drill but do not go thru the bonnet or boot of the casting.
Tap the hole with the 2-56 bottom tap, gently gently does it, if you snap
the tap off in the hole revert to JB weld to join it back together, yuck.
Then you can strip, grind and paint to your hearts content and simply use the 3/16 screws to bolt it back together neat as a pin.
Looks like a rivet but you can dismantle the car at any time, sweet.
Oh teah you will need a hex drive to suit the screws, easily found.

Thanks to the guy who posted this tip up, I love it.

If you are drilling and tapping please do not hold the model in your hand,
drilling into your bones can be a lifelong problem if it gets infected, believe me.
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funeralxempire
SUV
Older Matchbox style suspension, also found in Yat-Ming and Maistro vehicles makes axle swaps dead-simple.

Leaving a bit of a jagged tab at the top of the rivet post gives you something to bend over to seal the car back together without using epoxy. If you do use epoxy though, it drills out really easily so if you want to make alterations you'll still be able to.
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GothicCarsUrban
Member Avatar
SUV
For making wrecked cars: I find hitting the casting with a golf club (I use an old Ben Hogan 5-iron that I found in the dumpster), stomping it with fairly light force or squeezing it in a vise to be great for creating the illusion of severe structural damage.

Note this, it used to be a Hot Wheels Cunningham. It received all three treatments.

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Edited by GothicCarsUrban, Sep 24 2012, 06:14 AM.
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gustovski
Member Avatar
Compact
To make truck and 4x4 axles
First take some brass, styrene, aluminum, or whatever you prefer tubing just big enough for a pin or what you are using as the axle shaft to spin freely inside it cut it to the length of the axle you need
Next get a screw like what is used to hold a tv remote together or diecast model cut the head off as it will be the diff and glue the head onto the tube halfway along the tube or one third of the way along if you want an offset diff
Now moun the axle to the cars base or chassis I usually file down the suspension detail and glue it on top of that and have the screw head facing away from the gearbox(towards the ends of the car )
Now add piece of rod about a millimeter wide from the back of the gearbox/transfer case to the diff glue it in place
Now build up the diff's shape using filler of glue an paint it
More detail can be added like leaf springs and brake drums but I haven't done that yet so I haven't worked out how
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GothicCarsUrban
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SUV
Axe body spray works well to dissolve permanent marker, however, it can also cause paint to dissolve slightly (only experienced this with Lesney yellow and 1990s Zylmex black paint)
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gustovski
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Compact
the square bit at the end of a cable tie(zip tie if your from 'merica) make good air rams for the top of 4x4 snorkels
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Philly Wheels
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Midsize
Just a quick spraying tip, I'll use old small persciption bottles. Makes it so much easier for me, you can turn on a dime and you can just set down in a safe place and let dry. After completely dry just slide the bottle out and it should be a perfect paint job. Hope I helped some one. Now for a question, I restore a lot of older HW RLs that the rivets are so small it's almost impossible to get the pilot hole centered any suggestions?
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pagani lover
Microcar
I have a huge passion for restoring the 1/64 scale cars.I do any brands.one of my signatures is the leather interiors I do and lined trunks.Also I do simple carpets and seat belts.I always try to make the paint as rich and glossy as I can.no matte colors for me.I am working on a toy car I will show around at pebble beach.the Lesney iso grifo.
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