Author Topic: Scratch Building Questions and Tutorials (Read 24325 times)

FichtenFoo · February 04, 2007, 09:47:28 AM

I received the following question today:

Quote

hi.. im new in mecha modeling and and it is because of your works i started collecting and painting them. i love your work.. I would really appreciate it if you can help me in scratch building.. i dont know anything about scratch building, i am just wondering if you have a guide or tips in scratch building using styrene... i dont know how to work with them like what you normally do with your mechas, for instance bending or making round or curved part.. how do you make a curved shape out of a styrene.. and what are the things that i will need to

It got me to thinking that there's a lot of different ways to do all this and that perhaps this deserves a sticky. So help the man out, post some tips, and lets make another great sticky!

Marc · February 04, 2007, 10:27:20 AM

Stephen did a tutorial about bending styrene sheets in his Gelgoog Stutzer wip:
http://fichtenfoo.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=731&highlight=stutzer
http://gundamworld.it/sognidigundam/tipstricks/varie/curvedplasticard.jpg

Krausser · February 04, 2007, 01:28:32 PM

regarding the bending it was mentioned that heating the plasticard would help bending it, but isnt it going to make the plasticard brittle ? or worst case scenario melt it?
is the brown thing called "epowood" the same as putty?

and what do use to glue plasticards?
superglue? whiteglue? or should i use a specific type of glue?

thanks.. this will be a great help!

mtomczek · February 04, 2007, 03:05:27 PM

Quote from: "Krausser"

regarding the bending it was mentioned that heating the plasticard would help bending it, but isnt it going to make the plasticard brittle ? or worst case scenario melt it?
is the brown thing called "epowood" the same as putty?

and what do use to glue plasticards?
superglue? whiteglue? or should i use a specific type of glue?

thanks.. this will be a great help!

No the brown "epowood" stuff is not the same as putty. "Epowood" or Ren Shape as its known as is an extremely dense epoxy foam used for rapid prototyping. It cuts, sands, and works like wood, but is much denser. It comes in 2ft x 5 ft x 3 inch sheets (there are other sizes but thats the most common) and costs roughly about $300 a sheet. They make several different densitys and each one is more expensive then the other.

Google Ren Shape and you'll find it. Freeman supply is one of the big sellers of it.

Krausser · February 04, 2007, 06:35:51 PM

oh ok.. my problem is the source because i am not from united states.. are there other substitutes for ren shape? anything that can be used that can be molded into shape and something that will adhere to plastic..

mtomczek · February 04, 2007, 11:35:23 PM

Quote from: "Krausser"

oh ok.. my problem is the source because i am not from united states.. are there other substitutes for ren shape? anything that can be used that can be molded into shape and something that will adhere to plastic..

Tamiya Epoxy Putty, Magic Scult, Miliput are all great for scratch building.

Krausser · February 05, 2007, 01:09:33 PM

ok thanks..
what do i use to glue plasticards?
superglue? whiteglue? or should i use a specific type of glue?

FichtenFoo · February 05, 2007, 01:10:37 PM

Tamiya Cement and Extra Thin cement works great.

mrmaigo · February 06, 2007, 06:55:21 AM

I remember seeing pics from a modeling mag where the guy built the skeleton all from scratch. Anyone have those?

FichtenFoo · February 06, 2007, 06:59:06 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/fichtenfoo/FFFextras/1115562436396.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/fichtenfoo/FFFextras/1115578111773.jpg

mrmaigo · February 06, 2007, 07:44:58 AM

Those are it. Thanks boss

oteebzo · March 08, 2007, 07:17:23 AM

I have a question for all the guys that put greebles or pla-plate on there kits.
How do you keep that sharp edge Between where they meet?

Basicly I have been tring this and when I glue the plastic bits on I get glue squeezed out the sides.Now when I sand it or try to file it I end up rounding off the edges of the pla-plate(plastic sheet) or I end up grooveing the piece I glued it to.
Anyone have any tricks for this?
Should I cut the glue out with a knife then sand? Hmmm .... I will try that way when I get home from work.
But any ideas would be kool.

fulcy · March 08, 2007, 07:39:20 AM

very good question - I would suggest maybe adding a small depression under where you want to put the greeble - take a drill bit, and give it a twist against the plastic. That way, the glue has a place to go when you push the two parts together. Also, use as little glue as possible...

But, this brings up a secondary, similar question, that I've been curious about - say you've got two pieces of flat styrene, both of them the same shape, but one has triangular openings cut into it, so once they are glued together, it looks like a frame or the inside of a piece of armor with some internal structure. How do you glue the two pieces of styrene together - do you put as little glue as possible, and try to clean up the squeeze out as quickly as possible? Do you let the squeeze out dry, and then cut it away?

oteebzo · March 08, 2007, 07:47:31 AM

Quote from: fulcy on March 08, 2007, 07:39:20 AM

But, this brings up a secondary, similar question, that I've been curious about - say you've got two pieces of flat styrene, both of them the same shape, but one has triangular openings cut into it, so once they are glued together, it looks like a frame or the inside of a piece of armor with some internal structure. How do you glue the two pieces of styrene together - do you put as little glue as possible, and try to clean up the squeeze out as quickly as possible? Do you let the squeeze out dry, and then cut it away?

That is exactly what I was thinking. But I am thinking that if you use as little glue as possible that the piece you glue on would over time fall off. I have some old model kits the you can't even touch because the glue falls apart. But this was model glue and not Tamiya glue which actually welds the pieces. So it might work.

clee-cm · March 08, 2007, 07:59:17 AM

I am going to try and answer both Fulcy's and oteebzo's questions at the same time, here it goes...

From personal experience, trying to keep the perfect sharp edge is tough...

I recommend using sand paper with a solid block of some kind. This will give the sand paper a solid surface to lay up against so the sand paper is flat against the plastic you are sanding, you are going to have to experiment with different grits of sand paper to see what works best. Do not sand in a arcing motion, try to sand in a flat circular motion, this way you will not create any sanding lines in the plastic.

If you see glue squeezing out of the seems when pressure is applied to the part, you are sanding to early, the glue has not set yet. I would use a sharp knife to cut or scrape off the seam, be careful not to cut out to much of the surface detail in the process, then sand the surface smooth.

Forming a seam of glue on a part is important, this way there is a invisible seam after the glue has set.

Good luck...

Major Blah · March 08, 2007, 09:19:57 AM

Would CA glue be the solution?

fulcy · March 08, 2007, 09:32:41 AM

CA glue is just as bad - if not worse. You get any of the glue come out of the seam, and it hardens, it's that much harder to remove...

oteebzo · March 08, 2007, 10:19:01 AM

Maybe we need a straight edge chisel blade to scrap the glue off? But then the sanding in the triangles would not work well.

Well I know Erix and Eday, And Orange have done this , so maybe they can shine some light for us.

Marc · March 08, 2007, 11:44:57 AM

Fulcy, are you talking about something like what I did here on the back of the skirts?
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/56/e1vx3.jpg
If yes, well I just sand it clean but using Tamiya liquid cement (the green cap), I don't have to much work on that since it only leaves a thin layer of glue. And putting not much glue obviously helps too.
Like clee, to keep a flat edge, I use a perfectly rectangular bloc of wood on which I glue sand paper. Real handy.
As for your extra glue thing, I'd say use Tamiya liquid cement. It's the perfect glue to scratchbuild.

oteebzo · March 08, 2007, 12:06:35 PM

Quote from: Ezechiel on March 08, 2007, 11:44:57 AM

Fulcy, are you talking about something like what I did here on the back of the skirts?
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/56/e1vx3.jpg
If yes, well I just sand it clean but using Tamiya liquid cement (the green cap), I don't have to much work on that since it only leaves a thin layer of glue. And putting not much glue obviously helps too.
Like clee, to keep a flat edge, I use a perfectly rectangular bloc of wood on which I glue sand paper. Real handy.
As for your extra glue thing, I'd say use Tamiya liquid cement. It's the perfect glue to scratchbuild.

Thats what I am talking about. What size block do you use I have been useing the sanding sticks(popsickle stick with sandpaper glues to it) And I seem to round the edges all the time. Ok and how to you sand the little trangle slots? Yours look so clean.