Newbie here - needing some advice.

hi there.
i'm new to the forum and i've recently started my first model. it's the tamiya 1/24 celica gt-four. it seems to be going pretty well so far. the engine is in and the chassis is almost complete. i'll get some pictures up when i get chance.
there are a few things i need some advice on though...

firstly, are there any companies selling aftermarket scale wheels in the uk ?
i'm looking for some similar to these in 18"...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/jazzywheelz/untitled.jpg

secondly, while cutting out the windscreen, i was a little clumsy and scratched it. i have managed to sand away the scratch and smooth it off using rubbing compound but i'm unsure what to use to buff it up to a perfect finish. any ideas ?

also, i'm wanting to make some sideskirts but i'm unsure of the best way to do this. i want to make them seperate from the main body incase i decide not to use them. any advice would be much apreciated.

thanks in advance for your help guys.

Hello,

welcome here on AF.
If you expect to make seperated side skirts I would advice you to build them in modelling clay hardening on air.
Easy to sand and to correct if they don't fit perfectly.
If you choose plastic card it may on my opinion be more difficult to work with without fixing it to the body.
Or best solution is maybe to mix both methods: a plastic card part fitted with clay to give it the final touch and form.

For the wheels I think that I've recently seen something like that in Fujimi spare products range... Not sure.

Bye
Phil

@rallymaster
thank you for the welcome.
it appears you're correct about the wheels. i've just found the exact ones on fujimi's website...
http://www.fujimimokei.com/product/img/ntw/NT&W_N.jpg

i've just got to find a uk stockist now.
any suggestions from uk modellers ?

I don't know about UK suppliers, but any good website should have them, eg, MediaMix Hobby, Hobby Link Japan, Hiroboy, Racing Minatures, etc...

Good luck.

check this (http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/) for purchasing what ever you need in UK. ;-)

thanks, that website looks very useful. i've emailed the owner to see if he can get them for me.

i think i might start on the sideskirts tonight so i'll post some pics when they're done.

anybody got any thoughts on what to use to buff/polish my windscreen ?

thanks, that website looks very useful. i've emailed the owner to see if he can get them for me.

i think i might start on the sideskirts tonight so i'll post some pics when they're done.

anybody got any thoughts on what to use to buff/polish my windscreen ?

Any good polish will do the trick with the window but I think you can find what you need at the useful website.

Otherwise you can do as the aeroplane-guys are doing, dip it in Future floor wax.
Here's a tech tip about it: IMPS-Stockholm (http://ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2005/09/stuff_eng_tech_canopies.htm)


Niclas

about building side skirts:

cover your car in mare metal foil a little bit larger area than where the side skirts will be. then, depending on the type of side skirts you are building, you could super/crazy/CA glue the plastic card directly to the foil, fill it with putty, then pop it off to sand and make final shape. or just slather on the putty, and pop it off to sand for final shape.

for the windscreen, go get a fingernail polishing stick (most beauty supply stores, and drug stores have them) they are essentially multi grit sanding sticks. then, just go from highest grit to lowest grit. you should alternate directions between grits to know that you have polished all of the previous grit's work down. after that, if you don't have plastic polish, or anything like that, use PASTE type toothpaste (not gel, I've found that the regular white colegate works best) to do your final polishing, then follow that up with some non grit polish, and wax.

@proosen
thanks for the tip mate. that future floor stuff looks magic but i'm not sure if it's available in uk.

@rsxse240
does toothpaste really work as a polish ?!! i'll have to try that one.
for the sideskirts, the tin foil idea is a good one, i'd actually thought of it already. great minds think alike :wink:. i think that is what i'll do as there will be no plasticard involved. the skirts are only small and subtle so just putty should be ok.

one other thing i've just been wondering, is it best to fit the spoiler to the body before painting, or paint it seperately and assemble afterwards ?

many thanks fellas.

if the spoiler is flush fitting, then mount before paint, unless it is a hinderance when it comes to polishing, if it has a gap between the body and wing, then definitely after paint.

I generally apply any "add on" body panels after paint, this usually makes the polishing go a bit "smoother" haha

i had some time off work over the festive period so the model is coming on nicely now. i'll get some pics up in the WIP section soon (photobucket is painfully slow tonight).

in the meantime, i could do with a little advice about the wheels...

i got hold of the fujimi ones as mentioned but now i'm a bit nervous about converting them to fit.
the picture below shows the problem...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/jazzywheelz/DSC00065.jpg

the boss/hub needs shortening all the way back so it's nearly flush with the spokes, then a spindle will be glued in it's place. i'm just a bit nervous about grinding away with my dremel incase it starts to melt the plastic or even worse snap the spokes. has anyone got any better suggestions ?

thanks guys.

yes, RSXE240 is right, I also use toothpaste as a POLISH FREQUENTLY,sorry, caps.
KOOL!!a GT4 celica! im assumimg this is the one with the round headlights?the ST205?with your wheel dilema, you could cut as mutch as possible with a scalple, then file back the rest....or you could make flared wheel arches so you can put the big wheels on ;)
lookin 4ward to the finished thing :)

thanks for the reply Mister_S13.
yes you're right, it's the st-205. absolutely stunning car (i'll hopefully have the real thing by summer).
i ended up using the dremel and just going very carefully. the wheels have now been primed and will hopefully be painted tonight.
will post a WIP when i pull my finger out. :grinyes:

your getting a 205! im so jealous, I own an ST184, lol, the 205's are a great car,hope you get it, and if you do...congrats!

Hi,

Can't help with your wheel problem (I just bodge it up as I go along when I have to modify things like that!:grinyes: ), but in regards to the Future floor polish, it is available in the UK, but it's called Johnsons Klear. Most Tesco's seem to stock it.

HTH
Keith

your getting a 205! im so jealous, I own an ST184, lol, the 205's are a great car,hope you get it, and if you do...congrats!
thanks fella, i've been planning on getting one for over a year now so fingers crossed it should be soon. :sunglasse

...in regards to the Future floor polish, it is available in the UK, but it's called Johnsons Klear. Most Tesco's seem to stock it...
ahh brilliant. i'll see if i can find it. thanks mate. :)

If you don't want to modify the wheel, modify the brakes. Just drill out the center of the brake hub enough to accept Fujimi's style of wheel attachment. Most Tamiya brakes have hubs larg enough to accept Fujimi's wheels.

That said, it's really a lot easier to change the wheels over than it may see. I actually don't use a Dremel at all of the work, but instead my sprue cutter, to cut away most of the attachement, and then just some higher-grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Then, I put a piece of styrene rod in the center (like the tutorials call for) so it can mate up right.

...i ended up using the dremel and just going very carefully. the wheels have now been primed and will hopefully be painted tonight...
well, the wheels are now painted, although there's a couple of imperfections so i might give them another coat.

(ps. can anyone tell me why i keep needing to log into the forum again every few minutes ? )

well, i've been putting off starting the sideskirts for long enough so it's time to get cracking.
just wondering if any uk modellers can recommend a particular brand of filler/putty to build up body modifications. obviously it must be one that sticks to plasticard/styrene. any ideas chaps ?
(quick answers appreciated as i want to get on with it asap)
cheers guys.

Well, I've used what used to be called cellulose stopper to fill blemishes & joints etc as this won't (shouldn't!) show up as 'ghosting' under 'hot' paints like Halfords primer (whereas hobby stuff like Humbrol filler often will). You need to put it on in thin layers as otherwise the cellulose content will destroy the polystyrene - but on the other hand the cellulose also ensures that it bonds well. The stuff I'm using at the moment is Holts Cataloy Knifing Putty which I got from Halfords. I've also used Isopon P38 easysand filler which is not quite as fine as the other stuff & also needs to be mixed with hardener which, being lazy, I don't like as much as the other stuff which is just squeezed out of the tube!! Like the stopper you need to put it on in thin layers or it'll melt the plastic, but it's probably a little better for making more bulky bits.

HTH
Keith

PS - I'd advise you to try it out on some of the sprue from the kit before you cover the body in it - just in case it doesn't like the kit plastic! :grinyes:

thanks for the reply keith. i'm not keen on knifing putty as in my experience 1-part fillers tend to shrink when drying. i've used the isopon p38 in the past on full size car body work but just wondered if there's anything out there better suited to small scale modelling.
anyone else got any suggestions ?

Well, white milliput is pretty good - it's two part so has to be mixed, but it's really fine, can be shaped with a wet finger or similar tool before it sets up & it sands fairly well. Sylmasta has a range of epoxy & similar putties & are pretty helpful in my past experience;

www.sylmasta.com (http://www.sylmasta.com)

I have to say that I've not encountererd problems with the Cataloy stopper shrinking. Famous last words??!! :grinyes:

Keith

tamiya quick set putty has got to be the best putty I've used to date. I was stuck on milliput, but it doesn't like to realy adhere to the plastic, but it does stick once it starts to setup.

the tamiya putty sands SO much better, and mixes so much more easily.

thanks for your help guys. unfortunately, my local model shop doesn't seem to know modelling putty exists, so i decided to stick with the p38. doing a small area at a time, it went ok and seems to have stuck really well.
(i WILL start a w.i.p thread soon lol.)

(i WILL start a w.i.p thread soon lol.)
finally done it....

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=668470

:smokin: