HFC's Lead Sled Build for Beginners.

[hot ford coupe]

The next part in this tutorial is being written as we speak and will be posted in the next few days. Instead of diving right into the build, we'll firsst be discussing all of the tools and materials we're goning to need before we start. This will be a great help to all beginning modelers. :)'

[hot ford coupe]

HFC's Lead Sled Build for Beginners

Basic tools
I got to thinking this afternoon after I introduced this tutorial on the site. How do I start a build without even explaining all the tools and materials we'll need for the job at hand? I decided then that the first part of this tutorial will describe all of the basic tools and materials you'll need to produce a good quality and unique model. You'll be happy to know that all of the things I'll be talking about are easy to get and are relatively inexpensive.

The Hobby Knife
One of the most useful tools a modeler can have is the good ol' hobby knife . It's a good idea to have at least two. You'll want one with a good sturdy handle and a solid, rigid blade for heavy cutting and one that is much sharper for more delicate cutting. The photo below shows several different types of knives that work well. The one on the left is the heavy. I use that one for cutting thick sections and for scraping plastic edges smooth. That action is called adzing and it's most effective when you're trying to even up and clean up the plastic on glued seams making them just about invisible. The others cut lines into plastic for door, trunk and hood lines, thin out my leather, cut metal foil or contour plastic. Also shown are some of the blades you can use in the handles.

Files
Files are great for shaping or removing unwanted plastic like where you cut off your parts from the sprue tree . They come in many sizes, shapes and grits so you can get them into all kinds of tight spaces. You can usually get these in most hobby shops. You can even find some that are diamond covered for coarse cutting. If you can't get some of the sets, the photo shows several different file substitutes. You can find files in the bead section in craft stores and even in the beauty section at Walmart.

Sanding Sticks
These are nothing more than sandpaper glued onto wood or stiff foam. They sand evenly unlike plain sandpaper which can result in valleys and gouges caused by excess finger pressure. This is especially important when you're trying to contour a body filler putty you've added to a visible seam. The correct technique is called block sanding and is used the same way on full size cars to keep your surfaces flat and smooth. The sandsticks come in many grits from the coarsest at 80 to 100 all the way up to 800 and beyond and they can be found in all kinds of stores from hobby shops to WalMart to beauty shops. You can even do like Don did in his tutorial and glue your own paper to a popsicle stick and save some cash. For best results, see if you can find some sandsticks that you can use wet instead of dry. With water as a lubricant, the sanding surface cuts better, doesn't clog up and lasts longer. The sanded surface also tends to come out smoother.

Glues, Cements and Adhesives
Contrary to popular opinion among beginning modelers, there are more glue and cement choices than the old styrene tube glue many of us grew up with. The idea is to choose the right type of glue or cement for the job at hand. Photos 8, 9, 10 and 11 show the different products you can use.
Photo 8--Liquid cement--This type of cement is used for attaching styrene to styrene which is what your model is made of except for the tires. It works by dissolving the plastic where you apply it and literally makes a solid plastic "weld" which when done right produces a very strong non flexible joint. It also sets relatively quickly. You apply the liquid glue with a brush. You'll build most of your model with this type of glue. Liquid glue is not good for attaching clear parts. Since it dissolves plastic, it will ruin your clear parts.

Photo 9-- Cyanoacrylate -- Most commonly called CA or Crazy Glue, cyanoacrylate is used for gluing parts made of something other than styrene . I generally use this type of glue for cementing metal, rubber and wire to my model. It sets very quickly and produces a very strong, rigid bond. It does however come in a formula that sets slightly flexible like the bottle all the way to the right in the picture. You can apply it with a brush or any type of applicator you can find that applies the glue neatly to your target area. This type of cement is no good for attaching clear plastic parts. It will fog up and destroy your clear part. Be really careful with this stuff because you can glue yourself to the model or anything else for that matter. You can debond it with acetone.

Photo 10 -- White Glue -- This type of glue is water soluble and is primarily used for attaching clear parts since it doesn't fog or dissolve the clear parts like the liquid or CA. It doesn't set quickly which gives you a good amount of working time to get your part in place. It also cleans up with a damp towel.

Photo 11-- Epoxy Cement-- Epoxy is used to cement dissimilar materials where CA doesn't work well. It takes a while to set completely but produces a very strong and rigid bond. You'll know to use this type of cement when nothing else seems to work.

Paint
In my humble opinion, paint is my most important detailing material. A good paint job and finish will significantly add to the character, uniqueness and realism of your model regardless of scale. The biggest problem with paint other than what color should you use is that there are so many different paint types available that your choice can be limitless. One thing that will help limit your choice is that not all paints are good for modeling. Some are very toxic like the urethanes, some require special equipment and others may be too darn expensive. The most common types used for modeling are enamel , acrylic and lacquer and they come in three main forms, i.e. for brush painting, for use with the airbrush and in spray cans, commonly called rattle cans. See photos 12 to 15. Photo 12 shows the first two forms, for brush painting and for use in the airbrush . Since this build will be done with the simplest of tools, we'll forget about bottled paint for the airbrush and concentrate on bottled paint for brushing. Photo 13 and 14 show the rattle cans which used correctly can produce some gorgeous results. Photo 15 shows the materials used to clean up the three different paint types. Let's discuss each paint type and their advantages and disadvantages.

1) Enamel --- This is the type of paint modelers are most familiar with.
a) advantages-- easy to use, enamels come in a number of beautiful colors, polish out very well, are sandable once completely dried and clean up with enamel thinner .
b) disadvantages -- since enamel cures instead of dries, complete curing takes quite a long time. You'll need to let it sit approximately a month or more before you can polish it. Before complete curing , the paint can become very gummy when you try to sand enamel . Flammable.

2) Acrylic --
a) advantages--Very easy to use with brush and rattle can. Before it dries, it can be easily thinned and cleaned up with water. Doesn't smell as strong as lacquer or enamel and not as toxic. Doesn't take as long as enamel to cure (about a week or two). Can be used over enamel and lacquer .
b) disadvantages---Hard to find in rattle cans. Once dry, it's no longer water soluble. Can still be gummy if not completely dry. Cannot be used under lacquer or enamel

3) lacquer --
a) Automotive lacquer as well as lacquer specifically prepared for modeling come in a large number of colors. Dries very quickly and can be polished in less than a week. Polishes out extremely well. Dries with a durable, hard finish. Many good brands available. Nail polish is also lacquer and comes in a large number of great colors and brands.
b) disadvantages -- Crazes plastic and must be sprayed over a barrier coat. More technique sensitive than enamel or acrylic . Very flammable. Cannot be sprayed over acrylic or enamel .


Small Hand Tools, Scrapers, Scribers, Etc.
Photo 16 shows some common hand tools. You can find some in your local hobby shop, craft store and from your dentist ( worn out and broken dental instruments). They're mostly used to make panel lines or door lines etc. more noticeable and clear, carve plastic, scrape off chrome where it's needed. What type to use for what is generally up to the builder. At some point, you'll notice that some are better than others and you'll develop your favorites.
Photo 17 shows different toothbrushes which are great for washing your parts before painting and cleaning debris out of panel lines. You'll find a whole bunch of uses for toothbrushes.
Photo 18 represents magnification. There are many different types that you can get in a number of places including hobby shops, craft stores and some hardware stores. When you're older like myself, magnification becomes mandatory.

Safety Equipment
Photos 19 and 20 should be self explanatory. Since modeling generates a lot of flying pieces, dust and fumes from paint, you can easily see why you need safety protection.