Avoid the frustration: Model Railroad Kit Building Tips and Tools for Beginners
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
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“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Don’t fret because of evildoers;
don’t envy the wicked.”
Proverbs 24: 16-19 NLT - Jak na to + styl
I attempted to build the Walthers cornerstone warehouse kit last year but it didn't make to the layout because it would have been condemned by OSHA. Great tips, Jimmy, I'll definitely be applying them on my next kit!
As someone who is a total klutz when it comes to model building I really appreciate this video.
Now to tackle the Walthers Glacier Gravel kit!
Thx Jimmy for another great post. The model looks superb.
That model looks great on your layout! Good overview of basic kit building techniques. Those 3-2-1 blocks really can be a life saver 😊
Cheers, Andrew👍🇨🇦
First time modeler here! These tips are awesome! The thought of painting buildings and such was very intimidating, but after watching this video I feel like I have a very good idea of how to tackle the challenge! Thanks for the help!
Couple of tooling things I can recommend after 30+ years.
1. CA Glue (and indeed most glues for plastics) are an accumlative toxin, do enough building over time and it is highly likely to become senstised to them, there are certain CA glues that can still be used, usually marketed as "Odourless" (e.g. Roket Odourless), for me this is the only glue I have in my space these days as to build a model then suffer a migraine for a couple of days (my body telling me that it's taken in too much) is just a no-go.
2. Nippers, Nippers, Nippers. I see a lot of people using the cheap ones, yes they work but they do not produce as flush a cut as you can get, a good set of Godhands (or their equivalent from the likes of Nanye) will always work better, in most cases not even leaving a burr, I learnt this from someone that makes museum pieces, a further tip on the Godhands is DON'T use them to cut resin and/or metal, they will not stand up to the task, this is where a good set of flush cutters will work better (or a dremel if your confident with it)
3. Sanding sticks are mostly just renamed emery boards from your local chemist, look in the nail care section.
4. Don't skimp on your tooling, the standard motto of "a good tool will always look after you" really holds true here.
What glue should I use instead of CA glue?
@@abuBrachiosaurus as stated I can use Odourless type superglues, the majority of the issue surrounds the fumes so it may just be you would be able to use a full CA glue just by having extra ventilation. At the end of the day it comes down to trial and error
I have used so much CA glue, I have a really bad allergy to it. For plastic to plastic I use Plastic Weld. I find it really melts the two pieces, so the joint is really strong. I use a chisel blade to remove small parts from the sprue. I find it works better than the ole #11. I always take the parts and wash them with dish soap to remove any mold release they may have. An old trick from a magazine, spray different colors of under coat. Brick red, barn red, dark browns, then take a fine spritz bottle, one that has a super fine mist, give the painted parts a spritz or two before painting the silver. While the parts are wet, spray your color coat. Once the paint dries, it will have blisters all over, rub the paint and where the water droplet blisters are, it will have small rust spots in a total random pattern. I think every one should have an airbrush. With some budget priced now in the $30.00 to $50.00 range. You can do so much with the airbrush. I have held the warped parts next to the light bulb in the desk lamp. Warm enough to soften the part. I built a small magnetic building board for small parts. I have ordered several sizes of tiny magnet. They are strong and hold the pieces really well. A set of small files come in handy for edge clean up. We are supposed to enjoy building model, people stress to much. If it is not FUN, why bother. I enjoyed your video.
Have you considered washing the pieces with detergent before painting, and leaving everything on the sprues until a base coat of paint is done? Washing helps with paint adhesion; leaving the parts on sprues makes handling easier and keeps the identifying numbers connected to their pieces. I also don't understand using CA glue for ordinary styrene pieces.
I've never understood the idea of painting parts while they're still on the sprues. When you're done painting, you still have to cut them free and deal with the blotch of plastic left behind from the sprue joint. When you sand the lines down, you have an unpainted spot and have to repaint anyway.
I remove parts from the sprue, clean them up, wash them with soap, and then spray them with primer (rattle can). One challenge is all those little parts where the numbers are on the sprue. I keep all the parts with a given number in little Manila envelopes, marked with the number. Final painting and weathering can be done on completed assemblies or individual parts, depending on accessibility.
@@jamescraft672 I've normally found that it's better to wash them while they're still on the sprues for models. Mainly because they can have numbers, letters, or other markings for assembly instructions.
Of course, coming from other modeling backgrounds, I also tend to use different glues for things...one of the big ones being sprue goo (Take your older bottle of Tamiya's ultra thin plastic cement that's about half full, and fill it back up with cut up sprue pieces that are dropped in and then you keep shaking it so that the entire thing dissolves into the glue), which is great for gap filling. Plastic glues are great for making a solid bond, and you can get a good mix of things between super glue and gel superglue.
And there are a few other things that end up mixed in such as epoxies for dealing with certain combos.
What glue do you use? I’ve always used, and seen others like Adam Savage, use CA for model building.
I don’t wash them, but I leave them on the sprue and paint them before any assembly. Makes things so much easier. Hit it with the air brush, then when dry, paint the small details on them. It’s so much easier than having to handle the small parts by hand and paint them.
One of my big frustrations is lousy instructions. The first thing I do is walk through the instructions and write out a sensible translation. Many current instructions have no words, based on the flawed assumption that pictures eliminate the need for words.
Nicely done Jimmy. You always seem to go the extra mile with your projects and that makes it more enjoyable for the viewer.
Some good advice on this show THANKS. The kit turned out really nice just looks great on the layout.
I found some Stick Fast DeBonder will unstick your fingers after you glue them together with super glue. Also it will unglue any project if you need to repression anything you glued down its good stuff.
GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖
Great advice for building kits! I've put together quite a few walthers kits, and some of them have required more patience than anything haha. If I may give a little advice when it comes to using rattle cans. When painting bigger pieces like the silos, start spraying just off the edge of the right or left side at the top or bottom and sweep across to the other side. Let off the spray tip as soon as you pass the other edge. Move up or down(depending on where you started)to where you're next pass will slightly overlap the first, and sweep back the other way, letting off the tip just past the other edge. Then continue that all the way up or down the entire piece. You'll save paint and have less of a risk of runs. I really like how you weathered the silos when you were painting them, instead of doing it later with other methods. I never thought of doing that. Keep up the great work!!!
Great video! I have been building models for years now and I learned a few things. Just gose to show there is always more to learn! Thanks for posting.
just some tips, for "the grid that runs around the parts", that's called a runner system. The small sections that connect the runner to the part is called the gate.
Great video Jimmy… you should always start ANY project with patience…one thing that gives me satisfaction in model building is a blank sheet of styrene. I’ve been experimenting with styrene sheets for replicating buildings that I have worked in and around over the years. But I always go back to (patience) … great advice and great video. 👍🏼
Fantastic job! Looks lovely.
I love working with the Medusa cement plant kit, it is so versatile and with a little modification can be turned into so many different things. I've used the HO version of that kit to make a grain elevator and a much larger cement plant than the kid is designed for. I'm also so glad to see you using spray cans so many people think you have to use an airbrush and I find rental cans so much easier to work with and you don't have to clean the airbrush.
Awesome kit and tips, Jimmy. I do things a little differently and use different glue, but your tips will help a lot of people - Thanks!
Super informative as always!
I’m getting ready to build a big kit for my HO scale layout, so this was some impeccable timing! Thanks again, Jimmy.
Wow. That looks great.
Very good "How To" video Jimmy ... thanks!!
I wear safety glasses a lot when building. Anything under pressure including sprays and even finger pressure on a glue bottle can wind up sending contents the wrong way.
Very informative! Thanks for the tips! Those 123 / 321 blocks look like a great addition to the modellers toolbox, so I'll definitely be ordering some! So thanks for that! Ian
thank you for sharing your detailed video
nice job jimmy thanks lee
nicely done Jimmy
Very nice Jimmy! I am starting over, building models after a 50 year hiatus. The main take away is patience! The more you
build, the better you will get and the more you learn. Having piedmont BBQ and Cheerwine for lunch with you!! I can only
find 1-2-3 blocks though?!
Hi ya Jimmy. Lots of good tips and techniques. Thanks.
Good tips. Thank you.
Paul
I used your spray paint technique. Even the splash shot. Worked great!
One thing I make sure to tell people is make sure they have at least 2 hrs of work time. it can't be rushed.
Good pointers and techniques Jimmy.
Amazing video!
I remember my nightmare asembling the Whalters cornestone Refinery many years ago.
Thanks from UK bud, this kit has been lying in a box for years because it looked terrible quality....but with your help its been pushed up the plan. Many thanks.
Great video, very informative.
I just started building this kit a few days ago!
WOW! Amazing job, I am really impressed with how the cement texture came out with the spray paint. Drinking black tea for now.
You make the best videos! I love them! I got this link from the NMRA Turntable.
As a lot have suggested, why use CA instead of a plastic cement?
CA will get brittle in the coming months/year and your model can start falling apart. Also. A 2nd benefit is that a plastic cement softens the parts to help you eliminate gaps and seams.
CA is readily available anywhere, and *it sets and dries quickly.* And in my experience, it holds up fairly well for modelling purposes.
As someone who builds models as a hobby, ie, ships, aircraft, armour, figures, etc. I would say that CA glue is not the easiest glue to use on this type of plastic. Many companies make model glues, the best of which are in a liquid for and can be brushed on with included brushes built into the cap of the bottles. This glue is more forgiving and easier to work with. CA is good for mixed medium models, ie photo etch, resin, etc. They also make extremely small nippers for getting even the tiniest pieces of the sprues with no damage. I recommend Tamiya for nippers and glue.
They also make decal setting solutions to help soften the decals and make them really settle in to the model and look painted on.
Oh, you crazy, mad, evil genius. A couple of points. T
h grids are called runners. They are pathways for the plastic to get from the sprue to the cavities. The little bit you snip is called the gate. They are how the plastic enters the cavity. The parts themselves are the cavities.
2x4, 4x8, 1-2-3 blocks. NOT 3-2-1 blocks.
Please take this with the tongue in cheek that I meant it. You have helped me a great deal. I am in the planning/researching phase now.
PS. I am an injection mold designer and builder. Love your videos. Keep up the great work!
Two things I have found helpful:
1: Corner clamps. You can get these at most home centers or art supply store. They are used to help hold things like picture frames at a 90 degree angle while assembling them. Not very expensive.
2: Welding magnets. These are also useful to hold things corners at a 90 degree angle. One is put inside the corner, and one on the outside of each wall at the joint. The magnetic attraction holds the wall at a 90 degree angle.
As others have said, don’t understand CA for plastic, there are too many great plastic glued out there, Tamayia, Faller, Sol Bond etc. I use CA on metal or other odd items. Also watching the hobby knife I find using the chisel blade to be much better removing parts off the spar. I do agree to test always before you glue.
Agree, I've been using Tamiya extra-thin cement for pretty much everything recently, but it's *especially* great for the little fiddly pieces.
One thing I do when I am preparing to build a kit is to determine if I like the color of the kit and also if I want to do any kitbashing. Good video.
Awesome video ❤️😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This video is useful for me because I have the Medusa Cement Plant for the Madison Central in lieu of the Glacier Gravel Co. This, of course, means it's HO.
I haven't assembled it yet because I haven't even touched the layout in years, but this is very useful for when I eventually do.
Ironically, building these kits is probably the least intimidating part of building the model RR for me. I spent years building model airplanes as a kid, well into college age, and the basic techniques are the same whether the kit is a cement plant or a P-51 Mustang. :-) Still, awesome video and definitely a topic that needed to be addressed. One thing I would quibble with: Painting is easier if the parts are still on the sprue. The nippers are a great tool, but sometimes its better to chop up the sprue and use it as handles while you paint. Wash the parts in dish-soapy water, rinse and dry, then primer and paint as far as you can before you cut everything out. I know others have said the same, but you'll save yourself a lot of heartburn (and fingerprints!) if you do this. Illogically, I also find it far easier to leave disassembled pieces on the sprue to sit overnight to dry than I do an assembled construction. Not sure why that is. Impatient to be done, I think. :-)
I am your target viewer for this video. A great film, very helpful as usual. Good job buddy.
Dog is cute thanks for the tips
I kind of cringed when you pulled whole decal off the backing at one time. I thought for sure it would whip around and stick to itself. ( Don’t ask me how I know this😒) I leave the decal on the backing and pull it out from under the decal and ease the decal on to the model with a soft brush or decal sponge. Also I dampen the area where I am about to apply the decal to help it slide a little if it needs adjustment.
Nice technique with the spray cans.
Best video
A great little over view on how is done✔️For heavier rust through paint your rust as the base color. Baking soda paste the rust areas then spray your top coat&dry. Wash off the harden baking soda. Rust with 3d definition.🙋
321 blocks and a squaring tray the best
That thumbnail is sure to attract more views 😅
Hi, just a question. Why are you using CA glue for just normal injection moulkded models instead e.g Tamya Extra thin?
Absolutely agree. Tamyia glue is great. I usually on use Super Glue when work with dissimilar components wood to plastic, metal to wood etc or white metal projects.
I don't do N scale but the first thing I do (from now on) is to paint all the parts before cutting them off the sprues. I did the HO scale Walthers Cornerstone chicken coops and farm buildings and waited until it was completed before I painted it. That changes now! Windows are so much easier to paint on the sprues.
After much cussing and swearing I finally completed the building of a Tichy Train Group flatcar. I followed the directions to the tee and wish I hadn't. After installing the stirrups in a previous step and while installing the extra added bronze phosphor wire grab irons, I broke every one of the stirrups off. If you ever build this kit install the stirrups as the very LAST step! I did make some stirrups out of staples from a desktop stapler that were the correct size for HO scale. I think I spent as much time chasing small parts across the floor as I did assembling the model, LOL! After completing the build with all the fiddly brake details on the bottom (which no one will ever see) I painted the under frame rail brown with my airbrush. I then painted each board on the deck with a different shade of brown to grey-brown mixing the acrylic paint in small plastic communion cups as I went along. It came out looking very realistic. Cheers from eastern TN
Highly recommend Tamiya extra thin cement. Perfect for this type of plastic material.
Great video! How about a magnet glue jig to hold sides together?
How do avoid getting super glue on your fingers?
I love “Starbond” glue but prefer the medium or thick so that I have a moment to be ABSOLUTELY sure everything is lined up perfectly. If you knock over a bottle of the thin glue that bottle will empty out really fast and if you are at all a little clumsy it will make a big mess in a matter of seconds. Speaking from experience, it wasn’t pretty 🤪
I found Medusa cement (now “Granite Mix” plant) to be fairly easy and added a gravel dump and expanded office. I also built the new River coal processing plant, with help online from Modeler Mike it too was simple. The instructions weren’t very helpful. There is a great series on building the DPM kits on You Tube.
FIRST, sprue cutters - which you call nippers - come in two styles: plier style and tweezer style. For the plier style cutters, I like either Xuron or Tamiya. The tweezer style sprue cutters are a must for very delicate parts because they have a smaller cutting edge. SECOND, I always use Bondene - NOT super glue - to glue styrene plastic. (Don't forget that super glue is EXCELLENT for gluing skin to skin!) Bondene (there are other styrene glues) is a very thin liquid which wicks into the joint to give a solid connection. DO NOT use the built-in brush that is supplied with Bondene and other liquid styrene cements - they are way too big. Instead, buy a supply of super fine microbrushes (13 cents each if you buy in 100 packs) and use those to apply the cement. THIRD, it seems as though models with beveled (mitered) wall joints at the corners always have a slight gap when you assemble the building. Buy a supply of 0.010" and 0.015" styrene rod (Plastruct makes this; there may be other suppliers.) This is incredibly small and flexible and it will fit nicely into those gaps and fill them in much more cleanly than any modeling putty. FIFTH, I never use sprue cutters to trim flash and burrs; instead, I use my Xacto knife with a #5 blade - it gives much more precise cuts. (Replace the blade regularly to make sure it's sharp!) SIXTH: I am impressed with the skill you display when using spray paint to weather your models! For those of us with lesser skills, I find that washes are more forgiving and easier to apply. One lesson I have learned: one or two colors is never enough - you need to weather with several different shades of browns, grays, and even greens to achieve a realistic model. For painting metal, I like Scalecoat Aluminum - use Scalecoat II for styrene; Scalecoat I is for wood and metal (it dissolves styrene!) Don't forget to weather your metal parts too! Apply rust-colored washes and dry brush some rust colors. Old rust is burnt umber; newer rust is more orange; very new rush is almost yellow. Using a variety of rust colors improves realism. Also, extend your rust streaks continuously from the vertical surfaces to the roof and down the walls. LAST: when applying decals, use Micro-Sol (or Solvaset) to first wet the plastic (or paint) surface before applying the decal. I like to slide the decal off of the paper directly on to the surface - trying to handle the decal off of its paper carrier is asking for trouble. Use a microbrush or Q-tip to adjust the position of the decal - it's too easy to tear a decal when using your fingers. Once the decal has dried, apply another coat of Micro-Sol (or Solvaset) to make the decal settle into grooves, around rivets, etc. (You might need to poke a hole in the decal to allow an air bubble to escape.) You can repeat this step as many times as needed to get the decal to conform to the surface (let it dry between coats.) Finally, when you are sure the decal has completely settled into place, spray the completely dry decal lightly with Dullcote (or your preferred matte lacquer.) I have found that Solvaset is a little more aggressive than Micro-Sol: it will work better on thicker decals, but might cause thinner decals to tear or distort. Don't forget to weather the signs, too! (AFTER spraying with Dullcote.)
U use Krazy fix it cement and the Multi-purpose cement hey sell at the dollar tree.
I have been using 123 blocks for years, did you know you can use them to bend wire? I just got the screws that fit in it and bend away. I built that kit but seam on the towers was not looking cool so I added putty and sanded them out. Also found that a testers liquid cement loaded with scrap styreen after a month makes a nice seam filler. The video was very informative thanks for sharing.
Coming from scale modelling i would recommend you check out plastic cement instead of CA glue when working with plastic models. Tamiya Extra Thin is pretty much the only one you'll need and it'll last you forever.
Great video and thank you for your content. FYI, The steel blocks are called 1, 2, 3 blocks by machinists. 😂
What track do you recommend there is so much info. Out there my head spins
And I want the railway, the train station, the platforms for the ferry, the stairs, the houses, the sack of the cabin, some cars, the electric railway transformers, a remote control for the train, and everything related to the trains. Send me a shipment to Egypt, Cairo. 😊😊😊😊😊
Two 1 2 3 blocks are never enough,more is always better
I have question in regards of CA glue. I see you use very long and fine tip. What do you do to stop glue drying in that tip and become unusable after 1st use? That's what makes me scared all the time. ACA flue clogging tip. I always end up having the tip clogged even when I wipe the tip with anything and put the cap back on.
interesting fact. In real concrete plants everything is grey in color, as a base color, even the metal. Cement is a ultra fine powder and gets on everything and when it rains it hardens.
SY-ANNO-ACRILATE Actual plastic model cement (many brands available - only the viscosity is different and you can use what level of viscosity you prefer) works better for plastic model kits because it causes an actual "weld" that is stronger and less likely to break down in the future.
MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is a high end liquid version that I use.
Who remembers when the glue smelled like oranges?
Hey JImmy, little tip for you. They aren't called grids, they are known as sprues...
I want some kind of trains kato big boy N scale and all its attachments with everything
The grids are called sprues
On the glue how do you keep the attachments to the glue from drying up on the inside?
I use magnets on pieces to be glued.
Are you using the thick Starbond CA glue?
The real magic is Tamiya extra thin cement or some equivalent from a different manufacturer. Just give it a try!
What if you don't have krylon products in the area that you live what can I use??
Why use CA and not liquid styrene cement? Also I always rove paint from glue joints. I have found CA and other glue will not adhere to painted surfaces.
When do you build a model with super glue vs model cement?
I prefer solvent welding.... cement gets stringy and clumpy, I reserve ca for metal to plastic. Solvent welding you hold the pieces together and brush the solution from the back side... Capillary action pulls the solvent into the joint ... give a little squeeze to the joint and plastic is welded with plastic. Make sure joints don't have paint, or solvent may not work.
6:48 That corner🥴
All your works are very wonderful, except that you are a genius and an artist in the railways. My name is Muhammad Saadi. I love trains like you. I want to buy everything, but I do not have the money. Readers, everything related to trains. send
The prime step is surely using the correct box 🤣 Intended pun or just sheer coincidence?
You will get to a point where the 321 block will not be needed. Like training wheels on a bike. They will not be needed.
don't you wash the grease off before you start ?
Why CA?
If it's plastic can't you use model glue that's used for aircraft, cars, etc?
Where do you get your 3,2,1, blocks? I need a set
Micro mark is a good start
Thank you
Fair warning: when you buy your 1-2-3 blocks, they will come PACKED in heavy grease. You'll need to spend a fair amount of time cleaning the grease off of these before you can safely use it to brace your models - especially with wood kits.
I hope you will send me trains and rail cars of some kind kato big boy Non scale please😊😊
Walthers Cornerstone oil refinery instructions really suck, it doesn't give you clear instructions at all and most new model instructions are the same way. Than the parts are so fine on several of their kits no matter how careful you are they will break.
Than one outfit doesn't include any instructions at all and is impossible to assemble. Than the one other outfit produces their model out of plaster and that's a super Joke.
Than you order kits off of eBay that's suppose to be N Scale but there's no way to even try to make it work for you and you argue with the seller and eBay. EBay is stupid computer and will not let you talk to anyone, than the seller argues that it's N Scale which it is not. I have suggested putting a ruler next to the parts so a modeler can decide if or is not to scale and again eBay has screwed it all up by allowing to post all scales together, what gives there.
There's a lot more to complain about oh, yeah. I bought a concrete mixture truck that the guy claimed to be N Scale and turned out to be Z Scale. What else could go wrong.
How many power supplies does one need? I noticed with my DCC System you need almost 6 to 10 power supplies. One for your booster, one to the PR, one for the auto reverse, one for the UR. What is it they have ownership in electrical companies, also for your lights.
The walthers instructions are good but the pike and rix are horrible.
Your next beginner video should be titled: "Avoid the *SHILL* " !
Model Railroad Kit Building Tips and Tools for Suckers...
1-2-3 blocks.....not 3-2-1 blocks
Not really digging you decal technique. Very easy to rip a decal when you just pull it from the paper like that and leave it wiggling in mid air, Better to slide it off onto the surface.
Drinking Dunken.