Currently I am prepping to start assembling some HO scale freight car kits I have accumilated, with most of them being Bowser 70-Ton offset woodchip hoppers, as I like wood comodity trains.I currety have a hobby knife with #11 blades, Xuron 410 sprue cutters, BSIgap filling medium glue, Tamya extra thin cement and a self healing mate.I am a bit overwhelemd with starting, such as where to place the glue, what chould I use to hold piece to glue together like clamps etc, and I am wondering if there are very good visual tutorials, maybe on youtube that couldhelp guide me on assembling freight far kits?
Random,
Do your Bowser kits come with assembly instructions? Just follow those in the order that they give them and you'll be fine.
The Tamiya liquid adhesive should be enough to assemble the stylene hoppers. Does it come with a built-in applicator brush. A small paint brush (e.g. 10/0) also works well for getting liquid adhesive into tiny holes - e.g. plastic stirrups and handrails.
For hidden but through joints: Assemble individual parts with tabs into the slots first then apply just enough liquid adhesive to the protruding tab to lock it in place. Liquid adhesives melt the top surface of the plastic and "meld" the two parts together. It works quick enough that the parts can be safely handled after a couple of minutes. Just be careful about getting the liquid adhesive on your fingers or other parts of your model as it will mar the finish.
Suggestion: Choose one of the kits as your "practice" kit and hone your skills assembling that one. You'll probably make some mistakes as you go along but you'll learn from them and - a lot of times - mistakes make the best teacher.
And most importantly: Have fun learning as you go through the process.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Hey Tom, Sorry about that I as I realize now they did. I will use your advice and start with one to hone my skills. And yes the tayma does come with am applicator brush, but when using it, would just setting the cover back on be ok without screwing back on completly it from evaopraing too fast?
It should be. Do tighten down the lid though once you are done, or if you plan to step away from the assembly process for longer than 5 minutes. Tightening the lid will help reduce the evaporation, as well as cut down the smell.
Bowser kits are generally pretty straightforward to assemble. So, it's a good kit to start out with. If the hoppers come with weights, I would recommend a clear silicone adhesive - e.g. Gorilla 100% silicone sealant. It creates a very strong bond between the plastic surface and the metal weights, is a good gap filler, stays flexible, and cleans up easily. Drying time is generally overnight but the parts can be handled after 1 hr.
People were assembling these types of freight car kits for decades before YouTube came along.
Tom's advice is sound. Jump in and learn. You will never stop learning and getting better at it.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I don't think you need gap filling ACC for a Bowser kit.
I have not used the Tamiya cement, but some of the cements seem to evaporate faster than you get them to the model. They melt the styrene which makes for a great bond, but you don't want to slop cement on places where it will be seen, or get it on your fingers and touch the model.
These cements do wick into joints, so putting them on the seam of two parts is good enough.
I like micro brushes for very small parts. They are disposable and women use them on eyelashes to get the dust off or something, but they can be found in beauty supply shops, Amazon and Ebay.
In MRVP Cody's workshop has numerous videos of him building and modifying stock and engines.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Random_Idea_Poster_6263I currety have a hobby knife with #11 blades, Xuron 410 sprue cutters, BSIgap filling medium glue, Tamya extra thin cement and a self healing mate.
First thing you need to add to your list are some band aids in case your mate is not as self-healing as you think
And now for some good advice, keep the lid on the liquid cement tight every time you are done using it. This includes when you complete a step and then stop to review the instructions. And keep the bottle away from the table edge and out of reach of your hands/elbows when not in use. As most of us know a liquid cement bottle almost never gets knocked over except when the cap is loose.
Random_Idea_Poster_6263Currently I am prepping to start assembling some HO scale freight car kits I have accumilated
Have you assembled any of these cars yet?
If so, how did it go?
For this type of liquid cement, make sure you have adequate ventilation. Gluing on one or two parts isn't bad, but several parts (or kits) can get be a problem. I like to keep the door open and work in a large room. Opening a window is great if the weather allows it.
Paul
SeeYou190Jump in and learn. You will never stop learning and getting better at it.
Words of much wisdom there.
My Dad taught me the basic skills needed in building a BB and Roundhouse freight car kit. As I gain experience I learn how to fine tune the X2F coupler where it would couple smoothly every time. Later I learn how to get KD couplers at their correct height on BB and some Roundhouse cars.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"