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THE Idiot's Guide to Kitbashing


WraithVerge

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also whats a good thickness for sheet styrene. i making a scratchbuilt character (can't say who it is its gonna be a surprise) and i want to know what is a good thickness that will be sturdy and strong for part like arms and legs.

 

and how can i duplicate a piece that i have made from epoxy putty( i have one piece and i want to make the othere one exactly the same)

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also whats a good thickness for sheet styrene. i making a scratchbuilt character (can't say who it is its gonna be a surprise) and i want to know what is a good thickness that will be sturdy and strong for part like arms and legs.

 

and how can i duplicate a piece that i have made from epoxy putty( i have one piece and i want to make the othere one exactly the same)

 

 

Okay. First off, if at all possible, don't use just styrene for structural parts if you're doing any kind of scratch fabrication. (you know, making new legs from scratch.) The reason why is that styrene isn't very strong as a plastic when it comes to weight, and doesn't have a lot of durability. That being said, try using ABS plastic for it. (PS2 cabinets and old tv cases are made of it, and it's also available through better hobby shops.) But styrene is excellent for making details on parts and surfacing the scratchbuilt parts with. It scribes easily (you can make panel lines in it using an xacto knife.), and cuts fairly easily too.

 

As for making duplicate pieces, there are a number of ways. You can try vacuu-forming, but you need a machine for that. Alumilite makes a system that you can use room-temperature vulcanizing rubber to make a mold, then cast as many parts as you need using alumilite resin. It's good, but not exactly cheap.

 

Try this site for molding/casting info: http://www.starshipmodeler.com  It should have a section on molding and casting parts.

 

 

Hope this helps you, spartanwarrior! Good luck. :thumb

 

-WV

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I got another question for you.  I sued the Krylon on some other toys and after a while, the finish became sticky.  what can i use to remedy this?

 

and i went on ahead and posted my energon thundercracker even though it's a webcam shot.  its in the forums

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I got another question for you.  I sued the Krylon on some other toys and after a while, the finish became sticky.  what can i use to remedy this?

 

and i went on ahead and posted my energon thundercracker even though it's a webcam shot.  its in the forums

Okay; examine the plastic on the toy. Is it hard plastic, ot soft?  The softer plastics tend to be a royal pain to use krylon on, even though it says on the can that it can be used on vinyl aond softer plastics.

 

Also, was the plastic cleaned properly before you sprayed? If mold release is on there, or the plastic is a bit oily, the finish may become sticky.

 

There's one of two things I can suggest: eityher strip the finish off the plastic, or try spraying krylon kristal kote (also by krylon) on it to seal it. I'm also going to ask anyone out there if they have run into this as well, and if they have any tips or info on this.

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  • 2 weeks later...

post-6427-1127419392.jpgThanks for all the good tips.

 

Hoping you guys can help me with a small problem.

 

I am trying to disassemble the head on an energon shockblast.  Their is a metal post on the left side of his head holding the head together.  How do I remove this post without damaging any of the surrounding material. 

 

If all goes well, I'll be adding an LED into the head. 

 

I have thought about prying the post out, or even drilling it out.  Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. 

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From the pic it looks like a wheel pin like the ones used on Alts. Try heating the pin up with a soldering iron and pull the pieces STRAIGHT apart from each other. I know this tip works on wheel removal and other pins like it (I have only dealt with Alts though)

Theres a section in this guide that covers this process if you want to read more about it. It helped me out a lot.

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Can someone help me find the way to modify sideswipe so the back of the car becomes his chest? I know its old school but I need that transformation for a alt mirage i'm working on. Thanks

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Can someone help me find the way to modify sideswipe so the back of the car becomes his chest? I know its old school but I need that transformation for a alt mirage i'm working on. Thanks

 

Just cut out a little square of plastic that is blocking the hinge from folding back so that the rear folds over his shoulders. Then unscrew his arms and switch them so that when his rear end is the chest the arms will be on the correct sides. I`m not sure how to do the windshield mod if that`s the one you`re looking for. Have fun Scottie_bee.

 

Hey WV I`ll help out with whatever questions I can answer. :thumb

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i have a question, do you have to use any special saw piece for your rotary tool for cutting metal?

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