figure 10
figure 11
By E. James Small
We’re back! In this second and final installment of building the Li’l Stogie, we’ll continue on with final assembly, finishing touches, and the all-important decal application. Follow along and enjoy the process!
Final Assembly and Finishing Touches:
Figure 9 shows most of the kit’s components painted and weathered just before the final assembly.
Again referring to the instructions, begin to assemble the parts to the frame, generally from the centre of the vehicle out. In this case, the engine and rear end assemblies can be put in place first. Then the front end is glued on. Make sure that you always scrape away all paint and chrome from the areas where the glue joins the parts or they will fall apart after they are dry. Glue doesn’t stick well to paint, and especially not to chrome!
Work slowly, making sure the parts you’re putting on won’t stop you from adding the next section. Take your time and think it through before gluing.
For a more realistic look, you can take coarse sandpaper to the surfaces of the rear tire “slicks” to remove the toy-like shine and make them look road-used. Note that with this kit you do not have to glue the tires to the rims. Friction holds them together well enough for a display model. Model glue won’t stick to the vinyl tires anyway, so if you DO need to have them stick better, use superglue, (cyanoacrylate) but be really careful not to glue your fingers together. Exercise extreme caution when using superglue.
The Li’l Stogie kit gives you three choices of clear parts. I opted to use the yellow tinted headlights and the blue-tinted windshields for a more fun look. To avoid the possible smearing of plastic model cement on the clear parts, I recommend you use clear parts cement such as made by Testors or Microscale. It is an aliphatic resin like white glue except it dries absolutely crystal clear. Because this cement is not a plastic solvent, you can just wipe it off if it gets on something that it shouldn’t. If you can’t get clear parts cement, you can use white glue in a pinch, but it dries a bit milky and foggy. Handle the glued parts carefully though, as clear parts cement is not as strong as plastic cement.
The only modification I made to this kit was to add a small hook (made from a piece of thin bent steel wire, drilled and glued in place) to the top of the bonnet at the back to hang the “brake light” from. Since the kit has only one “tail light” I figured I’d make it the “third brake light”… but minus the first two lights! The red part of the lantern was painted using Tamiya Transparent Red directly over the chrome. The other thing I varied from was the supporting struts that run to the top of the windshields. The instructions say to attach them to the headlights but that didn’t make structural sense to me, so I swung them over and attached them to the frame, just behind the radiator. Perfect fit and makes a lot more sense.
Decals:
The kit comes with a plethora of fun and crazy decals, 70’s style! Decide what decals you want to use and where you want to put them before starting.
It is important to know that decals will ONLY stick well to glossy surfaces. If the surface you are putting them on is a flat (or “matte”) finish, the decals will not stick well, and will lift when dry, causing an undesired effect called” silvering” making the clear carrier film very visible and the decal may actually just fall off.
So, if you used glossy paints on your model, that’s fine, but if you used flat or semigloss paints, you must first coat the area with a gloss clear coat and allow it to dry completely before you apply the decals. The safest ones to use are acrylic clear gloss coats such as Tamiya or Microscale.
Also, the use of a decal setting solution is advisable for best results. The best one I have found is Walthers Solvaset. The decal setting solution softens the decal film, allowing it to snuggle down into details and blend into the surface.
So after your surface is prepared and glossy, cut each decal, only one at a time as you need them, from the decal sheet and dip it in water for about 10-20 seconds. Remove it from the water and let it stand for half a minute. Meanwhile, apply some water to the surface of your model. The water will likely bead, but try to get the area as wet as you can.
When the decal becomes “slide-able” on the backing, place it over the model and carefully slip the backing out from under the decal, allowing it to settle down onto the model’s surface. If the decal buckles under itself as you’re sliding it away, slide it back, flow more water onto the surface and try again. When the decal is in position, gently blot it with a paper towel to soak up the excess water. Now apply the setting solution liberally to the top surface of the decal and allow to air dry before touching it again. Do not blot off the setting solution and do not move the decal again, as it will likely distort or tear once the solution has been applied if you try to move it.
Once all your decals are applied and have dried overnight, you can apply a clear coat (flat or glossy as you desire) and when dry, you will find it difficult to tell the difference between the decals and the paint. I used Testors Flat Clear Acryl applied with a brush for this example, so you don’t have to spray it. This kit is not really supposed to have any glossy areas (except for the chrome) so you can use the clear flat to hide a multitude of sins!
Conclusion:
Model kits are a great way to express yourself, as well as being a relatively inexpensive hobby that tests your skill and patience and rewards you with a nice little conversation piece when you develop both! In our computerized electronic age, many people have forgotten the simple joy of making things with their own hands, and model kits are a splendid way to recapture the fun of making something all by yourself!
If yours didn’t turn out as nice as the ones you may have seen others build, don’t worry about it. It just takes practice and most of all, patience. Keep at it and soon you will be building really great looking pieces of work that you can proudly display in your home or office!
There are plenty of scales (sizes), categories and styles of model kits to suit all kinds of interests and budgets here at Round2models.com, so please feel free to browse through this entire web site and see what interests you!
Y’all come back, now, ya’ hear?
EjIMBo.
E. James Small
Excellence In Model Building
www.smallartworks.ca
All photography by E. James Small
