Has anyone got some good tips for scratch building in 1:35 scale, especially with styrene, like which glue do I use, how do I figure out the appropriate size for my model and how to cut and shape it? Any feed back is appreciated because I feel its a necessary skill to have when you're as ambitious as me (I wish hahah) because there are some experts on here. Thankyou in advance

Some basic general info on Youtube

Try more searches on Youtube, you'll find a lot of videos on the subject

HTH
Hisham

First of all, try basic things first and be aware that your first few try's will end in the rubbish bin. I started with improving plastic kits in small scale. Now I build scratch vehicles based on regular plastic or resin kits.

For cutting I use a scalpel, its cheaper than cutters in the long time. As mentioned in the video it is very important to get 90 degree cuts, so take your time with messuring, steel rulers and Milimeterpaper are my way.
My favorite glue is Ethylacetat. It is liquid and you use a brush for applying it, with a little pressur and a few minutes time it is hard as rock, very easy to handle, as the surpluse liquid vaporize without a hind. And you have a sec or two for positioning.
I have bought nearly every stripes and rounds from evergreen, as you mostly use small amounts it is not so expansive at all, and helps a lot. The plates you can buy where it is cheapest. I use .3mm up to 2mm. Thicker plates bend less.

For getting the dimensions right, I use drawings in books, if available ( and correct) or pics with references or 90 degree pics if avaible. And the rest is try and error. If you are not sure about the dimensions try a cardboard mock up first.

Hope this helps a little

A few tools I find are essential to scratch-buiding. A NWSL 'Chopper' or 'Chopper 2', punch and die set, a 2" metal square. Tamiya extra thin works good, even plain old MEK or Testors liquid cement works well too. A well stocked Evergreen supply as mentioned and various thicknesses of sheet styrene. A well stocked spares box doesn't hurt either.

Jim

Planning is the key to successful scratch building. Tools are important as well, but the best tools in the world won't help if you can't envision how to put something together. You need to take into account how your piece will attach to an existing kit part, or how to attach separate parts together so they stay that way. What materials to use and when, what needs extra support or gluing surface and so on. Do you make perfect fits or can you get away with over-sized and trim? How do you make sure things are square and true? Use one thick piece or laminate several thinner ones?

It can be complex, but not necessarily complicated. Break down whatever it is you want to build into logical sub assemblies the way kits are, and if you have an irregular shape, break that down into manageable shapes that can be combined rather than trying to do it in one go. When making shapes, you need to bear in mind what thickness the material is that you are using and subtract that from side or top pieces as needed. I'm sure you'll get some more tips ass more people see the thread. The best bit of advice I can give is to practice with simple things, boxy tank hulls are a good place to start, and learn as you go. Measure thrice, cut once, curse often.

Kimmo

The guys above have covered some of the basics, though I can't reiterate enough that making square cuts and glueing things together into square angles is critically important.

Did I say critically important?

The specific glue isn't important, use your favourite cement on styrene and you'll be set. Try to use styrene for scratchbuilding until you get more familiar with the processes and materials, but after that you can use anything and any adhesive that you feel comfortable with.

Another key skill is reading drawings and knowing how to convert dimensions.

If you're lucky you will get a multiview drawing of exactly what you want to build. But don't count on it. Understand how to transfer dimensions between real life, drawings in one scale and your model in another scale,. It's very simple fractions, but I remain astonished how many modellers have no idea how to get from a dimension in one scale to a dimension in another scale. If you don't know it, learn it and practice it. It seriously aint hard.

Also understand drawings and what you are looking at when you see them. Drawings are how you will create your parts for your models and you'd be surprised at how many people can't transpose a face off a general arrangement drawing of a vehicle into a part for a model. It's not necessarily intuitive plus drawings created to North American atandards (3rd Angle Proejction) have hard-to-spot, but critical differences from those created in Europe (usually 1st Angle Projection). Drawings created by enthusiasts not trained in drafting can have a confusing mix of both styles, which can make interpreting the drawings even more difficult.

Understanding some basic drafting practices, such as how to generate true views of forshortened faces seen in normal 3 or 5 view drawings, will allow you to easily create some of the funky facets on sloped armour. Not hard once you are exposed to it, but it can be flummoxing if you don't think it through.

I'm a professional Mechanical Engineer,. so stuff like this is second nature to me every day at my work, but for those who are unfamiliar with drawings, how to interpret them and how to create parts from them, a little self-instruction makes what may seem to be an insurmountable problem actually really easy to solve.

Start small and easy (boxes, bins, side skirts, etc,) and work up to complex shapes. As was said above, expect to make a lot of rubbish before you start to get happy with your work, but also realise that things don't have to be perfect. Putty and filler correct scratchbuilt parts as much or more than kit parts. You'll learn to rely upon them.

Once you get familiar with rectilinear shapes, come back and we can talk specifics about how to create models of seemingly randomly shaped cast turrets and hulls.

HTH

Paul

Hi Joey,
to me, tools are the essence of scratchbuilding. I inherited some specials tools from my father, who was a watchmaker. One good tip is a vernier caliper since you can make parallel lines with it. It is also useful to measure drawings and part. It depends how much will you scratch, but I have learned that a good selection of quality tools including motor drills, circular aaw, grinders etc. makes the day. I aslo have the luck to work in a machining company, so a lathe and a milling machine
is always at hand
Hans-Hermann

Hi Joey,

I use Revell Contacta glue (nr39604) on Polystyrol (availble inexpensive in several sizes and thicknesses (excellent stuff for scratch bulding)) and solely ZAP-A-Gap (medium CA+) (I love this super glue!) on any metal like things such as wine bottle caps that can be used as is it would be photo etch and the copper wires in all sizes

Best of luck

Thankyou guys, your knowledge is greatly appreciated.