Model Building Archives

Home » Model Building

What a shake-the-box kit is

Dave Farquhar Model Building, Toy trains June 29, 2023April 30, 2023

You will sometimes hear the phrase shake-the-box model kit on a modeling forum or a train forum. But what does the phrase shake the box kit mean? What does it refer to? Hint: It doesn’t refer to the noise it makes when you shake the box.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx presidential figures

Dave Farquhar Model Building May 5, 2021May 8, 2021

In the 1960s, the once-great Louis Marx toy company produced a line of plastic figurines of U.S. presidents. These Marx presidential figures garnered a bit of a cult following, and they retain one today.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

What is styrene?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Model Building March 8, 2021November 30, 2021

Styrene is a chemical derived from petroleum. We most commonly encounter it as a type of plastic. It’s an inexpensive and versatile type of plastic, so it’s been very popular for many decades.

Styrene’s cost effectiveness and relative strength make it a common material in construction and also in the manufacture of consumer goods. With the right prep work and materials, it is easy to glue and paint and repair as well.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Testors Dullcote alternative

Dave Farquhar Model Building, model railroading December 18, 2020March 3, 2021

Testors Dullcote is a very useful clearcoat for a variety of hobbies, including building plastic models and model railroading. However, Dullcote is in short supply in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. So here’s my favorite Testors Dullcote alternative. It’s reasonably cost effective and DIY.

You can make a Testors Dullcote alternative from Pledge Floor Gloss and Tamiya Flat Base. Best of all, you can mix it to exactly the sheen you want.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Which is bigger, 1:64 scale or 1:87 scale

Dave Farquhar Model Building March 27, 2019March 3, 2019

Scale can be a confusing concept to explain or to understand. So it’s very common to hear questions like which is bigger, 1:64 scale or 1:87 scale. I’ll try to explain it simply.

Scale is a ratio between the size of a model or toy and the real thing it represents. A 1:64 scale model is 1/64 the size of the real thing. A 1:87 model is 1/87 the size of the real thing. In scale, higher numbers are smaller.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Dollar store Christmas village scale

Dave Farquhar Model Building November 23, 2018September 16, 2023

Dollar Tree stores sell a Christmas village they call Windham Heights by Cobblestone Corners. This village is very inexpensive and its low cost made it popular. If you’re a Cobblestone Corners fan and wonder about scale so you can accessorize it, here’s what you need to know about dollar store Christmas village scale.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Dollar Tree Christmas village

Dave Farquhar Model Building November 22, 2018September 15, 2023

The Dollar Tree Christmas village is a nice alternative for people who find the big name brands too expensive or too large for their available space. You can also use it in conjunction with those other competitors. Here’s what you need to know.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Christmas village layout ideas

Dave Farquhar Model Building November 27, 2017March 26, 2023

Setting up a Christmas village can be a fun way to decorate for the holidays. Some people set up rather elaborate and impressive displays. Here are some Christmas village set up tips and layout ideas from a model railroader.

Some people build villages with hundreds of buildings. Not everyone has that the space or budget for something like that. Even with a modest collection, you can set up a memorable village. Here’s how.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How to take apart Hot Wheels without a drill

Dave Farquhar Model Building June 14, 2017November 24, 2018Hot Wheels, Plumbing

I get the question all the time how to take apart Hot Wheels without a drill. This trick doesn’t work on older cars with metal bases. But you can indeed take apart newer cars with plastic bases without drilling the rivet. The trick is to use a soldering iron to heat up the rivet and the plastic base enough to let you take it apart. So here’s how to open a Hot Wheels car with a soldering iron.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net