Model Building Archives - The Silicon Underground

What a shake-the-box kit is

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:03:57 +0000

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

The post What a shake-the-box kit is appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

Marx presidential figures

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 05 May 2021 12:00:32 +0000

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. Why a toy company would make

The post Marx presidential figures appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

What is styrene?

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000

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

The post What is styrene? appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

Testors Dullcote alternative

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 13:00:04 +0000

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

The post Testors Dullcote alternative appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

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

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:00:29 +0000

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

The post Which is bigger, 1:64 scale or 1:87 scale appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

Dollar store Christmas village scale

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 13:00:29 +0000

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

The post Dollar store Christmas village scale appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

Dollar Tree Christmas village

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:00:57 +0000

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

The post Dollar Tree Christmas village appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

Christmas village layout ideas

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 12:00:52 +0000

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

The post Christmas village layout ideas appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

How to take apart Hot Wheels without a drill

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:00:53 +0000

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

The post How to take apart Hot Wheels without a drill appeared first on The Silicon Underground.

How big is 1:64 scale?

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:00:01 +0000

1:64 scale is a popular size for diecast cars. At one time it was popular for slot cars and electric trains too. But how big is 1:64 scale, really? I’ll explain it mathematically and by giving sizes of some common

The post How big is 1:64 scale? appeared first on The Silicon Underground.