Creating dents in a car.

Modeling Subjects Autos
1

I asked this in my WIP but it might have gotten burried. I am looking to learn how to make dents into the body of a car model, its a 1/24 scale Morris Mini Copper 1275S Mk.1. The body is one piece, I need a few dents like from a fender bender

2

Use a hot solder iron placed under the plastic, and very slowly heat it. When it gets hot enough to dent, make your dent with any sort of implement–paint brush end, tweezer end, dowel, etc…

3

I dont trust my soldering iron, its a really REALLY REALLY cheap one, like 8 bucks. I got it to make beam saber marks for my gundam kits. I wouldnt trust it for this, is there any other way? Close to boiling water perhaps?

4

Nope. Boiling water wouldn’t be hot enough, nor site-specific. You’d warp the whole piece you were putting in it, more than likely?

Doesn’t matter how “cheap” your irion is–you’re only going to use it to transfer heat to a specific area. All you want to do is hold it under whatever plastic part you’re trying to dent so that the heat rises into the plastic. Do not use a candle!!!

This is really an easy thing to do. Just don’t be in a hurry, and don’t overdue it–keep poking gently at the plastic to see if it’s becoming pliable.

5

Ok thanks. I am going to try this ALOT with junk kits and scrap plastic

6

Depending on how big you want the dents. You can take a hobby knife and make some cuts into the plastic, while you are cutting the plastic move the knife around alittle. Once you are done with that, take some sand paper fine grit and smooth out the edges. Try it first on a spare body.

7

I used a candle while making dents to my -67 Charger (can be found on site 2 on this forum)but ofcourse one has to be VERY careful if doing so. All the time you have to feel if the plastic is soft enough to be moulded. The little metalcup candle is fine because it doesn’t make any smoke.

8

In FSM Modeler’s Guide to Painting and Finishing there’s a great four page write-up on how to weather a car.The author really trashes a 1/25 Chevelle and for dents he uses a candle and an eraser.Obviously he recommends praticing on scrap models until you get the hang of it.

Michael

9

Ever see what happens to a plastic model kit when flames or excess heat gets near it, especially an open flame? [#oops]

I’m with doog. My cheapy soldering iron does just fine. [;)]