Disclaimer: there are many ways to chop a 32, this is my preferred method.
Starting with this kit.
This is the stock height roof direct from the kit.
First thing i do is mark where i want to have my cut lines, the goal here is to remove material from the places that are easiest to fill and smooth later. you notice on the rear window in the pic, i have marked the area on the flat sides of the window instead of the corners, this will make it easier to get a smooth finish later.
i have marked this to take out roughly 3 scale inches both front and rear, now, you can do 2 rear, 4 front, to give it more of a rake to it. But you are looking at a lot more fiddling with it and filling if you do. I prefer a straight chop myself.
Also planning for a relief cut across the roof line, you will see why shortly.
When doing a chop, i start with the most complicated cuts first to minimize the risk of the pieces flexing around too much while i cut. using the backside of a number 11 blade. i take my time and scrape along the back window channel slowly removing material until i go through the plastic.
Once i make it through the two vertical cuts at the rear window i get out the razor saw. When making your chop cuts, make sure you start with the ones furthest from the body first. It is easier to make the remaining cuts while holding the larger body in your hand instead of just trying to hold the roof section.
Take your time and go slow. the more care you take in removing the top, the easier it will be to attach it later.
Now, still using your razor saw, make the lower line cuts. go carefully around the rear window area. the goal is to leave the uprights that were marked earlier so things 'slot' together when we reattach the roof.
now square up your cut lines, i lay a piece of sandpaper on the desk, grit side up, and rub the cut pieces along it until everything is straight and even. you don't have to push hard here, let the sandpaper do the work.
Now that things are sanded flat and true, we need to remove the material from the roof to let the rear window slot onto the body section. careful use of the razor saw and hobby knife are all it takes.
if you have taken your time and made your cuts correctly, you should have something like this at the rear window.
The side view of the rear section shows that this should take a minimal amount of work to mate these together and smooth things out.
Now do you remember the line i drew across the front of the roof?...this is why. If we were to join the rear section of the roof back together, the front A pillars would not line up. this means that we have to add material there to make things fit correctly.
out comes the razor saw again
Using liquid cement, i affix the rear section of the roof in place. you can see from this picture that i also use small sections of thin styrene on the inside of the joint to bridge it and add strength. the excess will be removed and sanded later.
Once the rear section has dried we can attach the front section. Take it slow and make sure your seam lines all line up. dont worry about the gap in the roof right yet. that will be next on our list.
Now using more of the styrene shim material, i start filling gaps. i would rather fill with as much styrene as possible than try to use excess body filler. the stryene is a stronger bond and wont shrink and cause problems later. the process is easy, slide in a shim, flow in some liquid cement. let dry. repeat until you cant fit any more shims in and you are happy with the joint.
While i am shimming the front, i go ahead and fill any small gaps in the rear the same way.
once the shims have all dried ( i waited overnight ) use a pair of nippers or a hobby blade to trim the excess close to flush. then follow up with either files, sandpaper or sanding sticks to smooth things out a bit.
now i need to apply some filler. i use a 2 part automotive spot putty for my normal bodywork. it is what i am comfortable with and wont shrink over time like many of the hobby designed ones do. This is the most tedious process for me. fill, sand, inspect..repeat until you are happy. ( when sanding be very careful not to sand away body lines or details in the process)
When you think you are getting close, hit it with a coat of primer. this will help show you areas that might need a bit more attention.
Keep tweaking till you get rid of imperfections and then hit it with a final coat of primer so it can be ready for paint.
you can see the difference below between the original and the chopped version.
Remember, at the end of the day, its just plastic. you are never stuck with having to build something a certain way just because that's the way the manufacturer made the kit. gain some experience and increase your skill set. Then you can make kits into what you want without restrictions on imagination or preference.
Now this one will go back into the box until i get the urge to finish the build.
cya next time
Comments