How to Create Your Own Model Car

Model cars can come in many shapes and sizes.

Model car kits let hobbyists make car using prefabricated parts. However, some craftsmen may prefer to make their own model from scratch. Making your own model car requires careful planning, skilled use of saws and other power tools, sanding, gluing and painting. Use these methods to make any type of car you want, from a highly detailed modern car to a replication of older model cars, such as the Model T.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencils
• Pens
• Colored pencils
• Wood or plastic modeling material
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Glue
• Paint
• Model wheels
• Clear hard plastic

Instructions

1. Use your pencils and colored pencils to draw a detailed model of your car. Include the body, doors, roof, handles, details like emblems and all other important details of your car. Sketch out each individual part on a different sheet of paper to get a paper model for each important part.

2. Estimate how much modeling material you will need by measuring the length and width of each of your parts. Buy more material than you will need, in case of mistakes.

3. Use your jigsaw to cut out each piece carefully and accurately. Use any other saws you feel comfortable with to obtain as much detail in each part as possible.

4. Place your parts next to each other to gauge how accurate they are to the car you are modeling. The proportions should be the same as they are on the real car. Fix any proportion errors by trimming your parts using your saws or creating all new parts out of your building material.

5. Sand your pieces down to remove any rough edges and to give each area a smooth feel. Heavy grain sandpaper will remove the roughest edges while the finer sandpaper can make it nice and smooth.

6. Glue all your pieces together according to your plan. Do not glue everything together at once, but glue smaller parts together to make segments of the car. Let each segment dry for an hour. Glue these new segments together.

7. Paint your car three coats of one color. Let the paint dry between each application. Add any painted details, such as decals, to the car after you have applied your final coat.

8. Add details to your car, such as wheels and windows. Glue your model wheels to your wooden wheel axles. Use your clear, hard plastic to make your car windows. Add any other details you like to your car during this final step.

References

• Pony Builder
• Craftsmanship Museum: Model Makers
• Toys and Joys