Help! I am not a modelmaker!

[Plynkes]

Grrr.

Just got a couple of Sloppy Jalopy trucks. I was hoping for the usual wargamer's kit of big lump of metal or resin that you glue wheels and a few other tranklements to.

NOOOO! It's like a proper model-maker's kit. But it only has wargamer style instructions. There's about a million bits, and only some of them are referenced in the instructions. I have literally no idea what to do with the others. To make matters worse, they only have a tiny pic of the finished kit on their website.

It looks really nice in the finished photo, but I can tell there are gonna be tears and tantrums before we're through.

I hate this kind of thing. Give me a lump of resin anyday. I wish firms wouldn't do this to me. Real model-makers get proper instructions in their kits. Wargamers (who don't always come from a model-making background) need them more, but we always get less. I suppose I should be a bit more thankful, as most firms don't give you any instructions at all...

 

[Prof.Witchheimer]

yes, Sloppy Jaloppy is tricky to put together, actually I do have four of them but never did paint any because until today I wasn't in the mood to stick together that huge amout of bits  

[Poliorketes]

I finished two of the trucks, and in the end got more glue on my fingers than on the model. It is possible, though!

[Deathwing]

I gave up on my model as well.  The wheel and axels are just too weak to hold together without major pinning or basing and I just don't have the energy.  Oh well.

Joey

[CompanyB]

It takes a bit of time...but they go together well, considering it's all metal!  The Austin Armored car they have is resin with a few metal parts.

Which truck is it?

I usually put metal models together dry, without glueing to figure out the way it goes together.  Before you start superglueing parts....  use really coarse sandpaper to rub the surfaces to be glued.  This will help the glue adhere without pinning. you'll also have better luck building in stages.  build a section, paint some minis, then do the same the next evening.

Cast metal axles...replace with brass rod.  

Once you get it all together and primed, the models look pretty good.

Brent

[CompanyB]

Did I mention I'll assemble, paint, alter, scratchbuild, customize any model for anyone willing to trade painted minis!   I just have hardly anytime to paint my figures anymore!

Though, for a complete scratchbuild...that may cost an army ;-)

-Brent
Company B

[Lowtardog]

They can be a swoine to put together, try some of the moderns the traks are broken down into sections, a nightmare many glued fingers teach you to dry fit with blu tack first

[Hammers]

Tis is only a partial advice, but I find with this kind of kit not to have it resting on its axel, wheels, suspension. I hide a block of plastic, balsa, whathaveyou under the kit chassis. That way I don't have to rely too much on pinning and glue joints. Superglue (as opposed to two part epoxy) will suffice since it is not going to support the heavy chassis but just keep it togehter.

This will not solve the what-goes-where problem which certainly can be a bit of a b@$t@rd with these kits.

[Lowtardog]

Super glue gel is another tip, much better than the liquid

[Lowtardog]

The SJ guys are very helpful and have a yahoo group where if not already anwered they may be able to help

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sloppyjalopy/

PS at Warfare I saw lots of boxes of famous aces Polynikes, it must have been reprinted

[Plynkes]

Yes, they do seem like a nice bunch judging from my email communication with them (they've been having some troubles with the shopping on their site, so the transaction was conducted via email and Paypal instead).

I think I'll take your advice and join up, might be able to pick up some tips. Thanks.

I wasn't meaning to single them out for slagging off (there are worse offenders, like those who provide no instructions at all). I think they make some lovely kits. It's just that they aren't really aimed at people like me, and I didn't realise that before buying.

[Plynkes]

That was easy. Automatically accepted. I was expecting one of those "Write us a ten-page essay on why you think we should let you in our precious group, you snivelling little worm!" things that you so often see with Yahoo Groups.

[Lowtardog]

You may have a delay on answers as I know one of the lads works on the Rigs.

One of the guys works for a munitions company building BMP and russian armour, I received a fanstatic shot of the workshops, they were stunning

[CompanyB]

For the superglue...try the gel as mentioned.  Or zap-a-gap.  That brand works particularly well.

But for gaming, I try to also strengthen any joint afterwards with a blob of two part epoxy glue.  That tends to make the final model pretty much unbreakable.