You have built your model train table for your big display. You have sketched in your entire layout and know exactly where your track will be going. You have even decided to add in a couple water features and maybe even a bridge. There still seems like something missing though. You think and think and finally you figure out what it is that it is missing. It seems extremely flat. So, what is it that you can do to give it so much more depth? You can add hills and mountains to your train display! It may seem like a project that will take forever, but it is actually very simple and quick.
The first thing you must do is to decide the shape you will want your hill to be. Once you know this you can roughly sketch the base of the mountain out on a piece of cardboard. After you have this sketch you need to cut it out and set it aside. One thing to note is that you should make sure that the finished hill will fit in the space you intend it for.
Your next step will be to make newspaper balls by scrunching up newspaper and then glue each ball onto the footprint of the hill that you had set to the side. You need to keep adding these balls to the base until you get it as high as you need it. Make sure that you do not make it an even height. Mountains are never even unless they happen to be man-made. Use many different heights so it looks as realistic as possible.
It is also a good idea to use ball of different sizes in order to help simulate real terrain. Next tear up several different sheets of newspaper up into strips and set them aside. You will then need to mix up a solution that will be used as a glue base. This needs to be made up of fifty percent water and fifty percent contact cement. Dip the strips that you tore up one or two at a time into the glue solution. You will then need to take this and lay it across it the paper balls and softly tap it into place. Keep up this process until the entire hill is covered. Start with the base of the hill and work your way up.
After you have it completely covered then you should let it dry. Once dry you can then add another layer if you wish in order to make the hill much more stable. Again, allow it to dry. After it dries you then customize it as you need to. You can now add all the details that you wish. Begin by painting your model.
Mix up your colors for the paint job while keeping in mind the colors of actual dirt and hills. It should be a mix of reds, browns, black, and greens. Do not blend these totally. You will want it to be streaked and a mash of colors. After you get the hill painted you can then apply your grass and any false dirt that you may want to add. You can also glue pebbles in place to simulate boulders and rocks.
No matter what sort of model trucks that you like to collect you will find that it can be fun and very interesting as well. Die cast ones that come preassembled can be fun but the plastic ones that you can build yourself can make a great hobby. It will be a hobby that you will be able to share with your children and your family as well. Another benefit comes in when you find out that you are able to stand back and admire the work that you have put into the model that you have been able to modify yourself.
A way to really add a great deal of detail to your model truck is to make working parts for it. You can created many different parts that work including headlights and tail lights that work all the way down to working doors, hoods, and tailgates. This can help to dress up a tuck so that it is much more interesting. One of the things you will need to consider will be the scale of the truck with which you are working. Too small of a scale will limit you as to exactly which changes you might be able to initiate. There are some changes that will not make very good matches for your project.
If you will want to make an opening tailgate for your truck then you should be able to handle it rather easily. All you will have to do is to take a sharp bladed hobby knife and carefully detach your tail gate from the rest of the truck bed. Try not to remove too much material when you do this. You will have to consider exactly how you wish to reattach the tailgate once you have it cut loose. You may have to use a paper clip to make a small joint for the tailgate to pivot on. You will just have to straighten it out and snip part off. You can then run this part through the tailgate and into the sides of the bed.
This will give you a good looking and functional tailgate. You can also use this paper clip trick to be able to create some hinges for your doors if you choose to make them work as well. Once again you will need to make sure to cut them out slowly and carefully. Another thing you will have to consider is whether you will add any more changes such as adding a spare tire to your new truck bed for looks or by throwing some painted up spare parts from other cars in the bed to look like you are transporting parts.
Another change you can make quite easily is working head and tail lights. For these you will first need to make sure that your model truck has come with light covers that are not opaque. You will first have to remove some material from the body where the lights will be mounted. Next you will be able to run some doll house lights from to each of the head and tail lights. You can then run your wires to the battery in one of two ways. You can either run them down the undercarriage and attach the battery there or else you can install it in the bed of the truck.. This can look poorly so you might want to consider the former choice first.
The listed adaptations are just a few of the ones that you can do to personalize your model truck. If you apply just a little bit of experimentation combined with some imagination as well you will be able to create some very innovative details for your model truck.
Victor Epand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Trucks and Interest. Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for