Making model cars

“In 2015 I decided it was time to finally build it. The real challenge came with applying 38-year old decals. Decals because of their age can yellow, crack, and lift off the backing-paper, rip easily, or simply crumble apart when trying to apply them. To overcome this I developed a process that worked most of the time. First I applied Johnson clear coat floor wax on the plastic model. Then I cut out the decal to apply and placed it in warm water, face down, holding it with surgical pliers. Fresh decals typically come off in no time - usually less than 10 seconds; but not these. I had to soak them much longer and often three or four times. Keep in mind if you leave them in the water too long you ruin the adhesive. So I would place the decal on a dampened paper towel for a period of time and see if it would slide off and if not dunk it again and repeat the process. This took lots of patience.”

“My dad has been making model cars for years, so I decided to make one. With the help of my dad's advice, tools, and a LOT of YouTube videos, it wasn't too hard. The inside is a mess, though, because I put masking tape on the interior before letting it fully dry, so it's kind of ugly inside, lol.”