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How to get a perfect cut on a body?

How to get a perfect cut on a body?

Old 10-22-2001, 08:52 PM
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Default How to get a perfect cut on a body?

I just wonder is there a way to cut the wheel wall on the proline body so it's perfectly circular?? There is no guide line on the proline body for the rear wheel. Is there a speical tool to do the job?
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Old 10-22-2001, 10:10 PM
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I use a spare wheel to do the job. First I cut the bottom of the body all around, then mount it and adjust the heights of the mounts if needed. Once it's sitting on the car I can see if the front wheel wells line up properly. If so, I just cut them on the line molded in to the body. For the rears, I have the body on the car, car sitting fully loaded ready for the track (cells in place, motor, etc) and at normal ride height, then I hold a spare wheel outside the body right next to the rear wheel. Then I trace around the extra wheel with a sharpie marker. I do both sides, then eyeball the tracing to see if it looks like it lines up correctly. If so, I cut on the marked line and wash any marker residue off the body with denatured alcohol.

Or, you could buy one of those fancy circle cutters...

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Old 10-22-2001, 10:16 PM
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ic ic... Thanks for the tip trips.
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Old 10-22-2001, 10:45 PM
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A circle cutter will do a real neat job! Basically I do what Trips has mentioned, but with the back wheel I just mount the body, mark out the centre of the rear wheels and thats where you stick the cutter!!! It's really easy.... perfect alignment each time and those circle cutters are pretty cheap anyway!
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Old 10-22-2001, 10:53 PM
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Where can I get one of those circular cutter???? Homedepot???
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Old 10-23-2001, 12:08 AM
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Originally posted by TRF-Powered
Where can I get one of those circular cutter???? Homedepot???
I've seen them at hobby shopd and at art supply stores. THe brand name I remember in the hobby shops is Olfa.

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Old 10-23-2001, 02:06 AM
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Default The circular cutter...

I have one of those, but let me tell you that's not easy to open a circular hole in lexan with it.

It cuts paper very well, but lexan is another matter.

For the wheels I use another method. First I cut as close to the final form as possible with scisors and then I wrap sandpaper on a soda can and it's the perfect diameter.

Then I just sand it with that home made tool.

For smaller circular holes (like the ones we do on the front windshield of Nitro cars) I use the cutter to mark the circle and then with a Dremel and a sanding drum I do the hole.

I tried with new blades, but the cutter can't get through Lexan very easy.
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Old 10-23-2001, 03:25 AM
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Default Circle Cutter

The circle cutter takes some getting used too. Don't try to cut the entire wheel well out in a single cut. What should be done to ensure a perfect cut is to lightly score the surface of the lexan.

Once a slight marking has been made, continue to slowly cut at the same place. It takes perhaps (for me) 2 dozen times to slowly go around the wheel well before the blade cuts through the lexan.

In fact once the circular outline has been sufficiently deep, u do not need to cut through, the lexan somehow can be "torn" but be careful.

Above techniques attempted on Tamiya, Protofoam and HPI shells

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Old 10-23-2001, 04:12 AM
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Default Re: The circular cutter...

Originally posted by antoniop
I have one of those, but let me tell you that's not easy to open a circular hole in lexan with it.

I tried with new blades, but the cutter can't get through Lexan very easy.
It's not actually that difficult. The object is not to 'cut through' the lexan. All you have to do is to score the lexan lightly.... usually two passes is enough. Use a pair of sisscors to actually cut the lexan to the edge of your score and then you just have to "tear" the wheel position away! You will be surprised exactly how lightly you can get away with the 'scoring!'
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Old 10-23-2001, 07:30 AM
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I've tried that a couple of times and the supposed controlled cracking was not that controlled.

I assure you that I made more than just two passes. I'm talking about a Accord Protoform body.

Bad experience, bad bad.
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Old 10-23-2001, 08:52 AM
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It just takes time, little by little. I never rush, well I try not too
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Old 10-23-2001, 09:02 AM
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Default OT: Who took longest for a shell?

Tamiya Lancer Evolution VI
I took about an hour to spray the shell, another 1/2 hour to cut the wheel wells and another 5 hours to paste the darny stickers

Edit: here's a pic

Last edited by Alvin; 10-23-2001 at 09:04 AM.
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Old 10-23-2001, 09:09 AM
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Originally posted by antoniop
I've tried that a couple of times and the supposed controlled cracking was not that controlled.

I assure you that I made more than just two passes. I'm talking about a Accord Protoform body.

Bad experience, bad bad.
hmm... thats strange. I even use the 'score and tear' technique to cut the staight edges of the shell (with a modelling knife of course!). I use the OLFA cutter (see pic). Usually throw away the blade after about 10-15 arches and always use a new blade for the knife on each shell!
Attached Thumbnails How to get a perfect cut on a body?-dscn0225.jpg  
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Old 10-23-2001, 09:11 AM
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Default Re: OT: Who took longest for a shell?

Originally posted by Alvin
I took about an hour to spray the shell, another 1/2 hour to cut the wheel wells and another 5 hours to paste the darny stickers
haha.... I have the HPI version of this shell.... and you are right... there are a heck of lot of stickers!!!
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Old 10-23-2001, 10:12 AM
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Originally posted by dtm


hmm... thats strange. I even use the 'score and tear' technique to cut the staight edges of the shell (with a modelling knife of course!). I use the OLFA cutter (see pic). Usually throw away the blade after about 10-15 arches and always use a new blade for the knife on each shell!
Yep that's the one. My cutter is the same.
Not that I am new at this but those circles never tear like they should.

About taking some time to do a body.

about 1 hour to paint, don't ask how much to mask it


Around the same time to paint, nearly 3 hours to mask


Paint? very fast. After all there are only 3 colors, but the masking drove me mad.

If you want to feel like it's a relief to put stickers and cut the wheels, try a paint job like these

Last edited by antoniop; 10-23-2001 at 10:15 AM.
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