Model Cars, Rockets & Trains — help for hobbyist model builders of all types « Model Cars, Rockets & Trains

How To: Build a rocket from everyday household trash

This video tutorial will show you how you can build a rocket from trash. That's right... trash. To make the rocket, you'll need a paper towel roll (or three toilet paper rolls), a spray can cap, a model rocket engine, scrap cardboard or wood pieces, hot glue gun with glue, a straw and a paper cup.

How To: Make fuse paper to light a rocket motor

Do you like drinking coffee? It may seem like this question has nothing to do with homemade rockets or fuse paper, but indeed coffee filters - which you should have in ample supply if you enjoy making your own cup of Joe - are the key ingredient in a kick ass construction of fuse paper.

How To: Make model railroad tunnels

Tunnels can help make your model railroad set-up come alive. But professionally made tunnels can be expensive, and they lack character. In this tutorial you'll learn how to make your own, customized tunnels.

How To: Easily make a simple matchstick rocket

Crazy for homemade rockets and other flammable toys? This is your video. In this tutorial, learn a quick and easy way to make a matchstick rocket using a match and foil. These rockets can travel as far at 20 feet, so stand back as your DIY rocket flies!

How To: Build trestle bents of a model train set

Check out this model train tutorial video that demonstrates how to build the trestle bents of an HO model railroad. This is just an instructional video about how trestle bents were made for a particular model railroad. Make your own model train set with this video.

How To: Make a house out of 750 matchsticks

Print out and build the house out of paper first and then glue on 750 matchsticks to craft this masterpiece. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a little house out of matchsticks.

How To: Make a Balloon-Powered Paper Plate Racer

With a little spare time and and a few items you can find around the house, you can make your own balloon-powered paper car. This is a great and easy DIY project that's perfect for competitive kids. All you'll need to get started is:

How To: Make a simple homemade bottle rocket from household items

What's the best way to pass the time when you're bored beyond your wits? Make things explode, of course! But let's just say that you don't want your house to catch fire. The next best option that you've got is contained within this here video.

How To: Make a realistic looking landscape diorama

Watch this video series to learn how to make the base shell, terrain, trees, bushes, tufts of grass, and cast plaster rocks for a fantasy landscape diorama.

How To: Rust a model car to make it look old and beat-up

If you like making miniature models for their own sake or for use in playing Warhammer and other table top games, there may come a time when you want a shiny new model to look like an old rusty model. If you're working with plastic, you've come to the right place, because this video will show you how to give plastic models a rusty look that will blend them into your post-apocalyptic or just plain derelict scene.

How To: Build a cool cardboard RC airplane

Model airplanes are cool and all, but making them out of your typical 8 1/2 X 11 printer paper isn't going to cut it for long, especially if any sort of rain or misplaced foot is involved. Make your awesome model airplanes even more awesome by crafting them out of sturdy cardboard instead.

How To: Recreate Models of Christopher Columbus's Sailing Ships from 1492

Columbus Day celebrates Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492. In most of the New World, it's celebrated on the 12th of October, the day Columbus actually discovered the Bahamas. But in the United States, the holiday is observed on the second Monday in October.

How To: Build a 2/5th scale M60 tank

This instructional video series is on how to build any type of 2/5th (40%) scale, fully functional tank. The specific model demonstrated is the M60 Patton. An MBT. A destructive force. If you have any questions about your backyard tank build, please address them to "Dave's Tank Foundry" at Scaled Tanks.

How To: Make a Homemade PVC Rocket

This homemade hairspray-powered PVC rocket takes less than an hour to construct and only costs about 20 dollars to make. Check out my video below for the step-by-step instructions on building your own backyard rocket, and follow the written guide below for reference.

How To: Build a Simple High-Powered Water Rocket Launcher

There are plenty of things you can use at home to make your own rocket, like sugar, matchsticks, or even trash. They may not be as impressive as a real rocket, but they can still be a lot of fun. In this video, How To Lou shows how he made a high-flying water rocket out of some basic materials like PVC and a soda bottle. As Lou points out, the bigger your soda bottle, the further it will go. He used 1/2" PVC pipe, valves, and connectors, as well as some brass adapters. He added an air compres...

How To: Make a silicone mold in your kitchen with common household items

You can easily make an inexpensive silicone mold in your kitchen for cheap! This is a great project to do with your kids, or just for fun! You can also use this method to easily make theatrical props and prosthetics.

How To: Build your own stomp rocket out of household materials

In this video, we learn how to build your own stomp rocket out of household materials. Materials you will need are: plastic bottles, bicycle inner tube, 2 feet PVC pipe, duct tape, masking tape, and file folders or card stock. Now, take your PVC pipe and roll paper around it and tape it. Then, remove the paper from the pipe and tape it more so it's completely closed. Then, make your nose cone for the rocket. Place this and the wings onto the rocket in your choice of colors. Then, make the lau...

How To: Repair a coax receiver antenna including AM, FM, 2.4ghz, airtronics and more

Working on an RC project, or really anything that involves RC, at some point there's a chance that you will end up breaking your antenna for your receiver. If you're a little lost on how to fix the antenna, have no fear. In this video you will get a tutorial on how to fix various antenna receivers and more!

How To: Splice two water bottles together to make a large water rocket

If you want to make a really powerful water rocket, one water bottle is not going to give you enough propellant. You're going to have to splice two or more bottles together and do it well enough that they don't come apart. This video will show you exactly how to do it step-by-step.

How To: Make Robinson Couplings for water rockets

Learn to make Robinson Couplings for water rockets with this video tutorial. For this project you need aluminum and a plastic bar. You need to make the inner coupling on the lathe. Machine the aluminum bar to the right size and then cut the thread. Then drill the coupling hole. You then need to make the coupling nut. Then drill a hole in the nut. Next cut the inner thread in the hole. Then cut the nut off. Cut a slot in the nut with a hack saw. Then cut a hole in a bottle cap. Make a reinforc...

How To: Build a sugar rocket motor

Did you know that you can make a rocket out of stuff you might already have around the house? In this tutorial, you'll see how to make a candy rocket using PVC pipes, sorbitol (a sugar substitute) and other fairly common household objects. With just a little work, your sugar rocket will be ready to blast off into space. Sweet!

How To: Build a model DeLorean & train from Back to the Future

Who could forget the spectacular conclusion to the "Back to the Future" trilogy? The scene where Marty and Doc Brown use a train to push the DeLorean to 88 miles an hour so Marty can return to the 1980s has become iconic. With this tutorial, you can recreate the scene in miniature using fairly inexpensive props.

How To: Paint model railroad tracks

Joe's Model Trains Co. has developed a mini paint roller specifically designed to paint model railroad track. It comes in two sizes; one for Z / N / HO scales and one for larger track like O / S scales. Each size is adjustable and includes rollers and extra disks to easily paint all sizes of rail.

How To: Make a Simple Pop Pop Boat

This video tutorial shows you how to make a simple pop pop boat (putt putt boat) out of house hold items. Very simple and easy to do.

How To: Lay and ballast O-Scale 3-Rail track

In this tutorial we learn how to lay and ballast O-Scale 3-Rail track. First, lay the track down on a piece of bare plywood. Also, you will paint the wood to prevent it from absorbing liquid when you place glue on it. Put the track down onto a flex bed and then set the flex bed on the wood. From here, place the track onto the road bed and line it up. Make sure the track is centered completely. After this, take a track screw and secure the ends down. Continue to do this throughout the entire t...

How To: Detect an air leak in a Nitro RC engine

In this tutorial, we learn how to detect an air leak in a Nitro RC engine. Air leaks damage your engine which will take your tuning and completely void it. Now, take some soapy water and apply it to your engine and anything that is connected in between. Block off one end of the host where you aren't going to blow into. Find where you think the leak is, then make sure you don't have a cracked tank. Next, make sure everything is sealed and apply soapy water. Blow in the other end of the valve a...

How To: Make a DIY 9mm Gardena water rocket nozzle

Most people who are really serious about rocketry prefer solid-fueled rockets, but if your passion is for water rockets, then this video should help you with your advanced eater rocket project. It will show you how to construct and troubleshoot a 9mm Gardena nozzle to control water flow that costs much less than a storebought one.

How To: Easily make a Coke and Mentos rocket

When it comes to building a Diet Coke & Mentos rocket, sure, you could probably figure it out yourself with a little bit of trial and error, but why be wasteful? Especially when the project is already wasteful by design. Better to follow this video guide, which presents a complete overview on how to build your own Mentos & soda-powered bottle rockets.

How To: Make rocket motor casings & nozzles

This video will show you how to make motor casings. You’ll need parallel wound paper tubes ¾ inch outside diameter, ½ inch inside diameter. You can make the same thing out of poster board and glue. In this video shows how to use the store bought ones. Use bentonite clay which is volcanic ash which is like a fine powder that when compressed down it becomes hard. This way you don’t need to wet and wait for it to . Add 1 ¼ clay and then ¾ increments, dump into tube and pound it down with a rubbe...

News: Teeny Tiny Models of Natural Disasters, Fires and Outerspace

Matthew Albanese makes painstakingly detailed model scenes ranging from eerie landscapes to outerspace to outright natural disaster. He crafts the models with tile grout, cotton, phosphorous ink, and lights them from within by 6-60 watt light bulbs.

How To: Easily make a rocket engine

This intense video shows you how to make a rocket engine. Quick and easy to follow put to some great rock music. You learn every step and every tool you need know and use to build your very own rocket engine. You'll be lighting her up and watching her fly in the sky sooner than later, with the pride of building it from scratch.

News: World's Tiniest Electric Train Set

Allegedly the world's smallest model train, Stan's Trains' TY-Scale train is built at the scale of 1:900.

How To: Model railroad scenery using extruded foam

Are your hobbies building model trains? Well, I hope you are building your own model sets the way you want to, but if you're stumped in the model railroading process, check out this nine-part video tutorial to see how to model railroad scenery using extruded foam. If you aren't into miniature rail transport systems, you will be now. Your landscape has to look good for your trains, doesn't it?