Hot Model Cars, Rockets & Trains How-Tos « Model Cars, Rockets & Trains

How To: Make a ball bearing rocket

Kipkay shows you how to make a basic rocket out of ball bearings and magnets, also called a gaussian gun.

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 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: 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: 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 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 model brick wall out of plaster

Take a plaster board and convert it into a fake brick wall to use in your modeling projects.

How To: Paint rock faces for model trains using acrylic washes

This video demonstrates how to spray paint realistic rock faces on hills and mountains using acrylic paint washes. The process is easy and enhances model train track backgrounds.

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 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: 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: 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 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: 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 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: 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 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: Make a PVC rocket at home

You can make a rocket at home using these items found around the house. Icing sugar, measuring tape, a PVC pipe, black marker, hammer, flat headed bolt around 18 millimeters wide , mortar and pestle, drill, drill bit size 5 millimeter, potassium nitrate and kitty litter.

How To: Weather a model train diesel engine

Those shiny new model train cars might not fit in with the elaborate and realistic look of a model train layout. They're easily weathered to look like they've aged from years of work. Watch this hobby how to video and learn how to create a vintage look on a model train diesel engine.

How To: Hand lay scaled model railroad turnouts

Need a new hobby? How about railroad modeling? You can turn a full sized train and rail transport into a scaled model for you to enjoy. Model railroading is a hobby that requires attention to detail, so no slackers here, please.

How To: Build a 2.5 scale sherman tank

This is an instructional video on how to build a massive, fully-functioning model of a Sherman Tank.

How To: Install and weather flex track for model railroads

Need to secure your track to the road bed for your model railroad? Well, this video tutorial will show you how to do it, not to mention show you how to weather your flex track.

How To: Make a water thrusted rocket out of a plastic bottle and other basic materials

If you like the idea of building rockets that will soar through the air like angels but don't want to bother with operating high explosive, it's possible to build pretty darn powerful rockets out of water. This video will show you how to do so very easily out of junk that you probably already have.

How To: Repair any damages to your flying model airplane

When you're flying your model airplanes, it's inevitable that it will eventually suffer some minor damages, like scuffs, breaks and bends. This video tutorial will help you alleviate and repair any damages to your flying model airplane to get you back in the skies again.

How To: Weather rolling stock model train cars with chalk

Does the new plastic shine on your model train cars ruin the overall effect of a realistic model train layout? Turn minutes into years, by creating an aged finish on that fresh plastic surface. Watch this hobby how-to video and learn how to age and weather rolling stock model train cars weaily with just a little bit of chalk.

How To: Use Superglue and baking soda to fix model cars

A quick tip that can be used to create solid joints and fill gaps in scale models. Learn how to easily fix flaws in model toy cars with basic household items.

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: 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?

How To: Build a "pop-pop" or "putt-putt" steam engine boat

This extensive video series is all about making your own simple steam engine and boat, which is known variously as the "putt-putt" or "pop-pop" boat. Science Toy Maker gives the full details on making your own homemade steam engine model boat, which is similar to the one seen in the move "Ponyo".

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 the staging mechanism for a multi-stage water rocket

Most really powerful rockets fire their payload in multiple stages to distribute it better. To control the release of each stage, you need staging mechanisms. This video will show you how to make a staging mechanism for a multi-stage water rocket, and references written help here.

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: 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: Ballast your model railroad track

Okay, you've got all of your feed wires set up on your model railway track, now what? Ballasting. Check out this video tutorial to see how to ballast your model railroad track.

How To: Make a homemade rocket in less than five minutes

In this video we are shown how to make a homemade rocket. The necessary items are as follows: A plastic bottle, a bicycle pump and a cork. First, cut the cork in half and make sure that it fits in the mouth of the bottle. Next, take a nail and push it through the cork so that it makes a hole going from one flat side to the other. Remove the nail and replace it with the needle from the bicycle pump, making sure that the needle is fully through the cork so that it is sticking out the other end....

How To: Build a parachute for models

HIP2B2 TV Show presents how to build a parachute! This is a perfect rocket parachute that you can build on your own. You need to cut six strings to connect the chute to your model. They test it out with a rock.

How To: Build extruded foam scenery

Here is a short tutorial for those of who wanting to build miniature scenery using a structure of layered foam. The adhesive not mentioned in the video is PL 300 foam. However, you can use any type of adhesive as long as its foam friendly. This two part instructional video provides easy and satisfying method of building miniature landscapes fro train sets, architectural models, and dioramas.