Hi all –
I have an idea for my first Hot Wheels/Die Cast custom.
I have done several (dozen) action figure customs, so I’m not exactly new to the concept.
But clearly this is uncharted territory for me.
Is there a site some where that would have a decent tutorial?
I’m specifically looking for Disassembly, painting tips & Wheel Replacement.
Thanks for any help y’all can give…..

I've got Custom Tutorials, How-To's and Tips all over the Internet, I'll look around and find some links for you.

In the meantime you can go to HotWorldCustoms.com
http://www.hotworldcustoms.com/index.html
It's always been the most thorough and comprehensive Customs Site anywhere.

--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Web%20Sigs/MOFOsignWeb.jpg

Here's how I disassemble my Customs and reassemble them with Rivets.

I thought once about purchasing a Drill Press but I find that using a handdrill and simply eyeing things up is faster and even more accurate.

Necessary Tools:
Variable Speed Handdrill,
11/64" Split Point or Bullet Point bit,
3/32" drill bit,

After trying a variety of sizes of bits for removing the mushroom cap on existing factory rivets, I find the 11/64" bit to be the perfect size for this task.
Don't think of the first part of this job as "drilling". There's very little pressure involved in the spinning or shaving off of this thin splayed out mushroom cap of factory shaped rivets.
You need to think of this procedure as you would imagine using an Xacto knife.

I start with cutting a short portion off of the solid end of the 11/64 Split Point bit using a cutoff wheel.
Make sure to leave just enough of the solid end of the bit for the chuck of the drill to grasp when seated completely into the chuck.
Shortening the length of the bit will make it easier to eye up in relation to the rivet cap.
Grab one end of the casting and rest the opposite end against the edge of your workbench.
Put the center of your bit in the dimple in the factory rivet.
Line your bit up perpendicular to the face of the rivet.
Now, drill slowly, using short light squeezes of the trigger and keep an eye on the metal peeling back from the rivet.
When you see the thin edge of the mushroom cap disappear, exposing the underlying base of your casting, you've gone as far as you want to go.

More than likely you will not drill in an exact perpendicular (90 degree) angle everytime so you will have to lean your bit a degree or so in the other direction to peel away any remaining portions of the rivet cap.
This is all very easy to see but you must not drill too fast.
You DO NOT WANT to drill further through the splayed out edge of the mushroom cap and into the base of the casting.
You simply want to expose the base by removing the spread out portion of the mushroom cap.
That's all there is to it. Now you will need a small thin screwdriver or pick to slip in between the wheel and fender and pry the base away from the body.
Work from one side of the casting to the other so you don't bend axles.
If one end comes loose more easily than the other you can use a medium flathead screwdriver slipped in between the base and interior to pry the other end loose.

The Rivets you'll be using are All Aluminum 3/32" Pop Rivets with a set end of 3/16" to 1/4".
Fastenal carries them online or your local NAPA will order them for you.

DRILLING the RIVET POST:
Use a good Titanium 3/32" bit, (Walmart about $2).
Put any kind of oil into a small bottle cap and dip the tip of the bit into this beforehand each time you drill.
The oil will lubricate the bit and keep it from loading up with molten metal.

Some Rivet posts will be so long that you will have no concern about drilling too far and into the body. Other posts will be so short that drilling depth will become of great concern. You may want to check out my "Drill Bit Collar" post to ensure that you have no problems.

http://www.louswheels.netfirms.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=22833.0

Okay, hold your casting in the same fashion as mentioned above and again drill at a perpendicular angle straight into the center of the end of the Rivet post.
Drill to the chosen depth and check fit with one of your replacement Rivets.
I check for fit after every 3/32" hole if I'm doing 1 car or 500.
It's better to make sure now than after you get a nice paintjob on that sucker.

After you've drilled out your Rivet post you will notice how the end of the post has spread out with a sharp edge due to the pressure and heat of the drilling.
This increase in diameter of the end of the Rivet post will make it difficult for the base to slip back onto it.
You can take a small file and file away the excess or use a grinding stone or high speed cutter to smooth off the end of the post.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Customizing%20Tools/TB-11.jpg

Someone mentioned that the Rivet posts in Johnny Lightnings are of a smaller diameter and could not be drilled out for 3/32" Pop Rivets.
It's been a long time since I've disassembled a JL so let me suggest the use of small screws and washers.
Your drill bit size would be a 1/16" bit.

Here's an extra procedure I'd like to suggest for your Customs.
When you remove the casting from the base, inspect all the inside edges very carefully for flash or metal buildup.
Some castings do not fit well around the bumpers because of excess metal that remains during the molding process.
Use a medium file to remove this excess and your castings will slip back onto their base nice and flush with a well finished and realistic look.
While you're there go ahead and file smooth the wheel well openings and inside window openings for a very professional finish.
I even see Drag Trucks and Drag Buses being sold as Limited Editions that have not been given this extra care needed for great Custom work.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Customizing%20Tools/TB-12.jpg

RIVET GUNS:
I purchased a real good Rivet Gun from Grainger Tools for $38.
It comes with tapered tips.
Wherever you buy your Rivet Gun you will need to file the tip into a taper so that it will not be obstructed by any raised portions of the base.
Just file the tip into a point the size of the cap of your replacement Rivets.

Here's the ordering information to obtain your Rivets from Fastenal.
Part#: 41001
Blind Rivet AB3-2A
Fastenal's phone number 816-254-1117

Any questions, just give me a shout,

--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Web%20Sigs/Rt66SilverBulletWebEmail.jpg

Wow.
Thank you for the great reply.
Clearly you are very good at giving instructions. I’m sure that attention to detail transfers to your customs.
I’ll try the process on a few other cars to get it down before I start my actual project.
And that for the links in you first post. Some really good info there.
I will be sure to take lots of “in progress” pics and post when I finish.

welcome to the custom board norrin. and we look forward to seeing your customs.

:wave: Hi Norrin..much like the action figures I would presume...there are a lot of ways to do custom diecast. There are several sites which have extensive info available as well. www.hotworldcustoms.com has long since been a favorite of mine and of course my site's How To Section (http://www.airbrushdiecast.com/kbkustoms/forum/smf/index.php?board=13.0) is pretty extensive with many actual user experiences to help guide others along.

Also, here is a link to a basic how to I did several years ago for a national convention seminar I was asked to speak at.

KBs Basic Tutorial-Nova Build (http://www.airbrushdiecast.com/kbkustoms/forum/smf/index.php?page=33)

The how to link above goes from disassembly to showing ONE way of adding a set of custom wheels and shows many of the various tools/procedures needed along the way. I need to add the paint process eventually, but thats another matter entirely.
I hope it helps you...please feel free to ask tho if there is a question.

I dont mean any disrespect to MoFo Customs above or any fans of the process, but I must say that not everyone likes using rivets for reassembly.
I personally think they do the opposite of what is expected as far as how they look, because to me at least...they dont have a "depression" in the center, rather are completely rounded and usually are too "shiny and new" to look "stock".
I would much rather use small machine screws which have a button head and look much like a rivet when installed, but the finish of these screws (stainless steel in my case) is much more subdued and actually can be found in several different finishes, depending on the supplier.
However, regardless of the color, shape, or appearance, the greatest advantage of using ANY type of screws as opposed to rivets (or epoxy as some do) is that you can EASILY DISassemble the custom if need be. Whereas this would be much more difficult if using rivits that actually clamp securely. Thats the other thing, screws are generally more secure as well. So, especially for those that do more complicated mods...not only is it easy to do test fits and rework multiple times as needed, but your finished custom wont come apart unless you remove the screws.

I would also HIGHLY recommend drilling a "pilot hole" as the first step of drilling the "rivet post"....BEFORE removing the head.
This step is easy to do as you just allow the existing head to keep your drill bit centered and this step also makes things much easier down the line. Especially if you dont use a pilot tip drill bit as then you will find it extremely hard to drill that post (after removing the head) down the center without the bit "walking off" the surface or having it break out at some point because it was too close the post's outer wall.

The most important thing is to have fun and remember your safety glasses when using the dremel or other power tools. :thumbsup:

Hi Norrin,
Here's my dos centavos:

http://www.redlineshop.com/how_to_clinic.htm

Some good info here as well as repro parts.

jon