New Kit Build

[richyb66]

As I've had a bit of free time at the weekends during the recent bad weather, I made a determined effort to finish building a model kit that I'd been bought as a birthday present a couple of years ago. It had been a bit of an on and of thing (mostly off) but perseverance paid off and in the end I got this:

 

A Tamiya 1/12th Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood replica.

 

 

 

The basic kit isn't that expensive but the paint and display case cost twice as much again but now it's finished, it looks like money well spend.

 

I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to have a crack at another kit and so started to have a look around at what was available. I wanted to do something a bit bigger and having built a 1/12th F1 Ferrari about 25 years ago, I looked at what was available.

 

In the end I went for the Tamiya 1/12th 1974 Mclaren M23 – a proper F1 car, Cosworth DFV engine, plain livery, from the days when it was safer having a crash in a Cortina and your first big shunt could well have been you last. Coincidentally the M23 is a car the Mike Hailwood also drove on a number of occasions.

 

Some more information on the kit can be found here:

 

http://www.tamiya.co...laren/index.htm

 

This kit was first produced in the mid 1970's but received an update in the 1990's with the addition of photo etched components to the kit. These consist of a metal sheet about 0.010" thick that is etched so that the individual pieced are trimmed out and also in places, have a reduced thickness due to surface etching. This allows much thinner components to be produced than would otherwise be possible in moulded plastic and these are used for brake discs, seat belt buckles, wing side plates and a number of other components.

 

In total, the kit comprises some 500-600 pieces and with some keen shopping around, I was able to get a kit delivered for £78. Additionally I've spent another £50 on paints that should hopefully be useful if I build more kits.

 

Going by the time it took to put the Ducati together, this isn't going to be a quick project but I'm in no particular rush to get it finished so I'll add photos and updates as work progresses.

[richyb66]

The Tamiya 1/12^th scale kits are pretty comprehensive and highly detailed. They build very well straight out of the box but I’ve decided to make a few changes to the basic kit build by using addition items that are separately available from other (mostly Japanese) manufacturers that a much more detailed model to be built. Some of the parts are incredibly small so hopefully my eyesight will hold up.

On to the basic kit, here’s what £78 gets you.

 

 

A big box of bits, nice clear instructions and the sheet of photo etched components shown here in more detail.

 

 

Note the radiator and oil cooler parts on either side of the sheet at are a real mesh pattern. The photo etched parts are used immediately as they form the metal components of the harness buckles. You can just see part 1 of the instructions where the harness release is built up in layer from individual parts that are super glued together. The harness webbing is a die cut sheet of printed, woven material that is self-adhesive on one side.

 

[richyb66]

Apart from being a bit of a fiddle due to the small parts, the harnesses go together fairly easily and attach to the moulded rubber seat. I decided to go for my first modification here.

The leg and lap harnesses are normally just stuck to the seat surface. I’ve cut 3 small slots in the seat for them to pass through instead so that there’s no visible end to the harness. Here they are fitted with a 50p coin for scale.

 

 

 

With the seat assembly complete, I just has to have a quick look to see what it would look like in the main tub moulding!!!

 

[brumster]

This should be in Build Threads !

[Snapperpaul]

My cousin made this for me

Curses me every time I change something

[Bob Tucker]

I do a fair bit of small modelmaking/engineering.

I make regular visits to Poundland to buy reading glasses in various strengths.

I use 1.5 most of the time, 2.0 if its dark or im tired, & 3.0 for the real b***hy fiddly little suckers.

I also keep a really big speaker magnet nearby to grab the small parts that always go floating off..

May not help with a plastic kit tho'!!

Bob

[Guest iank]

Very nice models.

 

Made this "kit car" recently for my 3 year old nephew.

 

Not the same level of detail but he likes it.

 

 

Ian

[richyb66]

Progress has been non-existent for the last few weeks but I’ve finally managed to get a bit more done. The main hold up was sorting out a compressor and airbrush that I’d be using instead of brushes which would hopefully allow me to paint parts more quickly and with a better finish.

 

On the Ducati, I’d used enamel paint but I’ve decided to switch to acrylic paint for the Mclaren due to it’s faster drying time, low odour, easy of use and easier cleanup. Acrylic is suitable for airbrush application as well as brushing but needs to be thinned slightly to allow it to spray. Three of the colours would still be model aerosol paint – gold for the wheels (left over from the Ducati) together with the white and orange of the main body. Aerosols made more sense for the main body areas as I’d get a quality finish and a nice high gloss.

 

First up were the main engine cooling radiators. Nothing too complicated here, the two plastic halves of the rads are glued together then a photo etched metal mesh is super glued to each side. A small amount of plastic filler was used around the joins and sanded smooth to neaten things up before the rads were primed and then painted matt black.

 

 

The next area to be assembled was the front bulkhead. The majority of this would be painted aluminium with the exception of the fluid reservoirs that would be white. With this in mind, the bulkhead was built up without the reservoirs and painted afterwards. The bulkhead also had a photo etched metal panel in it so was given a quick coat of fine primer first to ensure that the acrylic paint stuck to the metal part.

 

 

The main chassis moulding was spray primed and painted the gloss white and orange livery of Yardley. The main tub assembly front and rear bulkheads and radiators fit to the main floor as shown below. They’re only mocked in place here because I want to allow the paint to fully harden so I can polish it before I glue the parts together.

 

Edited March 23, 2014 by richyb66

[richyb66]

While I’d got a bit of time to kill I couldn’t resist having a look at the first of the detail parts I bought to improve the kit. These were Cosworth DFV engine intake funnels and fuel distributor. The Tamiya plastic parts for these are OK but the detail parts take things to a new level with cast white metal, turned aluminium and photo etched metal parts.

 

Below you can see, from the left. The fuel ECU (folded stainless steel and die cast parts), the ignition and fuel distribution units (die cast part epoxied together) and the throttle bodies and intake funnels (die cast parts, turned aluminium, photo etched metal and small springs just visible at the bottom right hand end).

 

 

What isn’t shown fitted are the fuel injectors and fuel pipes that will be added later as they’re a bit delicate and to be honest, after cutting down the small springs (to around 3mm long) and re-bending their ends, I’d had enough of small parts for a while.

[Snapperpaul]

Impressive stuff

I'm not a model maker but always amazed at the deduction to fine detail.

If I can find the photos I'll post some photos of my cousins scatch build space stuff

For a guy with hands like a navvy that works on HGV's his delicate work is stunning

[Snapperpaul]

 

My only contribution was some time in the studio and a lot more in photoshop

 

[fry61]

Always better in a scale of 12" to the foot ---- if you can afford it.

[Snapperpaul]

This is a model making thread Mr Two Shillings

Edited March 23, 2014 by Snapperpaul

[fry61]

& who says my scale ain't a model? Big yes!!

[richyb66]

A bit of free time over the Christmas break and a spot of inclement weather means I've finally been able to get a bit more of my kit built. The rear driveshafts were built up first, the shaft pieces are split longitudinally so that the UJ spiders can be fitted when the two halves are glud together. Nothing too difficult, just need to make sure that the joints turn freely so that the suspension can move up and down.