Making Models From Scratch

[Reynard]

Been working on building the back axle while I wait for the can of Tamiya primer to arrive. Again, it's been finding that balance between accuracy and building a part that is a) strong enough, and b) fits with everything else that attaches to it while still managing to look right regardless...

The beam of the axle is made from an 8mm diameter knitting needle. Most of the rest is laminated card and paper set in 2-part epoxy, then sanded to the final shape. The central core of the diff housing is a rolled paper tube, and then everything else has been stuck on to it - that was fun, playing with teeny, tiny pieces of card. I discovered that they have a horrible tendency to either a) stick to everything else other than where you want to stick it to or b) squirt out of your fingers and vanish somewhere in the pile of the carpet...

Oh yes, and most of the parts for the diff casing are assymmetric, which brought a whole different level of headaches to the build.

I've also laminated in a wire peg on the top of the diff casing which fits into a corresponding hole on the upper rails platform - hence the use of grey card in the structure, as it's easier to carve the channels for the wire. That's also the reason why there's a stepped flat surface on top rather than the same curved profile on the bottom of the axle. It gives me a bigger surface area for the glue when I finally stick the assembly in place.

N.B. The prop and hubs / brake drums aren't glued in yet, as I've got other things to sort out before I can do that. To give you an idea of scale, the brake drums are roughly the diameter of a 2p piece.

 

[Andy in Germany]

That's a fantastic result. I can imagine how much sanding it took. I also intend to nick your idea of two part epoxy as it must be healthier than superglue...

I wish my models looked that neat at that stage.

 

[Reynard]

That's a fantastic result. I can imagine how much sanding it took. I also intend to nick your idea of two part epoxy as it must be healthier than superglue...

I wish my models looked that neat at that stage.

Thanks I'm really pleased with how that came out.

I'm actually beginning to prefer the epoxy for the fiddlier stuff because it takes that little bit longer to cure. Makes things a bit less fraught when compared to superglue.

Downside of epoxy is that once it's mixed, you've got to use it.

 

[Reynard]

Mmmmm, question for you @Andy in Germany if I may.

How did you do the rivets on your steam-powered tank model? I need to add a similar kind of detail to some parts on the car, and I don't want to be messing around with ever smaller pieces of card...

 

[Andy in Germany]

Mmmmm, question for you @Andy in Germany if I may.

How did you do the rivets on your steam-powered tank model? I need to add a similar kind of detail to some parts on the car, and I don't want to be messing around with ever smaller pieces of card...

Lots of 10mm pins with a 1mm head. You can see them here before painting.

 

[Reynard]

Lots of 10mm pins with a 1mm head. You can see them here before painting.

Thanks

Pins and tacks I have aplenty, so I'm bound to find something I can use.

 

[Reynard]

Another bit of an update...

Spent the last couple of evenings making the various suspension linkages needed - two for the front (lower wishbone) and four for the rear. They're made (mostly) from glue-soaked paper rolled around a wire core. The short ones on the left are for the front, though since the photo was taken, they've lost the little round doodads next to the wire pegs, as they didn't look right and didn't fit very well along the sides of the chassis. The other four are the links that connect the axle to the chassis.

Today, I put my big girl pants on and cut the five layers for the lower chassis rails. I'd been putting it off for a while, but have got to the point where I had to build this part of the car.

The layer in the middle is of softer card which is easier to cut the channels for the various wire pegs - two on the front wishbone that will connect to the stub axle, plus the suspension links bonded in at this stage. It was easier to do that now than to try and drill holes into thin sections at a later stage where things could go very wrong.

Really pleased with how this has come out, although I've had my first instance of "oops, this doesn't quite fit" on this build with the suspension linkages I've bonded in. I had to trim the edges of the chassis a little to get things sorted, but the rest is nothing a bit of sandpaper won't solve...

I still need to mark out where the solid block goes, and the holes to take the locating pins, plus where the vertical bits of ironwork connect the upper and lower rails.

 

[Reynard]

Well, the primer arrived the other day, and a fresh supply of wire turned up at lunchtime, so I'm all set for that.

One hitch I've encountered, is that if I use superglue in large quantities (e.g. the chassis rails), it makes me really wheezy. Like ridiculously wheezy. I spent most of yesterday evening and the whole night coughing and spluttering like a 60-a-day smoker... Fortunately, I reckon that by the time I get to the bodywork, I should be able to work outside.

So I spent my modelling time today well away from any glue, and turned my attention to the design of the roll cage instead. From the photos, it looks relatively straightforward, but when you actually start putting it down onto paper, you realize that, actually, it isn't. Unlike the rest of the chassis, very little of the cage is in the same plane, so there are all sorts of angles and directions to contend with.

I have two sections at the front and in the middle that *are* in the same plane, and which also sit perpendicular to the chassis rails. Plus I also know the shape and inclination of the roof. So I can make those pieces easily, and then use them as a reference to build the rest of the roll cage - although I do think that a jig of some kind will be necessary to hold the whole shebang together while I do that. And rather than driving myself potty trying to create some of the awkward angles and joins from the get-go, I will just make lengths of the appropriate square section (either 3mm or 5mm), and then just cut and sand to make each piece fit individually.

The other issue I've got to contend with is working out where to laminate in wire pegs to strengthen the structure and then secure the roll cage to the upper rails. If I stay true-to-life, I'll be drilling holes perilously close to the edge of the chassis, which, for obvious reasons, I'd rather not do. I need to bring those holes inboard, which will mean adding extra sections to the bottom of the roll cage - but it's a compromise I'm happy to make. By the time I've got the bodywork on and the seat and dashboard in, I don't think anyone will notice. Plus I'll get a bigger surface area to spread the glue on, which can only be a good thing.

On another note, I've had a look in my box of completed parts, and am more than pleasantly surprised at the number of bits I've already made. OK, most still need work done to them, but right now, I'm concentrating on making all the parts and ensuring that they all fit together properly.

And I've also discovered that the weird shadow under the car is, as I thought, a sump guard. So I'll have to make one of those too...

 

[Reynard]

Well, it's official, I am rather allergic to superglue. I've had a few glue-free days, and I'm feeling way more chipper. The cough has almost gone, and so has the rash on my hands and neck. Am definitely going to have to re-think some of my modelling strategy - will probably use 2-part epoxy for the roll cage instead, except for where I can't get away from using superglue i.e. where I have to laminate pins in etc.

But that's for a little bit further down the line, although I have made the jig for the roll cage. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting the parts sorted for everything below the level of the main chassis rails - there's actually very little left, just the front brake calipers, steering column, a few small bits of ironwork and the two suspension pickups for the rear axle.

I can't do the latter until I have completed the shock absorbers, because I have to work out clearances - and how to mount the shocks to the suspension pickups. I also need to work out how to mount the shocks on the front suspension as well.

I have been tidying up the shocks in preparation for priming - the can of primer and a fresh supply of wire have arrived. I decided to redo the springs, as the old wire I had was a bit wonky and lumpy, and, as a result, the springs weren't as neat as I would like. The new springs are much better. I've also trimmed all the end caps for the springs to size and sanded them down, so those are looking a lot better now too.

As far as new parts, I've made the steering rack. Superstox (and a lot of stock cars) use a Morris Minor steering rack, so easy enough to google for pictures and dimensions. As expected, modelling the rubber "gaiters" was fun - I ended up messing around with a hole punch! I'm really pleased as to how the rack has turned out. It still needs to be coated in glue in places, but that can wait.

And it looks good in situ, too. I know it's all a bit wibbly wobbly and wonky, but nothing is glued in place, and some parts still need to be finished off anyway. It's just a check to see how things fit together etc.

 

[Reynard]

Anyways, a bit of a techy question...

Can any of you gents recommend a modelling filler for me?

I need to finish off the wheels prior to painting. Priming has highlighted some flaws that, well, need filling and smoothing off, and it seems like the logical way to go.

Anyways, the Tamiya primer seems to be working well on the bits I've done so far, albeit a bit less so on the galvanized wire I've used for the shock absorber springs. But several light coats should do the trick before I put on the paint, I reckon.

 

[Bazzer]

Been working on building the back axle while I wait for the can of Tamiya primer to arrive. Again, it's been finding that balance between accuracy and building a part that is a) strong enough, and b) fits with everything else that attaches to it while still managing to look right regardless...

The beam of the axle is made from an 8mm diameter knitting needle. Most of the rest is laminated card and paper set in 2-part epoxy, then sanded to the final shape. The central core of the diff housing is a rolled paper tube, and then everything else has been stuck on to it - that was fun, playing with teeny, tiny pieces of card. I discovered that they have a horrible tendency to either a) stick to everything else other than where you want to stick it to or b) squirt out of your fingers and vanish somewhere in the pile of the carpet...

Oh yes, and most of the parts for the diff casing are assymmetric, which brought a whole different level of headaches to the build.

I've also laminated in a wire peg on the top of the diff casing which fits into a corresponding hole on the upper rails platform - hence the use of grey card in the structure, as it's easier to carve the channels for the wire. That's also the reason why there's a stepped flat surface on top rather than the same curved profile on the bottom of the axle. It gives me a bigger surface area for the glue when I finally stick the assembly in place.

N.B. The prop and hubs / brake drums aren't glued in yet, as I've got other things to sort out before I can do that. To give you an idea of scale, the brake drums are roughly the diameter of a 2p piece.

View attachment 577554

View attachment 577555

View attachment 577556

View attachment 577557

Another bit of an update...

Spent the last couple of evenings making the various suspension linkages needed - two for the front (lower wishbone) and four for the rear. They're made (mostly) from glue-soaked paper rolled around a wire core. The short ones on the left are for the front, though since the photo was taken, they've lost the little round doodads next to the wire pegs, as they didn't look right and didn't fit very well along the sides of the chassis. The other four are the links that connect the axle to the chassis.

View attachment 578037

Today, I put my big girl pants on and cut the five layers for the lower chassis rails. I'd been putting it off for a while, but have got to the point where I had to build this part of the car.

View attachment 578038

The layer in the middle is of softer card which is easier to cut the channels for the various wire pegs - two on the front wishbone that will connect to the stub axle, plus the suspension links bonded in at this stage. It was easier to do that now than to try and drill holes into thin sections at a later stage where things could go very wrong.

View attachment 578039

Really pleased with how this has come out, although I've had my first instance of "oops, this doesn't quite fit" on this build with the suspension linkages I've bonded in. I had to trim the edges of the chassis a little to get things sorted, but the rest is nothing a bit of sandpaper won't solve...

View attachment 578040

I still need to mark out where the solid block goes, and the holes to take the locating pins, plus where the vertical bits of ironwork connect the upper and lower rails.

Well, it's official, I am rather allergic to superglue. I've had a few glue-free days, and I'm feeling way more chipper. The cough has almost gone, and so has the rash on my hands and neck. Am definitely going to have to re-think some of my modelling strategy - will probably use 2-part epoxy for the roll cage instead, except for where I can't get away from using superglue i.e. where I have to laminate pins in etc.

But that's for a little bit further down the line, although I have made the jig for the roll cage. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting the parts sorted for everything below the level of the main chassis rails - there's actually very little left, just the front brake calipers, steering column, a few small bits of ironwork and the two suspension pickups for the rear axle.

I can't do the latter until I have completed the shock absorbers, because I have to work out clearances - and how to mount the shocks to the suspension pickups. I also need to work out how to mount the shocks on the front suspension as well.

I have been tidying up the shocks in preparation for priming - the can of primer and a fresh supply of wire have arrived. I decided to redo the springs, as the old wire I had was a bit wonky and lumpy, and, as a result, the springs weren't as neat as I would like. The new springs are much better. I've also trimmed all the end caps for the springs to size and sanded them down, so those are looking a lot better now too.

As far as new parts, I've made the steering rack. Superstox (and a lot of stock cars) use a Morris Minor steering rack, so easy enough to google for pictures and dimensions. As expected, modelling the rubber "gaiters" was fun - I ended up messing around with a hole punch! I'm really pleased as to how the rack has turned out. It still needs to be coated in glue in places, but that can wait.

View attachment 579133

And it looks good in situ, too. I know it's all a bit wibbly wobbly and wonky, but nothing is glued in place, and some parts still need to be finished off anyway. It's just a check to see how things fit together etc.

View attachment 579138

Nice detail. Particularly on the diff and steering rack.

Re the modelling filler, I don't know if it is possible to buy small tubs of filler for modelling, but have you any car or wood filler? The latter comes in small tubs at, for example, B&Q. I don't know for certain, but would expect it to take acrylic paint.

 

[Reynard]

Nice detail. Particularly on the diff and steering rack.

Thanks.

Re the modelling filler, I don't know if it is possible to buy small tubs of filler for modelling, but have you any car or wood filler? The latter comes in small tubs at, for example, B&Q. I don't know for certain, but would expect it to take acrylic paint.

Mmmm, I hadn't thought of that. If I do have any of either lurking in the garage, it'll be beyond ancient and not up to much, but I'll have a gander in Wilkinsons on Monday as I have to pop in there for a sack of potting compost.

 

[Reynard]

Would something like this work?

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-ready-mix-fine-surface-filler-330g/p/0077958

 

[Andy in Germany]

Would something like this work?

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-ready-mix-fine-surface-filler-330g/p/0077958

I guess so. I've not used filler with card to be honest, but they use similar stuff at work to cover holes or blemishes in wooden toys before they're painted and it works pretty well.

 

[MontyVeda]

Ditto what Andy in Germany said.

That sort of wood filler is easy to sand and dries soft enough (like hard chalk) that you could easily scratch details in with a little nail if required.

I've been using Wilko's own no more nails type adhesive around the inlet of my dust collector (more as a finish than a glue). It smooths out nicely with a wet finger/knife and dries very plasticy and hard, if that's the finish you want. It also keeps very well, just finished off a tube i opened about 4 years ago.