Post by Mofo on Mar 10, 2012 17:42:05 GMT -7
I've been in a killer slump lately - haven't really built anything in months, haven't painted since... October? Maybe even earlier? All the crap with the RMMC just kinda sapped my motivation, then I was on to other things and time passes.
But I think I've dug myself out of it. I've been playing with some 1/43 cars lately, actually shot some progress pics, and - most astonishing of all, fired up the airbrush this morning to shoot some primer.
First up, 2004 Le Mans winning Audi R8: www.racingsportscars.com/photo/2004/Le_Mans-2004-06-13-005.jpg From back in the days when Audis were untouchable - R8s won 63 of the 79 races they entered, and this chassis in particular had its share of victories (Mosport, Sebring, etc). Entered in 20 races, it finished all of them (impressive for an endurance racer), never placing lower than 4th.
Provence Moulage kit - resin with a smattering of PE. Nicely cast, good detail, though not quite as spectacular as some other manufacturers. The kit was primed by the original owner but has since been stripped, hence the smattering of residue.
Pretty much prepped for paint now. My biggest complaint was with the turbo intakes. They had a *really* shallow depression - maybe .010" - which I guess you're supposed to paint black to simulate depth. Which would have looked crap. Break out the UMM saw and files, I lopped the top half off, scooped out the intakes, and drilled a recess into the base to simulate the trunking. Should look a whole lot better now. Just needs some gloss white and it'll be ready for decals.
And speaking of intakes: the Porsche 936. www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1981/Le_Mans-1981-06-14-011.jpg Porsche owned endurance racing in the early/mid-70's with the 917 and for most of the 80's (and into the mid-90's) with the 956 and 962. This car is the missing link between the 917 and 956/962, though it had a very respectable career of its own. For some reason though, it just doesn't attract the same reverence as other cars.
As posted elsewhere, this one's been giving me some troubles. It's an older kit from Starter. Probably 90's vintage, maybe earlier. Mostly resin, comparatively crude and simple. Not bad, just, well, 90's vintage vs. state of the art. The resin was kind of pebbly, detail is more limited, panel lines are heavier, that sort of thing.
Again, the (very prominent) air scoop was my biggest beef. The kit had some depth to it, but not nearly enough. PLUS the RTV had been torn, so there were some excess resin blobs around the vanes. Not good enough. I made some saw cuts to mark the vanes' positions, then attacked it with a Dremel. Used some light curing putty to level things out inside (god I love that stuff!), then a final smoothing with some files. Refined the notches and fit some .015" styrene strip, and:
(by way of comparison, here's a shot of an original casting - different race configuration, but similar intake images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/754200/DSC01066.jpg)
I was also unhappy with the panel lines. They're thick and soft, and while racers may not have perfectly fitting body panels, at this scale, it'd just look bad. So... out with the LCP, carefully applied with a toothpick to fill them in. Once everything had been smoothed out, I made a couple of passes with a UMM saw to get some nice, fine lines. A pin wash with some grey paint and they should be good. Next I'll be shaving off the position lights and other protrusions so I can replace them with better bits once the car has been painted (it'll make polishing easier, and the detail should be better). And of course, the vents in the rear deck.
We're talking small shapes here, so I foresee much frustration in replacing them. I have found some fine brass mesh on HobbyEasy that might work... but actually *shaping* it will be another matter. Not to mention making it black without making it solid.
Not going to be fun, anyway.
But I think I've dug myself out of it. I've been playing with some 1/43 cars lately, actually shot some progress pics, and - most astonishing of all, fired up the airbrush this morning to shoot some primer.
First up, 2004 Le Mans winning Audi R8: www.racingsportscars.com/photo/2004/Le_Mans-2004-06-13-005.jpg From back in the days when Audis were untouchable - R8s won 63 of the 79 races they entered, and this chassis in particular had its share of victories (Mosport, Sebring, etc). Entered in 20 races, it finished all of them (impressive for an endurance racer), never placing lower than 4th.
Provence Moulage kit - resin with a smattering of PE. Nicely cast, good detail, though not quite as spectacular as some other manufacturers. The kit was primed by the original owner but has since been stripped, hence the smattering of residue.
Pretty much prepped for paint now. My biggest complaint was with the turbo intakes. They had a *really* shallow depression - maybe .010" - which I guess you're supposed to paint black to simulate depth. Which would have looked crap. Break out the UMM saw and files, I lopped the top half off, scooped out the intakes, and drilled a recess into the base to simulate the trunking. Should look a whole lot better now. Just needs some gloss white and it'll be ready for decals.
And speaking of intakes: the Porsche 936. www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1981/Le_Mans-1981-06-14-011.jpg Porsche owned endurance racing in the early/mid-70's with the 917 and for most of the 80's (and into the mid-90's) with the 956 and 962. This car is the missing link between the 917 and 956/962, though it had a very respectable career of its own. For some reason though, it just doesn't attract the same reverence as other cars.
As posted elsewhere, this one's been giving me some troubles. It's an older kit from Starter. Probably 90's vintage, maybe earlier. Mostly resin, comparatively crude and simple. Not bad, just, well, 90's vintage vs. state of the art. The resin was kind of pebbly, detail is more limited, panel lines are heavier, that sort of thing.
Again, the (very prominent) air scoop was my biggest beef. The kit had some depth to it, but not nearly enough. PLUS the RTV had been torn, so there were some excess resin blobs around the vanes. Not good enough. I made some saw cuts to mark the vanes' positions, then attacked it with a Dremel. Used some light curing putty to level things out inside (god I love that stuff!), then a final smoothing with some files. Refined the notches and fit some .015" styrene strip, and:
(by way of comparison, here's a shot of an original casting - different race configuration, but similar intake images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/754200/DSC01066.jpg)
I was also unhappy with the panel lines. They're thick and soft, and while racers may not have perfectly fitting body panels, at this scale, it'd just look bad. So... out with the LCP, carefully applied with a toothpick to fill them in. Once everything had been smoothed out, I made a couple of passes with a UMM saw to get some nice, fine lines. A pin wash with some grey paint and they should be good. Next I'll be shaving off the position lights and other protrusions so I can replace them with better bits once the car has been painted (it'll make polishing easier, and the detail should be better). And of course, the vents in the rear deck.
We're talking small shapes here, so I foresee much frustration in replacing them. I have found some fine brass mesh on HobbyEasy that might work... but actually *shaping* it will be another matter. Not to mention making it black without making it solid.
Not going to be fun, anyway.
