Motor Cycle help needed!!!!

[Guest]

Always open to suggestions Richard, I am rubbish at sucking eggs (maybe easier if I didn't hard boil them first....) Remember this is very much a work in progress though. It is placed together to give me an idea of how it is going still lots to do

[Guest]

Ok Graham, just a couple of things I developed when building bikes:

1) Chains are always difficult to get them realistic but modern stuff have anodised outside plates of a yellowy metallic colour. Bikes of this age probably wouldn't have 'O' Ring chain but who would know anyway! What I did was an overall metallic grey first, then a Tamiya clear yellow with a spot of maybe brown and thinned a bit was applied to the outer plates only. This isn't as hard as it sounds if the plate detail is fairly raised. A small flat brush should only need a single stroke for each plate, working around the outside. When finished a dry brushing with the metallic grey mixed with a bit of silver brings out the edges of the plates and the rivets, which hopefully are standing proud. A bit of work but well worth it.

2) Bike engines give you loads of scope to play with metallic textures and I know that a lot of members here use things like Alclad to get realistic metal finishes. In my day it was all Tamiya metallic acrylics so I used to mix them to my hearts content. Most bike engine finishes of this age will be aluminium of varying degrees of polish, the crankcases will be rough cast so do those a spot darker as they don't reflect light as well and even mix in some talcum powder to give the finish some texture. Covers will usually be polished so do them a bit brighter and with a better finish and maybe even a coat of Kleer over the top. When you have the base coat on though it is sometimes worth experimenting with highlights and shadows so Tamiya clear acrylic smoke thinned down makes a very good pin wash for nooks and crannies and then using the same base colour with a bit of silver added makes a perfect dry brush medium to bring out the highlights. Finning especially benefits from dry brushing and looks very effective.

3) Upholstery such as seats need to be a semi gloss finish and the only way I was ever happy with this was to mix it myself. Usually about two parts gloss to one part matt will give you the sort of satin sheen you expect with vinyl upholstery. If you want to dry brush a worn look use the base colour but add a small amount of beige just to tone down the colour and then dry brush the seat. It should give it a slightly more worn look on the edges rather than a perfect all black finish, which looks a bit unreal to me.

I'm sure you are fine with everything else you are going to come across but those are a few bits I found worked quite well. Makes me want to build a bike again now! I wonder where that old Norton is in the attic?

[Guest]

Cheers Richard. The picture does not show it well but the engine has about four different Alclad finishes created by mixing dull and polished aluminium and chrome on the air intakes.

The chain is basecoated in Alclad steel but I still have to do the drybrushing, great tip on the washes.

Still a lot of work to do so your advice is very welcome. Now get in that attic and dig out the Norton lol

[Guest]

'av a 'eart gov! I'm still in the cold wild wastes of Northern Germany, but when I get home it'll be time to break out the glue and paints.

[Guest]

Inspired!

That's a great idea, making a model for a teacher. My woodwork teacher (back in the '80s) flew lancs in the war and trained in Canada. I built a model of the trainer aircraft he flew and gave it to him. He was somewhat overwhelmed by that. In a strange twist, 19 years later when viewing my current house (been here 6 years) there he was in the kitchen, I bought his daughter's house!

Back on topic, your bike build sent me scuttling up into the loft to dig out a Tamiya Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood replica that I remember starting a while back. It's taken my eye off the Lancaster I'm currently doing but at least I built the huge parts painting jig today to fix all those parts to!

[ATTACH]20604.vB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]27671.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

Oooo, I like that painting jig Kelly, such a simple yet so useful idea. Hope you don't mind me stealing your idea and building one for myself. Look forward to seeing your progress with the bike, they are a really great relaxing build between the military stuff, I just love them.

[Guest]

Steal away! For me it was another excuse to play with power tools, I nearly lost sight of why I was building it! My wife went the same shade as the paint when she saw what I'd done with 10 of 'her' pegs.......

Some of the pegs have holes drilled into the gripping ends, slightly smaller than the average sprue size. This seems to help hold items afixed to sprues just that bit better.

[Guest]

Graham thats coming along nicely!

Trey

[Guest]

Well, I had to make a decision last week as to continuing or calling it a day on this kit. I am sure this is a 'Friday afternoon' kit. The amount of flash and some parts looking as though the moulds were out of register so instead of getting mould lines, which I can live with, you got a step on either side of the parts. Just like two pieces stuck together where it had slipped before the glue dried.

I seriously thought of calling it a day as I had so much more coming up that I needed to get on with, even though the main reason for building it was as a gift. I decided to give it another few days and set the deadline for this coming Wednesday, 03 Nov. Tonight, I have finally prised the last piece into place and hit it with superglue and clamps to hold it in place while it set. I decided that if it all sprung apart, I would bin it. I have just released the clamp and it appears to be holding.

I cannot decide if it is the worst kit I have built but if it isn't, then it is certainly the next to it. The fit of parts is terrible. The screws that hold the swinging arm and the two wheels have nothing to screw into so I have had to put superglue into the final holes and clamp until set making it impossible to take apart again.

All I have to do now is paint the stand and then create a base for it so it can be picked up without touching it. It has not put me off bike kits but I will stick to Tamiya in future.

What I have to decide now is if it is good enough to give to an enthusiast. Too late to take any pics so I will post some tomorrow but I am so glad that this one is almost put away.

[Guest]

sorry to hear that kit is that bad Graham,do'nt worry too much I'm sure the gift will be well recieved regardless. I've run into a similar situation with a Protar kit .I used super glue as well but coated the threads with petroleum jelly so I could remove them if needed

[Guest]

What I have seen so far of your build Graham, it would make a great gift, maybe you need to look at it again another day, Im sure you would like to know how it ends.

[Guest]

I guess I'm just an old wotsit but I remember the days when kits like this were the norm. Early Airfix, Frog amd Aurora were all the same, loads of flash and a challenge to get together. When Tamiya appeared everything changed but I do think that the quality of the kit sometimes detracts from the modelling skills required to put it together.

It raises an intriguing question about what we want from a kit that would make another interesting thread.

[Guest]

Got some picies taken. The jury is still out as to it becoming a gift. If it does, it will be mounted permanently to a wooden base. The stand still has to be painted, supposed to be red but I may do it aluminium or black, not sure yet. The whole thing is going in the cupboard for a few weeks and I will decide then.

[Guest]

again catching up , that looks fantastic mate , it looks like something out of a model magazine , for the stand you`ve do it black and dry brush it with a gun metal or something similar , can`t believe your not happy with it , to me it looks a 5 star job

Richy

[Guest]

Graham , I'de be honored to have such a fine piece of work as a gift. Great job ,I'm with Richy I do'nt see what you're so unhappy about it looks awesome!5stars from me

Trey