Valerons ICM 1 35 Model T 1917 Ambulance

[stillp]

That photo of the real thing doesn't seem to show any wood grain, and I expect the interior would be even smoother, so I'd just paint it white.
Pete

[scottie3158]

Mike,
Those injector marks will keep you busy for a while. As to the interior you could give it a spray of wood. then using the hairspray technique just wash the white back just where there would be signs if wear, ie the entrance into the back and wear points. Or paint it white then chip it back using a sponge.

[papa 695]

Cracking start.

[Jim R]

You're off to a good start Mike. The chassis on these softskins is often fiddly. Scottie' idea for the interior is quite a good one. If your chipping/wear and tear isn't to your liking you can simply go over it with white. If it works then you've added another string to your modelling bow. :thumb2:

[Valeron]

5,000 coats of white later, the inside is to look white.

Not quite 5,000 actually but you get the drift. It's taken alot of brush coats so far
It wasn't helped that I ran out of my normal rattle can primer and have been priming this model with my only other Primer, a Vallejo brown and covering this with white is probably difficult.

[adt70hk]

Very late to the party! Apologies. That's coming on very nicely!!!

[scottie3158]

That looks good, too white wouldn't look right.

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good Mike.

One for the future…..A good way to cover a heavy colour like brown with white is to use an intermediate colour first. A coat or two of light grey (which covers much better than white) would make the white painting a lot less onerous.

[Valeron]

Looking good Mike.

One for the future…..A good way to cover a heavy colour like brown with white is to use an intermediate colour first. A coat or two of light grey (which covers much better than white) would make the white painting a lot less onerous.

Thanks for that Tim. A simple solution but it never crossed my mind. And I have a couple of different light greys I could have used.

[banjer]

I have this model in my to do pile but I am very new to vehicle modelling.
A question if I may. Why don't all 4 wheels sit easily on the ground and how do you overcome this?

Cheers
Bill

[Tim Marlow]

I have this model in my to do pile but I am very new to vehicle modelling.
A question if I may. Why don't all 4 wheels sit easily on the ground and how do you overcome this?

Cheers
Bill

Hi Bill
With the three wheel effect it’s basically down to the way the manufacturers design the ladder chassis. You have separate side and cross members usually constructed with butt joints. As the glue dries the solvent welded joints shrink minutely, which introduces stress to the whole structure. The cumulative effect of that stress can pull the chassis out of true. It doesn’t happen every time, but is an occupational hazard when building trucks.

As to curing it, depends how patient you are. You can try gently twisting the completed chassis back, but I’ve only ever found that to be a temporary solution. It tends to twist again in time.

The long winded solution is to minimise the stress induced during the build. That will take a lot of time. Make all the joints on one side of the chassis, and then let them completely dry for a couple of days at least. Then make the middle two joints to the other side of the chassis and let them dry for that long again. Once you’ve done that, then finally make the last ones. The shrinkage should then be minimal, and minimal amounts of stress should be introduced.

I have used a very similar method when making soldered chassis for railway engines. The enemy of that type of construction is heat, which is obviously introduced during soldering, and can make chassis into bananas when they cool.

The principal is the same. Heat expands the material, and cooling shrinks it, introducing stress. Solvent Glue expands the material as it bonds, and then shrinks it as it evaporates.

Soldering is easy to sort out. Just drop the workpiece in a container of water at each stage to cool it. Personally I just don’t have the patience for all that drying time with glue though, so I live with it

[banjer]

Thank you Tim for your very comprehensive answer.

Hope I haven't hijacked your thread Mike.

Cheers Bill

[Guest]

I'm late but would like a seat please Mike.
Looking good.

[Mark1]

I have this model in my to do pile but I am very new to vehicle modelling.
A question if I may. Why don't all 4 wheels sit easily on the ground and how do you overcome this?

Cheers
Bill

I build the main chassis frame then leave it to dry overnight with some weight on it to keep it flat.gives it a fighting chance.

[wotan]

Nice job Mark.

John