I dragged out the tiny paintbrush and steady hands tonight and added some fine chrome work. The front quarter side lights, the trim on the bonnet scoop, and the raised doodads on the rear deck all got a couple of coats. The “Ferrari” on the tail end got another very light dose of chrome to lift it a bit more. I also painted the rubber buffers on the front and read bumpers with flat black and added the air intake trumpets to the intake shroud. The shroud is just dry fitted into place so I can lift it out to show the engine detail if needed.
D,
You’re making great progress now, I’m sure that you can plainly see the checker flag at the finish line. The Ferrari emblem on the trunk lid really looks like it was a chromed part.
As far as those two little nasty seams go, I’ve been there more times then I care to confess to. Talking to a few Alien Status modelers, the usual causes or combination of them starts with the type of glue used as well as the amount. Extra Thin applied in a greater quantity then needed to do the job softens the plastic with solvent that takes much longer to really cure then we think. That’s not always days but a week or so. Then what filler was used is another major issue. Green Stuff, Tamiya and Mr. Color Putties all contain a solvent which has to evaporate so the filler shrinks as it cures also very slowly over time, and can also soften the surrounding plastic that can cause that V shaped seam. Small coats is the answer with a good few days between coatings. this is the main reason that for nearly all my small filling needs I use CCA unless it’s just a blending issue.
I’m pretty sure that you use Goop as your preferred filler. It not only contains solvents from the Extra Thin glue, but the plastic to make the goop has reacted with the solvent, and all of that has to not only dry but cure over a fairly long time. Also, the Goop will not only shrink as dries, but react and melt the surrounding plastic to some degree. Once fully cured, it’s hard as rocks, but it does take a long time to do so.
One favored method is to use a two part epoxy putty. it has no solvents, can be worked with water to smooth most of it out, and once dry over night, won’t shrink so that a seam or depression eventually shows up again.
More typical car kit shenanigans, not paint related this time. The windscreen on the Ferrari has no positive engagement in the frame. It’s a neat fit with light contact top and bottom, but it drops straight through and there’s a very small gap at each side. I used the SMS Ceramic Scraper to lightly take the chrome off the contact points top and bottom (visible in the pics), then SMS Extra Thin Cement from a very fine brush applied to the bottom join and allowed to capillary along. I held it in place for a couple of minutes then repeated along the top join. No clouding of the clear parts for those concerned about such things, and I will put a thin bead of white glue in the side gaps. Once it dries clear it won’t be visible against the chrome frame.
The headlight covers took a bit of shaping to get a neat fit, then carefully masked to leave a narrow trim around the outside. There was a faint line on the part but the shaping ended up making it uneven width, so it was a bit of an “eyeball” job in the end. Brush painted with Vallejo Metal Color Chrome.
D,
The tail light covers came out looking like the real deal. I’ve always painted clear colors for lenses on the backs, followed by a coat of Silver/Chrome. Usually the end results for me looks more like what i see in the real world. But your’s looks even better as the clear coloring seems to be throughout the plastic lens rather then behind it. How do you apply the clear color coats?
those front light lens covers with the chrome trim came out looking darn perfect. Most impressive work.
Thanks Joel. I brush paint them with a couple of coats of Tamiya Acrylic Clears thinned about 50/50 with MLT. I prefer the look of it painted on the outside, plus it means that I can touch up both the colour coats and silver coats as required before I fix them in place.
The front bumper is crossing the finish line! The windscreen, wipers and rear view mirror are in place. The badge and license plate decals have been applied and drying, and a light PLW around the boot and doors just needs a clean-up.
Michael,
I’m more then impressed with the amount of work you’ve completed since your last update. And I’m actually speechless as to the quality of that work. Honestly, I only wish I had your skills to build just one of these MFH 1/24 kits every year or other year, but the truth is that I don’t, and that you’re in a completely different league then me.
I’m truly amazed at how you got all 12 exhaust pipes aligned correctly and that they meet the correct collector in groups of three. Still, it looks like a random deal till one looks at that rear overhead picture, and it all comes into focus.
As I so carefully looked at each picture, and marvel at the level of detail in this kit, as I said I realize that the level of skill needed to build one isn’t in my deck of cards. Just love the fuel injection lines as well as the spark plug lines right to the distributors. Even the inboard rear disc brakes look as though the pads have scratched them as they turned with the drive shafts.
I still do remember seeing this very car at the 1967 Watkins Glen F1 race along with Gurney’s Eagle, and Clark’s Lotus 49, the rest by now don’t really register.
Hi Joel, Thanks very much for your words of appreciation. I think I like building more than painting and that is the next acid test. Though this a very simple car body - basically a tube - I am still not confident of getting the finish right.
And funnily enough, looking at the pictures and reading your comments about the wiring I noticed that I hadn’t connected the coils to the distributors. Damn, that is going to be fiddly working underneath those pipes.
