1886 Benz Motorwagen

[64Comet404]

I picked up one of the new ICM kits last Sunday, and had intended to throw it in the stash. With a few weeks downtime on my schedule, I figured I could get started and see how buildable the kit actually is. The first step is to prepare the photoetch for painting. I trimmed the pieces from the fret, and immersed them in Blacken-It. Once dry, a quick spray of Tamiya metal primer should have them ready for paint.

The owner of the hobby shop warned me about one problem with this kit, which I want to pass along. If you buy this kit, open it up at the shop and check the contents. Apparently, some buyers have opened up the box and found a model of a Panzer tank.

[64Comet404]

The frame and structure of the kit is made of several parts, so I started trimming and gluing. I placed as many of the cross braces in place (without gluing), so hopefully the frame will stay square as the glue dries.

[Roncla]

I've checked my one and I've got the Benz in the box. I'll be following along as you build your one.

[89AKurt]

Out of curiosity more than anything, will watch your build!

[Eric Macleod]

I have thought about buying this kit also. It helps that I happen to have one of these locally to use as a reference. I will watch your build with interest!

 

[Richard Bartrop]

Definitely following this one too.

[64Comet404]

I have managed to get a few more steps done since my last post. The frame did set square, so I did some light seam removal before gluing in more of the cross braces. Thankfully, most of these pieces will be black, so I can build it up before painting. 

I also glued some of the multi-piece assemblies together, such as the engine and various tanks. Since I used liquid glue for assembly, I will give the parts a day or two to ‘gas out’ before I start sanding and painting.

There was a slight mishap with the wheels. If you look at the pictures in the first post, you will notice the front spokes are sitting on top of a pill bottle. They stayed there until this morning, when I reached for the bottle and tried to open it! One set of spokes was undamaged, but the other set looked like an injured daddy long-legs. Lucky for me that 1/16” brass is forgiving, and was soon straightened. 

One issue with the kit is the lack of a seam between the rim and tire, not that you would really notice it. I sprayed the tires with TS-82 rubber black, and once the wheel/tire halves are assembled, I plan to paint the tire area in a dark grey, which will hopefully trick the eye. If not, there is always weathering!

[peteski]

I'm also  following this thread with interest. Since I found it yesterday, I just ordered my kit too - it is in the mail (but I probably won't be able to build it right away).  That's ok, it will give  me a chance to see you build it and find all the possible problems with the kit.

You mentioned 1/16" metal spokes.  There is no way the photoetched metal is 1/16" tick! It is likely more like 1/100" (0.010")

I just looked and found lots of good color photos of this vehicle on the Internet.  Should be helpful in painting it.

Edited March 17, 2020 by peteski

[64Comet404]

8 hours ago, peteski said:

You mentioned 1/16" metal spokes.  There is no way the photoetched metal is 1/16" tick! It is likely more like 1/100" (0.010")

Mea Culpa. I took the initial measurement with my dial caliper, which gave me a reading of 0.006” and change. When converting to fractions, I misread as 0.06”, which is 1/16”.

And for another stupid human trick, remember how I said it was easy to restore the spokes to their proper shape? I forgot to anneal the pieces before painting, so when I tried to form the spokes to the rim, guess what...THEY BOUNCED BACK!!! (Why can’t I find the beating head against wall emoji when I really need it!). 

You are not seeing this, this is not really happening...

Edited March 17, 2020 by 64Comet404
Adding picture and extra text

[Belugawrx]

Well that's one way...

Interesting project Ken, I'll be following?

[Roadrunner]

Interesting project indeed. A little early for my taste, but still fascinating.

[peteski]

6 hours ago, 64Comet404 said:

Mea Culpa. I took the initial measurement with my dial caliper, which gave me a reading of 0.006” and change. When converting to fractions, I misread as 0.06”, which is 1/16”.

And for another stupid human trick, remember how I said it was easy to restore the spokes to their proper shape? I forgot to anneal the pieces before painting, so when I tried to form the spokes to the rim, guess what...THEY BOUNCED BACK!!! (Why can’t I find the beating head against wall emoji when I really need it!). 

You are not seeing this, this is not really happening...

 

Ah, that sort of makes sense.  0.006" is much more realistic.   That is probably 0.15mm. And yes, we now have hundreds of emojis available but no hand-palm that i can find (and I  need that one often).

Do the instructions tell you to anneal the spokes?  I would be careful as the copper alloys usually used for photo etched parts have fairly low melting temperature. I hope the spokes survived your annealing process.

[bbowser]

I have this kit and am watching with great interest.  What is the reason for the "Black-it" process,  will paint not adhere to the copper?  Also wondering about the annealing, why you are doing it and is it necessary?  Thanks in advance and for posting this WIP.  I really don't want to mess up this rather pricey kit!

[64Comet404]

1 hour ago, bbowser said:

I have this kit and am watching with great interest.  What is the reason for the "Black-it" process,  will paint not adhere to the copper?  Also wondering about the annealing, why you are doing it and is it necessary?  Thanks in advance and for posting this WIP.  I really don't want to mess up this rather pricey kit!

Paint will adhere to the brass etch, but I wanted to darken it before painting, just in case the paint chipped (now a moot point). Annealing the metal allows it to be formed and take shape easier. The spokes for the Benz have a pronounced 'offset' (right word?) in pictures and instructions, and annealing the metal should help me in producing the proper shape without distorting/stressing the pieces.

[peteski]

 

Looks like I was one of the unlucky ones. I ordered this kit from Megahobby and the package arrived. Inside is a model or a biplane!  ICM 32040 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I   And it is not even packaged in the Mercedes box - it is boxed in its correct box with a biplane artwork.  Someone there is sending out wrong kits. They are probably just stored in a wrong warehouse location.  I guess they can't tell a difference between an automobile and an aircraft.

[64Comet404]

3 hours ago, peteski said:

 

Looks like I was one of the unlucky ones. I ordered this kit from Megahobby and the package arrived. Inside is a model or a biplane!  ICM 32040 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I   And it is not even packaged in the Mercedes box - it is boxed in its correct box with a biplane artwork.  Someone there is sending out wrong kits. They are probably just stored in a wrong warehouse location.  I guess they can't tell a difference between an automobile and an aircraft.

The Benz kit number is 24040, so it’s close enough for government work. I hope their replacement policy covers your purchase.

[peteski]

33 minutes ago, 64Comet404 said:

The Benz kit number is 24040, so it’s close enough for government work. I hope their replacement policy covers your purchase.

I sure hope so.  I ordered the correct kit, and the invoice/packing list also show the correct part number and description. Just the model is wrong. I'll call them tomorrow, and since this is 100% their fault, they better pay shipping the wrong model back to them.

[Hermann Kersten]

Nice project of a nice historic car.

It is the first time that I see someone actually build this one.

Regarding to the wrong kit delivery, I haven't heard that (yet) over here in my place, maybe this happens sometimes when shipping overseas.

Anyway, I will follow with great interest.

Have fun with this build.

 

Hermann.

[David G.]

I love unusual subjects, can't wait to see how this one turns out.

David G.

[64Comet404]

I have started to assemble the wheels on the Benz. There are no pics during the assembly process, because I already needed more hands than I was born with!

For the people who asked if annealing was necessary, I can say ‘no’. I did anneal one set of spokes, and it did help a bit, but it made them a bit too malleable during handling.

To build up the wheels, I needed a couple of tools. A X-Acto knife with a sharp #11 blade, some round toothpicks, extra-thin CA glue, a diamond file (or other fine file), some sandpaper and a flat surface, and some liquid cement.

The first step is to trim the little runners at the end of the photo etched spokes. The fit of the spokes into the slots on the rim is dependent on getting rid of those burrs. Once cleaned, you can mount a tire (B1) onto the supplied jig (C2). You can then fit the spokes on top. If you look at the picture where the spokes are lying on the rim, you can see the slots where the attachment points will fit. A small piece (C1) is supplied to push the spoke hub into the jig. Start installing the spokes by installing them on the pins, and securing after with a bit of CA (someone borrowed my microbrushes, so I used a toothpick).

Once all the spokes are attached, detach the rim from the surrounding sprue and place it, attachment side down, onto the sandpaper. With some light sanding, you will see which areas are too high, or where re-gluing is needed. Use the file to knock down the high points, glue if needed, and test fit to the other rim. Repeat if necessary. Touch up any paint chips before gluing.

Step 38 shows two parts which make up the rear hubs. I built mine up using a piece of 1/16” rod to help keep them straight, and then painted the parts. These need to be installed before you glue the rim halves together, and will need to be tacked in to keep them square. I used toothpicks for alignment, but ended up having to cut and drill out a toothpick due to some CA seepage. Sand and paint, and a tire is completed!?

And now for a break from wheels. A quick shot of paint on the wooden rear crossmember, and I am getting closer to some real painting.

[mustang1989]

Man....that's a lot of work right there. Impressive!!!

[64Comet404]

Since I am one step closer to finishing the chassis, I decided to go ahead and work on the wood.

Some of the trickiest areas of a model to finish properly is replicating wood. I consider myself lucky in that the wood on this car is a fairly light colour without visible grain, probably maple, birch, or poplar. If you look at the picture that Eric posted earlier, the wood on the 1:1 car is fairly nondescript. I decided to make my woodwork look a bit nicer than what was pictured.

I started by spraying the main wooden pieces (floorboards, seat pan, and rear crossmember) with Tamiya TS68 Wooden Deck Tan. After the paint had dried, I pulled a couple of tubes of oil paint out of my art box. I use Cadmium Yellow and Burnt Sienna for this, though I know of other builders who have their own blends. I put a couple of blobs of paint on a paper towel, and leave it in order to soak most of the oil out of the paint (reduces drying time). I start by dry brushing the parts with yellow, and start adding brown when I think it is needed. There is some variation in the wood, but that’s what I wanted. These parts will be set aside to air dry, and then sealed with some clear (acrylic semi-gloss, more than likely).

I hope the explanations aren’t too tedious. I know there is some techniques I do which may not be in every car builder’s toolkit, so I like to make sure that everyone gets it.

[peteski]

That looks great Ken. BTW, it was me who posted a photo of the 1:1 car. I also questioned the annealing of those spokes.

As far as the nubs on the end of the spokes go, I use a technique of cutting photographed parts out that minimizes cleanup.  I place the photoetched fret on a piece of aluminum.  Then, wearing an Optivisor (to have real closeup of what I'm doing) I use single-edge razor blade to cut the part out, making the cut as close to the part as possible.  It has to be single-edge razor - hobby knife blade is too thick.  I use the end of the blade and I press down on where I want to cut while also slightly rocking the blade sideways.  That way you end up with a very clean cut, often with no stub to clean up.  Do not try this on any softer backing material. Aluminum is perfect. It does not deflect while cutting the part, yet it is soft enough not to dull the blade.

 

11 hours ago, Hermann Kersten said:

Regarding to the wrong kit delivery, I haven't heard that (yet) over here in my place, maybe this happens sometimes when shipping overseas.

This was domestic shipping (both me and the vendor are in USA).

Problem is now resolved (well I won't know for sure until I receive the correct kit).  They even found an explanation.  Both kits were by ICM and must have been packed at the same time. They accidentally shipped my kit to someone who ordered the biplane, and I received their biplane instead.  They expect to get a similar kind of call from the other person (their package was just delivered today).  The are shipping me the correct kit, and a postage-paid return label so I can ship the wrong kit back to them.  While I would rather not have to deal with mistakes like this, look like they do provide good customer service.

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by peteski

[89AKurt]

On 3/16/2020 at 10:41 PM, peteski said:

[...]

I just looked and found lots of good color photos of this vehicle on the Internet.  Should be helpful in painting it.

Interesting that example is red.  The replica I saw is green.
Benz by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

[peteski]

Looks like that replica uses the same green paint on the motor and chassis, where the photo I posted shows red engine parts and black chassis.  I was actually surprised with how many modern photos of this vehicle are out there, and how many variations exist.