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Airfix "Blower" Bentley, 1:12 scale


IanB

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A couple of notes to add to the earlier post:
You will need two jigs - the front wheels have a larger hole for the axle than do the rear and spare wheels. I found that .100" (2.5mm) rod with a couple of small strips of .010" (.25mm) strip on opposite sides kept the front wheels snug on the jig.
Don't glue the spokes into the rim until all spokes are fitted. Then add a dab of liquid CA to secure them in the rims, clamp them to the jig, and when it's dry, snip off the ends with end snips.

For the outer set of spokes, I marked everything the same way.

The hubs are too big, so after marking, trimming and cleaning up, I glued them to the rear hubs and left them overnight to dry. They were then placed on the jigs I'd used for the rear set of spokes and sanded down to the same diameter as the rear hubs. They were then drilled for the spokes.

Hole number 700 is finished! No more drilling! (yes that is 700 - 70 spokes per wheel, 5 wheels!)

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Here is the set of 5 wheels, all drilled, with the front hubs fitted and sanded, and the front rims fitted. I will now play with some paint mixes, paint the wheels as they are, then fit the front row of spokes.

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I need another beer....or two! :o

Ian

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Why drill part way through the nipples (and rim), then cut off the nipples and do cleanup, then drill the rest of the way? Why not just drill all the way through the rim in the first place, then cut off the nipples and sand smooth? I don't see any reason to drill part way, remove the nipples, then finish drilling. Seems like you're just doubling your work on each hole.

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Harry, it's the same amount of drilling either way!

Whatever you prefer would work. Doing it this way gave me a break - my fingers were going numb, those rims are VERY thick! Plus the holes needed cleaning out after the sanding anyway...the front rims were drilled in one go, they're much thinner.

Thanks for following!

Ian

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The biggest problem I'm coming up against with working on an unfamiliar subject, in an unfamiliar scale, is planning!
I thought I was about ready to start getting some paint on this, but I then realised that I had more work to do on the firewall, steering column, and leaf springs. I added the nuts on the leaf spring shackles, and then decided that I needed a different approach to the firewall so that I didn't have an untreatable joint when I put it all together. I therefore cut the front part of the floor off, and attached it to the firewall, added some stock sheet to cover the joins, and filled and sanded as necessary. Much better!
I then decided I wasn't happy with the part I'd added for the throttle bracket mounting, so I removed it and remade it, slightly bigger. I'm now happy with that and have redone the aluminium paintwork. Now I am not happy with the circular blanking plate over the oil tank so I'll repaint that later!
The petrol and oil header tanks have been added, as well as a new steering column mounting bracket on the rear of the firewall. The end bolts have been added to the steering column and a little more clean up done on that too.

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Finally I made up the remaining 140 spokes needed and have prepared them for painting...

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I'm hoping that by painting the spokes first, all that will be needed when the wheels are complete is a little touch up......we'll see.......

Thanks for watching....any pics or details of the fuel and oil lines and where they run would be more than welcome....

Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had intended getting the chassis painted today, but I found more things that needed doing....so I filled the mounting holes for the headlamp brackets and narrowed the ones for the brake actuators, then added some bolt heads to the top of the chassis frame, replaced the moulded blobs on the front chassis spacer with resin nuts/pieces of .04x.04mm rod, and modified and fitted the horn brackets (and added more nuts!) NOW, I think I can get some paint on it......

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Ian

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Sorry folks, I just realised I've not been keeping this up to date! So here are a couple of recent posts to update you all...

I actually managed to correct the hole I'd drilled in the bulkhead by lining it with 3/8 tube and redrilling. The original was close enough that the thickness of the tube was enough to enable me to move it over about 1mm. It is now in the correct place, central on the bulkhead! I also added another hole for the fuel lines, which will be covered by a "metal" plate, and mountings for the fuel tank. I have no idea if these are correct, but it had to be supported by something so I added a flange around its edge, and a strap at the rear which will attach to the scuttle.
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The radiator also got some attention. The attachment pins for the front were shortened by 2mm to move it back and leave room for a proper wire mesh grille over the front, which has been added, and the bottom edge has been trimmed with one piece of .015" card, cut and trimmed to shape. I think it's a big improvement!
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Ian
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I was going to (finally) get another coat of paint on the chassis and bulkhead today, (actually I was going to do it yesterday!) but the snowstorm put paid to anything yesterday, and today I noticed another major flaw with the kit - there is a chassis member missing! Actually there could be 2 missing, but the one at the rear, right under the rear of the body, just in front of the fuel tank, is visible, the other isn't. So, out came the plastic stock and the offending member was added...

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While that was drying, I decided to add the missing part of the gearbox (the shaft holding the gear lever itself) - I messed that up by adding the final piece too soon, so no pic of that just yet!

Maybe I'll get some paint on tomorrow.....

Ian


Since I've hunkered down for our latest blizzard - we're under a blizzard warning on Cape Cod from 7pm Sat night until 7am Sun morning - I've managed to get quite a bit done today!
The first task was another coat of green on the chassis, bulkhead and fuel tank. After that I concentrated on the engine.
I decided against repainting the waterway covers, instead I bought some Bare Metal Foil. It's extremely thin, and self adhesive. It goes on very easily and shows ALL detail through it so the surface needs to be well prepared. It trims up very easily, just the weight of a scalpel with a new blade is enough, no pressure needs to be applied. I'm very happy with how that looks now.
I then added all the dome nuts. These came from RB Motion and are well worth the money - about $60 for as many as I needed here! I managed to knock off and lose one of the spark plugs which is a little annoying. Luckily it's under the exhaust manifold so I'll replace it with piece of plastic rod and it shouldn't be too noticeable.
Once all that was done I could start adding some of the rest of the detail parts: magnetos, pressure relief valves (?), oil filler, crankcase vent, flywheel, water pump and starter motor are now fitted. The inlet for the water pump will be added when the radiator is in place so I can get it to fit properly - I can't believe Airfix don't include it in the kit! I'll add the fan (also not in the kit!) when the engine is mounted in the chassis.
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I'm hoping I will only need a clearcoat now on the paintwork, then I can start getting stuff added to the chassis!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Couldn't get out today even if I'd wanted to, with a blizzard blowing most of the day. I finally got out around 3:30pm to shovel the drive...again! This is getting old!
So...modelling all day! Not much to show for it, but I got a fair bit more done.
The coolant pipework had a very rudimentary flange moulded onto it, which I decided wouldn't clean up well enough, and the kit part is also missing a drain plug. So I cut it at the joint with the front mount. A piece of 2mm rod , a resin nut for the drain plug, and a cut down propeller flange from an Airfix kit (you know the piece...the circular bit with a hole in that gets glued to the back of the prop shaft so it turns) made the new flange - it fitted perfectly over the 2mm rod! A few more resin nuts and I have a much more presentable coolant pipe.
The piece with the modification:
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and painted and fitted:
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I started working on the filler caps, separating the handles, and replacing the mechanism part. I'll refit the handles later. I also removed the oil filler and separated the handle. I have no idea if it's correct but at least it looks better than having a handle moulded onto the cap! A couple of nuts were added to the starter motor as attachment points for the power leads, and a bit of a wash applied to tone it all down a little.
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Finally, I decided to take a look at the bonnet panels with a view to thinning them down. I got a nasty surprise....
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Hopefully some hot water and putting weight on them will sort it out....
Ian
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No luck with the bonnet panels, new ones on order from Airfix.
A little more to add but nothing major. I've been cleaning up the fuel tank and bulkhead for final painting, and in between I've got some details done. The radiator grille has been masked and painted, but I still have to paint the shell. I've also added some detail on the header tank, and made a dynamo.
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Thanks for looking in.
Ian
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  • 2 weeks later...
I managed to get the stone screen fitted to the fuel tank today, just need to finish off the straps. Then, since I went to the local modelling club this evening, I put the Bentley together as a dry run.....
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I'm finally getting close the the stage where I can start to see real progress, and put all the small sub-assemblies together!
Ian
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  • 2 weeks later...
A little more progress to post.... I started adding details to the carbs, but I'm not going to go further just yet as I've emailed a museum in the hope of getting pics of their car so I can do them properly. If they don't reply I'll just stick with whatever I make up, at least it will be better than nothing.
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The dynamo and its bracket and wiring are in place....
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along with some of the detail on the front of the bulkhead...
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I have also added the drivetrain and rear end, adding the shackles I'd made previously, and more resin nuts! I discovered that I've fitted the left rear spring slightly off - it's sloped very slightly inwards, so the differential is centred with reference to the chassis rails, not the springs.
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This job would have been a lot easier if I'd bought aluminium rod for the shackles instead of using the brass rod I had, and painting it.....lesson learned!
Finally, I've made a start on the clutch and brake pedals, and the mounting shaft. Airfix kindly provide the mounting points on the chassis rails, but once again, for no apparent reason, don't actually supply the shaft and pedals - they do provide little plastic blobs that bear no resemblance to the pedals - would it really have been too much effort to have done them properly?
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I was hoping to make the pedals in one piece but the curve at the top end proved too much. Still, it should make it easier to put it all together if I add the end later.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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I now have the pedals finished, with the exception of the actual foot pads at the end, which I will add when the bulkhead is in place. I've also finished the brake compensator. There are still 4 more actuators to make for the handbrake and front brakes, but there's not much more I can do on the brake system until I get the shock absorbers built and fitted, so that will be the next major job (I'm trying to find a good and reasonably priced source for the decals for those). That and making a start on the engine detailing, when I finally receive the hose fittings I ordered in September! I've been told they'll be here soon, so that should be a job for this weekend.
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Ian
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