BSteinIPMS

Here are some photos of the engine from the Revival Models (Italy) 1/20 scale Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 Grand Prix racer I'm building. These Revival kits look great in the box but can be somewhat of a challenge to build.

Thanks for the kind words, Peter; much appreciated. The January 2015 issue of Model Cars magazine will carry this model on the cover and have an 8-page building article within. Hope you find something useful there. Cheers! --Bob

High praise indeed, Christian, for which I thank you. Gerald Wingrove is, of course, not originally from this planet since his artistry and skill level are so high. I have six of his books and I grovel before his greatness. But you can still collect your 5 £! Thanks also to Tom and Stan for their kind remarks; much appreciated! I've added one more photo which shows the model more clearly out of its mirrored case, being careful not to use any that appear in the article itself. Thanks also go to Gregg Hutchings and Harry Pristovnik for accepting the article in the first place. I hope you fellows enjoy it. Cheers! --Bob

Hi guys, Sorry to have been away for a while, but for a long time I thought this thread had been deleted. I just found out it had been moved from On The Workbench to Diecast and Resin Models. Not sure why since this is a kit build and not a purchased fully-assembled model. At any rate, Harry Pristovnik, the Art Director of Model Cars magazine has taken the Duesenberg build partially presented here and will be running an article on it in the January 2015 issue. Harry mentions it will be on the cover as well. He sent me a pdf proof which - under his hand - looks really brilliant. Hope you all enjoy it and find something useful within. Cheers! --Bob

Boy, I love it when a good plan comes together! Great work, Stan! I think your drill jig is rather ingenious, besides being more efficacious than my method of drilling the spokes out one-by-one by hand. Took forever! Cheers! --Bob

Stan, If you like you can send me your mailing address via a PM and I'll send you a set of four collets ( the smallest of which will grasp a #80 drill = .013") and an adjustable chuck. These are extras ( I think I have five sets) that I've accumulated over the years which are cluttering up my workbench.

Thanks for the kind words, Jefferson; much appreciated! You are either very old or have a very good memory to recall all those old FineScale Modeler articles.

It's looking just great, Stan! Very precise and regular! Not easy to do, but I admire your stick-to-it-evness. A tool which made it go much faster for me and made the whole project palatable was an old Dremel hobby tool, one of the single-speed models which needed to be plugged into Dremel's speed controller (a purpose-made rheostat) which slowed the drill bits down to where they would not melt the plastic. By not having to manually turn and twist a pin vise (vice, if you're Canadian...grin), you break far fewer drill bits since you can hold things much steadier. And since we're talking British here (and Canadian) I'll just say Good Show, Eh?

Andrew.....Andrew.....Andrew.......you must be mistaken. I'm an amateur whereas you're the Master of Time, Space, and Automotive Dimension. I genuflect before your greatness! I am not worthy. I grovel at your feet. See you at the NNL North Model Car Show 18 May? I think I'll bring my Duesenberg engine. It's all I have. Cheers! --Bob

Frank, Skip has one good source for the resin chain but says it's discontinued. Micro-Mark carries the same item along with different sizes of sprockets here: http://www.micromark.com/miniature-drive-chain-price-per-foot,9716.html Micro-Mark also sells ladder chain from Tamiya, but it may not be scale for your purposes: http://www.micromark.com/tamiya-ladder-chain-and-sprocket-set,10780.html Top Studio makes photoetch link-by-bloody-link chain that is just beautiful when assembled. Very tedious. Requires extreme patience. Therefore, anyone with children could easily assemble these kits: http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5595&osCsid=f88f29ed16d55bc2a6d8f1081080c77d Last, Model Factory Hiro makes a similar product: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10064748 I think if you google "Tamiya photo etch chain" or any variation of this you'll find others. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Stan, No, although I have that in stock in 3 different sizes. All of the styrene nuts, bolts, washers, and rivets are from Tichy Train Group and are in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. The model railroad section of my local hobby shop carries literally hundreds of these railroad items and many are perfect for car models. The TTG Website is at: http://www.tichytraingroup.com/Default.aspx You can download their catalogs there, and they're free. I've also used a number of brass hex-head bolts, nuts, and washers in four sizes for the larger hardware, such as steering and suspension. From large to small, these are: 2-56, 1-72, 0-80, and 00-90. These come from two places: Walthers: http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=sbs&start=30 Micro Fasteners: http://www.microfasteners.com/ The Micro Fasteners hardware is a bit less expensive and the brass is harder. I use this primarily, but the Walthers softer brass is better when you have to drill out a nut or a bolt to install locking hardware, such as cotter pins. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Skip, The model requires a 3" piano hinge for all three places on the hood panels, but the Model Car Garage Big Rig hinges are only 2 1/2" long. No matter: it's a simple operation to splice in the extra amount from another MCG Big Rig kit. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Tom, I cut the hood longitudinally (lengthwise on my miniature table saw, a 30-second job. A hacksaw would make too wide a kerf, but an X-ACTO razor saw might do the job if the teeth on the saw blade hold out. Yes, Alclad II Chrome for all the stripped chrome parts in the kit. You can check out Alclad's Website for lots of good information. http://alclad2.com/ The Chrome requires an airbrushed gloss black base coat for best effect, and an airbrushed top coat of Alclad II Aqua-Kleer Kote Gloss is suggested if you're going to handle the Chrome-painted parts much. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Stan, There are several avenues open to you for dimensional data on the Duesenberg. One is the ACD (Auburn Cord Duesenberg) Museum in Auburn, Indiana. Their reference library is stuffed with blueprints, drawings, photos, and data. It can get a bit spendy purchasing items from them, though. If you're a member - like me - you'll get a 10% discount on anything you buy from the store. http://www.automobilemuseum.org/ Another avenue is the ACD Club (online forum): http://forums.acdclub.org/phpbb2/index.php Next, you can do a google image search for whatever you're looking for, and this can be used to good effect. Last, if you have the stomach for it, check out Louis Chernot's 14-year build of a Duesy at the Internet Craftsmanship Museum: http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/ http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Chenot.htm Cheers! --Bob

Hi Tom, I don't mind questions at all, so fire away. To answer your current ones: 1. The piano hinges were glued to the three hood panels with CA glue, then strips cut from the photoetch fret were cemented along each side of each hinge to clean them up visually as well as to more firmly anchor them down to the hood panels. I used JB WELD to fill in depressions in the casting and also to blend in the hinges to the hood. Despite cleaning up the hinges visually, they aren't visible from the inside when the hood panels are open on the model, just visible on the outside. Where I think they look very good. 2. The brass photoetch mesh/screening/grill work is from Plano Model Products, found in the railroad section of my hobby shop. Or you can find their various photoetch products online. 3. If you are referring to the grill on the hood panels, the chrome side screens given in the kit had their centers cut out and replaced with the brass screen for better visual appeal. It's not a perfect pattern match for the real Duesenberg, but it looks close and is far better than solid plastic. If you mean the main radiator, it's the kit part with the chrome plating stripped off. 4. I'm not writing a book, but I am hoping to interest Gregg Hutchings at MCM in an article on this build. 5. I haven't been very well all my life, and it's much too late to change now! Cheers! --Bob

There's a lot you can do to the underside as well if you want to invest the time. You can always cut the hood lengthwise and install working photoetch piano hinges that operate realistically. You just have to decide if: 1.) You want to spend the time and effort, and.....2). You come to the realization that you're really not very well.... Cheers! --Bob

Hi Tom, Thanks for the kind words regarding the wire wheels and my 1/6 scale M5A1 Stuart; much appreciated! I wrote a book published by Schiffer on that build which you may be aware of and which is still available: http://www.amazon.com/Large-Scale-Armor-Modeling-Building/dp/0764339532/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395072948&sr=8-1&keywords=large+scale+armor+modeling And yes, the whitewalls were masked off and airbrushed with White Ensign Models White. This paint comes in the little tinlets that Humbrol uses and may very well be the same paint. I carefully selected this particular white since it was the first white paint I laid my eyes on when I looked at my paint shelf. Not any more scientific than that, I'm afraid. To keep the paint from cracking while I flexed the tires over the Chrome-painted rims, I sealed the white with an airbrushed satin mixture of Testors Glosscote and Dullcote. So far, so good. I won't make it to AMPS in 2014, I'm afraid. I'm too busy teaching two teenage drama queens how to drive. It's okay to feel sorry for me. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Skip, Thanks for the kind words and your astute observation: I've been an airplane modeler for years and have written over 50 articles for FineScale Modeler, Ships in Scale magazine, the IPMS/USA Journal, and the Nautical Research Journal. I've written two books which you can see here if you have the interest: http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Scrapbook-Pilots-Squadron-specials/dp/8974756552 http://www.amazon.com/Large-Scale-Armor-Modeling-Building/dp/0764339532 One example of my work can be found here: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/dd/dd-661/192-bs/dd661-index.html If you want to spend a little money, you can download some other stuff here: http://www.kalmbachstore.com/fspdf018.html All that notwithstanding, this is my first serious car model and I must admit to some feeling my way around in the dark. This forum is a great place to learn new methods and techniques and to meet other modelers, all of whom I have found to be positive, upbeat, clear-eyed buoyant extroverts. Cheers! --Bob

Hi Mark, No jigs, sorry. I did all this by hand by just clipping out four plastic spokes at a time then sighting along the marks I made in the rim and the hub to drill holes through the rim and into the hub. Then I'd CA-glue the .015" steel wire spokes in place. By doing only four spokes at a time as I worked my way around the rim I was able to keep the hub centered within the rim and the spokes parallel to each other. If a person had an indexing head for their Sherline lathe (I don't) this would be somewhat easier and more precise. Still, having said that, I'm happy with the result.

Gentlemen, Thank you all for the kind words and warm welcome! Cheers! --Bob

I'm building the Gabriel (former Hubley) metal kit of the Duesenberg SJ LeBaron Dual-cowl sweep panel phaeton. After viewing the kit parts I began the process of wondering what had possessed me to build this flash-ridden kit. I found normal modeling tools such as files, chisels, bench grinders, and sledge hammers worked well. One of the many items requiring correction are the wire wheels. The six wheels come in two halves, meaning 12 pieces total. The spokes are not round and are waaaaay overscale. I was filled with dismay. Not being very bright, I began the laborious process of de-chroming the wheels in bleach, scrubbing the residue off with a toothbrush (an old one, mind), and replacing the spokes one-by-one. All 468 of 'em. I began by clipping out 4 spokes at a time, drilling .016" holes at the proper angle from the outside of the rim into the hub, then inserting lengths of .015" steel wire from the hobby shop. Years later, well, maybe not years, but at least a month or two, I was done. The wheels were airbrushed with Alclad II Gloss Black base, allowed to cure and harden for a week, then airbrushed with Alclad II Chrome. This stuff is fantastic. The photos show the "series of unfortunate events", as the movie and book title go, and I hope you all approve. My wife thinks all is not well with me........

Hi Andy, Can you come over and plow my driveway? Cheers! --Bob

Greetings from sunny Stillwater, Minnesnowta! And greetings to my friend (long time, no see) Andy Martin! I'm currently working on a Gabriel (former Hubley) 1/18 Duesenberg SJ LeBaron Dual-cowl sweep panel phaeton. The full-size vehicle I'm modeling has a body number of 2151 and an engine number of J-129. This car still exists. Or should I say exi$t$. Duesies seem to auction off for well over a million dollar$ the$e day$. The engine took over 200 hours to build and has over 1000 pieces. I think I need to get a life. The engine stand was fabricated from Evergreen H-section girder, the caster rollers were cut from brass tubing, and both the stand and engine are covered with gazillions of Tichy Train Group nuts, bolts, rivets, and washers. There is a great deal of scratch-built stuff too numerous to mention, and the final paint is Alclad II Chrome, Duraluminum, Aluminum, Steel, Gold (for anodized parts), while the engine block is John Deere Classic Green, a very close match to Duesenberg Apple Green. The old Hubley kits are just great if you like filing and grinding, and normal modeling tools such as hacksaws, sledge hammers, chisels, and bench grinders were found to be useful. Cheers! --Bob