Scale-Master

The front wing end plates are finished. The C/F is ScaleMotorSports Hi-Def decal. I planned to use only Tamiya paints for the body exterior. (TS-26 for the White.) Unfortunately even though I “snuck up†with very light coats of clear (TS-13) over the decals, when the third coat was drying, the Goodyear decals cracked up. The odd part is that they came apart several hours after the application, but I had set the parts out to dry in the sun, possibly the reason for the cracking. I created a new set of Goodyear decals and had better luck with the clear, but I did not put them in the sun to dry this time either. The wing adjustment holes were drilled out, but otherwise these parts are just the way they come in the kit.

I started this kit about 2-3 months ago (Sept/Oct 09), but with other obligations it has progressed somewhat slowly. While I have a handful of sub-assemblies in progress, including the body, these are just the first to be far enough along to show anything of tangible progress. The kit is being built straight out of the box and will represent the car as it was at the German GP. The only addition is decals, mostly in the form of composite patterns. The headers were cleaned up and painted, including shading, as individual pieces, then assembled and the seams addressed and blended. Tamiya lacquers (base color) and acrylics (shading/staining) were used. The airbox is covered with mostly ScaleMotorSport C/F decals. Some additional shading was done with Tamiya Smoke. The transmission color was mixed per the instructions with acrylics. However, the engine block was shot with a very dark gray instead of black. It will be "adjusted" as the build progresses. More as it grows...

I think I can be of help here... While the artwork is created by Scale-Master Decals, different vendors (print houses) are used to print (manufacture) the Scale-Master decals you get in the kits and also sold as aftermarket products, with and without Invisa-Clear. Invisa-Clear is a process that yields the least amount of net clear around the individual images. Sometimes the printer'€s company name is included on the sheet, (Cartograf, Champion, MicroScale... ). Often it is not, as in the case of many kit manufacturers, as they will just put their info on. (It will say "€Printed By"€ next to the printer'€s logo or name and is not to be confused with the design of the art images.) Many modelers have built kits containing Scale-Master decals without being aware that they have since not all sheets have all related info and logos printed on the sheets. We don't have a website, but are there any specific questions can I answer for you?

Tamiya kit, pretty much out of the box, except for the wheels. Used the Euro version parts, but also added the U.S. marker lights. (People do almost everything to import/tuner cars out here...) It's also lowered a little bit. Telephonica Blue overcoated with TS-13 clear, all rattle can. The interior has Scale-Master decals for the upholstery graphics and cam cover. SMS decals for the C/F.

That looks like ######, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Excellent technique. You have the touch. I wonder why real cars don't look as cool as your model when they rust out like that.

Thanks everyone! As you can see, I am not afraid to use all the colors in the crayon box... Yes, it is the Revell snap kit. Overall it fits very well, (goes together in the dark). There are a few sink marks on the body, but they were sanded out when I took off the mold lines and I didn't have to use any putty. It's not perfect, but it was a fun build. I do recommend it for a relaxing build, great kit if you approach it as a slammer. I was originally drawn to the wheels, but the set in mine were not as crisp as I hoped, it may just have been the one I got (a plating issue) or it could have been in the actual molding. Without stripping the chrome I can't make that call. It comes with some pretty nice stickers too, if you trim them they look quite nice, like in the rear quarter trim. But they won't conform to the Bel Air lettering, so shave the lettering if you want to use the stickers. That is why I went with the vinyl and now it's a '57 Chevy Huntington... The stickers on the seats are from the kit. Dresses it up real quick.

A quick build kit, used HOK Tangelo over a red base and the lower accent color is a warm cream/pale yellow mixed from Testors enamels. I went with a gunmetal instead of chrome for most of the trim to give it a meaner look. Some decals from a sheet I did for the '07 IPMS Nationals, and a vibrant spash of color from some refective yellow vinyl in the rear q-panel trim. I did shave a few items from the body, but besides that and the decals, it's what came in the box... - Mark

Needed a fun project that could be finished over the weekend. Stumbled across a re-release of the old Wierd-Oh's kit this after finishing the last Tiki Hut and was still in the mood for playing with textures, washes, and drybrushing. Built straight out of the box, it was just the ticket for enjoying the hobby before diving into a more comprehensive project. Mostly painted with Tamiya acrylics and Testors enamels, lots of brush painting after the basic main colors were sprayed. Distressing the wood was the most fun for me on this build...

A friend and member of this site, who provided some replacement parts for the last Surfite & Tiki Hut I built also gave me the parts for another hut. A little trimming of the front curtains and it will be a business card holder for my office. I went with a bit more of a cartoonish color selection and added a few vintage era west coast drag race track decals. These things are fun to make...

As I have said before, this is one of those under appreciated kits. Deemed by many as just as toy or a simplified little fad car, it really does hold it's own with it's contemporaries of the day as far as detail and fit. Built out of the box using good old Testors yellow for the body. I found some photos that showed a few of the called out colors in the instructions to be different, at least as it is now. I did cut some mylar for the mirror face, but that is as for out side of OOB as I went unless you consider the board... The surfboard received some decal graphics I made. The brand of surfboard is fictional, but does have authentic roots. (Care to comment JimDaddy?) The Tiki Hut was a blast to paint, very little in the way of building there. I have wanted one of these kits since it came out, and finally I have one, I recommend and encourage anyone even just thinking of getting/building one to follow through... - Mark WIP Thread: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.p...&hl=Surfite

This was started with no clear direction of where it would end, sometimes this kind of build can be “just the thingâ€, it was for me... The journey was more fun than the destination. Definitely on the funky side. It was just something to tinker with and an excuse to machine a few parts. I started with the front wheel and brake. The body was reworked and a handful of detail parts were machined for the headlights, gas cap and rear wheel mounting. The exhaust was made of brass and textured to march the front rim. The rear fin is made of aluminum. Paint is a leftover mix from a previous “real jobâ€, I did add a little white to it and blended (frosted?) the tip of the front fender. BMF makes up most of the trim spears. Enjoy it if you can… WIP Thread: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20350

The Surfite is coming together; the chassis and interior are done. The body is almost done, just detail and trim work for the exterior. In the mean time here is what is done… On a side note, this is probably one of the more underestimated kits as far as detail and fit. For as old as it is, and as tiny as it is, the fit is very good. The real car is not really all that “detailed†or busy, so some of the perceived simplicity of the model is really a reflection of accuracy.

Always wanted to build one of these since I was kid. Finally picked one up in the vendor room at the last GSL. Just going out-of-the-box and using good 'ole Testors paint for much of it, at least what will be seen when it's done (the Tiki Hut is a different story...). The interior was treated to some Scale-Master decal gauges and I couldn't resist taking some artistic license with the VHT Purple paint on the header. Tiki Hut This thing was a blast to paint, not much in the way of assembly, but a great way to burn a few hours each evening for about a week. I sprayed tan on the sides, brown on the roof. Then it was just brush painting the details and using washes.

Nice to see you back at it Mike. Lookin' good!

I have the front wheel/brake/fender assembly done. Make that almost done, I just noticed in the picture I still have to paint the bleeder cap black... Most of the main body is done too. Here are the headlight/running light/turn indicators I turned from aluminum and acrylic. I also machined a fuel filler cap too. The exhaust tips are made of brass and textured to match the front wheel, going for a cast look. Hmmm, seven pipes, wonder how that happened... I still have to make parts to cover the brass axle mounting points for the rear wheel.

It’s not just a few random parts anymore… The tire for the front wheel came from a Redbird model from the Batman & Robin movie. I’ve decided to use the main parts from the rest of the kit too. Now it’s a case of just playing and tinkering to make it look less toy-like. And hopefully find another personality for it. The front wheel/brake/fork assembly is done. The front fender shape/details are still not fully determined, but the geometry is set. Some material has been removed from the front of the fender. More machined aluminum parts for the fork assembly; it is also made to accept a receiver set-up for the handlebars. The caliper is a modified kit part with some additional machined details, as are the bottoms of the forks. The rear bodywork was treated to a fin I rough cut from aluminum plate and shaped freehand. I included a couple mounting tabs on it and epoxied it into a couple slots that I cut into the top of the fender. Sheet plastic cut into triangular shapes were used to build up the top sides of the rear fender, a little polyester filler was utilized to smooth and blend it all together. (Guess I should have taken a “before†pic…) A coat of two-part polyester primer further helped meld it all together. I still don’t have a set idea of what it is going to be or even what color(s) it will have on it when it is done. I’m just letting it flow into whatever it wants right now. After all, it is just for entertainment, I might as well watch along. But is does seem to want to stay Batman themed at this point, oh well… I did start tinkering with the engine. I’m thinking it needs some aluminum too… Here’s a link to the wheel/rotor thread: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20241

Here is the finished rotor and front wheel. All parts were machined in aluminum. The rotor is made up of 11 pieces; the wheel is made of 7, (including valve stem and cap). Ironic no? The center of the wheel was textured to look like a cast unit, but shooting the pics in the late afternoon sun makes the texture look much coarser that it does in person. Front forks are almost done too but the paint needs to dry before assembly and photos… I did spend some time on the overall shape of the “body†of the bike too, so now I have a direction to build towards. I’m using an existing kit to build on but the design is still not finalized. I will say it is not my “normal†subject style…

Looks like the question is still alive... To some... Here's a hint, there are no clues to the answer in the brake rotor.

We have a winner...

For a new project I’ve been tinkering on. (Yeah, attending the GSL tends to get me fired up to play…) This is the front rotor. I machined it to assemble much like a 1:1 unit. The rivets in the bag will fasten the hub and rotor together. It was too windy to take them out of the bag and risk making another batch just for a photo op… Wheel and forks are in the works too, anyone care to guess how many spokes are in the wheel…?

Actually Len, it was done...

Out of the box with some C/F (SMS) accents and some artistic license on the color. It is blue, not black. I used the Wolf Dark Blue Tamiya spray. I also made new “screen†decals for the rear “windowsâ€. The kit supplies them in silver, but I wanted to have them in black. The kit fits together exceptionally well… Here’s a link to the W.I.P. thread: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19711

Thanks everyone! As for the C/F: I used the Scale Motor Sports HiDef C/F and Mr. Mark Softer by Gunze Sangyo for decal solvent. There really is no secret or trick, just a little planning and patience. But this is how I did it and you may find some points useful. When I cut out the odder shapes for the rear engine area, I paid attention to the “grain†of the printed pattern and left a little extra material around all edges. To apply them, I started at the front and worked towards the rear. After dipping the decals in water, I let them completely release from the paper before attempting to slide them onto the model. This can take as long as five minutes, but even if you wait five minutes longer than you need to, it won’t hurt them. Once they were put in place on the model, I applied the Mr. Mark Softer (hey, I didn’t make up the name…) to the edges on both sides (top and bottom) and waited a few minutes for it to soften the decal. I used a soft brush and Q-tips to form the decals to the parts. Once it was how I wanted it, I hit it with a hairdryer on high for a few to several seconds. This causes the decals to really suck down and conform. Plus it speeds up the waiting between applications. Once all the decaling was done, I clear coated them with a thin layer of urethane. As for building part of another one to display with it: What would I do with the left over parts? I figure these pictures are enough to show what it has in it. I'd rather build another complete something else first...

I’ve been working on this (more off than on actually) for a little while. So far it seems to be a very nice kit, fit and overall cleanliness of detail. Just an OOB build, here’s some in-progress photos…

An out of the box build using Tamiya paints throughout, even right from the can in several circumstances. I started this a good six months ago, but was interrupted many times by many things. While this is not a simple model to build, it is rewarding if you have the patience to take your time. It's the delicacy of some of the parts that can be frustrating, especially when you forget about little details from an earlier building episode, (not a fault of the kit). A tip to anyone who is looking to build one, the TS-76 Mica Silver is a great match for the silver on the decal sheet. And go easy with the solvent. Some is needed, to make the decals conform, but they get gooey very quickly even with mild decal solvents. - Mark