Scale-Master

What can I say, I just have to build... This is one I have been planning to do for some time. (Yes, I realize it is not a Super 7.) Original issue 1/8 scale Pocher kit. I am building it Out-Of-The-Box along the IPMS rules which allow for some latitude in finishing materials, decals and ways to make the model look it's best. I want to build it to represent not only a prototypical Alfa one might see in a museum, but also as a representation of what a Pocher kit builds into, the way the engineers intended. No machining parts, no scratchbuilding, just painting, detailing and assembling. I will have to do some decal work as the kit's decal sheet is the only casualty (that I'm aware of) of age and deterioration. Here is the raw engine block, I may have to get out the ruler to give an idea of the size of this one... Here is the cleaned up block textured and painted. Here is the assembled crank with connecting rods.

Oooh, I like that one better than mine. Let's race for pinks!

even a Scale-Master has slip ups from time to time Oh yeah, it's not that one doesn't make boo-boos, it's fixing them that is the trick. I deal with the same issues as everyone else... Sometimes they are totally my fault and I know it when I do it, sometimes they seemingly come out of the blue, and then I remember I probably shouldn't have done that...

This was originally just a fun quick build using left over parts from a build I did of a friend's '88 Turbo. Had it almost finished about a week and a half ago and it took a detour. After having a bad reaction with the clear over the TS-38 Gunmetal paint, I stripped it, what a pain. Wet urethane over dry Tamiya lacquer (the grey was about 5-6 months dry). Used denatured alcohol, messy, very messy... Then scrubbed it with Comet cleanser. Primed it, yes, green primer... Then reshot the Gunmetal and lightly (this time) cleared it again with the same urethane clear, as a sealer sort of. There is a Smoke fade around the lower areas of the body, almost visible in the photo. Modified a passenger seat from the Modena I took the wheels from... Seat belt decals from the parts box... A little wash (to make it dirty ironically) and shading on the engine and chassis... Door panels on and ready to go into the body... I tried TS-71 Smoke for the window tint, looks promising, although not perfect on this one, but hey, it was just a test... And here it is done. The blue is TS-44 Brilliant Blue. The C/F is SMS HiDef 1/20 scale. One more out of the "parking lot" area of my shop. Guess I can start something new now...

That would be one heck of a box Be sure to pack your instructions if you intend to be "out of the box"... I know, Boo..., Hiss..., where's a rim shot when you need one...

Keeler Paeth & Jones Builder Owner & Driver I have the real answer, but I'll wait ... I'll just say, Thank God Jim was the builder... Drove like a bat outta hell, and held together, otherwise I wouldn't be here today...

I found this one today that I parked at least 7 if not 8 years ago. Again, painted mirrors waiting to be attached with the windshield wiper and a couple antennas. Very sad indeed, only about 10 minutes work today. At least now it is in the display case finished as it should've been years ago. It was done with Testors paints and the kit decals. Who says Testors enamels never dry...

This one has been "parked" for almost three years. Missed a deadline I'd set to finish it, and I guess lost interest, certainly lost sight of it. Just needed a good wash & wax and a few details painted and put on and it's ready to run...

Another "victim" of my passion for the Blue 7 project. Many models got parked in various stages of nearly finishedness when I started building it. As I uncover them, almost in archeological fashion, I recall why I abandoned them. Funny, once they get a wash and wax, they look better than I remember them looking when I left them. Some were meticulously packed away safely, sadly several were just buried under boxes trays and polishing cloths. Even sadder than the sheer number of vehicles I've found is how close to being completed most are. Wipers and mirrors were all a few needed. But I digress... Presenting the unearthed Porsche 910. Machined a bunch of stuff for this phantom street toy. Wheel nuts, intake and exhaust pipes are about all that is visible now. I was inspired by a 908 I saw at a local show. It is a curbside because the body was too warped to fit any other way, and the profile and stance was really what I was after. I wish I knew that before doing up the engine with working throttle linkage... The front suspension was lowered and the Carrera graphics are decals I made for it. I tested some TS-36 on the hood, but it was a bit much... So I reshot it to match the wheels, pearl gray.

Formerly referred to as the Orange 7, it is finished. What a fun build, at least for me. Gonna go break it in on some back roads, later dudes... Here's link to the W.I.P. thread for anyone interested: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4072

Another "quick build". I invested quite a bit of time in the body of this one about a year ago for a demo at TamiyaCon, so don't be fooled by my use of the term "quick". While it builds great, there is a lot of decaling, (part of which I did in front of a live audience). Not really difficult, just time consuming. I also painted some of the interior pieces for a shading demo. I did clear coat it after putting all the body decals on, then it got boxed up and has been sitting ever since. I dove in after having such a blast finishing the Opel DTM, and this one "only" took about 2.5 days work time spread out over a few days and evenings. I highly recommend this kit, the fit of the parts is wonderful, but if you are not comfortable with a lot of decaling you might consider the blue Calsonic version over this livery... It is a true 100% box stock build. Only the paint (mostly Tamiya as called out in the instructions) and glue were items not contained in the box. Oh yeah, and decal solvent, lots of decal solvent...

The license plate is a custom made decal. Phillips head P/E items from SMS #8117 accentuate it. It's about ready to leave the workbench and motor on over to the pau section...

I made decals for them. Into the final stretch... The cowl was painted orange, because the color was handy, any light color would do, and the decals like to be applied over paint better than raw material. I used SMS #1320 Kevlar. Here is the decal I cut from the sheet and the solvent and brush I used. The decal reacted very quickly to the decal solvent. Made the application easy. Just don't over do it with the solvent. I made the front edge conform to the part and let it dry for a bit. Then tackled the rear and sides. A couple little patches were needed and easy to do. Then it was clear coated with the mix of Dullcoate and Glosscote with a drop or two of Tamiya Clear yellow thrown in.

Nice clean build! Now about the next one, Build It, Build It, Build It! Either out of the box or some extra detail. Just do it! Why? Better question is Why not? I've never seen one built (for more than a few days or constantly being fiddled with) with the kit's seatbelts not defying gravity. That's why I usually don't use them (anymore). And they also fray down the edges all by themselves. Frustrating... But still, Build It, Build It, Build It!

And now the front “wings†are attached… … And the completed rear fender assemblies… Now the wheels can be mounted to the car for the final time and thus the hub caps can be installed for the first time…

Once the ignition wires were routed to the spark plugs and coil, I could install the Weber carbs and K&N air filters. The carbs and filters are box stock kit items just detailed with paint. They even come with that cool screen mesh for the filter elements. I made the lettering for the wires, hose and belts.

Here is the installed muffler with heat shield. The shield was hit with some fine steel wool. It is assembled as the kit offers it with some detail painting on the now hidden muffler and the end of the tailpipe.

Seat belts are also SMS units, #8123. Assembled as per the instructions. I used a black Sharpie permanent marking pen to color them. It is imperative that sharp cutting tools be used on the belt material, other than that, it’s really no more effort than other materials I have used to make belts. I used a fresh #11 X-acto and some new, i.e. sharp, Tamiya Decal Scissors. For me, the knife was the better tool for this task. And after the side panels went in, so did the finished seats… (except for the decals that I still have to make for the buckles...) And the firewall, footbox and upper engine compartment frame assembly… The shoulder harness's will be made and installed later...

Built this in one day! Well, it felt like it. I did the body and wheels/tires about a year ago for a decal demo at the last TamiyaCon. Gotta admit, it goes together quite well. And the Tamiya lacquers dry really fast when you put them on lightly. I think I'll have to do another and take my time...

The insides of the rear fenders got a couple coats of Faux Fabrix to simulate the rubberized coating that helps absorb flying stones and keep them from punching through… The paint was decanted into my airbrush cup and sprayed to limit the amount of overspray and to avoid over saturation and possible runs. C/F stone guards were cut from SMS Hi-Def C/F and applied to front of the rear fenders. A thin border for each guard was made from Scale-Master Decal Stripe Sheet SS-2w. (There are thinner stripes on the sheet not shown in the picture that I used.) Careful cutting and a dose of decal solvent made the radiuses. The texture of the SMS Hi Def C/F is visible in the stone guard on the right side of the picture.

The front fenders have been painted Tamiya TS-12 Orange over white primer to hide the dark green plastic. Since they could be C/F, but the whole body is also C/F, I decided to paint the tops with color for some contrast and use C/F on the bottom. With some careful planning, I was able to decal the underside of each front fender (or wing for those of you across the pond…) with only two pieces of SMS HiDef. Mr. Mark Softer decal solvent was a big help too. They were sealed with the Dullcote/Glosscote mix, but were not color sanded as the side panels were so the sheen is a bit duller for some added contrast. Note the coffee stain on the counter, a possible clue to my ability to seemingly build non-stop...?

The interior panels are finished. The dash is pretty much finished too. You can see how the decal pattern is similar to the molded dash pattern. Not an exact match, but once it is all put together I think it will work well considering how little of the side panels are visible. It is much darker looking in person so the contrast is really lower than the photos show. And I finally made the decals for the coolant and oil caps…

Here is the radiator and oil cooler assembly. Kit parts and decal with couple machined aluminum details on the top of the radiator to replace what I sanded off during clean up. Easier for me to do it that way, and adds just a little more metal…

The steering wheel is done… Another fun to make accent for this project... The rubberized grip effect was made with Faux Fabrix, applied as the can says. I used three light, but full coats. The spoke section is aluminum, also from the kit, but decaled with SMS carbon fiber decal #1020. The center/horn button is an aluminum piece I machined; it was tinted with Tamiya Clear Orange. The bolts on it are photo-etched units from SMS PE sheet #8117. The decal in the very center is from the kit.