Scale-Master

I decided to go with my earlier rotor configuration; slotted and cross-drilled. Raw rotor blanks cut from high-pressure cast blank aluminum composite material. I milled the vents around the perimeter and faced them. I cross-drilled and slotted them. They are directional. This is the natural cut finish of the material.

Thanks guys! Yes, 100% out-of-the-box. I too like the previous generation's styling better. (I can barely fit in this car, and that was with the roof open and the seat all the way back. Not sure it would comfortable with the top up.) Nothing to look out for in this kit, it fits great, no surprises. I think I'd build it open top if I do another one.

New Tamiya kit.

There are complex builds of mine there too. You say you haven't read SA for many years, out of curiosity, when was the last time you read a new issue of MCM?

Since it would not be ethical, I don't share all those models here...

Thanks guys! Pete, I build a lot of box stock kits. Probably a dozen or more a year. I usually have two or more reviews in each SA and they are always "Out Of The Box" plus what I build for other clients.

As satisfied I was at the time, the more I looked the more I thought I could do better… So more time on the mill and now I think I have what I want. These cross-drilled holes scale out to ¼ inch in diameter.

It's all fun. Why else do it?

Maybe I'm missing something, but the sleek version is nothing more than a Photoshopped vertical "squish" with the wheels pasted back in to be round. Yes, it looks wickedly cool. It would be a massive undertaking to do on a real car, and likewise on a model. It is not just a chop and section. Unless one had a digital solid file that could be dis-proportionally scaled, much like the image and outputted...

Thanks Trevor. Those 60 holes I did today were a breeze compared to the rectangular vents I milled around the perimeter yesterday.

So after way too much time and effort without acceptable results, I went back to my original plan to make the rotors before I got the 3D printer… Good old machining. First I milled in the rectangular vent holes around the perimeter. Then I cross-drilled 60 holes in each side.

I designed and then grew the rotors several times over the course of a few months. The detail I want is just not something my printer can do on both sides. (One side is great.) I redesigned them adding more material so I could post-machine after growing them, but the material is too brittle when cured, and too soft and pliable before fully curing. I was able to make them look really good after machining, but every one of them had micro fractures (or worse) that would show up under paint. The good side of them: The rough side of them before machining:

All done. Definitely a recommendable kit if the subject is to your liking.

Thanks guys! Into the final stretch.

This is a brand new kit. It builds a modern Monkey (with fuel injection among other upgrades) not the old one from the '70's. All the large scale Tamiya kits use those screws to some degree now. That's part of what takes me so long to build some of them, machining all new hardware... Sadly once they jump out at you it's what you see first.

Thank you Wayne!

Yes, all the Tamiya bike kits are gems. The tires are pretty cool.

The engine is as nice as you'd expect from Tamiya.

It's supposed to be built red/white or yellow/white, but found a blue/white version available in Thailand that appears to use the same decals that come in the kit, so that is what I'm doing.

Peter is correct.

Thanks guys! The OEM versions for my car are about $200.00 a pair, when you can find them. (I need two.) There are a lot of cheaper "replacements" that are not OEM. They look cheap and still cost more than they are worth to me. I went with a C6 badge even though mine is a C5. (I have C6 wheels on it too.) I can always put the correct badges later on it since they are held on by foam tape, but right now I'm just enjoying my car. They should hold up OK as I've used the same materials on other real cars and had no problems. As long lasting as an OEM? Probably not; time will tell how long. The OEM badges often degrade in a dozen years on cars that see sun. Ironically the inserts outlive the frames. I have the molds and materials to make more if needed. Who knows, I may make a different design...

Thanks Mike and Rich. I only starting doing my own printing a couple months ago, before then I subbed out my files to a company called Fraxional for the actual printing. The first model I used 3D printed parts on was my Gulf Seven. (Have been using the processes for my "real" work for years.) I had the coil and ignition box grown. This one will have more 3D generated parts than any previous model of mine. But most of the 3D parts are used as masters to cast resin copies.

The nose emblem on my car "wore out". (I thought it was speed rated for the car…) Rather than buying a new one (or two as the rear one is aged too) I drew a replacement up in SolidWorks and printed it in what turned out to be seven pieces. I had to grow the main body in two pieces due to size restrictions of the printer and I engineered a separate "V" part to reinforce that joint along with locating pins and holes. (The two ¼ inch holes are for the mounting pins for installation, not shown.) The insert parts that were originally cloisonné elements were also rendered and grown as separate pieces for ease in painting. Mounting posts were post-machined for a perfect fit to the car. All three final pattern parts dry fitted before creating an RTV mold. Cast parts fresh out of the mold. Finished painted test assembly. Now to make the two I'll put on the car…