Twokidsnosleep Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 As usual, between this, your woody and Cato's Rolls, this is all so exotic compared to anything I know that there's nothing I can say. So nice to be following along a few classic, large scale builds....need to see more of theseI am dying to get my proper workspace up and running so I can return to the larger scale stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 The frame on this kit is metal... very stiff and sturdy, and when you bolt it together it's square and flat, unlike the soft, wiggly plastic frame on my Pocher RR woody. The metal frame is a much better way to go. Interesting how once you personally encountered a large scale kit with a metal frame you have changed you view. Not too long ago you said here that there is no need for a metal frame. This model is coming along very nicely. I just love all those extra "Harry P. touches"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Not too long ago you said here that there is no need for a metal frame. I believe that topic was regarding whether or not a metal frame is necessary when scratchbuilding a frame. And I still say a metal frame isn't necessary in that case. Some people may prefer to work in brass, but it's not necessary. A perfectly good model chassis can be scratchbuilt of plastic. What I mean here is that I like the metal frame on this Bugatti because it bolts together square and straight and stiff right from the start, unlike the RR plastic frame, which has a lot of flex in it until you add things to stiffen it up, like the axles and engine. Once the Rolls chassis is finished, it's plenty strong enough to support the model. But those are manufactured model kit chassis... as far as building a chassis from scratch, I don't see any reason that you need to build the frame of metal... plastic works just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Interesting how once you personally encountered a large scale kit with a metal frame you have changed you viewThis isn't my first time with a metal frame. I've built two Pocher Mercedes in the past, they also have metal frames. Also have built the Pocher Porsche 911... metal frame, too (or more precisely, metal baseplate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twokidsnosleep Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 The Pocher 911 gets a lot of bad rap as a lower quality kit vs the other exotic and the classic kits...do you find that so????I have the F40 and I would rate it good; the Testarossa I would rate as fair... more plastic and toy-like. The Porsche gets hacked online as the weakest link perhaps due to more plastic components???There is definitely metal vs styrene camps in the modelling world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 The Pocher 911 gets a lot of bad rap as a lower quality kit vs the other exotic and the classic kits...do you find that so????I have the F40 and I would rate it good; the Testarossa I would rate as fair... more plastic and toy-like. The Porsche gets hacked online as the weakest link perhaps due to more plastic components???There is definitely metal vs styrene camps in the modelling worldIn my opinion the Pocher "Classics" (the Fiat, Alfas, Mercedes, RR, and Bugattis) are head and shoulders above the Pocher "contemporary" kits (Porsche and Ferrari). The Porsche has a plastic body, the Ferraris a diecast body, but none of those kits are anywhere even close to being as detailed as the classics. The Porsche 911 engine is particularly bad... an embarrassment to Pocher, if you ask me. It's a completely simplified, inaccurate blob that looks nothing like the real thing and has no business being in a Pocher kit. They really dropped the ball on that engine. To make it look good, you have to basically rebuild the whole thing (or most of it) from scratch, which is what I did.Don't know about the brand new "Pocher" Aventador... I've only seen the instructions, not the actual kit. But from what I see in the manual, it's a lot more detailed than the Porsche and Ferraris... much more what you would expect from a Pocher kit (although I don't think there's anything actually connected to the "real" Pocher in the Aventador kit. I think Hornby just bought the rights to the name, but I could be wrong). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I believe that topic was regarding whether or not a metal frame is necessary when scratchbuilding a frame. And I still say a metal frame isn't necessary in that case. Some people may prefer to work in brass, but it's not necessary. A perfectly good model chassis can be scratchbuilt of plastic.What I mean here is that I like the metal frame on this Bugatti because it bolts together square and straight and stiff right from the start, unlike the RR plastic frame, which has a lot of flex in it until you add things to stiffen it up, like the axles and engine. Once the Rolls chassis is finished, it's plenty strong enough to support the model. But those are manufactured model kit chassis... as far as building a chassis from scratch, I don't see any reason that you need to build the frame of metal... plastic works just as well.Got it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Everytime I look at any of these Pocher build threads I'm amazed. The level of detail is over and above. Then, to do such an awesome job on building it, to make it look proper, I may as well throw my hat away, as much as i would be taking it off. This and the woody are great builds. Lookin forward to seeing them done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 The kit exhaust system is a combination of aluminum (pipes and muffler) and plastic (muffler caps and transition fittings between exhaust manifolds and pipe). The plastic transition fittings are supposed to be slipped onto the aluminum exhaust pipe and be held in correct alignment by friction. But as always, Pocher's friction fits are always way too tight. There was no way the plastic pieces were going to slide onto the aluminum tube. Step 1 was reaming out the transition fittings... The transition fittings, the exhaust manifolds, the exhaust pipe, and the muffler all depend on each other as far as correct positioning of all components. If any one of them is off, the whole assembly won't fit. And there are no positive locators on the parts... you're supposed to slip the fittings onto the exhaust pipe and adjust everything until it all fits correctly. Since the one component of the system that was already glued in final position was the exhaust manifolds, the rest of the system had to be adjusted to fit them. The easiest way to do this was to ream out the fittings enough so that they slid very easily on the exhaust pipe. Then, instead of trying to get the two fittings in perfect position by friction fit and then attaching the assembly to the exhaust manifolds, it was much easier to keep all the components' fit loose, slip the fittings onto the pipe, then glue the fittings onto the exhaust manifolds, allowing the manifolds to "decide" exactly where the fitting needed to be, and in what position relative to the exhaust pipe. Here are a couple shots of the finished system... you'll get what I mean when you see the photos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Have you tried turning the engine over if not I suggest you don't if you just put the cam lobes in random positions the valves may well hit the piston heads on turning and you risk bending a valve or putting a hole in a piston, or both. Great build by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twokidsnosleep Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Gheeze the black, brass and chrome look good together. She is a real beauty even upside down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I've been working on the firewall/dashboard assembly. I wanted to go with a real wooden dash, so the first step was cutting a piece of basswood to cover the dash. At this point the upper edge was cut precisely; the cutouts had to fit around the small "boxes" at the top of the dash (where the cranking mechanisms for the swing-out windshield will eventually go), but the bottom edge was intentionally left to overlap the kit dash. I will shape the dash's lower edge once it's glued to the kit dash, when I will use the kit dash's edge as the template to shape the wood... The wood was glued to the kit dash using contact cement... I also covered the small triangular sides of the dash to get a "wraparound" look and sanded the corners rounded per reference photos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I stained the wood, "varnished" it with several coats of Future brushed on, and opened up all the holes and cutouts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I didn't know what the two large knobs on either side of the dash were for. Obviously they were for making some sort of adjustment to something... but what? The lettering on them says DUFFAUT REPUSSEAU. I googled that, and found out that Duffaut Repusseau was the name of a French company that manufactured auto components, including friction shocks (the type used on many 1930s-era cars before hydraulic shocks became common and made friction shocks obsolete). The knobs are to allow adjustment of the friction shocks' stiffness while driving, via a hydraulic system that either inflated or deflated a rubber bladder that pressed against the shock's friction disks, thereby changing the amount of resistance the shock arms had to movement (and thereby controlling the hardness or softness of the ride). Geez, model building can be educational! The two control levers on the right side of the dash are plated brass (good)... but flat (not 3-dimensional)... bad! The round ball on the end was a flat circle, which didn't look good. So i clipped off the circle part and created round 3-D knobs using small blobs of 5-minute epoxy. Once the epoxy set up. I sprayed the control arms "chrome" and installed them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Top notch work on the dash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Have you tried turning the engine over if not I suggest you don't if you just put the cam lobes in random positions the valves may well hit the piston heads on turning and you risk bending a valve or putting a hole in a piston, or both. Great build by the way. Not a problem. While the valves do actually open and close when you manually turn the cam gears up front, it's all just for show. There is no mechanical connection between the camshafts and the crankshaft. And once the front cover is in place the cam gears are covered up and there's no way to rotate the camshafts anyway. All sizzle, no steak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 So far about 95% of everything has fit together pretty well. What? Is this a Pocher? But there have been small "Pocherisms" along the way. Example: the plated brass outer sleeve that slides over the inner brass steering column is a bit too long, and when you slip it over the threaded brass inner column, there isn't enough thread showing on the inner shaft to attach the wheel. Simple solution: use my razor saw to shorten the outer shaft about 1/8". No problemo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Super nice work.I find it interesting that so many get so excited over issues with a $25 kit and yet there doesn't seem to be that big of a deal with such a high dollar kit. Can you image the review thread on this kit if it was issued today. Would definitely make some of the most recent kit reviews look tame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Super nice work. I find it interesting that so many get so excited over issues with a $25 kit and yet there doesn't seem to be that big of a deal with such a high dollar kit. Can you image the review thread on this kit if it was issued today. Would definitely make some of the most recent kit reviews look tame. I suspect it is all in the expectations. I have build a Pocher kit too and like Harry says, there are lots of problems. But it is to be expected, regardless of the price. Plus back when these kits were manufactured, there was no Internet and online forums for modelers to bitch and complain about poor fitting parts. Also remember that the master patterns and molds were pretty much made by hand. No CAD/CAM. If Pocher name is revived and new kits are brought to the market, they will get as close of a scrutiny as the other smaller scale kits do. After all we now have means of connecting with thousands of people who have similar interests to us. In the 1:24 scale plastic kits world things are a bit different. Kits are much simpler and they don't have nearly as many details as 1:8 kits. They are pretty much all injection-molded plastic parts. Modelers expect them to fit together right. If you even build a Tamiya or Fujimi kit, you are as close to perfection as possible. Most modern kits are also designed on a computer, and molds are made on CNC machines, so there are fewer excuses not to make the parts to fit well or have incorrect shapes. Because of this, modelers have much higher expectations. Plus we have Internet and online forums to bitch and beat do death even the smallest problems with our kits. But it wasn't always this way. Many early plastic model kits were out of proportions and had poorly fitting parts. Again, back then there was no Internet or online forums for modelers to gripe and complain. Plus, back then kits only cost $1.50 so nobody complained. Also to be realistic, back then kits were usually built by teenagers who just wanted to build them to blow them up or crash them. Nobody cared that the rood profile was a bit off. But now, as discerning adults, we strive for perfection. Makes sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Pocher supplies the parts for the throttle linkage on the firewall... they even include the throttle return spring! But what they don't include are the linkages that connect the firewall linkage to the carbs and supercharger! I scratchbuilt those per my reference photos and added them to the existing kit throttle linkage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Beautiful detailing Harry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Compared to a Pocher wire wheel (like in the MB, Alfa, and RR kits) that have literally more than a hundred parts each, the wheels on the Bugatti are child's play... no spokes! The wheels on this car were castings with the brake drum being cast integrally into the wheel, and a ring of short unidirectional fins on each wheel between the wheel center and the rim, to throw cool air at the brake drums. Pretty slick design, especially when you consider this car is from the early '30s... more than 80 years ago! Each entire wheel assembly consists of just a handful of parts... the center section, inner and outer rims that include the unidirectional fins, a chrome center cap, and a chrome outer and inner rim (plus the hubs, knockoffs, and screws used to assemble everything). The first Pocher wire wheel I ever built took me about four hours. Eventually I knocked that time down to about an hour per wheel after I got the hang of it and got good at it. These Bugatti wheels are much more simple... just a few minutes per wheel. Even though the plastic parts are molded in a nice metallic gray plastic, I gave all the plastic parts a quick shot of Testors "Aluminum" metalizer to get rid of the plasticky look. First step is to screw the plastic outer rim to the wheel center. The plated center cap gets "trapped" in place by the angled tips of the fins on the outer rim.. Notice the two little cutouts on the rim? That's how Pocher cleverly designed the wheels... the left side wheel parts have one cutout, the right side wheels have two. All you have to do to keep the unidirectional spokes "correct" is match up the "one cutout" parts to each other and the "two cutout" parts to each other. Pretty clever engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Next, you attach a machined brass valve stem to the plated outer rim... ...and you screw the outer rim into place... Then the inner rim gets screwed into place the same way. Notice the integral brake drum cast into the wheel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Even though the screws used to attach the metal rims are flathead screws, the head sometimes still sticks up a bit. Since the tire sidewalls have to snug down to these rims, a protruding screw head would result in a visible "bump" on the tire sidewall... so I used my Dremel to grind any protruding screw heads flush with the surface of the rims... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 The last step in wheel construction is to add the machined center hubs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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