larchiefeng
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Posts posted by larchiefeng
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Yeah you could probably put a plug on the bottom of the car with a corresponding plug in the base. I was going to do that and, it would probably have been a much cleaner installation. The only reason why I didn’t was because the model went into a big display case as opposed to its own case. I really wish that I had good place to display it by itself but I don’t. Unfortunately this is the only problem with Pocher models, they are huge and finding display case room is sometimes a problem. Good luck and let me know if I can help
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Just in case you’re interested here’s the topic listing for the Mercedes.
The lighting saga begins around the bottom of page 21. I hope that it will be of some small help and refresh your memory of all the different iterations I went through trying to figure out how to do my lights. Good luck!
Pocher Mercedes 540K True Roadster Build-
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I probably had a little more room in the Mercedes after cutting out the molded in seat and building a new floor and what I did for the electrical may not work for you but, I documented it all on my thread. Bottom line I wound up using a power supply that plugged into the bottom of the car and I hide the on/off switch inside the transmission and used the gear shift as the toggle. It’s all there in the thread along with what the nano and pico size LED’s. If you need the link to the build I can post it for you.
The paint job on the door looks great!-
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All of this sanding on a color coat and yes, even on clear coats is really dependent upon the type of paint used, how it is applied and how much is actually on the model. In my case, I made a huge mistake by using the Testors Model Masters enamel! This was the beginning of my problems and what dictated everything that came after. The problems are far too many to go into here and I documented them all in the Mercedes thread. Lacquer and acrylics and some of the new two part formulas that lay down a flat finish color coat and then are finished with a clear coat are the way to go. You can get the color coat on pretty thin and then build up with the clear. You get a smooth color coat on then build up your clear coats. I don’t even start sanding the clear until I have at least three coats on. I want to make sure that I can get the orange peel sanded flat on the clear before I polish it out. This is where I disagree with Chas, as long as you have a good base color coat the more clear coats is where you are going to get the depth of the paint color from. And, if you have orange peel on your clear coat you won’t have a mirror finish.
Airbrush application is going to be a pretty small amount of paint and little loss of detail. Spray cans are going to be a little heavier coats. This is where the amount of paint on the model will vary depending on how heavy you spray the paint. Temperature and humidity also play a part in how the goes down as well. The only other gremlin is the place it gets painted and, all I’m thinking about here is dust particles.
So, lots of variables to consider before the sandpaper or polish even comes out. I think dust is the biggest wild card. Chas has a point but accidents happen when sanding and this is what works for him. What I said at the beginning is what works best for me.
The biggest issue when sanding is, if you catch an edge or some molded detail and accidentally sand the paint off the high spots, things happen. This is where the hood side louvres come to mind. You can pretty much control pressure and grit on a flat surface, it’s the raised stuff where you can get into trouble. The only thing that I did was to use some low tack tape and mask over those potential accidents waiting to happen when I am sanding spots like that.
Sorry, I didn’t really mean to be so long winded.-
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So, I went back and read the two previous pages of your thread and it looks like you already know what to do. It’s only one door and everything else is looking perfect so I would just do what you have to do to get it to same quality as everything else that you’ve done. It’s really looking great! When you set a standard for yourself you want to maintain it. It’s only paint and if it takes a repaint, no big deal you can do it!
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This is a slippery slope. Your first two pictures the paint looks perfect and it’s only the last picture that you can see the orange peel in your paint job. To get it totally flat you might have to add another coat of paint to build some layers before sanding it down to a flat finish without the bumps in the paint that, is the orange peel.
I went through this with my Mercedes and it took a lot paint and a long time to get it right. The more you sand the color coat the more chances you have of burning through the color to the layer underneath. As long as you can keep from doing that you will be fine. I had a lot of times when I was almost perfect and then I hit the primer and then had to spray the color again. In the end I was able to get the black smooth and flat and then I sprayed the clear and started the process over again. I think that it took me months to get it where I wanted it and, if I had it to do all over again I would use a different type of paint.
So, like I said it becomes a matter of what looks good to you and how much work you want to put into it. Like Chas suggested, maybe you just smooth it out the best you can with 4000 grit and spray the clear and live with any small imperfections. Nobody else is going to see them but you.-
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Just looking at it I can see that the fit between the block and heads is more precise and clean mating of the two surfaces compared to the Pocher parts. I can also see that the front and back engine plates have a lot more detail. I know that when installed into the frame and covered with all the external bits it’s probably going to disappear however, when you start with well fitting parts and build up from there, the overall end product is going to be much better no matter how much is seen. I just wish that I had the block and the front and rear covers so, could build my engine knowing that the basic foundation is well mated. Great work Nick!
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Good to see you back, it’s been a while. I’ve seen this kit before and you are right about it being a little sparse on detail. However, for you it’s just a starting point. I’m going to have to watch and see how you turn this into another Roy classic!
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This looks great. I’m really interested in how you render the 3D CAD drawing and printing of the engine block itself because the Pocher engine block assembly is the worst part of the engine! It doesn’t fit and looks pretty incorrect not to mention it goes together like a cheap toy! I realize that as I build it and add all the surface details I know that, you won’t see 80% of the engine inside the finished car but, it still bothers me. I can’t help but thinking that if the block was a more solid platform all the extra Autograph transkit parts I’m adding would have gone together much better and looked like a more realistic finished product. I’ve been stuck on stupid with the build for the last six months and I need something to jump start the build.
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Looks great Poul! I agree with Chas about the louvres and being very careful with the side panels. This was the one part that gave me a lot of problems with sanding and finishing. Every other body panel was easy in comparison. Trying to get the flat area in between the raised section of the louvres required a lot of extra work.
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Thanks Nick, I’m going to check out fusion tomorrow and play around with some stuff that I have pictures of and I certainly have enough parts to take measurements from. Looks like a good weekend project in between F1 practices and the race!
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That 3D CAD software is a game changer for rendering the parts that, I need. If you don't mind what 3D CAD program are you using? Thanks.
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I like what you are doing here! How did you get the dimensions for the alternator and other stuff that you are rendering? I would also be interested in buying some of those upgraded parts to add to some of the weak spots that the transkit doesn’t address very well. The transkit gives you the PE to add more detail but the Pocher part is lacking to begin with so it really doesn’t look as convincing as it should.
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I’m probably a little late to the party as regards the display but, after looking at your proposed case set up, I have an observation. I like the car above and the roof below because as you say the car is the star of the show. The only thing that, I would do is, slightly tilt the roof section forward so that everything on top is also visible and then put a mirror on the wall behind the roof and one below it. This way it should reveal everything inside reflecting from two different angles. The top is fully visible as is the car. So, I think with some creative tilt and mirrors you should be able to show everything underneath.
I know how much work decals on seats and interiors can be having done a fair bit of carbon fiber on model cars and these look great. I was looking at your reference pictures of the actual Pegasus and it struck me at just how accurate your build is, great work Alan!!
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You have really captured the realism of the subject with each and every small detail! In some of those pictures, if it wasn’t sitting on your workbench, I could swear that it’s the real thing. Every small part just adds to the overall feel of a real rail carriage! I really like the addition of the roof framework and I agree with all the others, the red oxide is the right choice. If you think about it, it’s just another level of realism because that’s what you would see if the interior ceiling panels were removed. No need for anything other than a rustproof protective layer of paint up there and, with the added benefit of it being unobtrusive when viewed from above. I’m going to have to get out my thesaurus and find some new superlative words for what we are enjoying taking shape here! But, for now, outstanding work Alan!
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I would use the Tamiya etching primer on the bare metal first and then use the regular primer and then the red. The other thing to keep in mind is that “red” is a bit of a translucent color and the color of the primer underneath it will affect the color of the red. Gray primer will make the red darker in color. White primer will give a brighter red color. For future reference this also applies to orange and yellow. I always use a white primer underneath these colors.
My experience with the Tamiya clear is that it is really dependent on the number of coats. I would probably just do a few light coats and keep building up the coats until you get the look you want. The good thing about Tamiya paint is that it dries fast but, the temperature and humidity will also affect the clear. Spraying too far away and when it’s too hot will possibly cause the paint to atomize as it comes out of the nozzle and be almost dry when it hits the surface.
Rich’s idea is probably the best to get the best paint job! -
The only advice that I can give you on the spray booth is make sure that you have a lazy Susan/rotating platform to have your parts on. As you know these are large heavy parts and you want to be sure that you don’t have to handle it during the paint process. I built my own booth years ago and it’s big enough to be able to get all the way around it. If it were me, knowing what I know now, I would probably just use a box fan and make the surround out of cardboard. This way you can always make it bigger or smaller as needed. I think that the ones you mentioned for sale might be too small. My spray booth is 32” wide x 23 1/“ tall x 23 1/2”deep. These are the inside dimensions so, you can probably tell that I used 1/2” plywood using 24” pieces.
The other thing is, I see that you are using the Tamiya spray which is good. I used Model Masters spray which is enamel, big mistake!! I painted it 3-4 years ago and I still don’t think that it’s completely hard and cured. I still get marks and the paint is just not suited for a large metal body. At some point I might have to repaint. Since you stripped all the paint, you should use the Tamiya etching primer on the bare metal before you prime and paint the body. It will help with paint chipping off. I still regret stripping all the paint off. If I had to do it all over again, I would just sand the baked on finish down and just primed where I cut open the louvres and used the old paint as the undercoat.
As far as the other transkit goes, I think that I have decided to pass on it. I already have a fully detailed metal engine in it and I think that I can use what Pascal has done with his F40 as a sort of template to fabricate the Testarossa suspension etc. I don’t need any engine upgrades and $650-$700 is a little too much right now.
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The Pocher F40 kit is running anywhere from $700 - $2,000 depending AND, this Autograph transkit is between $1,700 - $2,000 IF you can find one. So, not for the faint of heart!
Tommaso Iuele is making a transkit for the Testarossa that he is finally selling at between $650 and $700 now. I just got an email from him asking if I wanted mine shipped. I’m kinda toilet paper poor right now and I’m thinking about it, lol 😂
Cleaning up the workbench now to attack my F40 again.
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Looks great! It gives me something to really think about and more to the point, it gives me the motivation to get back to work on my build. Are those turbo ID plates on the decal sheet? For some reason I don’t remember seeing them or some of the other small ID plates like on the starter as an example. Great work and nobody knows as well as I how much work this represents!
I probably should probably have read your text a little closer and I would have seen that you made the ID plate decals. So, what did you use for the template for the decals? Thanks!
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Good to hear from you and I’m glad that you’re making progress. I’ll be interested in seeing your progress and post!
I have been doing a few things and I have made some progress. I got my mini lathe out and moved it to the garage and tried to use it to make a few parts for fun. I’m working on a new waste gate for a start. As I tried to use it, I discovered a few problems that I had to address if I was seriously going to use it to make new parts. Here’s where the problem came in. With the quarantine, shipping has been extremely slow and I have been waiting on the upgrade parts and new cutters to get here for weeks. Also, with all the things going on, my motivation has ebbed and flowed so, even though I do have pictures and progress, I don’t want to post it yet.
Codger has been after me to post something, anything, even if it’s a picture of the cat’s litter box! I probably have enough for 3 posts but, I don’t want to post it and then go dark again for a while. I’d rather post when I know that I’m going to continue on for a while.
I do expect to post something in the fairly near future. In the meantime I’ll look forward to seeing your progress and update!-
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This is one of those builds that has been so interesting to watch and I’m always excited to see the latest progress. I’m going to miss seeing it when it’s done. It’s kinda like a long running TV series that you get so invested in and when it ends; it kinda leaves a void.
I know that you are probably pretty well over it and really are looking forward to seeing it completed but, I think that a lot of us are going to miss seeing the weekly installments.
Fabulous work and I think that with the 3D printer it really has made a big difference in being able to bring certain parts to life in a way that would have been extremely difficult otherwise. I have seen you do great tiny things just scratch building but, this is just one more tool that has elevated your already prodigious talent!
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Thanks for posting a pictures of your Goldenrod it looks great! Without a lot of extra detail I can see what a stunning kit it can be built into. The paint and decals really bring it alive! Can't wait to see what you do with this one!
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This reminds me that I have a 1/24 resin version of the Goldenrod LSR car sitting in an obscure corner on my bench. It's a bit of a chunk of resin! Maybe one day I will just start it as a diversion in the middle of the current build. I've always liked the LSR cars from the early ones to the later versions. I'll be watching yours for inspiration!
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You’re right about the table lamp, now that, you scaled down the chairs, it does seem a wee bit tall. Speaking of rabbit holes I found a great source for pico and nano sizes of SMD LEDS when I was lighting up my Pocher Mercedes. Just in case you want to add some ambiance to the dining car section for dinner and drinks 🍷 lol . Looking good, when can we start booking?
Alfa Romeo Coupe Elegant 1/8
in Work In Progress - Vehicles
Posted
I’m curious about how you are going to do a wireless power solution. I have all low power SMD LED’s in the Mercedes and I think that I would probably like to convert to a wireless solution. The way I have it set up in the display case is a little inconvenient to turn them on and, It would be a lot easier to enjoy looking at the Mercedes at night with the lights on by using a remote.
I do heartily recommend the LED’s that I used though. They are super small and they can go anywhere. I managed to get them inside the tail light stalks and the front marker lights as well as light up the dashboard gauges. So, they are the perfect solution for the application. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do!