Scratchbuilder

The budget isn't in question, Rob. Peoples' willingness to do it is. Masters exist for both tyres. They would be needed in numbers like 10 pairs initially, to be, we hope increased after the first few sales. As it happens, my son is prepared to give it a shot. He currently is a dab hand at resin casting in his own mouds and has just obtained a pressure vessel so may have some luck. Martin

Hi all, I am desperate to find somebody who can mould large scale motorcycle tyres, in this initial case a 1/6th scale Vincent Black Shadow, but others will be required. I have been told by two people who easily produce slot car tyres in urethane rubber that they could do it, but both failed and have given up. Does anyone know of anyone who can do this? Many thanks, Martin

As you all know, I made a pattern for just such a model years ago. I showed pictures of the pattern on here and everyone got keen. Then the original customer got ill and sold it and the current owner has done nothing with it for whatever reasons and now, we have this sorry situation. The new one, looks to be a nice job with extras.. My deal was to include a percentage from each sale and three kits. I shall not now get those, so I'm not fully paid up or very happy and I still haven't heard from the owner. meanwhile, the model sits on MY shelf waiting for somebody to contact me! Martin

I was kindly given some red ones by John when we met at Newark museum, but I don't know if he still sells that sort of thing. Martin

Yes, fine, perhaps on a model aircraft skin, but quite useless on the monocoque of a racing car where they were clearly seen proud half round rivet heads. No matter, all done now. Martin

Rubbish. Very thin coat of self-etch and the damned things are invisible. Perhaps they are for going OVER the last coat. Maybe that's why they're silver. I ended up doing them with aliphatic resin glue. I bought some for wicking into balsa aircraft joints and the one I got was thicker than PVA. Useless for wicking, but ideal for model rivets as it was thick. Did the trick and the Czech things are forgotten already! Martin

I'm about to go and peel the film off, having checked out a couple of youtubes. I'll report back after a very thin finishing coat of self etch primer, which is how my patterns end up. Cheers, Martin

Thanks, Dan. I have a pack of Archers somewhere, but Gawd knows where, so I tried to buy another and couldn't find them on Historex, which was where I got the original pack, so gave up looking and went for the Czech ones, as everything Czech is (normally) excellent. But these are weird. Am I supposed to peel the clear carrier film of the individual rivets? The instructions don't say clearly what to do. Martin

No, or any other suitable section I can see, but I knew rivet decals were used on some aircraft models. Martin

Hi all, I have to get rows of rivets on a model of a Matra MS 80 slot car. I'm doing the body pattern for resin moulding and having put three rows of the above on, I can't feel them at all. The weird system of application seems to have resulted in them being "inside out". Can anyone help here? I have no idea where this topic should go, I'm afraid. Cheers, Martiun

The new brass engine master is done and has now gone to the third caster in a row who said they could do it and then cried off. Let's hope this one can do what he says and pulls his finger out. Fortunately Richard was able to cancel his stall at the show when it became obvious the model wouldn't be cast in time. The cost of a stand there was horrendous! Cheers, Martin

Hi all, I tried using an ancient, but never before used Paasche air eraser today, both with the Paasche Aluminium hydroxide powder and with recommended baking soda. But all I got, even on the big compressor pushing 50 psi was a little tiny patches of clean brass (trying to remove fire scale) and with the soda, nothing at all. In the end I made up some new pickle from hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar and left the pieces for an hour or so till the pickle went slightly green then scrubbed them with Vim , which did at least give them an all over shade of brassy yellow, if a little irregularly. Has anyone used one of these mini grit blasters? If so, how does it work? What's the screw on top of the air tight lid for? Why does it have a central tube in the pot? I also need a push button for it as I robbed it for my Model H years ago (I got them in a deal from Microcraft in Diss, Norfolk years ago. I looked on their website and find that the air erasers on there don't have the screw that stops the press button going too far. Mine HAS a hole for such a screw, so now I don't know if I can get suitable spares! I'd appreciate any anecdotal or real info on this potentially useful tool. I never did try it on illustrations as I always used CS10 lineboard, rather than drawing film!

The one at Felthorpe, which is green and gold is also a lovely maroon red leather, with polished wood IP. I'd say go for the deep red. It does look very nice. Cheers, Martin

Sounds like either a Black Prince or a Black Knight, Graeme, both of which are planned as models as the chap behind the kits has had decals put on the sheet to cover those versions. Immediately after new Year I shall start remaking the engine casings in brass, so nobody else can destroy the patterns.. Cheers, Martin

Hello Jorge, I am the man making the master patterns for the 1/6th scale model of the Vincent Black Shadow. Production of the model was going well, until Griffin Moulds destroyed the masters for the engine casings. This has put us back considerably. I am now remaking the masters for the engine in brass, which should be done in January. If we can find a trustworthy company to cast them in deeper moulds than usual, the model should continue as intended. I don't think a version of the early model is intended though, although you could perhaps use parts from a Black Shadow to make an early Rapide, but the main difference would be that the early Rapide would use Girder front forks. The Big 6 Classic Replicas AJS 7R kit can sometimes be found on ebay. I did the engine and gearbox for the Matchless G45 version of that model. So, the production of the 1/6th scale Black Shadow is slightly delayed, but going ahead as intended. News of it will be published here. Cheers, Martin

Hi all, the De Havilland DH89a master I made for Hubert Boillot which he was unable to produce due to health and family problems is back with me for a small repair and is lined up for being bought by a British company who wish to produce it. I have high hopes of this actually happening. No names, no pack drill yet. That's his job when he's ready. Cheers, Martin

He's a complete newbie to this game, apart from previously (and still) being an avid collector of the rarer kits. He can't make any prices public until he know himself and two suppliers have not yet finished and delivered invoices. I am just organising it all for him so I know what things are costing and I'm glad it ain't me producing kits like I used to many years ago! Martin

For what surprisingly little it costs, he thought it a good selling point and it is a rather nice one. Martin

Nearer your than anyone else's so far, Steve. But he is still waiting for final bills to work out a finished price for the Black Shadow. As soon as I have parts to modify I shall be doing the Black Lightning racer version. Both should be launched officially at the Stafford bike show in April 2019. Cheers, Martin

I have no idea where that estimate came from, but it'll probably prove a bit low with the Canadian dollar at 59p. No estimate has yet been given publicly. Martin

The Perspex cases are the very least of it, trust me! With Silicon Rubber, Polyurethane resin and urethane rubbers all around £30 a litre. White metal has quadrupled in price in the last 18 months, especially for the better qualities, mould costs and decals are also very high. I should be picking up another 3 or 4 mould's worth of parts on Friday for checking. It'll be for the company owner to announce the kit price when his final bills have come in! Martin

Hi folks, Richard, the Vincent man, has opened a Facebook page with regular updates on the production of the kit. Some of the bought in services are frighteningly expensive, but are top notch and you get what you pay for, so kit price will seem quite high, but have a look at www.facebook.com/groups/260314371337243/ and you will see pictures of master parts, etc. and even first castings as they come in. Cheers, Martin

Hi PF, thanks. I have tried that, but got soundly out bid by somebody who seems to be Hoovering up all the spares. Just keep looking I guess. Cheers, Martin

Hi all, entirely for me this time, I am looking for 1/24th scale engines that I can use in models of classic mahogany speedboats and racers, to save me some time. I need an Alison V 12 (AMT), Corvette 283 V8, flathead 4 (29 Model A) and a flathead 6 inline(40 Plymouth). I would probably remould these plus extra detail so I can have more than one. If anyone has old kits knocking around and can sell me or lend me any of thesae engines to mould from I would happily return and pay your postage. Cheers, Martin

Well, when you consider that the Japanese 1/9th kit is £400, you may be sure that this, which is 50% bigger and has every nut and bolt will be substantially more expensive. The increased weight of white metal is considerable, plus resin casting of certain big parts and the fact that the engine casings and one or two other parts have had to go away to a different caster who can cope with BIG castings, which my local guy can't handle. Then the chain kit alone is £30, plus the sets of spokes which are bought in WITH their tiny eyelets which form the nipples. The decals are also a small fortune! Big boxes ain't cheap either. The instructions will be of the photographic kind (against my better judgement, but then I used to be a technical illustrator!) So, all in all, you need to start saving. I can't be any more accurate than that. Especially as the owner hasn't had the final casting bills yet. But I can say that a BSA Gold Star is the next full bike, after versions of the Black Shadow have been done. Cheers, Martin