imster Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 So I am weighing up whether I should begin my MFH Porsche 962 and as I am going through the thought process I have come across many questions which need answering: 1) To begin with the whole kit is white metal, I think the total weight is in excess of 1kg, based on my thinking wouldnt the white metal suspension arms warp and bend under so much weight? 2) Wouldnt pieces sag or warp over time just due to gravity? 3) The white metal seems so delicate that I even worry about paint flaking if the white metal bends or warps? Anyone with experience on the matter please chime in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) Absolutely - yes it will sag. I built a 1/24 Wills Finecast Rolls Royce Silver Ghost many many years ago. Within a few weeks the wheels were angled in at the top and the car sat lower. As time went on it got worse. It was nerve-wracking to gently bend the axles straight without breaking them. After that the car sat on two small blocks of wood under the engine and body. No more problem. My advice - add some kind of supports under the model as you are building it. Even small tubes of ally could be C/A'd out of sight behind the wheels or somewhere. Just make sure they are supporting the car - not the axles or you gain nothing and it will still sag. Roy. Edited March 11, 2016 by roymattblack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imster Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Thanks Roy, I will do as you say mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratecruncher Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I like to cyanoacrylate several coins together and place the stack under the bottom of the crankcase or other place close to the center of gravity. The coin pedestal will take the weight of the model and prevent suspension sag without modifying the vehicle. Paint doesn't stick to polished white metal very well without etching primer. I like to use Tamiya's Metal Primer or Gunze's Mr. Metal Primer decanted into my airbrush. After drying you can also improve durability by placing freshly painted white metal parts into the oven on "warm" for about 20 minutes. The heat will drive off any remaining solvent and harden up the finish. Everybody has their own system and I know you'll experiment until you find something that works best for you. You can test adhesion with that really sticky duct tape you get in the home stores. If you can pull the tape off a white metal test sample without the paint coming off your good to go!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imster Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 I like to cyanoacrylate several coins together and place the stack under the bottom of the crankcase or other place close to the center of gravity. The coin pedestal will take the weight of the model and prevent suspension sag without modifying the vehicle. Paint doesn't stick to polished white metal very well without etching primer. I like to use Tamiya's Metal Primer or Gunze's Mr. Metal Primer decanted into my airbrush. After drying you can also improve durability by placing freshly painted white metal parts into the oven on "warm" for about 20 minutes. The heat will drive off any remaining solvent and harden up the finish. Everybody has their own system and I know you'll experiment until you find something that works best for you. You can test adhesion with that really sticky duct tape you get in the home stores. If you can pull the tape off a white metal test sample without the paint coming off your good to go!!! Thanks for the advice cratecruncher! Ive got some etch primer from Zero Paints so I shall see how I go with that stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratecruncher Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 imster, on 12 Mar 2016 - 06:47 AM, said:Thanks for the advice cratecruncher! Ive got some etch primer from Zero Paints so I shall see how I go with that stuff Thank you Imster. I've gotten a ton of insight and motivation from your excellent RC166 build thread recently and just glad to return the favor. Keep building! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imster Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 Thank you Imster. I've gotten a ton of insight and motivation from your excellent RC166 build thread recently and just glad to return the favor. Keep building! Cheers mate I'm looking forward to your progress on that Brough kit, based on your start its gonna look awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICMF Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 To answer your questions: 1. Potentially (depends on the kit, suspension, assembly method, etc., but it can definitely happen) 2. If you mean, 'will an individual piece collapse under its own weight', then no; if you mean, 'would the combined weight of the finished model pull the whole thing down' then... see #1, though the short answer is yes. 3. You need to prime the metal properly, with a metal etching primer. For what it's worth, I'd suggest taking a look through the white metal parts in your kit. Most MFH kits will include a spacer to attach under the chassis, to prevent sagging, though they're not always listed in the instructions. I don't know about the 1/24 962, but you can see it in step 16 of the 1/12 956 - the round bit on the far bottom right in the diagram showing the nose being attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imster Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 To answer your questions: 1. Potentially (depends on the kit, suspension, assembly method, etc., but it can definitely happen) 2. If you mean, 'will an individual piece collapse under its own weight', then no; if you mean, 'would the combined weight of the finished model pull the whole thing down' then... see #1, though the short answer is yes. 3. You need to prime the metal properly, with a metal etching primer. For what it's worth, I'd suggest taking a look through the white metal parts in your kit. Most MFH kits will include a spacer to attach under the chassis, to prevent sagging, though they're not always listed in the instructions. I don't know about the 1/24 962, but you can see it in step 16 of the 1/12 956 - the round bit on the far bottom right in the diagram showing the nose being attached. Thanks for your help mate I shall have a look and see if MFH have supplied a spacer, if not I'm sure it will be a doddle to make one, or I might just have this model on jackstands with the wheels off for display Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now