Jump to content

Tamiya 1/12 Repsol Honda RC213V


drgarbanzo

Recommended Posts

I'm a long time reader of the forums but I've never before done a build log of anything I've done. I normally stick to cars of the motorsport variety but decided to expand my horizons slightly and build a bike. It'll be the second bike I've built with the previous one being a Ducati Panigale that I built as a gift for my father. I tend to end up with multiple kits on the go at the same time so I'm hoping that posting here keeps me a little more on track from start to finish. 

The following has been assembled for the build:

 

Fd6DJm2l.jpg

SBMMPm1l.jpg?1

The paints and detail kit didn't arrive till today so in the mean time I cracked on with some of the other bits. 

spacer.png

Body panels assembled and the fit checked.

spacer.png

Panels primed and items needing to be metalic sprayed semi gloss black.

spacer.png

Painting of the engine started. While I do have an airbrush I need to use it outside which isn't going to work this weeks weather so I ended up brush painting the different bits. 

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

The rest of the evening was spent carbon fibring and decalling the front mudguard. Theres a couple of wrinkles in the piece thats on top which aren't as noticable in real life and should be able to be worked out when it comes time for a coat of clear. I also ended up using 1/24 scale carbon decals because my research indicates that the carbon pattern is not the most prominent on the real thing and it's what I have on hand given my usual hobby store is entirely out of scale motorsports carbon sheets atm. I lucked out on the paint set as well given Zero Paints are hard to get in Australia and I got the last set in stock.

 

Thanks for reading and more soon.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another update and while small its still a step in the right direction. Yesterday was all about the assembly of the clutch which took a little time but came out ok in the end as can be seen below:

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

 

You might notice the odd bottle of glue in the background which is what I've mostly transferred to instead of superglue which even though I was using a gel type I wasn't happy with how brittle it was. The mig ultra glue is some kind of pva derivitave glue which allows for movement while gluing and seems to stick stuff decently well without the brittleness.

 

Today has been adding more etch and building sub assemblies like the rear sprocket and the disks that will end up forming the front disks. Hobby design instructions are always a little vague so it's best to have the kit parts to hand so that you can reference their construction. I'm ignoring the chain for the minute cause it's Friday night here in Australia and I need to have my whits about me to pull it off successfully.

 

spacer.png

spacer.png

I also removed the molded trim off the body panels in prep for the colour to go down which I would have started today but being Spring here we got storms and high humidity which are not ideal airbrushing conditions.

spacer.png

 

Till next time and thanks for looking in

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following this, I have the Honda '99 NSR 500 in the stash, although I have never done a bike, I thought I ought to do one just to see what its all about!

You mention the chain, do you have a photo etch chain set for yours?

 

Malc.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Malc2 said:

Following this, I have the Honda '99 NSR 500 in the stash, although I have never done a bike, I thought I ought to do one just to see what its all about!

You mention the chain, do you have a photo etch chain set for yours?

 

Malc.

I'd like to do that bike at some point but in the doohan colours because it feels right. The chain is part of the hobby design kit that I bought but as you can see from the image below its an intimidating prospect and something I tried on the last bike I built but it ended with twisted etch and piles of superglue but I think I have a method figured out this time and the new glue should help I think. 

spacer.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, thats going to be interesting, its a whole different concept to the TopStudio chain set.

The TS chain is the only part I have done for my bike so far, it was emotional......... Pic below.

If I may, the best tip I can pass on is to not use tweezers, this just results in feeding the carpet monster.

I used a cocktail stick with a tiny bit of bluetack on the end to pick up and hold the chain plates/pivots etc and put them in position.

 

(PS - I think having multiple kits on the go is part of the modelling lexicon!)

 

IMG-6825-Copy.jpg

 

M.

Edited by Malc2
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Hobby Design makes the best looking chain. It's a bit fiddly and you really need a jig of sorts but it's fairly straight forward to put together. I use a bit of card and thread. Also I've switched to Loctite power flex superglue. I see you're in Oz so I get that from Bunnings. Just squeeze some out on a card and use a pin to apply. Cut 87 and 88 first, then glue the rollers then glue the outer links.

 

spacer.png

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, gamblor916 said:

I think Hobby Design makes the best looking chain. It's a bit fiddly and you really need a jig of sorts but it's fairly straight forward to put together. I use a bit of card and thread. Also I've switched to Loctite power flex superglue. I see you're in Oz so I get that from Bunnings. Just squeeze some out on a card and use a pin to apply. Cut 87 and 88 first, then glue the rollers then glue the outer links.

 

spacer.png

That looks excellent all stuck together tbh. This might be a silly question but did you glue all of the pins into one side before the other?

I started to glue the pins in this afternoon trying to make sure they're all sitting straight so that I can get the other side on easier when that happens. I was using loctite superglue but switched to gorilla gel superglue because it comes in a bigger bottle but for this I'm using mig ultra glue which is a pva based glue that has been showing good results so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I would glue pins on one side, pva is fine for this. Put in the small sprocket, attach the other side, no glue but hold it in place with thread. Then working in groups of 3 or 4 links glue the outer links with super glue. Move the thread, glue another set and so on. Flip it and repeat for the other side. The big sprocket you can shimmy in at the end. Install on the bike and fit the last 2 links. I've done a few this way and it works with a bit of patience.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that @gamblor916 I'll give it a go. Below is where I made it to last night gluing the pins into the chain. My secret tweezer weapon is a pair of eyebrow tweezers donated by my partner because they have nice flat blades and seem to not ping things across the universe as quickly.

 

spacer.png

spacer.png

 

Today I decided to make the most of the good weather and start getting the painting done. I'm using the zero paints colour matched set for this and the first step was getting all of the body panels painted white to act as a base coat for the fluro colours that are to follow. It's not my first time using these paints but I still managed to get a couple of small spots of crazing where I didn't wait quite long enough between coats. They're pretty small though and shouldn't affect the final finish so I'll leave them for now.

spacer.png

 

The other parts I managed to get done was the frame and rear swing arm. It's the first time I've used zero's metallic colours and I must say I'm impressed. They went down super smooth and I have piles left so it'll get deployed on other kits in the future. 

spacer.png

 

Thanks for looking in and have a good Sunday.

 

PS. Part of the reason I'm keen to get the painting sorted is I go back to teaching on Tuesday and unlike last term where I was teaching from home for the full term we are going back to the classroom and I'll have less time in the afternoons to get this sort of stuff done.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the likes guys and it's time for another update. They probably won't be quite as frequent after today cause its back to work for me but now that I have reached this point I can plug away in the evenings pretty easily.

 

After yesterdays white was laid down I got the first I got the masking for the fluro orange done last night while waiting for the glue to set up on the roller pins.

spacer.png

 

Today I managed to get the orange sprayed and also got ambushed by a less than friendly red bellied black snake that came up behind me while I was spraying outside.

spacer.png

 

With the orange in the brush I also got the wheels done but to my eyes they aren't really straight orange so I mixed a little fluro red into the mix and think I got it right.

spacer.png

spacer.png

 

Once the orange was dry I masked up for the red and got that onto the model followed by a light coat of clear to help with the decal placement. 

spacer.png

 

One thing I did learn today (apart from I really don't like snakes appearing behind me) is that my process with zero paints needs to change a little. I've always built up super light coats in the hope of avoiding it eating into the plastic underneath. I tried slightly heavier coats with both the metallic silver and the fluro red and they worked better than my previous attempts no crazing to be seen so I'll keep that in mind for my future builds. 

 

Thanks for looking in and more in the future.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you use the Tamiya demarcation stickers, and cut them out yourself? If so, kudos to you (I didn't fancy that and opted for the pre-cut sheet). 

 

My #93 and RCV decals are now pink after bleeding through. Probably my own fault as I wasn't using any clear coat prior to decals back then. Hopefully you're too switched on to make my rookie mistake (I've got some extra decals to go over the top, when I can get around to it). 

 

Great work and an interesting build to follow. 👍

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, slippers said:

Did you use the Tamiya demarcation stickers, and cut them out yourself? If so, kudos to you (I didn't fancy that and opted for the pre-cut sheet). 

 

My #93 and RCV decals are now pink after bleeding through. Probably my own fault as I wasn't using any clear coat prior to decals back then. Hopefully you're too switched on to make my rookie mistake (I've got some extra decals to go over the top, when I can get around to it). 

 

Great work and an interesting build to follow. 👍

Hi Slippers,

Firstly thanks for the compliments.

I did end up using the tamiya demarcation stickers that I cut out and they didn't end up being as onerous as I first assumed. The amount of additional masking needed to cover the remainder of the body panels meant they weren't as useful as they could have been. 

I'll keep that in mind with the decals but I have put a coat of clear on already in preparation for the decals. I don't normally bother even when using zero paints but the non glossy surface of the paint makes it hard to move decals around during placement and I wanted that security. I've also read online that the decals in this kit are a little fragile so anything I can do to prevent that is worth while.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, paulyoung666 said:

Looking good , definitely not something to be rushing , got some money invested there !!!.

 

 Going back a couple of posts , have a look at wax pencils for picking up small bits of PE , they work a treat 👍

Thanks Paul.

 

I do have one of those pencils that I think came from ump and while it does the job I prefer the eyebrow tweezer for some things and my bent nose tamiya ones for other jobs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A small update this time without pictures. 

I got the last of the pins in the first side of the chain and thought I'd "relax" by starting on the decals. These are some of tamiyas finest and by that I mean they are made by themselves instead of cartograf jobbies and they're just not fun. They're super delicate and like to explode into pieces if you push them too hard. The decals on the 787B which has been a stop and start build had decals that went on more easily and that was with an example that was produced in 1992 for my example. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rightyo must be time for another update. A week to the day since I got annoyed at the decals I went back to it yesterday and got a majority of the remainder on the model. Still not a fan of tamiya's own decals and prefer the cartograph versions but it is what it is and with a little touch up paint it shouldn't be noticeable under the clear anyways. I also know the orange isn't as smooth as it could be but that was inproper application of the zero paints on my part and I came to realise with the red that slightly thicker coats make a massive difference to their ability to eat plastic possible because with a thicker coat you end up with less thinners and more paint particles reaching the model. This is another thing I hope reduces when the clearcoat goes onto the panels hopefully over the weekend when the weather is finally clear and sunny instead of dreary and grey which it has been all week.

 

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

 

Thanks for looking and more updates soon.

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another small update on the RC213V. I'm getting closer to having a number of sub assemblies ready to go into the finished kit. The bit I'm happiest with is the chain becuase it is together and in one piece. I am aware that the stand off for the chain isn't centred but I'll double check it when it comes to assembly so that the screw goes thorough the rear swing arm.

 

The engine needs a panel line wash but is close to ready to go into the frame and its final home on this model. Pictures below:

 

spacer.png

spacer.png

 

eYKGNK5l.jpg

 

W1z0NkZl.jpg?1

 

Thanks for looking and more soon.

 

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Slow but steady progress since my last update. The main bits that needed carbon fibring have been done and all of the main decals are done. 

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

I've also touched up all of the decals that cracked when being placed on the body panels and they and the carbon fibre above are ready for clear but the weather has no been cooperating with yesterday being the sunniest day all week but the humidity was high so I opted not to get the clear on. 

In the mean time the chassis has been progressing along with today seeing the rear swing arm being attached along with the rear wheel. It's starting to look like an actual bike now rather than a collection of parts. 

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

spacer.png

 

Thanks for looking and more soon.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

A small update to finish the year. This model got stalled first by work getting really busy and then the summer weather being replaced by constant storms and drizzle for 6 weeks. That made getting the body panels clear coated rather difficult but yesterday was a good weather day and I cracked on with it as seen below:

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

I also made a new parts holder out of the cardboard that came in an ikea box and it seems to work fairly well.

 

Today was another good day weather wise so I managed to get the exhaust sprayed. Not generally being a builder of bikes I thought I'd give heat staining a go. For a first attempt I think it came out ok and am certainly happy with the results given most of it will be hidden under the body work on the final model. The process taken is shown below.

spacer.png

7nc5Qx7l.jpg

iWI3UZQl.jpg

uwsY5v6l.jpg

ByZQkQJl.jpg

 

Thanks for looking and I hope you have a good new year.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 05/10/2021 at 07:00, drgarbanzo said:

I do have one of those pencils that I think came from UMP

I'm 99% certain that the UMP pencils are not wax because they look absolutely identical to generic Chinese-made white pencils (despite being about three times the cost) and they are not true wax pencils. A wax pencil has an obviously translucent yellow tip and very good tack, while the white pencils are almost useless in comparison.

 

Just my tip for the day. 🙂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

After a fairly decent break away from the bench due to a difficult term of work dealing with the fallout from the scrapping of covid restrictions I finally had some time and head space to get on with this kit and it's finally finished. I'll just post some progress pics in here and post a rfi thread with the final photos of the kit. When I left the kit I was a decent amount of the way through it with the back wheel and motor being fitted.

 

Box of bits

spacer.png

 

It's on two wheels

WicHun4h.jpg

 

Polished Panels

7D6Xkz9h.jpg

Final shots of under the fairings before they where put on and a sneak peak before the ready for inspection thread.

McKVCunh.jpg

NzoxnCHh.jpg

WkgShBqh.jpg

 

Thanks for looking

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...