MFH Porsche 917/20 Pink Pig 1/12 aka "Biting off more than I can chew?"

[DoctorB]

More progress on the doors... definitely an improvement... not 100% there but getting there with my trusty pliers and a soft cloth to protect the metal.  

 

Plus - and I suspect the MFH fans out there know this already - an awful lot of part sorting.  I'll spare you any pictures.  It's best summarised by a large purchase of storage boxes, including one labelled 'UISP'.  Unidentified Small Parts.  There are a lot of small parts that are not so readily identifiable from either the parts list or the instructions.  

 

 

 

 

[RL930]

Nice work so far - I'll follow as I have the 1/24 917/30 to build as my first MFH kit, and I need tips and inspiration!

[DoctorB]

RL930, the key ingredient seems to be patience!  Please post pics of the instructions and the parts. I’d love to see how 1/24 compares to 1/12. 

[Flintstone]

You are making great progress with this 917.

Having seen the car outside at Goodwood, I think the darker pink is more appropriate than the lighter one.

I suppose you also have the option of the white livery the car used at the April test weekend and two hour race? I appreciate that this option is a bit tame compared to the full pink pig livery!

[DoctorB]

No photos today as the work was lots of cleaning up parts, washing, drying, test fitting... you know the drill!  Should be painting some more engine parts tomorrow as well as test fitting the engine subframe.

 

Thanks for the comments, Flintstone... it sparked a thought... I'm going to prime in white then perhaps a coat of the light pink to see how it looks... and it might be no bad 'second primer' for the darker pink if this looks like the better route in the end.

[RL930]

On 3/23/2022 at 5:06 PM, DoctorB said:

RL930, the key ingredient seems to be patience!  Please post pics of the instructions and the parts. I’d love to see how 1/24 compares to 1/12. 

Hi DrB - here it is....

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by RL930

[DoctorB]

Thanks, RL930.  I love the colour scheme on that car.  Good luck with that.  I see the 'bags of bits' packaging approach applies to all MFH models.

 

I'll take a deeper look at these instructions as i'd consider this as a project myself... once/if ever the Pink Pig is finished.

 

Why the Pink Pig?  We lived in Germany for a few years, and I've always had a soft spot for Porsche, so one half-term I took the kids on a road trip... Stuttgart, Nuremberg and back to Frankfurt.  We stopped in Zuffenhausen - Porsche's home town - and visited the museum.  Well worth a visit.  And absolutely fell in love with the Pink Pig.  It's so absurd it's sublime.

 

Anyway, today's work has been on painting and fitting then some corrections on the... I'm not sure what the name would be... but you'll see from the pictures

 

I realised that I had missed a seamline that needed filing so a small re-spray needed on the ends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by DoctorB
Typo

[DoctorB]

 

First real gluing today.  Cylinder heads (I think).  Bit of care needed with the instructions.  The parts are asymmetric and it is possible to see this on the instructions as long as you look very carefully.  

 

Final coat of semigloss black on the engine block before the gearbox end gets sprayed 'steel'.  The instructions say steel + black; I think this won't be enough contrast versus the other parts of the engine so considering going off-piste.

 

 

Also some clean-up on the clear engine parts... air intake funnels, etc.  These (i) cleaned up better than expected and (ii) took longer than expected.  The before and after didn't show so well on photos.  Definitely worth the sand/buff/polish + repeat routine.  Still need a final work over then a wash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by DoctorB
Typo

[DoctorB]

Gearbox 'end' painted steel (Mr Hobby + Mr Hobby aqueous thinner).  Glad I didn't do the specified steel + black as there would have been even less contrast.

 

 

Added these parts... they sit between the two flat sixes to make it a flat twelve... if anyone knows what these are called, please feel free to educate me.

 

 

 

Assembled these fellas... the intake funnels go on top.  another example of low contrast paint... the body is gun metal plus black... the stubby parts are flat black.

 

 

Then test fitting the cylinders into the block and the cylinder head on to the cylinders.  Generally, better than i feared.  There is a gap between cylinder and cylinder head... some of the cylinders fit well... one or two don't seat all the way down on the reciprocating fitment lug on the cylinder head (which is white metal).  

 

 

 

Next step is to prime and paint the small parts that are added to, e.g, the cylinder heads.

 

 

[johnlambert]

It's looking good.  I wonder if the part between the sets of three cylinders is the drive for the camshafts?

[silver911]

If I may...in using solitary colours...the only contrast will be a false one created by natural shadows cast by detail/lighting...which...in itself...can never reveal the true 'depth' of a given part.

It's by using different colours and 'shades'...that we enhance said detail...and reveal the true depth of such.

Even with a 1/12 kit of this complexity and detail...much of it will be lost when using a single colour or shade...which...given the cost of these kits...it's a shame not to use even a basic technique...such as 'dry brushing'...to bring out all that detail.

 

Ron

[klubman01]

11 hours ago, johnlambert said:

It's looking good.  I wonder if the part between the sets of three cylinders is the drive for the camshafts?

Yes, they are the cam drives. 

Trevor

[DoctorB]

Dry brushing sounds like a good recommendation, Ron. This build is one where I’m going to take it very slowly. So any input that makes it better is much appreciated. 
 

I’ll make a start over the coming days and share the results. 

[silver911]

27 minutes ago, DoctorB said:

Dry brushing sounds like a good recommendation, Ron. This build is one where I’m going to take it very slowly. So any input that makes it better is much appreciated. 
 

I’ll make a start over the coming days and share the results. 

 

Not knowing your skill set where painting is concerned...what I would offer is this.....

When choosing colours to enhance detail...don't be fooled into using too bright a shade over a dark colour...i.e. silver over your dark metals would not look right...instead...use a colour a couple of shades lighter...in  your case steel or iron over the gearbox.

A lot of choices can...and should be made...using 1:1 ref pics...this is how I always work my metals.

Another option are 'pin washes'...this being a better technique tha an overall wash in 1/12...which will serve to enhance difficult areas to reach when dry brushing alone doesn't give you the 'depth' you desire.

Keep in mind though...dry brushing is for raised detail...with pin washes and overall washes being for the 'valleys' so to speak.

 

Hope this makes sense mate.

 

Ron

[Sabrejet]

I think these casings are magnesium alloy and have a surface treatment which varies from black to very dark brown. So there are a number of options I think. Also the cylinders are often left in bare aluminium alloy (silver) finish, so it doesn't all have to be 'black'.

[Noel Smith]

You have certainly taken on a bit of a challenge with that complex MFH kit.

I do a bit of scratch building and treat every sub assembly as a model in its own right. Take your time, digest the instructions, do dry runs etc. There will be a fair bit of preparation to do on a model kit with so many diverse parts in different materials. Making a model from differing materials needs a different approach to making a plastic kit with regard to various adhesives needed etc. But if you have some experience under your belt building plastic kits, in essence there will be many similarities in the modelling skills required. So this should not be too daunting a task. It will be a bit of a long haul due to the complexity of the kit and the differing materials, but the experience should be an enjoyable whilst going through a bit of a learning curve.

[DoctorB]

Thanks, Noel... I am taking this very slowly.  I've built a lot of Tamiya kits recently and - while they're great - they almost go together too well.  So the test, file/drill, re-test and repeat approach for an MFH kit is really different.  Starting to enjoy it 🙂

[DoctorB]

Engine parts with a very light pinwash of steel and chrome silver dry brushing.  First real go at this.  Think it's an improvement.  A little heavier than I'd like in places but overall - and especially from any distance other than point blank - a nice impression.

 

 

 

[DoctorB]

No updates for a week or so while holidays get in the way of modelling 

[DoctorB]

Today's update...

 

Alternators primed and sprayed silver.  I had to fill a massive gap between the 2 lower halves.  Came up much better than expected after painting.  That seems to be a lesson I'm taking out of this.  The white metal parts don't look great unpainted.  A bit of preparation and paint, and the detail really pops out.

 

 

 

Then I test-fitted that cylinders etc.  

 

 

The air intakes didn't fit so well into the clear piece if the clear piece was fitted to the engine first.  

 

 

So tried the reverse and that seemed to work better.

 

 

Finally, glued the cylinders and heads into place.

 

 

[DoctorB]

Weighing in at a mighty 220g!

[CrazyCrank]

1 hour ago, DoctorB said:

Today's update...

 

Alternators primed and sprayed silver.  I had to fill a massive gap between the 2 lower halves.  Came up much better than expected after painting.  That seems to be a lesson I'm taking out of this.  The white metal parts don't look great unpainted.  A bit of preparation and paint, and the detail really pops out.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice job and wonderful engine 👍
On this first photo, it's not the alternator but a distributor  😉

 

[DoctorB]

Thanks, CrazyCrank... I think I need the Haynes manual for the 917/20.  Should such a thing exist.

 

A little more preparation this evening.  If I couldn't tell the difference between the alternator and the distributor, my eternal gratitude to anyone who knows what these are 🙂 ! 

 

Sanding, drilling, straightening... 

 

I used epoxy to glue the heavy engine parts.  I am assuming that superglue will be best for the smaller engine pieces, e.g., the throttle?

 

I will also take my first dive into the photoetched components tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DoctorB]

Small amount of priming and painting of small parts mentioned above.  Trying to keep going 'one day at a time' on the engine.  Little bits when i can.  Lots of tricky small parts. 

[DoctorB]

Progress on the engine this weekend.  Generally good; problem attaching one of the throttle springs (the wire loops at the end of the springs didn't seem big enough, ended up over-stretching the spring).

 

Added a few more details with some silver paint on nuts.

 

 

The way I've fitted the (?) throttles is asymmetric.  I believe that this is right as the parts are definitely not symmetrical and the intake manifolds (? not sure whether I've correctly identified these... the long pieces of the engine?)

 

 

 

Going to take a breather, re-group and start to gather and prepare the final pieces needed for the engine... pulleys, etc...

 

There is one area where I'd value some advice, please.  The instructions say build the frame then slide the engine in.  I remember reading the only 917/20 build that i ever found (which only got as far as the engine) which stated that this sliding the engine into the frame is a well-known fit problem.

 

Anyone who has built one of these... any reason why it's not possible to assemble the frame around the engine?