Mercedes 300 SLR Coupé Uhlenhaut (and Mercedes SLS AMG - Revell gift package) - 1:24 scale

[Bengalensis]

Excellent work again Thierry!

 

There are some quite nice photo etched radiator core patterns available on the market, might be an alternative to plain mesh?

[CrazyCrank]

9 hours ago, Bengalensis said:

Excellent work again Thierry!

 

There are some quite nice photo etched radiator core patterns available on the market, might be an alternative to plain mesh?

 

Thanks for the compliment, Jörgen 😎

You're right and I've bought some of them , but, even for those which have the smaller pattern, they look always to me to be a bit out of scale

 

The smallest patterned I own is this one:

 

 

Obviously, I'm open to any other suggestions 😉

 

Edit: I found  This one at Spotmodel store, very similar to the true one,  but, the shipping cost plus the price of the stuff  lead to 20 euros, what is much more than I would accept to pay for a single add-on

 

[Bengalensis]

21 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said:

 

Thanks for the compliment, Jörgen 😎

You're right and I've bought some of them , but, even for those which have the smaller pattern, they look always to me to be a bit out of scale

 

The smallest patterned I own is this one:

 

No,  that's not the pattern I mean. I have this one, from "Crazy Modeler", it's a fairly large sheet. It's a few years old, not if they are still active, but there must be others available today.

 

[CrazyCrank]

1 hour ago, Bengalensis said:

No,  that's not the pattern I mean. I have this one, from "Crazy Modeler", it's a fairly large sheet. It's a few years old, not if they are still active, but there must be others available today.

 

 

I knew them, but they are discontinued 😡

[CrazyCrank]

Morning happy Britmodellers

 

I've worked yesterday during several hours, wearing magnifying glasses, to improve the top water cooling line.

 

It starts with the 8 tubes which come out of the engine block, and continues with the water cooling manifold.

This part adapts on the engine block and its 8 tubes  fit over the 8 engine bloc outlets thanks to rubber sleeves, which are maintained with Cerflex type  hose clamps

 

As you can see on the photograph below :

 

 

I decided to make these rubber sleeves, and began with the half of the sleeves which cover the engine outlets.

 

Here, it was impossible to add anything to make them because the diameter of the outlets is already out of scale, and it's not clever to add more thickness, so I painted them with Tamiya Nato black and matt varnish.

 

In order to have a nice paint covering and regular boundaries for the sleeves, I started with masking:

 

 

And got this after un-masking:

 

 

Then, I continued with the water manifold.

 

Here, I added rubber sleeves using black electrical insulating vinyl tape (In France we call this "Chatterton", probably a brand of this stuff).

I cut out thin strips, about 1.0 mm, and used short sections to wrap the end of the manifold tubes, to represent the superior half of the rubber sleeves

 

 

 

 

 

The junction between the 2 halves of each sleeve, when the manifold will definitely be glued on the engine block,  will be covered by a metal clamp.

 

Then, I added a second cable that will come out of the firewall, and that runs agains the horizontal portion of the manifold, as the water temperature sensor cable.

And to attach them, I used ultra thin strips , about 0.5 mm, of the same black tape

 

 

It was then time to add metal clamps on the three large rubber sleeves of the horizontal portion of the manifold, and also on the 3 rubber straps with maintain the 2 cables along it.

 

 

To make them, I wanted initially to use thin strips of BMF aluminium, but it's been impossible to use properly the one I've in my stash, which doesn't glue anymore

So, I used HASEGAWA  Mirror Finish, which is more resistant and easier to cut in ultra thin strips (0.3 to 0.8 mm wide) and which do not crumple.

Obviously, this stuff is much too shiny for hose clamps, and after putting the clamps in place, I brushed them with matt varnish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two pipes that run from the front of the horizontal portion of the manifold to the lower engine water cooling line still need to be made.
Their dimensions and shapes can only be determined once the engine block is in place on the chassis, and only after the front axle has been fitted.
So that will come later.

 

Stay tuned if you like 😉

 

 

[Sabrejet]

I do love these cars: some great work going on here too, turning a sow's ear into a silk purse.

 

Several years ago the 'red' car was placed in the paddock at Goodwood, atop the equally awesome renntransporter. Most people barely stopped to give it a second glance. Fast forward a few years and it's the most expensive car ever sold. I suspect many people would stop and gawp now, which says a lot about value and worth, and people's perspective of it. But they have always been beautiful vehicles, regardless of all that.

[othertales]

8 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

Stay tuned if you like 😉

I like 😊

[CrazyCrank]

1 hour ago, Sabrejet said:

I do love these cars: some great work going on here too, turning a sow's ear into a silk purse.

 

Several years ago the 'red' car was placed in the paddock at Goodwood, atop the equally awesome renntransporter. Most people barely stopped to give it a second glance. Fast forward a few years and it's the most expensive car ever sold. I suspect many people would stop and gawp now, which says a lot about value and worth, and people's perspective of it. But they have always been beautiful vehicles, regardless of all that.

 

Thank you very much, @Sabrejet for this huge compliment ☺️

And I do agree with your comment  !

One of these days, I'll make the trip to Stuttgart just to admire it up close 😎

[Sabrejet]

...and I just realised that I'd already posted that recollection back in September 2022! Oh dear. My apologies: I'll leave both postings so people can learn from the perils of banging on about the same old stuff. At least my recollection hasn't changed.

 

I do talk to a lot of people, and in my defence I can never remember what I've said to whom.

 

EDIT: it was 2014: photo re-posted by way of an apology.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2024 by Sabrejet

[CrazyCrank]

1 hour ago, Sabrejet said:

...and I just realised that I'd already posted that recollection back in September 2022! Oh dear. My apologies: I'll leave both postings so people can learn from the perils of banging on about the same old stuff. At least my recollection hasn't changed.

 

I do talk to a lot of people, and in my defence I can never remember what I've said to whom.

 

EDIT: it was 2014: photo re-posted by way of an apology.

 

 

 

Looking at this great photograph, I notice that the seat upholstery of the Rennabteilung vehicle seems to be made with the same type of blue tartan fabric than the one which has been used for the 300 SLR race cars and the "blue interior" Uhlenhaut Coupé 🤔

[CrazyCrank]

Well, gentlemen

 

I've glued the upper water cooling line onto the engine block, and, as I announced previously, I've added the fake hose clamps, placing them astride on the two half sleeve of each tube.

In fact, the clamps don't do an entire circle, due to the conception of the engine block water outlets

To make those fake clamps, I havn't used HASEGAWA Mirror Finish, but thin strips of Tamiya masking tape, I'd previously painted silver.

Once placed, I gave them a bit more shine, with a little touch-up of semi-gloss acrylic clear.

 

 

 

 

Similarly, I improved the air intake manifold:

- I painted black the sleeves that are molded in

- And I added for each one of the 8 sleeves 2 clamps, that I made with thin strips of HASEGAWA Mirror Finish, whose shine has been decreases with a little touch-up of matt varnish

- I proceeded the same way to highlight the strap which is molded on the horizontal portion of the manifold

 

 

 

The engine, at the moment, look like this:

 

 

 

It's mostly likely that the outcome would have been far better with photo-etched hose clamps, but I needed 34 of various sizes, and so, knowing the prohibitive final prices of all the aftermarket modeling parts (essentially because of the shipping costs), it would have been an insane expense !
my little bits of nothing do the job properly, for an insignificant cost 🙄

 

See you soon 😉

 

 

[othertales]

1 hour ago, CrazyCrank said:

my little bits of nothing do the job properly, for an insignificant cost 🙄

It’s really great to see your ingenuity in adapting and solving those details. Learning with every post, thank you for sharing with lots of the thought process and close-up photos.

[keefr22]

2 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

my little bits of nothing do the job properly, for an insignificant cost 🙄

 

 

Those are great tips, I especially like the painted Tamiya tape one as those 'clamps' look very good (as do the mirror finish ones, but Tamiya tape is a whole lot easier and cheaper to get in the UK,,,  )

 

And overall, the engine is looking really nice!

 

Keith

 

[CrazyCrank]

9 hours ago, othertales said:

It’s really great to see your ingenuity in adapting and solving those details. Learning with every post, thank you for sharing with lots of the thought process and close-up photos.

 

You're welcome  Thanks to you for your kind comment 😎

 

 

8 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Those are great tips, I especially like the painted Tamiya tape one as those 'clamps' look very good (as do the mirror finish ones, but Tamiya tape is a whole lot easier and cheaper to get in the UK,,,  )

 

And overall, the engine is looking really nice!

 

Keith

 

 

Thank you so much, Keith 👍

 

HASEGAWA Mirror Finish is also hard to get  in France, and very expansive too, but you use only a very small amount of it, it's more durable than BMF which doesn't stick anymore one year after I purchased it.
However, it's more difficult to master its applying technic 🤔

[keefr22]

29 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said:

it's more durable than BMF which doesn't stick anymore one year after I purchased it.

 

Yes, the last sheet of BMF that I bought wouldn't even stick when it was brand new!!

 

Keith

[Toftdale]

The engine is definitely shaping up to be something very special - Andy 

[CrazyCrank]

23 hours ago, Toftdale said:

The engine is definitely shaping up to be something very special - Andy 

 

Thanks Andy 😎

 

I do agree since, at 1:24 scale, the single engine will end with more than 160 parts, most of them quite microscopic, and so, quite invisible at the naked eye 😲

I"m totally crazy ......"Au fou !!"...."Soy loco !" ...."Ich bin total verrückt !"

 

[othertales]

3 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

I"m totally crazy ......"Au fou !!"...."Soy loco !" ...."Ich bin total verrückt !"

And we all have so much joy following you along 🤪

[CrazyCrank]

Morning everybody

 

I've made some significant progress since my last post.

 

First, I've finished to detail the air intake manifold.

 

I hadn't initially noticed that the front part of this kit part is in fact a second engine element which is connected with the manifold, and is possibly made of a different metal.

The colors are very different on the true car:

 

 

So I painted the front end of the kit part with a different color (Alclad Burst iron mixed with Alclad exhaust manifold)

 

 

 

Then, I'd to add the cable which connect this front end with the injection pump.

Making the cable isn't difficult but the connector with the pump is a banjo (there's many of them on this engine)

 

And as I wouldn't want to purchase aftermarket parts, I decided to make my own ones

 

And I used Fusion 360 to design the 3 types of Banjo I've counted on this engine

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

The printed parts are so tiny? Any of them has two0.4 mm holes that are perfectly dug:

 

 

 

And I fabricated my cable, using a banjo that I painted  aluminium and Titanium gold (I put toooo much paint on this one, and the details vanished !)

 

 

 

Here is the finished air intake manifold:

 

 

Next, I painted, wired, and installed the alternator, attempting matching with the real:

 

 

I fabricated the 3 cables, using electrical red and black thin cables (36 AWG) , a metal wire I'd striped out of one of these cables , and 0.5 mm and .3 mm brass tubes (flattened and shaped at one end) :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It just remained to make the clamping collar with retains the alternator on its cradle: a thin strip of HASEGAWA Mirror Finish and two 1.0 mm sections of Nickel-Silver 0.3 mm tube:

 

 

 

I then wired and installed  the partI 3D printed, situated between the oil filter and the alternator, whose name I don't know :

 

 

 

 

Then, I improved the bottom water cooling line, adding the rubber sleeves whit their clamps,  that are present on the true car:

 

 

I did that the same way than for the upper cooling line.

 

 

 

Not satisfied with the starter I had scratched in a very basic way, I designed and printed a new one in 3D:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I assembled the 2 parts that make up the 2 exhaust manifolds, painted them and weathered them:

 

 

 

And to get an idea of how it would render, I just placed them on the engine:

 

 

 

That's all for now, guys 😉

 

 

 

 

 

[keefr22]

More lovely small details, all your work is really impressive!

 

Keith

[CrazyCrank]

Good evening my friends

 

You've probably noticed that I'm currently building fast, much much faster than I've ever done !

 

The truth is that I've been ill for a few months now and I'm waiting for an operation which is scheduled for next Wednesday!
It's a major operation and it's very likely that I'll be out of action for a while.
Don't worry, I'm lucky enough not to have cancer!
I'm usually anxious and you can imagine that this is increasing.

Fortunately, building scale models is an excellent diversion and helps me to calm down, at least to forget about my problem for a while.

So I build, build, build to avoid having the same morbid thoughts over and over again, as much as possible !

 

However, I'm currently waiting for some painted parts to dry, and I can't progress with other elements in the meantime!

 

So, I wondered what I could do tonight and found nothing but the following stupid idea.....
"If I were mad, I could improve the air intake manifold and the upper and lower water cooling pipes a bit more, couldn't I?"

 

But I'm not mad.... just crazy !!!!

 

So, however it's absolutely ridiculous, I decided to add (simulate) the tightening screws onto the largest hose clamps

 

Not guilty, your Honor, it's Mercedes-Benz fault !

 

 

 

To do this, I used  0.3 mm brass tubing, cut into short lengths of 0.5 to 1.0 mm,  tacky glue (Micro Liquid Tape), and I worked with magnifying glasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Yes you're right, the screws are a bit too long on the air intake manifold clamps)

Unfortunately, it took me less than one hour, when I expected to spent several ones, so, I'm now idle, and what's more, I've run out of crazy ideas to put into practice!

Could someone help me? 🤪

 

 

 

 

 

[keefr22]

Yep that is indeed crazy, absolutely nuts in fact - but with an absolutely brilliant result!! Sorry, but I can't think of anything crazier for you to do!! 

 

Best wishes for the op..

 

Keith

[Stick]

Marvellous model detailing 👍🏻

Best wishes

Stick

[Brandy]

No, you're beyond help!

Lovely work though!

 

Ian

[Neddy]

Amazing work as usual!

 

The very best of luck with the op.  Keep in touch even though you may not be modelling for a while, OK?