Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: Greyboy on June 14, 2007, 01:37:46 AM
-
Spurred on by a few positive comments from Landracing's regulars and my own "why not" attitude to most things, I've decided to create a Build Diary for my latest scale modeling project. If this meets with too much abrasion, I'm sure I can be booted off as quick as Paris Hilton can be returned to jail so I've decided just to go ahead and see what happens.
Because there are no kits of this subject, my goal is to scratch build a 1/43 scale, about 2.5" long, replica of Burt Munro's famous "World's Fastest Indian" and display it in a unique way (which shall remain secret at least for the time being!). Starting with some reference pictures from the internet, I traced a side, front and top view on the computer to use as templates. I then cut them out and applied them to a pine block to begin shaping, then hogged out the cockpit recess with my trusty Sherline mill. More to come...
(http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/9256/wfilr1qd2.jpg)
(http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/6092/wfilr2ha5.jpg)
(http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/6908/wfilr3iy4.jpg)
-
After a couple of sessions of filing and sanding, the shape starts to emerge; a bit like a guppy actually...
(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7743/wfilr4xk1.jpg)
-
cool.. can i get ya to carve it in real size?
kent
-
Bert has been a big inspiration to a lot of people. Its a real shame he is not around to see the movie and all those that he has inspried.
Keep up the good work are you going to make rolling wheels for the project?
Regards Whitworthsocket
-
Thx for the kind words .. No rolling wheels :( it'll be mounted firmly to a salty base.
Grey
-
Looks good, real nice piece... I would like number 1 off the assembly line...
Keep the pictures coming as you make progress..
Jon
-
Enter Mini Burt...
Burt started life as an Formula 1 "lollipop" guy (the brave guy who holds the stop sign on a stick on pit row as the car comes hurtling toward him). He's a diorama accessory figure you buy separately for 1/43rd scale European diecast model cars.
I cut off his arms, legs and head, then put a brass wire in where his neck was so I could bend back his reattached head; ouch. Next I took a thin plastic rod and glued it over his brow and down each side of his face; were the edge of the helmet would be.
(http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/2878/wfilr5la9.jpg)
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9871/wfilr6yh9.jpg)
The helmet mass was filled in using a slurry of crazy glue and fiberglass micro-balloons. This mixture yields a uniform, sandable surface; it's kind of like sand castle building in miniature, only in a hurry. Once nestled in his cockpit, Mini-Burt looks quite at home peering over the nose of the bike.
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9612/wfilr7hi4.jpg)
(http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6062/wfilr8rq6.jpg)
-
hey check it out... a roach clip!!! i haven't seen one of those since the 70's :mrgreen: ya got a brown paper bag to go along with the super glue? I see now, lollipops, super glue, and roach clips.. must be the secret for working in miniature. I see my fault now, I've been using drums of resin, rolls of cloth and all i can do is full size :-D Keep up the good work
kent
-
Dern Bikers. :roll:
-
1212, don't forget the lacquer thinner.... good fer what ails you
-
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/DahMurf/Smileys/rotfl.gif)
Kewl project, you do good work! Love mini Burt! Keep the updates coming, this is fun to watch! (or is it just the percoset? hehehe)
Deb
-
Way to go Grey i have nothing but admiration for any one that works that small
love the build pics,keep em coming.
-
This past weekend I started on the wheels. Since this is a "curbside" model (the car-modelers term for no detail under the skin) the wheels won't turn. As a result, I got the benefit of being able to turn a rim and cut it in half to get two sides :wink: I think I'll eventually glue a clear laser output with blurred (as if spinning) spokes between the rim halves since my intent is to build a base that gives the impression of speed. more on that later. The tires are small plumbing O-rings from Ace Hardware. Somehow, I was able to avoid mangling any fingers or parts ... there's always next time ...
(http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/5407/wfilr9ew3.jpg)
-
Next was the tri-tail. The center fin was cut out of styrene and inserted in a vertical slot cut into the body. A large square hole had already been cut in it to the dimensions of the rectangular brass tubing shown. Two short lengths of this tubing were glued together to form the supports for the outboard fins, which were laminated out of two layers so that I could recess the tubing into the fins. I built up the bodywork beneath the windshield and started laying in the trim lip around the cockpit opening and central trim that runs the length of the body. These were just thin .020 plastic rod that was super-glued to the fuselage. Those two bent black things in the foreground of the second picture are the start of the snorkel air intakes that would go on either side of the windshield. They were just sections of a parts tree that were bent over a candle flame.
(http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/7245/wfilr10nz9.jpg)
(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1032/wfilr11ms5.jpg)
-
Various holes and recesses needed to be worked into the underbelly of the Indian. From left to right a mounting hole for the wire support to the base, two holes for the tailpipes to emerge from, and the two dumbbell-shaped recesses for the training-wheel supports (those were hard for me to do). Also later reference pictures showed the opening for the front tire more this hourglass shape than the slot I had it to allow the front wheel to turn.
Second, for a change of pace I turned the small training wheels out of a section of knitting needle and built up the brackets from bits of plastic. Lastly I made a detail panel for the machinery that appears through the windscreen. The platform was built up using bits of plastic and aluminum from reference pictures of the Indian with its bodywork removed. The roll bar is a 1/16" piece of brass rod and will frame the rear edge of the windscreen.
(http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8696/wfilr13cq4.jpg)
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/8126/wfilr12rm1.jpg)
(http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3378/wfilr14jt9.jpg)