Waxing

After masking and painting the car blue, the scotch tape I used to mask the larger areas left a nasty adhesive residue. After some consultation with my Dad, I went out and got some Carnuaba wax and a flannel cloth


Here are a couple of shots of the adhesive left on the paint




After trying some of the wax on the inside of the engine cover, it looks like it will not ruin the paint. So here I am applying the wax with a Q-tip


Let is dry for about 15 seconds and buff it off with the flannel cloth


Wow! What great results






Total: 66.5h

The mask is off!

Well today is the day. I'm done painting blue on the monocoque. It's time to remove the masking tape and see how I did. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone with experience in modelling that the paint job is perhaps the most tedious, most time consuming and most important part of any model. You can spend a year recreating an engine so exact that you could actually fire it up, but if the body of the car doesn't shine, nobody will take a second look under the hood.

Here it is, the Scotch tape is off. Unfortunately it left some nasty adhesive on the car. Not quite sure what I'm going to do with my limited resources to cut this stuff


And now with the masking tape off...






So time for some self critique. I got some overspray on the car here. That's my mistake, and I think I can clean it up pretty well. Doesn't bother me too much as it's been a long time since I've done this.


But this is troubling. Paint wicked under the mask here. On this kit it's no problem, as a red decal will cover that area. It bothers me though, because if I've got another two color kit coming up without a decal in a position like this, Tamiya mask isn't going to cut it.


Here again, paint wicked under the masking tape. Apparently, I need to work on my technique or try a different masking material


Looks like the contours are right on


Here are the other components painted blue. Some like the mirrors and chimneys still need to be painted on the other side. The undertray still needs to be masked and painted black. Notice the blue paint on the rear wings. I decided to mask this, as I never liked covering anything with a white decal just to make the painting easier.


The undersides of the rear wings, oddly enough, the paint did NOT wick here. I wonder what I did differently?


All in all, I'm going to declare this a success, but I need some time to think how I'm going to cut the left over scotch tape adhesive from the white paint.

Total: 65 h

Some detail painting

I did some fine detail painting today, and sprayed the last coat of blue on the monocoque. Everything looks really good, I can't wait to start putting it together



Total: 64 h

Ladies and Gentlemen we have epoxy!

Well Araldite passses the test. There is a whole bunch of glue on top of the Mirinda bottle cap. It's hard, it dried in a few minutes, it's clear, it's epoxy.

A trip to the hobby shop

Well I had to make a trip to the local hobby shop (www.phantom.pl) today to get some paints that I didn't have, and didn't want to mail order. I forgot what a joy it is to paint with enamel. The paint coated the parts so well. I also forgot what a pain it is to paint with enamel. No matter what you do you can never get the brush perfectly clean like after using the Tamiya acrylics.



While I was out and about I also picked up some 5 minute epoxy. I've only used Devcon before, and it doesn't seem to be available in Poland, so I'm going to test Soudal Araldite. I should have an example pic available later.

Total: 63 h

brake details

Put the final touches on the brakes today



Inside a wheel view


So, I decided a long time ago to glue the bottom half of the sidepods on the car, so I could use putty to smooth on the seams where the parts fit together. A consequence of this is that it is very difficult to spray inside the sidepods. So I took a plastic bottlecap and sprayed a bunch of blue spray paint inside it. I then returned to my work area and used a ruined brush to paint inside the sidepods. You can see brushstrokes inside the sidepods here.


One or two more coats of blue, and I'll be done painting the metallic blue and hopefully the brushstrokes won't be visable.


Man, that's shiny


Total: 62 h

Masking

Time for what looks to be the second most difficult part about building this kit...spraying the blue.

It was really difficult to figure out exactly where the blue sidepods should be masked. I wound up cutting the red pinstripe decals out of the decal sheet, and holding them against the model to judge where the edge of the blue should be. The kit provides a pair of white decals which I used as a template for the shapes on the monocoque in front of the sidepod. I traced these cut out decals in pencil on Tamiya 1cm wide masking tape. After a bit of trial and error (3 hours or so!) I think I finally got it right.






Also masked the underside of the front wing elements and the top of the lower rear wing element for gloss black






Total: 60 h

Mock up

Just a mock up to see how things are coming

Let's try again

Forgive me modelling Gods for I have sinned...

I used too much decal setting solution and caused the decal on the upper rear wishbones to wrinkle. Furthermore, I broke one of the commandments, I started performing a difficult task on one of the most visible parts rather than trying it out first on a less visible part.

Let's try again with much less decal setting solution


Yes that's much better, sometimes it is necessary to follow the kit directions. "Cut out each transfer individually and immerse in warm water for approx. 20 seconds. Slide transfer off paper and into designated position, then press on with blotting paper"


Well here it is. I now know why they wouldn't stick yesterday, I was soaking the decals for 60 seconds, probably dissolving much of their adhesive. Plus I expected they would magically fold into place. When soaking them for 15-20 seconds and using paper towel to press them in place it worked very well. I brushed one very thin coat of decal setting solution on the adhesive side which helped them to stick without wrinkling. Top is the decal I placed today, bottom are the decals that I didn't do well


Now that I'm good at this again, I went gung-ho and put carbon decals on many other parts.


All the components were completed, so I assembled the gearbox and rear suspension assembly together.






Total: 57 h

Hour by hour

These are photos of the progress made on the rear wishbones. Once an hour I applied a thin coat of decal setting solution, hoping the decal would eventually settle into place nicely

Beginning


Hour 2


Hour 3


Hour 4

Decals

Time to put the carbon fiber decals on the wishbones.

Here are the instructions showing the decal number


The decal sheet


Decals cut out of the sheet. I know that I should trim these closer, but the cartograf decals are so good, I'm going to cut this corner this time.


A bowl of water for soaking the decals and Humbrol Decal Fix to "melt them on"


Into the water for a minute, here we go


First painted the decal setting solution on the part, then slid the decal in place, and used a brush to adjust it's position


Hmm...doesn't want to stick


In the meantime, I finished painting the backsides of these aero parts Tamiya semi-gloss black, the driveshafts copper, and the brake disk gun metal. (yes yes, I know F1 cars have carbon brakes, whatever, you probably won't even see this in the wheel anyway, besides, I can't justify buying flat grey when gun metal is so close)



The decal setting solution isn't "hot" enough, the decal won't bend to the contours of the rear upper suspension wishbone, not quite sure what to do about this yet


Total: 53 h