Chris Smith Posted February 13 Posted February 13 I have been hesitant about starting a thread about my latest project. But a good friend of mine kind of suggested that I should. So here goes. I am building the Model Factory Hiro 1951 Alfa Romeo 158/59 in 1/12 driven by one the most iconic race car drivers of the 20th century, Juan Manuel Fangio. This is the 159 version and to let you all know I started this in early December. so with a large number of photos I will share with you where I am at after 2 and a half months of work. thanks for looking Chris 5
89AKurt Posted February 13 Posted February 13 😳 WOW! Doing a fantastic job, the subtle weathering really brings out the details. You doing it as right after finishing a race?
Pierre Rivard Posted February 14 Posted February 14 Incredible work as always Chris. Tell me the thousand rivets were molded into the tanks, not individually added? You are a master of paint finishes, which adds so much to the appearance and realism of a replica. All the subtle metal hues and fine weathering are a feast for the eyes. I'm sure everybody would want to learn more about the materials and techniques you use to achieve such amazing metal finishes.
kensar Posted February 14 Posted February 14 Very nice work, Chris. Very clean looking. I'm curious as to how you got such smooth finishes on white metal parts.
Chris Smith Posted February 14 Author Posted February 14 4 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said: Incredible work as always Chris. Tell me the thousand rivets were molded into the tanks, not individually added? You are a master of paint finishes, which adds so much to the appearance and realism of a replica. All the subtle metal hues and fine weathering are a feast for the eyes. I'm sure everybody would want to learn more about the materials and techniques you use to achieve such amazing metal finishes. Pierre, Good to hear from you! Fortunately I did not have to install all those rivets on the tanks. As for the finish, it’s quite simple Alclad aluminum and Tamiya brown panel liner. I just dab the panel liner in the low spots and let it sit for a minute then rub it down with a cotton buds, I like the effect.
Chris Smith Posted February 14 Author Posted February 14 (edited) 4 hours ago, kensar said: Very nice work, Chris. Very clean looking. I'm curious as to how you got such smooth finishes on white metal parts. To be honest, most of the parts aren’t too bad that some Tamiya primer will take care of it with some light sanding, the deeper gouge’s are filled in with either CA or putty. If it’s really bad, I have had to request a replacement part from Hiro. That has only happened once 😁 Edited February 14 by Chris Smith
Codi Posted February 14 Posted February 14 Hey there Chris......like the others, count me a fan of your techniques AND results. You should share more of your "how to" or in process tricks along the way. I, like others would like to know more how you go about getting certain results. The one you shared about the rivets today was insightful.....certainly yields a convincing result. I'm most impressed with your technique for leather seats. You shared it before and it's nice to see that the results are consistent AND spectacular. The most realistic finish using paint that I've seen yet. cheers, tim 1
Dave B Posted February 15 Posted February 15 That's magnificent Chris, glad you were talked into sharing. Dave B 1
Chris Smith Posted February 16 Author Posted February 16 Well, since the weather is crappy and the chassis is pretty much done. I thought I would start on the wheels. For you guys that know, wire wheels are a bit of a challenge, but I personally don’t mind assembling them. Now for those of you that haven’t had the joy of lacing up a set, I thought I would share, the best way I can. Model Factory Hiro gives you a jig to center the hub and hoop. The first step is to drill all the holes into the hubs for the spokes. The hoops are machined aluminum that has been pre drilled from the factory. The spokes are .4mm stainless steel rod and the nipples are .6mm stainless steel tubes that have been cut into 4mm lengths. You have to look over the instructions to make sure you follow precisely, the pictures in the manual seem somewhat vague. So I take my time and double check before I glue. hopefully it kind of helps, but like all of you , practice and patience make it look easy. 1
Bugatti Fan Posted February 16 Posted February 16 (edited) The most beautiful post war Alfa Romeo racing car. Will be following this MFH build with intetest. This will be a cracking good model when finished. Come on Italeri or Tamiya. Make for the majority of us an affordable one in 1/12 scale !!! Lol. Edited February 19 by Bugatti Fan
Codi Posted February 19 Posted February 19 Chris, I have to agree (mostly) with Noel in that this was a truly handsome car. I didn't know much about it until I did a quick search on-line. You should post a pic or 2 of the real thing so everyone can appreciate what you're building here. It's a stunner. Cheers, tim
James2 Posted February 19 Posted February 19 Quite impressive Chris, your intention to detail, obvious knowledge of the subject and technic show in every part. Could you post a pic of the 1:1?
Chris Smith Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 Thanks Bruce for the pics👍 here’s a couple more pics
Chris Smith Posted February 24 Author Posted February 24 After a few hours 😆 the wheels are finished! 2
Bugatti Fan Posted February 24 Posted February 24 Just a few hours? Must have taken a bit longer than that to make up those lovely wheels Chris ? Lol. Looking at all the 'under the skin' detailing that you have already done on the chassis, engine and running gear it almost seems a shame to place the bodywork on and hide much of it when complete! None the less we are seeing a superb model taking shape here. 1
Nacho Z Posted February 24 Posted February 24 As always, Chris, it is a pleasure to ride along with you on your journey. This is going to be another amazing model from your workbench. I’m glad that you are sharing it with us. 1
MarkJ Posted February 24 Posted February 24 How did I miss this for so long? When I first started looking at the post this morning I was wondering if you were building a model or a real automobile. Simply Amazing. 1
TarheelRick Posted February 24 Posted February 24 Excellent build under way here. As the others have said your attention to detail is above reproach and outstanding in every way. 1
Pierre Rivard Posted March 4 Posted March 4 No worries Chris, we know you haven't been slacking. You obviously won't need to polish that paint. We do have an issue though. Would you please mess up your work bench a bit.... if you really want to belong... lol 2
Codi Posted March 4 Posted March 4 So Chris........when the paint lays down that beautifully, describe for me the size of the smile on your face and how long it lasts. That's gorgeous. cheers, tim 1
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now