2018 to 2019 Motorcycle Group Build is Timeless. Bikes will be with us til the end of time

keavdog

Looks good Greg!

Thank you, John.

GMorrison

Back at'cha friend. AFTER I posted the bit about breaking off pins, I thought hey what if someone smart presupposed the problem, clipped off the little plastic pins and drilled and installed little wires. That's what I'm going to do on the Commando.

You know, I hadn't thought that far ahead. But you're right, it is likely all those little plastic pins are likely to break. I think you are on to something just planning to redo them all with the retrofit.

GMorrison

Just looking into the box of the 1/12th Tamiya Honda is wild. PE. 50 parts for the engine alone. Lots of little screws.

Sounds great, Bill. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a Tamiya motorcycle kit in person, let alone built one. I'm champing at the bit.

I agree so far about motorcycle kits, I'm having fun with my old Revell even though it sure has it's frustrations. It's fun wathcing it come together, kind of like building a real bike from the frame up in a way.

I appreciate having you following along with my Revell adventures, Bill.

Looks good Greg!  GM - you're going to love building that Tamiya bike.  

Back at'cha friend. AFTER I posted the bit about breaking off pins, I thought hey what if someone smart presupposed the problem, clipped off the little plastic pins and drilled and installed little wires.

That's what I'm going to do on the Commando.

Motorcycle models are pretty fun. Having worked on the real bikes a bit, and having modeled a few back in the day; the new kits are pretty awesome.

I'm about halfway through building the Norton, and the Honda just arrived. The Norton has it's challenges, but it's a nice looking bike and at 1/9th the details are easy to deal with.

Just looking into the box of the 1/12th Tamiya Honda is wild. PE. 50 parts for the engine alone. Lots of little screws.

There's a couple of detail up kits that I will not buy, but wow this model is awesome. I need a little 6" Mike Hawthorn fig.

Crisis averted.

The little brass thing below is a piece of copper from the aforementioned 20 gauge wire. Amazing. It is where the little plastic protrusion Bill was talking about was before it broke off. FWIW, it is .031" dia.

The next pic just shows the hose attached to it.

It has since occurred to me this will all be hidden by the chain cover, so the hose could have been attached to nothing and nobody would have ever known.

I sure appreciate all the help here. These hose troubles would have set me back probably forever back in the build all alone days.

GMorrison

What's annoying about using tubing is that the little pins that one is supposed to push the stuff onto are tapered by necessity. So after a while, the tubing, being elastic, forces itself back off. And it's really hard to find a glue that will attach neoprene or whatever to styrene. My Italeri Norton has a 12" long piece of tubing. My Tamiya Honda has a whole sprue cast in soft vinyl with all of the hoses pre-shaped. Like real life. Heat may help you bend the wire insulation. Love me some Tammie..

D'oh! Guess what next?

I broke off that little plastic "pin" (the first of many) you speak of. I don't know what in the world I was thinking, it's a tiny nub of plastic....as I'm twisting and pushing.

So i'm off to find some .030" approx K&S brass rod to hopefully repair.

If I would have read your post first, Bill, I wonder if I'd still have broken it?

I was trying to use some "Gator's Grip" acrylic glue to attach, I wonder how that will work.

Heat. Why didn't I think of heat?

Oh, and the Stynylrez black paint job (on the tubing) isn't too durable. But easy to touch up after installation, I'd think.

What's annoying about using tubing is that the little pins that one is supposed to push the stuff onto are tapered by necessity. So after a while, the tubing, being elastic, forces itself back off. And it's really hard to find a glue that will attach neoprene or whatever to styrene.

My Italeri Norton has a 12" long piece of tubing. My Tamiya Honda has a whole sprue cast in soft vinyl with all of the hoses pre-shaped. Like real life.

Heat may help you bend the wire insulation.

Love me some Tammie..

keavdog

Maybe you can use wire insulation to replace. Not sure of the diameter for 1/8. Also, try painting a small section and see how that goes. I really like gunze 77 tire black

Guess what? Both ideas work.

20 gauge solid wire (with the solid wire pulled out of course) is about a perfect size. It is not quite as flexible as the kit-supplied tubing.

And I tried handbrushing a coat of black Stynylrez primer on the kit tubing. It dries to a nice-looking flat black, and to my surprise, it seems to tolerate flexing.

So I can go either direction, problem solved. Thanks again, John!

keavdog

Looking good Greg!  Maybe you can use wire insulation to replace.  Not sure of the diameter for 1/8. 

Also, try painting a small section and see how that goes.  I really like gunze 77 tire black 

 

Wire insulation is a spendid idea! So is trying a bit of paint, see if it's bendy or not.

Much appreciated, John.

Looking good Greg!  Maybe you can use wire insulation to replace.  Not sure of the diameter for 1/8. 

Also, try painting a small section and see how that goes.  I really like gunze 77 tire black 

GMorrison

I've got no easy answer, bud.

Oh no!!!!

GMorrison

But, a magic marker or sharpie is going to be getting all over your fingertips whenever you are working with the tubing. Just about everything you spray over it, and CA, are going to make it run.

Good point, we'll skip that idea then....

GMorrison

Might consider replacing it.

That is a workable idea I never would have thought of. Thanks, Bill!

I've got no easy answer, bud.

But, a magic marker or sharpie is going to be getting all over your fingertips whenever you are working with the tubing. Just about everything you spray over it, and CA, are going to make it run.

Might consider replacing it.

Progress report and a question.

This subasssy is done, less the brake line needs to be attached...

Now then, kit came with this hose to be cut and used in various places, maybe vinyl? It's plenty kinked up...

So, I thought I'd share my fancy de-kinking jig. It is probably hard to see, just a clamp on one end for holding, the other end for weight, and a hair dryer. Is working pretty ok.

So finally, my question: The hose/tubing should probably be black. It is provided in grey, as you can see. This has probably been covered already, but any comments how to paint vinyl hose? A Magic Marker, maybe?

Hope you heal up quickly!  Here's an idea for a badge

greentracker98

Anyway, I wish I would have been able to get in when you guys were having the tire problems, but, for anyone in the future. on all my car and truck models. I stuff the tires with cotton balls. I read a post somewhere that people were having trouble with the tires going flat and that solved it I don't see why it wouldn't work/help bike tires.

Cotton is a good idea, thanks.

Hope your back gets better.

keavdog

Calling this one done. 

 

 

Looks Great  Will mark you as 2nd place finisher

My Apologies for not being in but still having problems getting on my feet since my fall. Reading your posts and seeing your builds is making me itchin to get back on my bench

Anyway, I wish I would have been able to get in when you guys were having the tire problems, but, for anyone in the future. on all my car and truck models. I stuff the tires with cotton balls. I read a post somewhere that people were having trouble with the tires going flat and that solved it I don't see why it wouldn't work/help bike tires.

Thanks Greg - these are a joy to build.

John,

Your Ducati is awesome. Very professionally done.

There are lot's of different metals, and the gold tones really pop. I sure like the shiny gold oil filter!

For anyone reading this, it is well worth clicking on John's images to see more detail. There is a lot of it, believe me.

Calling this one done. 

invertman

Looking good Greg. I feel your pain with some of the older revell kits. I’m there right now with a revell Lancaster that I’m trying to finish for a group build I’m in on Facebook. But I’m pushing myself to finish it.

 

Thanks for your comment .......and empathy is always appreciated.

Looks great, John. Hey, those finicky red tire rings look fantastic with the (almost) flnished scheme.

That bike is sort of like building an airplane, those sexy fairiings cover up lots of your detail work.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my fork assy, btw.

Remaing details and decals tomorrow

Wow Greg,  that looks fantastic!  You certainly fixed the tire/rim issues.  The mix of metallics looks really nice.

Front fork is done.

Sorry about phone pic.

This kit presents a new pain with every part I remove from a sprue. Good experience, though.

Hey, when did my hands get so old and wrinkled???

GMorrison

I have a spray can of it. It's pretty nasty stuff. I didn't wear gloves and got a little spray on my arms, which stung.

I grabbed some paper soup bowls from the self serve line at Safeway on the way out the other day with some beer.

Sprayed the EO on the parts, it foams up. Left it on for about 1/2 hour and then went at it with a toothbrush.

Chrome either came off by itself or from brushing.

The yellow was in some locations, not others. Second app took care of that.

Then washed with soapy water.

 

Thank you for your excellent explanation, Bill!

I have a spray can of it. It's pretty nasty stuff. I didn't wear gloves and got a little spray on my arms, which stung.

I grabbed some paper soup bowls from the self serve line at Safeway on the way out the other day with some beer.

Sprayed the EO on the parts, it foams up. Left it on for about 1/2 hour and then went at it with a toothbrush.

Chrome either came off by itself or from brushing.

The yellow was in some locations, not others. Second app took care of that.

Then washed with soapy water.

John, looking good. I don't know how you fast modelers do it.

Bill, I like progress pics, thanks. BTW, did you buy Easy Off in the spray container and just spray it on your parts, or in the new 'degreaser' pump spray, and fill a container for soaking with it?

I'm planning to buy Easy Off today. I want that yellowish lacquer-like substrate done, and both Super Clean and brake fluid seem to lose thier potence after being used once or twice.