Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
- JamesPerrin
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Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
This kit really gives you and idea how small the real car must be. My boxing is from just pre Hornby and the mould appear to be pretty good. There are though some hideous sink holes in the tire walls. I've filled these but was initially at a loss how to sand them, then remembered I've got an attachment for my microdrill that is meant to hold grinding wheels... well will see how well that works next time.
The lower front of the nose has been attached and I've sanded down the seam lines. The heavy bonnet line it getting a couple of coats of Mr Surfacer. The distinctive and titular "frogeye" headlights are rather simplified. They should be cones sat in recesses in the bonnet. I'm current trying to decide if I could, should and how to improve these; I could replace them completely or carve a groove around the moulded in lights.
The lower front of the nose has been attached and I've sanded down the seam lines. The heavy bonnet line it getting a couple of coats of Mr Surfacer. The distinctive and titular "frogeye" headlights are rather simplified. They should be cones sat in recesses in the bonnet. I'm current trying to decide if I could, should and how to improve these; I could replace them completely or carve a groove around the moulded in lights.
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Hey James
This kit builds up into a great little model, so I can't wait to see how yours turns out!
Mine (90s Humbrol rebox) had the same problems with sink marks in the wheels - strange really, as the wheel mouldings aren't that thick.
Good luck
Zane
This kit builds up into a great little model, so I can't wait to see how yours turns out!
Mine (90s Humbrol rebox) had the same problems with sink marks in the wheels - strange really, as the wheel mouldings aren't that thick.
Good luck
Zane
"..and though we be on the far side of the World, this ship is home; this ship is England..."
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
James
A propos your question about my circle cutter: a picture of the OLFA CMP-1 circle cutter:
Thoroughly recommended.
Zane
A propos your question about my circle cutter: a picture of the OLFA CMP-1 circle cutter:
Thoroughly recommended.
Zane
"..and though we be on the far side of the World, this ship is home; this ship is England..."
- JamesPerrin
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Thanks Zane.
Well spinning the wheels on the minidrill was bust. As usual power tools and plastic don't mix as despite having a speed controller it still spins far too fast generating heat. I've refilled the tires with greenstuff as it easier to sand and will be doing it the hard way
Well spinning the wheels on the minidrill was bust. As usual power tools and plastic don't mix as despite having a speed controller it still spins far too fast generating heat. I've refilled the tires with greenstuff as it easier to sand and will be doing it the hard way
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- Dirkpitt289
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Such a useful toolZane wrote:James
A propos your question about my circle cutter: a picture of the OLFA CMP-1 circle cutter:
Thoroughly recommended.
Zane
.... Dirk
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My Youtube Channel
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My Youtube Channel
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- JamesPerrin
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Sorry I hadn't realised that I hadn't made any progress reports. Well apart from the horrid job of filling the sink marks in the wheels things have moved smoothly if not swiftly on. The filled wheels don't bare close scrutiny but are painted and I'm going to have to live with them. All the chrome parts have been done with Alclad after a coat of gloss black as a primer. The rest of the parts have had coat of primer.
The hood had the rear window masked inside and out and has just has a coat of slightly lightened black.
The body and floor pan have had 3 coats of increasing thin English Rose White. This is basically a pale cream and I mixed my own adding GS Mr Aquacolor 25% Linen to 75% White. When the gales stop blowing it is ready to receive a clear coat from a Humbrol rattle can.
The colour looks a lot darker in the photo than reality.
The hood had the rear window masked inside and out and has just has a coat of slightly lightened black.
The body and floor pan have had 3 coats of increasing thin English Rose White. This is basically a pale cream and I mixed my own adding GS Mr Aquacolor 25% Linen to 75% White. When the gales stop blowing it is ready to receive a clear coat from a Humbrol rattle can.
The colour looks a lot darker in the photo than reality.
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- JamesPerrin
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Well things stopped moving smoothly on. Last weekend I was ready to give it a clear coat using Halford's Lacquer spray can. You are meant to apply two coats 15mins apart. First coat went on lovely and settled down smooth and flat. I think the nozzle had gummed up, as it seemed to splutter on the when spraying the the second coat which didn't level out and I ended up with a textured finish that was very obvious when it caught the light.JamesPerrin wrote:things have moved smoothly if not swiftly on
So I a couple of days later I rubbed it down with 4000->12000 grit micromesh and sprayed third coat which went on fine and the finish was acceptable. A few hours later I masked on some red trim along the front sill. Which I brushed painted. Not only did the tape lift but when I came to remove it after a couple of coats it had reacted with the clear coat and left a rough finish. Evidently the lacquer hadn't fully hardened when I masked. So I rubbed and polished this down again with the micro mesh, at a couple of points it went through the paint work to the grey primer. To fix this would have meant stripping and starting again from scratch as I had hand mixed the off white might have well ended with a two tone car. So I decided to live with the tiny blemishes they are only on one side (and are to the back when it's on the shelf).
The interior was painted a deep red (Hu19 + a touch of black) which I then satin coated to represent the leather and matt coated for the floor. Dials were black with white marking and silver bezels. I added the missing handbrake from stretched sprue. To make the interior look for complete rather than some seats in a hole I added door bins from card painted to match the trim, and glued these over areas I painted grey to represent the unpainted interior of the doors.
With the under tray glued in place it was time to attach the wheels at which point the final insult (so I thought) was hurled at me. Not only was the rear suspension (parts 2&3) not quite horizontal which meant the wheels were hard up against the arches (my fault, but they only need to be a couple of degrees off), but the front axle stubs (parts 13&15) were the wrong way up and I couldn't even get the wheels on. I had followed the instructions carefully in the construction of the front suspension and indeed they are unclear. The way 13 was drawn it suggested the the longer half of the support was lowermost. In the end I grabbed some pliers twisted the parts off, inverted them and hit them with enough superglue and accelerator that they wished they'd never been born.
Finally as the the parts were all painted up and I didn't want to have to scratch at the body I was using white glue to attached the chrome parts where I could and superglue gel only where absolutely necessary such as the wind shield. After getting this in place it then promptly decided to fall over and slide over the bonnet and in doing so mark the windscreen (which a had spent weeks covered in protective masking tape) with said glue. Let's just say I will be buying shares in Micromesh.
After questioning my competence and seriously pushing at the edges of my sanity would like to say I'm disappointed why the finished model but I'm not Maybe it's the scheme I choose or the fact that it's a Healey, but despite the shoddy wheels and the non too clever paint work it looks rather good.
Nurse I'm really for my pills now...
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
From the photos, it looks rather splendid, James.
I think you're being a tad too hard on yourself, after having to do all of that extra work.
Regards,
Bruce
I think you're being a tad too hard on yourself, after having to do all of that extra work.
Regards,
Bruce
- montessa315
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Looks a neat job.
Alan..........
Alan..........
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Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Nice eggshell finish! And offsetting the front wheels does so much for the final impression – adds a sense of life…
/Joachim
/Joachim
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
That is very cool... though next time a can of Tamiya "Racing White" could be your friend! It is a pert and perky little beastie, isn't it? I'll have to keep an eye open for a Gunze 1/24 version, perhaps in an Airfix box...
Well done!
Bestest,
M.
Well done!
Bestest,
M.
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Hi James
You've really brought this model to life! It looks more like 1/24th in your pictures!
I like what you've done with the interior, and the Alclad chrome looks the biz (I would love to use Alclad chrome on my stuff, but I would need a spray-gun).
Great work!
Zane
You've really brought this model to life! It looks more like 1/24th in your pictures!
I like what you've done with the interior, and the Alclad chrome looks the biz (I would love to use Alclad chrome on my stuff, but I would need a spray-gun).
Great work!
Zane
"..and though we be on the far side of the World, this ship is home; this ship is England..."
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Zane, you could track down some Gunze Mr.Metalcolor Chrome Silver. This is applicable with hirsute baton and polishes up to look exactly like chrome.Zane wrote:...and the Alclad chrome looks the biz (I would love to use Alclad chrome on my stuff, but I would need a spray-gun).
I get my supplies from MDC;
http://www.modeldesignconstruction.co.u ... e%20Silver;
Regards,
Bruce
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Thank you very much, Bruce.
I have dreamed of brush paintable chrome......
I'll give it a go.
Cheers
Zane
I have dreamed of brush paintable chrome......
I'll give it a go.
Cheers
Zane
"..and though we be on the far side of the World, this ship is home; this ship is England..."
Re: Airfix 1/32 Austin Healey Sprite
Bruce
Do I need to paint gloss black underneath first?
Zane
Do I need to paint gloss black underneath first?
Zane
"..and though we be on the far side of the World, this ship is home; this ship is England..."