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Cars: Other Racing
For automotive racing topics not already covered.
Building Airfix's 1/12 Blower Bentley
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Friday, January 31, 2014 - 06:56 PM UTC
Hi Everyone.

Well the Bentley is getting closer and closer to completion, but it is still putting up a fight..

The piece of plastic attached to the cycle wing here decided it didn't like the wing and departed company. I tried glueing it back plastic to plastic but as soon as I tried to attach the wings to the chassis it broke off again..

So I went to the old tried and true method and drilled a small hole in each part, inserted a small piece of brass wire, superglued it all together and voila..



Back in place and probably a lot stronger than original.

And here it is actually on the rest of the car..



Looking more and more like a Bentley..

BTW, the bonnet halves don't actually fit the gap between the radiator and the body, they are too short.. so they can stay off if I ever build a little display stand for it.

Lights and horn still to go on..



A quick interior shot. The seats have to go in AFTER you attach the body..



Then we have a completed headlight unit.



That wire mesh looking clear part actually just fits over the headlight bucket. But the second unit did something weird and after I had put it in place and started to apply some extra-thin CA to hold it in place the supports started breaking! Three of them broke and I am trying to glue them back on now. Weird!

But that is it for now. Hopefully will get her finished next week.

Cheers
Warren
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 - 09:35 PM UTC
Even closer to finished. Sorry for the photo quality.. I will take some more when the final few bits are added.













Had to remove the front cycle wings as I had got them on upside down.. Airfix are not very helpful in their instructions but what gave it away finally was the shape of the struts holding the fenders in place.

Only got the tail lights to go.. oh and the bonnet straps but I am not so sure I will use them as they may attack the plastic..

Cheers
Warren
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
Auto Modeler: 555 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 - 08:23 AM UTC
Great stuff Warren. Too bad about the plastic fighting you, wonder if it wasn't true polystyrene, but a blend with something else or a reaction to the green 'dye'.

You may have to write up some of your techniques in detail. Those seats look like someone was just sitting in them. and your 'chrome' is just amazing.
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 - 09:32 AM UTC
Thanks for that Mark. I will see what I can come up with but it may be a little while as I am moving to Adelaide soon and will be offline for a week or so.

Thanks again
Warren
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
Auto Modeler: 555 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 - 04:30 PM UTC
For those of us who failed to take Australian geography in school, what does that really mean?
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 06, 2014 - 07:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For those of us who failed to take Australian geography in school, what does that really mean?





I currently live in Queensland, in the north east corner of the continent, on the East Coast in a suburb of Brisbane called Warner. I have been offered a job in South Australia, the middle state in the south of the continent, in a place called Mawson Lakes which is in Adelaide. It is approximately 2100km away from here, or 1300 miles.
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
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Posted: Thursday, February 06, 2014 - 08:25 AM UTC
Ooh, that's a big move. My last one was just over 1,600 miles, Minneapolis to Seattle. Good luck and stay safe!
warreni
_VISITCOMMUNITY
South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 06, 2014 - 09:48 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Ooh, that's a big move. My last one was just over 1,600 miles, Minneapolis to Seattle. Good luck and stay safe!



I am in two minds about it. The main thing it is a job which is very hard to find in my field at the moment, but it means leaving my Wife here with the pets and only seeing them every three weeks or so until they move down to Adelaide later on.

On the other hand I got used to moving every two or three years while I was in the RAAF and have been here in Brisbane for about 7 years now. Moving to a new place is always an adventure until you get to know it.

Cheers Mark
Warren
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
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Posted: Friday, February 07, 2014 - 03:27 AM UTC
I know your pain. I'm working on a contract in Portland, OR, about 200 miles south of my house in Everett, WA. I get to go home to the wife and pets every other weekend.
warreni
_VISITCOMMUNITY
South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Monday, February 10, 2014 - 02:10 PM UTC
Greetings one and all.

Well I have secured a new job in Adelaide, South Australia, and will be living in a caravan for a fair while so my model making will be restricted to relatively small models, not because of the van being tiny but due to lack of any storage space for completed models.

Having said that I am calling my Bentley finished and the experience I have had with this one I will put to good use when I start Number 8 so I have both team cars from their Le Mans campaign.





























I am not using the Airfix Bonnet straps as I don't trust the material they are made from not to dig into the plastic.

Cheers all
Warren
DaveCox
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: January 11, 2003
KitMaker: 4,307 posts
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Posted: Monday, February 10, 2014 - 06:24 PM UTC
That's a real beauty mate.

Well worth all the hard work that went into it!
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Monday, February 10, 2014 - 06:38 PM UTC

Quoted Text

That's a real beauty mate.

Well worth all the hard work that went into it!



Hi Dave.

Thanks for that. There is so much more that could be done to the model but I kept it pretty close to OOB, the only addition by me a small brass strip on the join in the fabric body in front of the cockpit. It is mostly hidden by the windscreen anyway.

The wire wheels are not too bad but they are crying out for some PE ones. Then you could use PE for the mesh screens
over the headlights, horns and a proper mesh grill.

There are heaps of other improvements one could make but I haven't got a good photo reference I could use.

Cheers
Warren


jimb
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New York, United States
Joined: August 25, 2006
KitMaker: 2,539 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 01:28 AM UTC
Super job, Warren. Your Bentley looks great.

Jim
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 04:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Super job, Warren. Your Bentley looks great.

Jim



Thanks again Jim

Cheers
Warren
Hwa-Rang
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Kobenhavn, Denmark
Joined: June 29, 2004
KitMaker: 6,760 posts
Auto Modeler: 2,182 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 11:07 PM UTC
Very nice work Warren, very nice indeed.
warreni
_VISITCOMMUNITY
South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - 02:03 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Very nice work Warren, very nice indeed.



Thanks Jesper.
ludwig113
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: February 05, 2008
KitMaker: 1,381 posts
Auto Modeler: 1 posts
Posted: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - 01:24 AM UTC
excellent warren.

paul
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
Auto Modeler: 116 posts
Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 - 01:38 PM UTC
Wekk it nay be two years kate, but thanks Paul.
spongya
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
MODELGEEK
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Budapest, Hungary
Joined: February 01, 2005
KitMaker: 2,365 posts
Auto Modeler: 21 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 04:52 PM UTC
That is some amazing work there. Interestingly I just wanted to open up a question about this model... I got an old issue of the kit -it was bought in Harrods in 1974. It's badly mauled (someone attempted to put it together, and then took it apart), so it's a challenge to build, but to be honest it's something I really find enjoyment in. Reviving an old model is pretty cool feeling. Your blog comes really handy in this process, for which I wanted to thank you.

I also would like to ask if you are aware of any AM products for this kit; when I did a google search I found parts for the real car, not the model.

And a last question: what do you guys think I should be doing with the box? It's gorgeous -although a bit torn and battered-, however it's huge. I'd feel bad throwing it out, though.
firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
Auto Modeler: 6 posts
Posted: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 03:39 AM UTC
Andras, I know nothing about your other questions, but if you like the box art, I'd suggest you cut out the top and get it in a frame and put it on the wall. Otherwise it will just sit in a cupboard and get tattier.

Lovely model, Warren, definitely something very satisfying about getting a good result from such an old kit, you can probably be safe in the knowledge that your rendition of it is miles better than almost anyone who did this kit back in the 70s!
simonn
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Australia
Joined: October 15, 2016
KitMaker: 62 posts
Auto Modeler: 4 posts
Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 - 12:17 PM UTC
I'll second that. A really fine build Warren.

Simon
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