Silver paint, try this one.

Paint finishes on models are immediately a problem once metallics come into the equation. Coloured metallics I have not quite figured out, but for silver, I have a recommendation.

The oft maligned Humbrol do an aluminium paint no.27002. This is one of their 'Metalcote' colours. I have tried the 'steel' from the range, it works. When buffed up it looks just like bare steel. The aluminium simply does not do this, but is excellent as a 'scale' silver paint.

I used this with an airbrush, thinned with their own ENAMEL thinners and it worked a treat. The next stage will be a coat of silver on a body, with a coat of enamel paint/laquer mix to see how it comes out. Just like prototype polychromatic stuff, but I think gold was the preferred base coat.

Peter

Lotus 25

This has to be my favourite slot car of all time, plus it has to be the prettiest Formual 1 car ever put on four wheels. The combination of the Lotus 25 and Jim Clark are forever etched in my mind, for as a young lad of around eight years old, most weeks I heard that both car and driver had won a Grand Prix somewhere in the world. Of course it was only later in life that I actually appreciated what the Lotus 25 stood for. Coming from the ever inovative mind of Colin Chapman, it was such a breakthrough in monocoque design. The added stiffness over the old spaceframe gave the car such sure footed handling, that in the hands of Mr Clark, it was pretty much unbeatable.
The model was built by David Lawson whos models have their own signiature. Beautifully built, using a Dave Jones shell, this particular car represents the very earliest 25. All the suspension detail was fabricated by David as were the exhaust pipes and inlet trumpet detail. A lovely paint finish, with the correct livery/colour and some very nice cockpit detail, again all done very correctly. The wheel and tyre combination are just about right, with nothing on the car being over-done.
The picture below shows the simplicity of the chassis, with some of the suspension components attached. I think the model follows the fullsize cars build ethos in being beautifully crafted, but simple in it's design.

It's another of those creations that I can just look at for hours on end and never tire of what I see. The pictures have been "borrowed" from David, although i'm sure he won't mind at all that i've shown them here. I'm now looking forward to seeing his BRM 25 finished and hopefully in the flesh! Again I suggest that you click on the photo's for a closer look. You won't be disappointed!

Graham.

Taffy, that really is quite a startling model. Beautifully executed. The silver finish looks very convincing, which I know from experience, is not easy to achieve. The wheel covers too are terrific. All in all, a stunning creation!
Graham.

Ready!

The Auto-Union Rekord-Limousine had its roll-out!
I hope, you enjoy it.







The complete story of this slotcar is described in this 1:32 Scratchbuilt Slotcar Forum (I have to apologise, it is a german forum...)

Taffy

New project: Stromlinie!

Peter, my older cars have to wait to be shown.
First I would like to release my next project here in this blog, before I will open a thread in the 1:32 Scratchbuilt Slotcar Forum.
I love the prewar-racing cars so much! Last entrance was the "Auto-Union Stromlinienlimousine", a Dave-Jones bodyshell. Last entrance, but first built....
The Auto-Union saloon car placed several speed records in 1935, using the autostradas of Lucca and Firenze, the "place to go in spring" for test-drivers and recordbrakers in Europe those days.
A contemporary picture shows this car (source: "Auto Union V16 supercharged", Ian Bamsey, Haynes Publishing).



Compared to this pic, the Dave jones body was to long and, compared to another pic, not wide enough. I had to shorten and to widen it.

That is the difference / first step: body shortened



The status quo: bodywork is done, paintjob is done, driver was made and painted, chassis is built.



Chassis and body are "married"now. Will show the ready car soon...



Taffy

214 Complete.

A couple of months ago I posted some photo's of the 214 being built by Claus Eisenschink in Germany. I'm glad to report that the model is complete and looking really very good. Finished in Californian Sage as it should be, it's built to Claus's usual hight standard. As with all Claus's builds, it's complete with light kit and Leds and i'm pleased to see it's not fitted with those very annoying "xenon" blue things! When I see things like this, it makes me a little proud to have actually produced the kit in the first place, although Claus tells me he has used other items not in the kit, to enhance it.

It looks like it's ready to go. Ten out of ten Claus!

Graham.

Well, the last of the Bugs have now gone, with number 20 below. It was only when this (commissioned) car was all but complete that I realised it was the 1929 Williams Monaco car, thus the headgear and other clothing should be a little different.

And this is number 24, racing in German colours, driver unknown.

I still have three unfinished cars, two of which were development cars, the third just got sidestepped when I couldn't at the time get around a problem. The problem was solved on number 17, so all will be finished off one day.

Soon the computer and AutoCAD will take over my life for a while, so no new finished cars for a while.

Unless I buy one and just have to get on with it....

Peter

More proper cars....

Welcome Taffy!

I am of course biased. A guild member who makes pre-1960 cars is already a friend.

A beautiful car, well finished and to a degree, unusual. Excellent!

Perhaps I might ask for a few pictures of other cars?

Again, welcome.

Peter

May I introduce...

....myself?

First I have to say thank you to Graham, who kindly invited me to contribute to this blog!
My name is Hans-Peter, but slot-folks call me Taffy.
I have to apologise for my bad english, but I am no native speaker...
I´m a german and live in Königswinter, a little town in the Bonn-Cologne area.
My slotracing career started in 1999 at the age of 36, the beginning of scratchbuilding was in 2002.
Most I like prewar- and postwar-formula- and sportscars until the end of the 60´s.









This is my Talbot T 150C Graham asked me to show in this blog, and I am very pleased to do this.
It is one of my last scratchbuilts; I thought, the best entrance would be with a rather fresh car. I hope, you enjoy!

Taffy