CDW

When it comes to something as small as those rivets, have you tried using a pointed dowel with some bees wax to hold the rivet rather than tweezers? My luck with super tiny parts and tweezers is terrible. The parts go flying off where I cannot find them. You have a long, tedious task in your future.

Beautiful and intimidating, all at the same time. I can appreciate the beauty of the model while recognizing how much care is needed to make it all come together in the way you present it here. It’s not shake and bake by any means, but very satisfying for a modeler.

Last Wednesday I wrote MFH concerning two missing parts. The parts arrived on my front porch this morning. Talk about great customer service, Wow!

Cherish the level of craftsmanship and customer service you get from Model Factory Hiro. There are few such companies in the world today.

Look at the level of craftsmanship this Japanese modeler put into his D50 model: 1/43scale D50 / Tipo159 built by Hiroki Muto

I wish I had bought the side car in time. Perhaps it will be rereleased, I don't know if it was a new offering or if it was already a rerelease. Is there any way to know?

Arriving at my house today 🙂 Known as "the Rolls Royce of motorcycles", this bike from 1926 set speed records of over 130mph. Lawrence of Arabia was killed in an accident while riding his Brough Superior SS100, according to an article in Wikipedia.

There is no doubt resellers watch those announcements closely. The worst are resellers on EBay. Not only do they make a profit, the buyer pays their EBay fees as well. It’s not uncommon for resellers to sell out of production MFH kits for twice the original price. I only recently learned I could buy direct from MFH. I’m trying to learn how to stay in the know so that I don’t miss subjects that interest me. ( the McLaren mentioned for example)

Rob Have you been using solder to assemble your white metal parts? I'm going to practice on some MFH scrap pieces before I try it on the real parts. Would rather be safe than sorry. With this tiny kit, it's my intention to build it on top of a small, flat, presentation board. This way I can properly space everything out, keep it square and leveled so that all four wheels touch the surface with no awkward stagger or misalignment. I plan to first assemble the kit with thin CA glue for the initial fit then soak it all in acetone to remove the CA and disassemble it all once I am satisfied it fits together properly. By then I hopefully will know the correct build sequence to follow and details that need close attention. After that, would like to solder the white metal pieces if possible. I have heard good modelers who prefer CA or epoxy, then others who prefer solder but I have been warned about the MFH white metal low melting temperature. How does one stay informed about the kits MFH plans to release or rerelease in the future? I don't see that information on the MFH website. I get the impression that all their releases are first-come, first-served. Buying directly from them is the most cost-effective way to go but often times the only way to acquire a kit not currently in production is to pay a "middleman" a higher cost. This last kit I bought from them directly was substantially less cost than from any shop who stocked the same kit.

I think it’s part of the culture in Japan. They seem to conduct themselves at a much higher standard than most. That’s my impression of it.

I've watched a ton of MFH build videos while trying to pick up helpful hints, tips, and tricks on how to tackle these kits. One of my favorite modelers to watch has a methodical approach to starting each kit that includes unboxing, examination, parts count, cleaning/preparing parts and organization steps. Comparing each part to the plans has revealed a couple of missing/damaged parts. On the front suspension assembly, part number M58, circled (by me) in red, was short-shot. Half of the part was gone, either as a casting malfunction or broken and lost in the manufacturing and shipping process. A major part in the rear suspension was missing. Again, the missing part is circled in red for reference. Oddly, it has no part number associated with it that I could find on the plans. I found small part organizer boxes on Walmart's website for a few dollars each. The part boxes have adjustable compartment panels which allow for a neat and tidy organization of the parts by assembly sequence. Starting from the left bottom compartment are all the engine and gearbox parts, moving to the right are all the frame parts, and so on. This greatly helps in checking the kit parts contents and keeping everything in order as the parts cleanup and preparation stage begins next. Last night I sat down and wrote a note to MFH in Japan with the attachments as shown here, asking for help to replace the missing/broken parts. I was shocked when I woke up this morning to find a notification and tracking number from Fedex that the missing, broken parts have already been shipped out to me! Talk about great customer service, wow. Never have seen anything like it. On a similar note, I ordered another new kit from MFH a couple of days earlier, and that kit was mailed out the same day I paid for it. It is scheduled for delivery to me tomorrow. I can't get service faster than this from dealers in the USA except for maybe Amazon. MFH is really on top of their game for customer service, I can attest to that.

Sorry my original photos came out so blurry. Here are new photos after the parts ran through the tumbler.

Lancia D50 Grand Prix 1954 Test Car, driven by A. Ascari This will be my first attempt at building a Model Factory Hiro kit, in the tiny 1:43 scale. As is common with any MFH kit, the first order of business will be to check all parts content against the instructions for completeness and deformed/damaged parts (hopefully none). It's common for the fragile little white metal parts to be bent out of shape, but now and then a part may be "short shot". For a small model, there are a lot of parts and detail. As I sort and check the parts, I'll be organizing them into a plastic organizer box after the white metal parts have been run through the magnetic tumbler. More photos to follow after the parts have been accounted for, cleaned up, and sorted into logical assembly groups.

Joseph Priller - shot down 101 allied aircraft during WW2

Thanks Jack. All that remains to finish this Bf-109E3 is to place the landing gear in the raised or lowered position. Not sure which the client prefers. Will add the radio mast and antennae last.

Okay - attach photo option is missing? Has something changed unaware?

I distinctly recall going to the Ford dealership in late 1963 to look at new 1964 model Fords. In the showroom was a brand-new Cobra surrounded by stanchions and rope so that customers could not walk close enough to touch the car. I saw no reason my father shouldn't buy one as it looked so tempting. He just laughed at me and shook his head. I have no idea what it cost but even back then it was very expensive, thus the precautions the dealer took to keep roaming hands off the car.

It's a beautiful model of an iconic race car, very well worth the time and effort you are putting into it. Where else could one turn to build a 1:12 scale model of this car? Only alternative might be from scratch and that would be a monumental task IMO.

A guy could go hog wild weathering and detailing this tow truck.

Great subject material, will follow your build for sure. Regarding the scalefinishes paint, keep in mind it's an enamel and as such needs more curing time than acrylics or lacquers. Enamels cure from the top down so even when it might feel dry to the touch, fingerprints will happen if handled too soon. I use a dehydrator to help cure the enamel and speed up the process. I set my dehydrator for the lowest heat setting, around 107 degrees, and run it for a minimum of 24 hours once the model is painted. After that, wait an additional 6 days outside the dehydrator to make sure it's fully cured before handling. You should get a beautiful gloss finish that needs no clear coat whatsoever but once cured you can polish out any minor imperfection from a dust speck or such.

I find myself on another tangent. This time, building and finishing model aircraft kits for a collector/enthusiast who does not build himself. I am reluctant to take on commission work these days but decided to make an exception this time, due to the fact that this fellow has provided many years of entertainment for the people of my community as a professional athlete with a sports franchise here. The Bf-109E-3 was brought to me in a partially constructed and painted condition. This kit along with the three others will be built and finished box-stock. The Bf-109 finished as Joseph Prillers aircraft from 1940. When I received the model, the cockpit and engine had been assembled and painted. I stripped the paint and started over. I won't be doing a detailed build log on any of these kits but will take final photos and post them after all four models have been completed. Secondly, I took some photos of two kits that have been newly released over the past few days of December. The 1:24 scale Moebius 1972 Ford F-350 high side tow truck has been long awaited. Tow trucks are among the most under-represented model kits for some odd reason. Modelers across the country have been highly anticipating this kit and it does not disappoint. The big kit box is packed full of crisply molded, well detailed styrene. First examination of the kit is exciting to say the least. Then there is the brand-new Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Again, very well reproduced model and promises to be a fine kit in the Tamiya tradition. Last, allow me to wish you all a very happy, and prosperous 2025 New Year! Its rather interesting to me that 2025 is the square of 45. Coincidentally, US president #45 will begin serving his 2nd (non-consecutive) term this year.

I think the idea of using magnets to help keep doors, bonnet, and hatch closed is right on. Experienced modelers I've been following who build MFH kits often temporarily fit and assemble the entire kit, then disassemble and permanently assemble it all back together again. These are truly kits for modelers only. Assemblers will need some schooling (in a good way). 🙂

A side benefit of using CA glue for model construction is the ease of disassembly and reassembly/repair if the need arises. Standard modeling cement damages plastic.

A beautiful McLaren, Rob. Looks excellent in every way from this angle!