McLaren MP4/6 Ayrton Senna by DocRob - Fujimi - 1/20 - PLASTIC

[DocRob]

Hola fellow modelistas,

due to different reasons, I neglected my bench and MSW for some weeks and the next weeks won't be much better. Despite all obstacles, I wanted to start a new feel good build to motivate myself and so I chose my favorite F1 car for the task. Since a while, I accumulated some goodies for this project and since some weeks everything arrived at my doorstep.

The kit:
 

 

The goodies:

 

 

- Top Studio Cockpit detail set
- Top Studio PE-set
- Top Studio carbon decal set (was the hardest to find)
- TBDecals sponsor decals
- Tamiya seat belts
- PE rivets
- Colors from Zero Paints (a first for me)

I considered starting with the body, but decided to start, like the manual suggests, with the engine. Big mistake, at least motivational. As you can see on the pictures, the parts are metal plated in an aluminum finish, what's not to like about it. First of all the plating has spots and foremost it's completely superfluos, because nearly the whole engine is BLACK. You might say, no biggie, but it is, because of the plating no part fits how it should, you have to scratch, grind, and re drill all holes. Beside this, you can't use normal modeling cement, so I was forced to use CA.
That's not all. The engine parts sport all known types of plastic abnormalities, like prominent parting lines, ejector marks, burr and flash and the silver plating doesn't enhance general visibility.

Strange thing, that other versions of the kit seem to include the engine on black sprues. In all the beginning was utterly frustrating, we don't speak about an ancient short run kit, cast in some garage, it's a relatively modern incarnation, Fujimi what have you done.

This will not be a fast build, other than I sod the kit, if it continues to fight me back.

Oh, I haven't spoken about detail. The positive so far, the engine is very detailed and has a large part count. On the pictures, only half of the parts are added for better painting.

 

 

If you look at the picture above, you can see the cylinder heads with very prominent cooling ribs, which unfortunately doesn't exist on the real thing. This is how it looks, with the added PE parts from Top Studio.

 

 

Fujimi, are you the Japanese Italeri?

I'm still hoping the best for the non plated sprues and will not instantly bin the kit, but it's definitely on probation.

 

Cheers Rob

[Egilman]

Brother you are aware that Super Clean will strip that plating off in a matter of a few minutes, just by soaking it? no work at all...

 

But yes it is sad that the model companies still think that gimmics like metal plating is still a good thing in today's modeling world....

Edited December 8, 2023 by Egilman

[gsdpic]

Will follow along, hoping it goes better.  I'm sure you'll turn out another stunning model if you get past the rough start.  Long ago I built a few of the tamiya 1/20th F1 cars but have never done one from Fujimi.

 

[DocRob]

15 hours ago, Egilman said:

Brother you are aware that Super Clean will strip that plating off in a matter of a few minutes, just by soaking it? no work at all...

 

But yes it is sad that the model companies still think that gimmics like metal plating is still a good thing in today's modeling world....

Thank you Egilman and you are absolutely right, I should have stripped the plating, but naively I haven't been expecting such a bad fit and went for a quick start. I'm a bit wiser now at least .

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

6 hours ago, gsdpic said:

Will follow along, hoping it goes better.  I'm sure you'll turn out another stunning model if you get past the rough start.  Long ago I built a few of the tamiya 1/20th F1 cars but have never done one from Fujimi.

Thank you Gary, albeit I don't share your optimism that much. The next steps will tell me, which direction the build will go, bin, middle detailed or reasonable detailed .
My only F1 expertise is my recently finished Tamiya 1/12 Renault RE20 turbo, which I documented here. So far this kit was better than the modern Fujimi kit.

 

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

My work with the engine continued. After a lot of cleanup, I sprayed the block with Tamiya LP5 semi matte black and added some details here and there. I thought about using the plating to my advantage, after it caused so many irritations and scratched the black color away to let some details show through in silver.

 

 

 

I think, I will omit wiring and tubing with this build. 1/12 kits are better suited for that, so on with adding engine details. The cover under the cylinder trumpets, was decaled with one of the Top Studio carbon decals, which unfortunately broke and I have to do some re touching.
The engine without the exhausts is more or less ready now.

 

 

 

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

This kit is fighting me back all the way. I start to think, I´m the problem and this doesn´t feel good. Oh yes, this should be a mojo restorer feelgood project, Argh .
Like always with my F1 builds, the exhaust assembly was a pain and I didn´t help myself, by adding the PE seals. The engine is not glued into the body pan, I only added it for the exhaust´s alignment.

The exhausts were ´puttied´with CA and painted with AK Extreme Metals colors. First stainless steel, then metallic blue for the shadows and finally with pale engine exhaust for general highlighting. The effect isn´t too visible on the photo, but looks stainless to my eye on the kit.
 

 

Cheers Rob

[GrandpaPhil]

Rob,

  I’ve seen your other builds.  
 

You will make another masterpiece out of this one!

 

Keep at it!  It’s looking good!

[DocRob]

Thanks for your confidence Phil, I hope, I can stay focused with this unruly build. I still hope, things will turn to the better with the kit. Next will be a lot of decaling. All the carbon around the chassis and monocoque will make it do or die.

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

Looks great Rob! Looking forward to more.

[DocRob]

On 12/25/2023 at 1:22 AM, CDW said:

Looks great Rob! Looking forward to more.

Thank you Craig, the build is at snails pace at the moment, because of the festivities and other obstacles, but I hope to continue soon.

 

Cheers Rob

[Canute]

Not to worry Rob. We'll all be here after the holidays. 😄

[DocRob]

I think, I mentioned a while ago, that this build was supposed to be a fun build, but guess what, this beast keeps fighting me on all angles.

After finishing the engine, I decided to give the Studio 27 carbon decals a try. There are over 80, luckily cookie cut with a very nice representation of different carbon patterns, along some rivets and fasteners.
So far so good, but the decals are very thick and brittle. I broke many while applying.

First things first, the preparation included removing cast textures on some of the plastic parts with files, sanding tools and chisels, then use Tamiya LP 1 gloss black as a basecoat. It´s best to develop an applying pattern for the decals, because they are slightly oversize on purpose to cover the edges as well. I started at the bottom sides and went up. It´s very time consuming as the brittle decals had to be bend around the edges with different numerous applications of strong decal softener and added heat from an hairdryer. When that is finished, you can go up further with decaling with the same exhausting procedure.
I then applied a layer of AK Real clear flat for the finish and as protection. I finished further parts not shown here, but will continue with the body pan and then on to the cockpit.

 

What you see on the pic are no decal seams, but different carbon patterns, some more glossy than others.

 

 

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

Rob

 

Did Studio 27 recommend a specific decal solvent solution for their decals?

[DocRob]

21 hours ago, CDW said:

Did Studio 27 recommend a specific decal solvent solution for their decals?

 

Not to my knowledge Craig, unless some of these tiny Japanese letters on the package say so. I used Tamiya´s decal adhesive, softener type for application and afterwards used the Tamiya Mark Fit extra strong on top numerous times, combined with some hot air.

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

The reason I asked about it, when I bought a huge set of carbon fiber decals for my 1:12 Tamiya Enzo Ferrari, Scale Motorsport insisted that only Decal Magic solution (their own product) be used on the decals. As the set was so expensive, decided not to take a chance and bought their recommended decal solvent for the set.

[DocRob]

Due to the Twins-GB over on LargeScaleModeler, the McLaren build is boxed and paused. It gave me a lot of grief, but i felt, that now the fun part of the build would have started, but that´s for later. 
 

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

After a long pause and the Crocker motorcycle near finished, I thought, I could finish a started build and continue with the McLaren. This project fought me from the beginning and in deep contrast with the Crocker, it continues to do so, but I want to have the kit off the bench or bin it.

I finished the cockpit, using many parts from a Studio 27 detail set. The switchbox and it´s steering mechanism came out good enough, but was extremely fiddly. The steering wheel was even more complex and I used the kit part, which was not too shabby. 
The seat belts are completely wrong and should be black, but the Studio 27 belts tested my patience too much and I used a Tamiya set. These look a bit toyish and were so shiny, that I flat coated the seat assembly. Well if you don´t look to close, it might work .







Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

I added the front suspension and the carbon side air intakes with some electronic device detail, but decided against wiring them. The engine and car bottom are not finally attached to the monocoque.





For the next steps, I prepared the air intakes for the brakes, which needed to be decaled with carbon pattern decals. When you apply the decals to the sides of the intakes, they are slightly oversized, but with some doses of Mr. Mark softer and hot air from the hairdryer, the start to contour around the edges and the mid section can be applied the same way. Time consuming, but it works and the carbon decals behave good and are not to brittle. The carbon thread pattern looks absolutely beautiful in black and anthracite. 
I also finished the brake calipers with Titanium gold, some black panel line wash and finally the tiny Brembo markings.



Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

After some bits of progress, the MP4/6 project stalls again. It seems to fight me on all cylinders, but maybe it´s just me. 
Over the last days, I prepared body parts, front and rear wings for painting and in the process, I test fitted the body over the engine and monocoque. There was a huge gap to the lower floor pan. In the progress, some parts from the engine and monocoque cracked loose and the described gap can only be closed with sheer force. It would be possible to glue the body in place, but that was not what I had in mind, with all the detailing and decaling of the innards of the car.

I hate to admit it, but the McLaren is getting on my nerves, which is rare with my projects. Normally, I pull through obstacles, but the constant struggle with this kit let my patience vanish.

My whole bench is cluttered with the detail sets and all the partly badly and small printed manual sheets, which should be merged during the project. The kit´s manual isn´t to good either.

But the neck breaker was the GAP, which you can see on the pics. I absolutely wanted a removable body and that´s not possible at all, so back on the shelf. 





Cheers Rob

[CDW]

Rob

I have that same kit and detail sets in my stash. This has me a bit spooked to see what you are going through with it.

Is either the body or monocoque warped?

Edited July 9 by CDW

[DocRob]

11 hours ago, CDW said:

I have that same kit and detail sets in my stash. This has me a bit spooked to see what you are going through with it.

Is either the body or monocoque warped?

Don´t be too frightened, Craig, many of the obstacles during this build have to do with the numerous AM sets used. Some places are a bit confusing, when you have four different manuals in fron of you, not all of them very clear. I´m sure, a lot of the troubles are on me, as I tend to loose interest in a project, when I can´t reach my planned goals. 
For the gap, I have no explanation, everything looks straight and in right position. The body itself is a bit bent inwards, but that´s not the cause for the problems. It is possible to glue the body to the floor pan without problems, but I wanted the body detachable.

Cheers Rob

[Egilman]

4 hours ago, DocRob said:

I have no explanation, everything looks straight and in right position. The body itself is a bit bent inwards, but that´s not the cause for the problems. It is possible to glue the body to the floor pan without problems, but I wanted the body detachable.

There is only one answer then, build up the edge to close the gap, once it's refinished you will not see the difference... There is a second option, thin the part over the detail additions, but that is a vey risky proposition...

The part looks good for what it is now, filling the gap is the best resolution...