Hi,

I've received my first pack!
Thought I'd make a start

Bit gutted tbh, couple of problems with the nose (black bits in the paint / clear, wonky Honda logo) and front tyre (red cardboard in packaging had stuck to side wall of tyre somehow, around the circumference and across the Goodyear logo, leaving a red sticky deposit. Tried to remove with luke-warm water and kitchen roll. Lo and behold, the Goodyear logo came off before the cardboard residue did...)

I've contacted customer services, so fingers crossed...

Anyway, I plodded on with the brake disc.

Bit of trial and error is the best way to describe my efforts

I drilled out the cooling holes(?) in the hub.
Then I cut off the plastic disc bolt heads, sanded down, then drilled out the holes to accept some tiny M1.4 bolts, which I had to cut down.
I painted it up with Tamiya Titanium Silver.
Then made a little jig (2 panel pins in a piece of wood... ) to curl some 0.4mm wire, so I could try and replicate the locking wire.
Fixed the locking wire by tightening the bolts in.

I think it looks ok, for a first attempt at this sort of thing!

The rest should be a lot easier now I have the process sorted...

What have I learnt? Well, my eyes are not what they once were, and my big clumsy fingers are a pain in the bum! Can't wait for the magnifying lamp...

Ciao for now,
Si

Hi Derek,
Cheers for that, I will look at reducing my pixels :)
Yes, I'm enjoying making it, it's very therapeutic!

Ta,
Si

Hey, thanks for the compliment

I'd like to do more, but I don't trust myself with filler to do the seam gap between the 2 halves of the disc ha
I equally don't trust myself to cross-drill the holes thru the disc face

Si

Thanks Dan

Yes, I repainted the hub Titanium Silver. Had to after I 'approached' it with craft knife and sandpaper

This is the easy stuff I guess.
I'm dreading tackling the monocoque and bits like that later on.
You see the detail that peeps on here have gone to and it kinda blows your mind, I'm thinking "How the chuff am I gonna do that??!!"

And I really don't get on with decals

Hey ho, can but try eh

Si

Hi Malc,
Thanks :)
I'll add extra details where I can, within my skill limitations of course!
Real shame it's not available to you yet. One thing that has wowed me is the sheer size of the model.
I will get as many ideas for mods as I can from the excellent build diaries of the skilled members on here.
Si

Thanks Andy :)

Yes I agree, less can sometimes be more. But I do like it when you do something, and every time you see it you feel chuffed :)

I'll test stuff out along the way, see how it works out, and if I mess it up, well that's a lesson learned lol
Can always buy replacement bits (I hope!) haha

Good luck with your build

Si

Hi Eagle,

Thank you

Did this before sticking the 2 halves of the disc together.
I stuck the disc onto some cardboard with masking tape, to protect the disc face while slicing off the plastic bolt heads.
Measured the hole centres with a vernier, turned out to be 8mm between the centre of each bolt.
Marked the centre of each bolt head.
Used a 1.3mm drill bit in a pin vice and drilled through the centre.
Sliced the plastic bolt heads off with a snap knife.
Sanded the hub surface and cleaned the holes out.
I used the same 1.3mm drill to drill out the cooling holes in the hub too.
Removed the disc from the cardboard, turned it over, and noticed that the holes I'd drilled came out through the holes that the locating lugs on the other half of the disc go into wah, wah, wahhh...

I'd bought some M1.4 x 10mm bolts (2mm across the flats of the head, same as the plastic bolt heads) off t'interweb, so obviously these needed chopping down.
Chopped them with side snips, leaving about 2.5mm thread on them.
Found some panel pin nails that happily measured 1.4mm diameter. knocked them through a scrap bit of wood, so the centres were 8mm apart.
Used some 0.4mm silver plated wire, and used the "panel pin jig" to bend the swan-necks. Don't push your hand down on the nails like I did.... Ouch!
Painted the hub with tamiya titanium silver.
Glued the 2 halves of the disc together.
Put the wire curls over the holes and screwed the bolts in using reverse-tweezers.
They screwed in securely, paint down the hole probably helped, but I guess a dab of adhesive on the ends could help if they're loose.
Don't leave too much thread on the bolts or they will push the 2 halves of the disc apart.

Apologies that this is such a long-winded reply, I hope you don't think I'm trying to teach you how to suck eggs!

Si

Haha, I am a waffler aren't I

I wanted to go the full hog and put the wire through the side of the bolts heads, but lack of proper equipment for that kinda thing put the stoppers on that idea...
I wish you the best of luck, please get a picture up if you sort it that way, I'd love to see it.
Hopefully no spares needed

Ta,
Si

Hi Dave,

Yay! I imparted knowledge

I 'came up' with a similar technique a few years ago to make consistent swan-neck curls with 6mm nickel wire when wiring up heaters on the sand core dies we use at work. My swan-necks curl in a clock-wise direction for that application tho. Saved me lots of time over the years I can tell ya!

Glad it helped

Si