13 replies to this topic

[Sterzo]

Have been rummaging in my loft, and there just might be someone out there who is entertained by the results. Some brilliant model making has been shown on the forum, but this isn’t part of it. Hand tools only, on the kitchen table, by someone who distinguished himself at school by being bottom in woodworking class.

 

But hey, I love historic racing cars and the only way I was ever going to own any was to make my own. They're all 1/32nd scale.

 

Here’s  Mike Hawthorn in a 1958 Ferrari Dino, made in the nineties. Car body and driver are hand carved and sanded from balsa wood (to my own drawing). Frequent stops to blow dust from inside of glasses. (Mine, not Hawthorn’s). Model engineering this is not; no precision involved. Scale is 1/32nd. Bought the wheels, and added hand-knitted spokes from 5 amp fuse wire.

 

 

Is there anything dafter than spending ages making such a fragile beast? Yes, I fitted it with motor and chassis and raced it on a home slot track, along with all the others, plus models made by a like-minded group of friends. We raced regularly from the early seventies to mid nineties. Not a good way to keep models in good condition, hence being slightly battered. (The Dino, not me).

[Sterzo]

Here are more from the box. They’ve been standing for twenty years and some of the rubber tyres have perished and distorted. All have hand-made balsa bodies, except where otherwise stated.

 

 

 

From top left:

1924 Alfa Romeo P2 (with functional wire wheels, spokes taking the stress).

1914 GP Peugeot

1935 ERA B-Type, with crude louvres made out of an old metal toothpaste tube.

1957 Maserati 250F. Began as inaccurate Airfix body. Sawed off the tail and replaced it with an improved one in balsa. That showed up the front, so sawed it off at the scuttle and only the original cockpit remains.

Centre position: 1908 Clement Bayard. The artillery wheels are from an Airfix kit, fitted with rubber tyres which have perished and twisted horribly.

Top right: 1927 Bugatti T35B, Airfix kit with radiator reshaped, brass front axle etc.

1953 Ferrari 500, another attempt at a hunched Hawthorn. Paper louvres.

1952 Gordini, with paper louvres and (like most) exhaust shaped from plastic sheet.

1955 swb (Monaco) Mercedes Benz W196, embarrassingly lacking detail.

Edited by Sterzo, 14 January 2019 - 15:41.

[Sterzo]

Bored yet? We pull out the bottom drawer of the box to reveal, from top left:

 

Aformentioned Ferrari Dino.

1956 Lancia Ferrari with bought fibre glass body. (Always meant to saw both ends off but never did).

1954 Jaguar D-Type, short nosed, copper wire louvres. This was the first model I made, built up from layers of ¼ inch balsa sheet. I wish I could remember why I did that.

1953 Jaguar C-Type. Fuse wire radiator grille. Headlamp covers (like the D-Type’s) were heat moulded from low budget PVC shirt packaging.

Centre: 1955 Lotus Mk IX, made by a friend, though I hand-painted Colin Chapman’s check shirt, hardly mad at all.

Top right: 1948 Maserati 4CLT/48, hand carved by same friend and reshaped and detailed by me. Wheel spokes are black cotton. (Damn the expense).

The 1960 F2 Porsche, 1962 Ferrari GTO and 1959 BRM are all plastic bodies, by Super Shells, Revell and Scalextric respectively.

 

[Gary C]

These more than deserve to be on display somewhere, man cave perhaps? They have a certain 'patina' being entirely hand crafted, something I would choose all day long over a mass produced thing.

[Sterzo]

Thank you, Gary C, "patina" is a pleasing alternative to botched. The Dino 246 and the Alfa Romeo P2 alternate on display duties in my living room, housed in a protective cabinet which was originally an old Ferrero Rocher box. Had to eat the contents to make space for a model.

 

Edited by Sterzo, 10 February 2019 - 18:20.

[raceannouncer2003]

For some reason, your photos aren't coming up on my computer.

 

Vince H.

[D-Type]

For some reason, your photos aren't coming up on my computer.

 

Vince H.

Try emptying the wastebin or "deleted files" folder to free up space on your computer then reboot.  That usually works for me.

[Michael Ferner]

For some reason, your photos aren't coming up on my computer.
 
Vince H.

Neither on mine. I've begun to resign myself to not being able to see all pictures posted on this board. Haven't looked in the Track Maps thread for ages, such a waste - it used to be one of the best threads around here!

Edited by Michael Ferner, 23 January 2019 - 14:49.

[Sterzo]

I suspect most problems are related to the crude and incomprehensible systems of the picture-hosting sites. My pics are hosted on Dropbox but I think most services are built on similarly obscure logic. Here's a link to Dropbox Files rather than Dropbox Home. Perhaps, Vince and Michael, you could say whether you can see it? If so, I'll change the other links.

 

[raceannouncer2003]

No, can't see it.  I see everyone else's photos fine.

 

Vince H.

[Michael Ferner]

Can't see it, either. Other photos mainly fine, except for ozpata's.

[Ralf Pickel]

Can´t see them either, sorry.

[woodencarguy]

Methinks you are much too modest by far!!   These are wonderful little models.    Very brave of you to do them in such a fragile medium as balsa too.    Back in the day (70's) I used to make some balsa slot cars myself so I have an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into them.    Well done.

 

Frank 

 

PS all your pictures are showing OK .

[Obster]

Just found this thread today. Pics are awesome. 

Well done, Sterzo!