WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Models in progress... including non-F1 models.
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lezdep
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WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by lezdep »

Received my kit little over 2 weeks ago. Since then was itching to start it. Have been collecting reference photos and thinking about
what to do with thick fin. Last night made a little start. Usual clean up of parts and test assembly steps started.

Cannot understand why, by S27 made fin very thick. To be in scale it should have been paper thin. Instead it is about a millimeter
thick, this in scale would work out to 20mm in rear size car. On all the ref photos it looks much thinner on real car. In case or US GP
matter is complicated by air vent, which was integrated into fin. S27 provides metal parts to replicate that vent. However parts, when
assembled, add to same millimeter of thickness. My earlier idea was to remove resin fin completely and replace it with thin copy made
out of brass sheet. After examining parts, I don't think any more that's possible. Still looking for solution. If any one has ideas, pleace
chime in.

Over quality of the kit seems better then many previous offerings from S27. I am pleased with many relatively faithfully representled
aero bits and details. Some compromises are strange, but I think kit presents a decent base to build good model. Just need to work out
what to do with that awful thick fin.

Few shots of current progress.

Image

Image

Image

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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by jaykay »

Well, it's good to hearyou're mostly happy with what you got in the box. That's something i don't really expect from S27 kits anymore.
The fin looks thicker than 1mm in the pictures. More like 3 to 4mm...
There's no doubt it has to go. Personally i would replace it with a thin slice of renshape. This bonds better with the the resin and bondo/fillers than metal. It's not as stiff but more so than styrene. However, a bit hard to obtain...
Maybe some CF or fibreglass sheet is the solution!?
I don't envy you having to deal with all those white metal aero bits... but i'm looking forward to see more progress!
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by klinad »

Looking forward to seeing further progress.
Got mine last weekend, the car is HUGE! Giant floor and giant front wing...The shark fin probably has the same thickness on the real car, so it's 20 times thicker on the model :lol: . I think will replace that with brass board, or plastic card? The thing is to use a material with some stiffness and strength because while polishing you add some force on it, so I am also wondering which material to use.
I am currently working on the w07 kit which has lots of correction works to do, but after finish I will start to put my hands on W08 kit.
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by acer709 »

Wow,that sure is a bit oversize that fin.
I reckon plasticard is the way to go!
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by lezdep »

It would have not been difficult to replace fin with scratch made one from thin brass or plastic sheet
for Japanese or other pre US GP versions. But from US GP onward Mercedes integrated air vent into fin
structure. That vent is replicated by metal parts visible on 2nd photo. When I put them together, they
add up to the same over 1mm thickness. I can replace rest of the fin with thin brass sheet, but air vent would
have to be re-done somehow. Don't have a confidence to scratch build it. It has somewhat complicated
shape.

Hopefully I will be able to make those metal parts much thinner and add pieces of brass sheet to restore
full shape of that fin. Then replace original one with that construct.

If someone has different idea(s), let me know.

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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by willster127 »

Here's a pic I snapped at the US GP last year, fin is wafer thin and I don't see any vents. Should be easy to replicate with plastic card....
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by lezdep »

willster127 wrote:Here's a pic I snapped at the US GP last year, fin is wafer thin and I don't see any vents. Should be easy to replicate with plastic card....
Not sure why it is not there on your photo. Could it be from Friday ? In race spec that vent incorporated into the fin was definitelly present.
Here is photo from Mexico, where you could see it. I have photos from US, that show it on the race day as well, just too small.
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by jaws »

IF you didn't replace the fin you could try and taper the edges to give a thinner appearance.
Pictures you have seem like the fin is too thick to even try that. But thought I would throw that idea out there.
Might be worth a try???
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by shood23 »

Great to see one of these started. I'm sure you will come up with a solution which is best for you on the shark fin issue. If it were me I'd just remake out of sheet and some moulded putty or something like that for the duct.

Shaun
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Re: WIP: Mercedes W08 US GP 2017 Hamilton

Post by lezdep »

More I think about it, more it looks like original fin is not worth saving. I'll try to thin metal parts for vent as much as I can and
then build up rest of the fin from metal or plastic sheet.

Regarding the size of this car. I've placed Ebbro MP4/30 beside it and it seems similar in dimensions. I think cars became that
long back in 2010 or so, when re-fueling during the race was banned. At least F10, MP4/27 and MP4/30, I've built so far, look
similar in terms of sizes. See photos below for comparison. W08 does have a bit longer wheel base. But in terms of body work
sizes, I think it's similar.

Image

Image
Last edited by lezdep on Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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