1:12 Tamiya Honda RC166 - Mike Hailwood Isle of Man TT 1966.

[flhansen]

Hi

In an unprecedented move (by me...) I have actually finished a model a short time after it has been released! The reason has been really simple - it was simply such a good experience to build such a brilliantly engineered kit with all its additional detailsets that you probably can make a comparison with a book that is so exiting that you aren't able to close is before the last page has been read. The same is with this kit. I was intrigued with the somewhat daunting task of building a working chain in 1:12 and wheels complete with individual spokes.

You will need some sort of magnification to build the chain and wheels however. Unless you are issued with mk. 1 perfect eyeballs I don't think it is possible to assemble the chain and wheels without? The parts are TINY!

The engine is really a multipiece affair but through very clever engineering most parts can be built together in stages that will receive its final colour with added detail painting. Generally there is two colours - a 'silver' where I have been using Finishers 'fine silver' that looks the part and dries fast. That is the colour of the cylinder area that will be built up with individual fins. No big lump - but several layers of fins upon each other and it looks faboulous. The other main colours used is a mix of titanum cold and red brown. I don't think it looks totally right so I added a fine layer of Alclad 'smoke' to darken it up. Next on the agenda is the velocity stacks and fuel injection where the main body says flat brown? Doesn't sound right to me, but I have no pics of the 1:1 bike from that area. The fine presentation pictures included with the instructions don't give much away apart from being a brownish colour.

The chain is a masterpiece of engineering by Tamiya - but certainly for the experienced modeller only. The entire chain is built in a jig where you start with inserting a lot of small rollers in the jig. You will need some sort of magnification as the parts are TINY!. On top of that two sections of chainlinks are placed. These are fitted to a runner section that hold them in the right place. No need for individual placement of links thankfully. These two sections will represent the inner link and outerlink. Through the holes in the links and through the rollers you will now place the same amount of rivets as you have placed rollers earlier.

When this is done - takes time! - you will mount a blanking plate on the jig that will hold the parts together and then you will turn the assembly upside-down. Remowing the bottom blanking plate of the jig - carefully - and you will now enter the tricky bit!

Again a line of chainlinks will be placed over the rollers and rivets. It is important that the rivets are visually through all the holes in the links, because now you will enter the tricky bit of mounting the final links that keeps it all together. No soldering, no gluing here! In three links at a time you will now lock it all together. These special links has a gap in the bottom that fits into a tiny slot on each rivet. But you will only get one shot. If a rivet is not completely through it will damage the link ever so slighty so it won't hold the assembly together... :-( Therefore it is a very good idea to check the fit of each of these links before disassembling the jig! If I should do this step again I'd recommend to mount these lock links individually to have a better feel for them.

If this has been made succesfully you will now have a nice moving chain - if not you will find that a chain is not stronger than its weakest link! If it breaks it is very cumbersome to assemble it again. You will somehow have to mount it in the jig again - it is virtually impossible to handle links, rollers, rivets 'on the loose'...!

Luckily Tamiya have supplied more parts than you will use for the chain. Rollers, rivets, links and locklinks are supplied with 'reserves'. Some will be 'eaten' by the carpet monster.

I'll recommend a clean working area with nothing else on the table, and the modeller using very fine tweezers and some sort of magnification. Either mounted on your forehead or a lamp with a magnifier insert. You will need it! Lean over the table, so parts won't be able to drop onto the floor and start 'chaining'!

If you think the chain was difficult then go to the wheels with individual spokes...

It is very important to follow the directions by Tamiya and use the jigs supplied. If you do you will end up with som surprisingly sturdy wheels that looks far better than the wheels in the kit. At a price though - but don't let me spoil the party with some minor fiscal details ;-)



The plate below the bodywork sits in place by tiny magnets just like the new Spitfire kit. A plate between the front dampers sits in the samy way but is hidden in the picture. The rivets all over the body, seat and so on is a detail set available from Tamiya as well for this motorcycle.



The front fork is one of the detailsets and it works prototypically with tiny springs inside the assembly. A nice sturdy assembly by the way.



The finish is TS-17 for the 'silver' and TS-49 as red and as suggested in the instructions.



I know some may frown on this but I have not used anything else than what is in the box regarding wiring that maybe is a tiny bit overscale. But the challenge of building the kit and the considerable extra work it would have been to replace wiring and screws with something tinier was cast aside. The screws do actually hold much of the kit together it has to be said.



Yes the chain works and you can actually turn the wheel if you are very very VERY subtle in your moves. Potential disaster is waiting to happen!

Flemming

[MidMazar]

Looks good. I have to say for the money you have to spend on aftermarket details the build doesn't look as detailed as i think it should. I really like the chain and spokes.

[dmacb]

Excellent build.

[stevenoble]

Nice build, simple classic lines, really does look clean.

[quadzero]

Beautiful bike. Excellent build. The spokes and especially the chain are amazing.

[ketje]

Looking good. I'm waiting on my sets to build.