1/8th Scratchbuild - Porsche RS60

[CeeElle]

the body of my 1:1 car doesn't look that good.

[cinqster]

Well, it's been a while since an update! The bodywork is starting to look OK and I hope to have some pictures of it up in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, I've had real problems finding suitable material for the seats:



I really want to capture the perforation texture of the seat material as most of the Spyders of this age used this covering. Do any of you guys know of a photo-etch sheet or brass mesh that will work for this at 1/8th scale? I've checked out everything from military modelling photo-etch, fibreglass fine cloth to stainless mesh found in kitchen shops and I can't find anything with the correct amount of holes to the inch/mm. I'm going to make the seats using bondo (again) If I could get the correct guage photo-etch I'd wrap it over the seat to get the texture. If I find brass mesh I can either use it as a guide to drill the holes or I'll have to stick it on and sand off the top surface to get rid of the mesh overlap.

The hole pitch is about 50 holes to 40mm.

Any ideas?

[ouizel]

Originally Posted by cinqster

Do any of you guys know of a photo-etch sheet or brass mesh that will work for this at 1/8th scale?

The hole pitch is about 50 holes to 40mm.

Any ideas?

Try looking at the foils that cover the cutting heads on electric razors. I googled Electric Razor Foil and one of the results that returned was this: http://buyitnow64.stores.yahoo.net/br70sy70sefo.html

[jaykay640]

You gotta be kidding! This is 1/8th! You have to use leather or at least fake leather. Forget about bondo and photoetch!! Seriously!
Do you want to make the seats red like the photo?
Give some measurements for the seat!
How big will the holes be in scale? And will those then be at that 50 holes by 40mm spacing?
I'll have to check something. Maybe there's another solution.....not photoetch!! :-)

[cinqster]

What are your thoughts jaykay?!

I'd love to do them in leather but I'm hoping to possibly go into production with this model so I really need to cast the seats, as hand covering each one would take me forever. I've not drawn the seats up yet (and typically the driver and passenger seats are different in shape) but they will be the same shade of red (Porsche did do a couple of black RS60 interiors). I'm guessing that the centre seat panel will be about 40mm across. The holes need to be about the same size as the spaces between them so I guess the holes will be around 0.5mm diameter.

I thought about perforating paper/plastic sheet with a tool called 'rosie the rivetter' which is basically a gearwheel with sharp points. The aircraft model guys use them for making lines of rivets. It would be good for one row but then each row would have to be evenly spaced too.

GMP use resin castings on their 1/8th 550 which is based on the same material as I'm trying to copy - looks OK to me:



BTW, how close is Lemgo to Hannover? I've been told that the car I'm using for reference is in the Porsche museum there!

[jaykay640]

Oh we're talking mass production......well that's another thing:-)
For one seat i'd do leather. You can still use that as a master for casting... but that will quite likely mess it up of course.
I might get my hand on a red leather and get it thinned to use on the model as well. The holes are another story. I thought about something like your "rosie". You could try and run it along a ruler or install it on a mill if you have one to get the spacing right.
Or if you aim for making more you could build a larger version of rosie that can do the hole pattern in the leather bits of your seat. ( I would cover that seat with several leather patches that you individually glue to the cast resin seat ). Once you have the patterns to cut them out it's not really a big deal to do more...

Hannover to Lemgo is about 90km. Where's that museum?

[jaykay640]

O.k....forget that. Found it. Lemgo.
On the websites i checked they don't mention an RS60...but a v.Trips driven RSK....

[cinqster]

I was thinking about using the mill as I could drill out a large sheet of the stuff - how dull would that be to do!

Seriously though, I could drill the holes into really thin plastic sheet and glue that to the seat, but the biggest problem with a material like that would be wrapping it around the edges. I guess a good solvent would soften the plastic up enough?

This is the museum:

http://www.lemgo.net/539.html

Tried to phone them today but I think they're shut for the winter. May have to come over and visit the car as even with all the photographic reference I've got it would be nice to move around the car to make sure all the curves are correct. Today I discovered that the floorpan is not flat as I'd originally thought - it curves into the middle to clear the gear linkage - grrrrr!

[cinqster]

Originally Posted by jaykay640

O.k....forget that. Found it. Lemgo.
On the websites i checked they don't mention an RS60...but a v.Trips driven RSK....

Yep, I think that's the polished RSK that's road legal - used to be a common sight around Germany!

I've not seen any mention of the RS60 either which is why I'm trying to contact them. I read on this website that it's there, but the info may be out of date. This is the actual car I'm using for reference (chassis 055)

http://www.carelgodindebeaufort.nl/spyder.html

I know the owner lives in the UK, but the car is still in Germany.

[jaykay640]

The museum is open sundays between 12.00 and 16.00. Try to call them then. If you need help with german let me know.
I live 60km from Hannover...but in the other direction :-)
I'm not sure they'll let you "move around" like you want. There are ropes and stuff it seems....museums. But they are a small place. Maybe they can be convinced:-)

I doubt about the plan with thin plastic and solvent. Sounds messy.
I have to do some hunting at work. Will get back to you :-)

[Murray Kish]

Have a look at different types of medical tape.... I've seen stuff with pattern's like this, but can't seem to find a pic/link. I'll keep looking though....

Murray

[JELPSPEED]

have you seen the perforated vinyl used for advertising signs in the bus windows? you need to look for one with the correct pattern for your seats, I have seen one that would look like your leather, but you need to make some research with the different manufacturers.

here are a few examples

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/Perforated_Vinyl.html

http://www.cyber-bridge-marine.com/m...am-backed.html


Best regards

[jaykay640]

I checked with a colleague and she showed me a leather sample that would be what you want. The holes were lasered in!
Problem is....i can't get you any of that :-( I'll keep looking....!

[cinqster]

Originally Posted by jaykay640

I checked with a colleague and she showed me a leather sample that would be what you want. The holes were lasered in!
Problem is....i can't get you any of that :-( I'll keep looking....!

Oh err jk, what line of business are you in?

You can't leave me in suspense like that! Does she not have a supplier - they've got to be Chinese, surely?

BTW, thanks for the tip Jelp. That website is brilliant, but I can't find anything with the correct size holes.

Now here's a thing. I found the wife's travel hairdrier case today which is made of a kind of steel mesh which has exactly the right guage and hole size for my needs. Needless to say she has forbidden me from cutting it up!
However, I did take a blade to it today and cut a 5mmx5mm test sample section out of it - she'll never notice! The stuff bends really nicely but has the usual probelms with mesh ( it wants to fall apart at the edges) I'm sure if I cut it to shape then seal the edges with cyano etc. it may be OK. The problem is I'd have to make each individual seat panel first and cover it in mesh, then mold it, then sand the top surface flat, join it all back together as a single seat casting and then mould it again! I fell alseep last night calculating the holes needed if I drilled them out of plastic card on my mill... I reckon on around 6500 needed for the two seats, a headrest and two door top covers! Should have taken up basketweaving!

[JELPSPEED]

Originally Posted by jaykay640

I checked with a colleague and she showed me a leather sample that would be what you want. The holes were lasered in!
Problem is....i can't get you any of that :-( I'll keep looking....!

Jakay640 just gave you the solution, why don´t you make all the pattern holes with a laser cutter? over the material you like to be applied.
Here in my city in Mexico it is really easy to make that, so I think in your country it also can be easy to do.

OR.

get the newest top technology hairdryer for your wife, and exchange for the one she has.