Tamiya 'Ducati' 916

Martin Oostrom
She looks gorgeous Kerry 👍
How did you create the cast alloy look?

Björn Svedberg
Wonderful classic Ducati! 👍

Peter Hardy
Holy moley! The, Jaysus Kerry, that freaking unbelievable! I don't know what to comment on first! Yes I do!! The join in the tank / seat / tail, mine has very nearly brought me to tears of frustration! I even had a sook to Martin about it! I cannot get the join to disappear and I have spent three weeks trying to get it to an at least acceptable level. Love the clamps on the hoses too, very nice touch. Awesome job my friend, you inspire me!

Kerry COX
Gents. I am honestly overwhelmed with your generous comments, not to mention humbled too. 👍
Martin, as you can see with the 'Microscale' blue masking film I used. It was to cover all those bits that would be later having something attached with glue, and in doing that, the 'textured' surface of the cast alloy look was achieved using the Testor's buffing metalized paints, especially the "Dark Anodonic Grey" of theirs. Being acetone based, and sprayed onto bare plastic, the acetone has the 'etching' effect that slightly dissolves the surface before drying almost instantaneously, leaving behind the cast metal effect that can be reduced a touch after a bit of buffing with a tooth brush.

Martin Oostrom
Thanks for the explanation Kerry. Now there's a new bottle of paint to buy 😉

Kerry COX
Peter, I have used the 'Mr Surfacer' on the actual join, running it as a stand alone application and on the inside, I run a super glue tube along the full length of the join on both the main body/seat/tank and the front mudguard too, to help build up the actual thickness to create mor rigid strength of the join that will not crack if being handled firmly when sanding down the Mr Surfacer I ran the full length of to create a 'ridge' of this surfacer material that will completely hide what ever defects were there when joined originally. Preferring to gently scrape the Mr Surfacer down to the level where the sanding will not be a difficult job.

Peter Hardy
Ah haaa! Of course, I should have guessed. You are a lateral thinker Kerry! Many thanks for the heads-up!

Kerry COX
I do try to minamise what I have to overcome Peter. No point in busting one's balls for no return.

Peter Hardy
I gotta do more of that! One thing I excel at is busting my balls for no return!

Kerry COX
My son is the one who is an expert at that mate. Being a submariner, one must have only the bare necessities, at all times. 🙂 👍.
BTW, I am 71 today. hahahaha I made it. ! hahahaha

Martin Oostrom
Congratulations Sir Cox! May there be many more joyous years ahead 👍

Peter Hardy
Happy birthday Kerry! I am singing happy birthday out loud right now and the two trainees I have in the room look very concerned about my welfare!

Kerry COX
LOL. Thanks a million lads. That has made my day. !!!
My facebook page has lit up like a Chrismass Tree. hahahaha 🙂 👍

Peter Hardy
Yeah? well, you must have met a lot of people in all those years!

Kerry COX
You might say that my 'circle' of friends is more like a big weather balloon Peter. hehehehe🙂
The higher it gets, the bigger it gets. :-O
Cheers mate and great magging on the dingwah today.
Kez. 👍

Peter Hardy
My pleasure Kerry, my two students appreciated the break from the Trainer. I'll throw a PM at you tonight.

Spanjaard
late, but happy birthday Kezza.
and congratulations on this model. she is looking fantastic already.

Kerry COX
Spanjaard, Many thanks my friend. I am holding up OK, and kicking on to better times here with all my mates. 🙂
Cheers bud.
Kezza. 🙂 👍

Spanjaard
👍

Peter Hardy
Good Morning Spanjaard, sleep well?

Kerry COX
Good morning to all my mates.

Peter Hardy
Fu@k, your up early for a pensioner!

Spanjaard
last night? not really, about time to try again 🙂 hope you guys did 🙂

Kerry COX
I have some Magpies that sit on my front fence and wake the whole street, including me, and as I feed them prime mince beef, I have some great musicians to wake me each day, all at the crack of dawn. The most Australian of birds and their beautiful calls. 🙂

Peter Hardy
Nothing beats a Currawong's call in a steep sided valley on a cold and misty winter's morning. Why they have to look so much like a flippin' crow I have never figured out!

Kerry COX
white flashes and yellow eyes. And, heaps of them here too. 🙂

Kerry COX
And the Butcher birds, the poor cousin of the Maggie has a far louder song and at times prettier and quite shrill. 👍 🙂

Daniel Klink
Wohoo very impressing Kerry 👍

Michael Hickey
Hey Kerry, that is some very impressive workmanship and so clean, respect.👍👍👍

Michael Hickey
@Peter, Bell birds are far more nicer song, when I lived in the Coffs hinterland on my property the sound on a cool frosty morning was delightful.🙂

Kerry COX
Michael. On the bell bird comment. I must agree totally, and, the whip bird too, all memories of west of Taree in the Nowendoc Valley. Mmmmmmm 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you for you comment too my friend, and coming from you, I am most humbled. 👍 🙂

Peter Hardy
Kez, did you find any advantage with the Microscale? Would you use it again? Was it just for the purpose in keeping paint off the contact surfaces or was there another benefit?
Bell Birds are mono syllabic drones. Butcher Birds are close finishers but nothing beats the bandits of the bush!

Kerry COX
Peter. I had been a big fan of the latex by Humbrol, but if it sits for too long in the bottle, it just turns to rubber and it's hard to get a strong 'edge' and leaves 'feathers' when removing it, so the 'Microscale mask' is a lot better and can be left for a long time in place and will come away easily if left on the model for any length of time.
I have been a big fan of all Microscale products, especially the Microsol and Microset for the decals I have had to apply. Especially the carbon fibre decals I use. 👍And I am really yet to find anything to compare.

Spanjaard
have you tried scalemates.com/kits/268569-mr-hobby-ms232-mr-mark-setter ? i have only used it once. and i do not know if it was it, or the decals from Academy, but the result was really good. i could see the rivets even in places where two decals overlapped

Martin Oostrom
One of our neighbors has a couple of falcons in a birdcage in the back yard. A few times a day I duck under my desk thinking an air raid alarm has gone off. It seems this only happens in spring time. Is it summer yet?

Kerry COX
Spanjaard. The "Mr" products I have used quite a lot, but not the 'setter'. But the 'surfacer' is what I cover cracks, scratches, seams and joins with, sanding with some "wet'n'dry" fine grade paper for a really smooth result.

Spanjaard
falcons on a bird cage? ... those belong in the open air!
i have only used Mr surfacer once, and it was a disaster... it was suppose to act as a primer, and i was getting it away with my fingers after a day... later on i found out that i applied it incorrectly... i have to certainly give it a try again.

Kerry COX
Spanjaard, It really is a multi tasking tool, be it a surface prep or a filler of cracks, dents or any other blemish you need to be rid of. How I get it to become a 'filler' is not shake the bottle first, but use a stirrer and pick up some of the heavy sediment from the bottom, as it is thicker and dries as a solid lump for scraping/sanding.

Spanjaard
i will certainly have to give it a try... not sure when, but i will 🙂

Michael Hickey
Yes, I have to agree with Kerry, the Mr Surfacer is an extremely good product. I also use it the way Kerry does and it works wonders, for a while I was even airbrushing it on, just can't remember if it was 500 or 1000 that I was using. I think it had to be the finer of the 2.🤔

Spanjaard
thanks Michael

Michael Hickey
👍

Peter Hardy
I think I have some somewhere. I'll have to look!

Peter Hardy
I use Tamiya Mark Fit and Mark Fit Strong for the thicker decals or if it covers a panel join. Have you tried either of them? How do they compare?

Kerry COX
I was not all that happy with the Tamiya decal fluids, but then again, I am always expecting way too much and never really gave it much of a go on many decals, but I will try again I think. 👍
Cheers Peter. 😉

Peter Hardy
I don't think the stuff is brilliant Kez, it's just the only type of setting solution I've ever tried so I don't know how it compares.

Spanjaard
no, i have not use Tamiya ones. only the old microset/microsol, and Mr Mark Setter.

Augie
nice going kezza, didn't realise at first it was one of yours 🙂

Kerry COX
Augie. Thank you my friend. 🙂
I try to keep a low profile really. hehehehe
As I was posting these mainly as a bit of a visual for my Aussie mate here Peter Hardy who is building the exact same kit. BTW. Are you ever considering going to Wangerooge one year. ?
As that would be the perfect time I could buy you a cup of coffee. 🙂

Augie
🙂 I've considered it and will one year do it. a few issues to get through first but year would be good too one time then you can indeed by me a coffee 🙂

Peter Hardy
If it were mine I would be too! Understand the confusion Lode, it's Kerry you see, copies everything I do! Problem is he does it sooooo much better than me!!

Kerry COX
Awww. Cut it out you guys. LOL🙂
Like I said. Twins, even when it comes to the kits we build. 🙂 👍

Peter Hardy
Arnie and Danny?

Martin Oostrom
Careful Peter. Arnie was the more academically skilled of the two in that movie....

Peter Hardy
Martin! What are you saying?

Spanjaard
wow, she really truly shines Kezza... well done!

Kerry COX
Thank Spanjaard. I was worth the effort. 🙂 But boy. I HATE dust. !! 🙁

Peter Hardy
Ok, I'll strip it down again and try again. I can't put mine on the same website as this masterpiece if I don't at least give it my very best! Kezza my old mate, you do set a challenge!

Kerry COX
Peter, All your hard work is not in vain mate. That brilliant detailing in the frame and engine dept is something to behold. 👍
It is just getting that air brush paint mix thin enough to get the same results I am getting.
Like I told you before. I have repeatedly stripped back most of my paint jobs, as I have seen just a bit of dust loose me an award, but that's just me.
I don't want you to think I am not impressed with your work. The truth is that you have made a big impression on my work ethic and I thank you for that.
It's purely a technique you have to master really. As nothing looks better than what your achieving. 🙂
And I thank you most sincerely for your most kind words mate. Blushin I am. ! 🙂

Spanjaard
Kerry has certainly a great talent, and fantastic experience... but above all, Peter, what he has is practice, practice, practice... the talent, well not all of us have it (specially in that amount), but the practice... it is up to you 🙂 and do not get frustrated if you can not get the same result.... welcome to the club 😄

Kerry COX
Thank you all. ! James, Spanjaard and Lode, and my best mate in so many ways. Peter. 🙂
It may sound feeble when I say this, but when I build something, it's purely for the enjoyment of being able to sit in my family room with the three beautiful display cases housing the very best of my builds over the years, and smile. 🙂
Thinking that they look as real as I could possibly get them and imagine that each one could be what the producers of the actual object would like to have on display on their board room table, as a model of what they produce, to impress all company management and especially, the customers. 🙂
That is my mojo, and what I think drives all of us.
To produce the best result we can.
All of you have been an immense inspiration to me since I joined Scale Mates and I have the joy of knowing that the worlds BEST modelling masters reside here, and I can pick their brains. 🙂
It's always a thrill to watch, over the years, modellers post their builds from the early days of their skills developement and see it improve dramatically over the years as the confidence and ability in what they do builds. 👍
Your comments and appreciation of everyone's postings is wonderful too. But especially the kindness and understanding for rhe modellers who have struggled with their work, and in a sense, to put your arm on that modellers shoulder and be his best mate .👍
In saying all that. I am honoured to be on such a fantasti team.
Much love lads. 🙂
Kezza. 😉

Peter Hardy
Now I'm the one blushing!

Kerry COX
As red as an Italian bike mate. ? hahahaha 🙂 👍

Peter Hardy
Yep!

Martin Oostrom
Well Kerry, in my opinion you surely are achieving your goal of creating a lifelike model. For me, you are one of the true masters over here, not just buildwise but most of all in the generous spreading of your knowledge. Thank you for sharing!

Kerry COX
Martin. That's most kind of you to say what you have said mate. Thank you very much. 🙂 👍

Spanjaard
i fully agree with Martin. your tutorials will help a lot of people for a very long time 🙂

Kerry COX
Spanjaard. That is one hell of a beaut compliment mate. Thank you heaps . 🙂 🙂 👍
It must be the teacher in me that comes out occasionally. 🙂 hehehe
Cheers buddy. 👍

Spanjaard
I shoudl have said also, that I will be the fist to use that help 🙂

Peter Hardy
Hey! He's MY guru!

Kerry COX
Settle down you guys. hehehe But I am honoured and humbled. 🙂
Peter. Right at the moment, I have the 900 in pieces ready for painting and final assembly. 👍
I am totally surprised by the detail that it has been given. 👍
I am doing images of the build and a few of the issues that have cropped up, but overall, a real treat to work on. 👍 🙂

Peter Hardy
If it is that good I might pick up a Hasagowa kit or two myself. They have some classics in their bike collection and have just released a Suzuki 380 from the mid seventies. Looking forward to the final reveal!

Kerry COX
Good morning Peter. It looks interesting so far.
The chrome is ultra thin and easy to remove, but the 'flow gate and snap points" are a delectate clean up job, and too much can be removed for a clean look if one is not careful.
A brand new blade helps a lot. 👍
BTW, I saw that Suzuki 380 on line when I was looking at what is available in the way of M/Cls being made, a nice triple for its day. 🙂 I remember replacing a middle cylinder crank case seal on one. Grrrrrrrrr. :-/
I am totally absorbed in the bike side of kits these days.
Just a bit more finess if you get my drift.
Some call them fiddely, but a high concentration is the order of the day.
Your super detailing of the Duke was evidence of that. !
As promissed mate. The tube is on it's way, guaranteed, firt thing the PO is open on Monday. 👍
There will be enough there for you to do a LOT of experementing with. 🙂 🙂
I will be posting the Kawa 900 build as soon as there is something I have put some text to about what I did. 👍 🙂
Cheers.
Kezza. 🙂
PS. Crutchlow got pole in Spain. !!!

Peter Hardy
Just got home from a couple of days in Mackay. That was an Asoshima kit wasn't it? Not a Hasagowa!

Kerry COX
Yes. Affirmative. !
But I thought you had a couple too. ? :-O
I am doing the blood brown colour scheme as the decals for it are suitable only for that colour.
But if the deep red brown I have mixed is not suitable, I will strip it back and try some deep metallic green. 🙂
But I got that tank seam and a couple of 'dimples' to go away. 🙂
But I will send you some pics and get your opinion on the deep brown first. 👍

Peter Hardy
My favourite colour was the brown and orange of the original release. I was waiting to see what you thought of the kit. I have my eyes on doing one soon. Too many kits to build Kez! I'm going to end up doing a Martin and build ten at once!

Kerry COX
I am also guilty as charged.
I have lost count of the ones 'sitting in the wings' waiting for my attention. LOL 🙂

Kerry COX
I am frantically trying to blend that right colour red brown with a touch of silver in it to give it 'depth', so it's off to the Mr Toys for more paints to blend. hehehehe 🙂

Kerry COX
Black and brown sound right to you. ? with s drop of a good red. (for me you silly boy. !) hahaha

Kerry COX
It's red with a drop of brown I believe. 🙂

Peter Hardy
Nice to see you sorted that out then! I'll give you a bell today.