Beyond The Sprues

Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Land => Topic started by: Frank3k on December 08, 2023, 11:10:19 AM

Title: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 08, 2023, 11:10:19 AM: I love this little 3 wheeler. I'm using the Arii '57 Daihatsu Midget (https://www.scalemates.com/kits/micro-ace-41007-800-57-daihatsu-midget--276607) as a base kit:

(https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/6/0/7/276607-12155-15-pristine.jpg)

It's listed as 1/32 but I'm declaring it to be 1/35 - it's still a very small vehicle. I've built this one before, about 9 1/2 years ago:

Asimoto Roboto Repair (https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=4567.msg74334#msg74334)

It'll be in some sort of soft post apocalypse setting, although I haven't decided if I'm going to add a robot. Right now I'm detailing it, based in part on the very detailed pictures of a 1960s version. (https://bhauction.com/en/private-sales/1960-daihatsu-midget-dsa)

Very garish green plastic:
(https://i.imgur.com/1B1umQB.jpg)

I thought the back wall and roof were made of metal, but they're stretched canvas. So I made a frame from scratch:
(https://i.imgur.com/gRjduae.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gENWlKa.jpg)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Story on December 09, 2023, 03:32:01 AM: Will it have a methane-gas powered motor?

[then it could be the pig pooper]

Who runs Bartertown?
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 09, 2023, 06:34:00 AM: I was thinking biodiesel, but methane would work as another easy to make fuel. With a one cylinder engine, either would make for a noisy, stinky ride.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: apophenia on December 09, 2023, 08:37:41 AM: Quote from: Frank3k on December 09, 2023, 06:34:00 AM
... either would make for a noisy, stinky ride.

Only utility company-supplied methane has an odorant added. Captured 'biogas' - as in methane digester stoves - is odourless. So, not smelly ... just noisy (and more dangerous!).

Hmmm, ... maybe both the Daihatsu and its robot companion run on bagged methane? :smiley:
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 09, 2023, 09:41:43 AM: biogas can be stinky, though. This vehicle is so small that it could carry the driver, a biogas bag and little else. At least for trips beyond, say the next block. Are there other easy to produce (at least not requiring a large facility and infrastructure) fuels? Bio Diesel, biogas and biopropane are the only ones I can think of. Or coal...
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Old Wombat on December 09, 2023, 12:53:40 PM: Alcohol! You can ferment anything plant-based to make it.

Mix it with plant oils to thicken it up a bit & add some cylinder lubrication plus more plant oils for general engine oil.

It'll need more frequent servicing than using mineral fuels & oils but should work OK.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: raafif on December 10, 2023, 07:23:03 AM: Nice little model , would go well with my BMW Isetta & KR-200 Messerschmit models.

Quote from: Old Wombat on December 09, 2023, 12:53:40 PM
Alcohol!

Putting alcohol in anything other than Humans is a total waste ! :P
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: apophenia on December 10, 2023, 12:05:34 PM: Needs must ;)

Quote from: Frank3k on December 09, 2023, 09:41:43 AM
biogas can be stinky, though. This vehicle is so small that it could carry the driver, a biogas bag and little else...

The biogas bag could go on the roof - the Daihatsu's drag coefficient would be nothing to write home about anyhow ;D

Quote from: Frank3k on December 09, 2023, 09:41:43 AM
... Are there other easy to produce (at least not requiring a large facility and infrastructure) fuels? Bio Diesel, biogas and biopropane are the only ones I can think of. Or coal...

Wood gas? Mind you, WW2 Holzgas gasifier generators were pretty bulky too :(
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 11, 2023, 10:57:33 AM: Thanks for the fuel options! I like the oily alcohol idea - the fuel is relatively easy to make and it's "dual use" - either drink or drive.

One nice thing about this kit is that it builds nicely out of the box, with just some minor fixes and refinements. You can also go wild and detail it accurately. I decided to detail it, but with some whif additions.

The front wheel is in place, but the two rear wheels are tacked on. Our two 1/35 French buddies scale out about 5'8"/1.7m They still tower over the Midget:

(https://i.imgur.com/hWlioEm.jpg)

Not visible(but still took quite a bit of time) is the completely reworked front wheel fork. I replaced the two arms with the rubber booted suspension from the DML Light Infantry Motorcycle. It fit well. I added brake and speed cables and of course, 90% of the work is hidden by the fender...

I have most of the default decals on (instrument panel and name badge). I started on the rubber seal for the windscreen (no glass in place). The roll frame/rear wall support is just tacked on. It's pretty sturdy, but I keep banging into it as I work in the "cockpit" so it'll stay off until the end.

The stick shift is a thin brass wire glued into the original part's shift ball.:

(https://i.imgur.com/8il3XBK.jpg)

Most of the fiddly bits are done - I now have to decide if I want to add a roof, and a few other details before the weathering/rust (which will be extreme) starts.

I'll be using this very effective rusting technique (https://arakichi-blog-fc2-com.translate.goog/blog-category-28.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=ajax,elem&_x_tr_sch=http) again.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Story on December 11, 2023, 11:54:49 PM: Tamiya
She could ride in a trailer, just need a funnel to the fuel container.

(https://photos.kitmaker.net/review/5796/24.jpg)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Story on December 12, 2023, 12:06:31 AM: Quote from: Frank3k on December 11, 2023, 10:57:33 AM

Not visible(but still took quite a bit of time) is the completely reworked front wheel fork. I replaced the two arms with the rubber booted suspension from the DML Light Infantry Motorcycle. It fit well. I added brake and speed cables and of course, 90% of the work is hidden by the fender...

So flip it on it's back and show us what thou hath wrought.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 12, 2023, 12:11:27 PM: I think that pig would collapse the Midget's suspension...

Here's the front end suspension. Doesn't look like much:

(https://i.imgur.com/mga0vzy.jpg)

I also opened up the engine compartment and added the heavily chopped and modified engine from an old Tamiya Kettenkrad.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Dr. YoKai on December 12, 2023, 09:49:44 PM: How about a Yo Labs Anti-gravity pig? Guaranteed to improve gas mileage 36.2%
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53392078612_b75ccdd0cb_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pm5mPw)DSCF0850 (https://flic.kr/p/2pm5mPw) by VileDr.Yo (https://www.flickr.com/photos/46965833@N07/), on Flickr

(This our neighbor from up the street, Pumpkin. This region of Virginia evidently allows anything qualified as 'livestock' to roam freely. She drives
the dogs crazy, but is otherwise pretty relaxed...)

I vaguely remember the Kettenkrad engine-reviewers were pretty excited about it back in the 70s. The suspension looks pretty darn good-I wish my surgeries came out so smoothly.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Buzzbomb on December 13, 2023, 03:53:04 AM: Sometimes simple is good.

Nice build Frank
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: apophenia on December 13, 2023, 09:06:32 AM: Yep, this is turning out really well :smiley:

Looking forward to seeing your version of Araki's rust effects in progress once more 8)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 13, 2023, 10:29:08 AM: Thanks guys. This isn't quite putting lipstick on a pig - since it's a nice kit to start - but I've modified quite a bit so far. Today I did the canvas roof and rear wall.

I like the look of the original vehicle:
(https://bhauction.com/data/img/lots/1960-DAIHATSU-MIDGET-DSA/_lot_d_thumb/03.jpg)

But the kit's roof and back wall look very much like metal and not canvas. I tried tape on the original part, but it didn't look good. I had some 0.005" (.13mm) Evergreen styrene sheet and it was easy to manually bend into the shape of the cover. I trimmed it to size, then put it on a soft surface (my chair's armrest) and ran a pencil over it on both sides to imitate creases. I repeated the same for the back wall, tracing the kit part, then using a pencil for tracing.

This is what it look like just resting on the Midget:

(https://i.imgur.com/3URl5SK.jpg)

I didn't illuminate this picture well, so the colors are washed out. The belts are made from Tamiya tape (still needs some paint) and the buckle is from a Trumpeter generic rifle sling PE sheet. The bit of belt in the middle of the buckle is just a sliver of tape glued in place:

(https://i.imgur.com/b3Ods8L.jpg)

The creases aren't obvious in those pictures - I'll try a better shot tomorrow.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Old Wombat on December 13, 2023, 02:48:35 PM: Nice! :smiley:
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Buzzbomb on December 14, 2023, 04:55:59 AM: Getting those pop studs on really makes that tilt work. Really like it
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 18, 2023, 09:46:58 AM: I'm in the final stages of this build - rusting and some extra weathering. I'm also trying out some cargo. The tailgate is a thin sheet of styrene. The chains are an old PE chain (in 1/350) that I made 20 years ago or so:

(https://i.imgur.com/qLHo33g.jpg)

The cargo area isn't very rusty, because there'll be cargo taking up most of the space:

(https://i.imgur.com/GnBmeHX.jpg)

The French mechanic is unsure if the Midget can take the weight. The cargo is from Value Gear. I hadn't removed the windshield wiper mask and added the wiper:

(https://i.imgur.com/bLWbSgQ.jpg)

The Value Gear bits are just great:

(https://i.imgur.com/tp37xU5.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/XOaD3LI.jpg)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: finsrin on December 18, 2023, 09:54:40 AM: This be great :smiley: Wear-n-tear and rustifying are right on. So real looking Midget and cargo :smiley:
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Kerick on December 18, 2023, 11:46:19 AM: Cargo needs to be piled about twelve feet higher!
Looks great!
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Dr. YoKai on December 20, 2023, 10:39:44 PM: Masking the windshield like that is pretty ingenious. Looks like another beautiful build.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 21, 2023, 04:20:31 AM: Thanks, Craig! I taped the windshield first, put the wiper at one extreme, marked the ends, moved it a bit, marked again and repeated until I reached the other end. I removed the tape, drew the path of the wiper, cut it out of the tape and reapplied it to the windshield.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 21, 2023, 10:01:13 AM: I'm calling this one done, mainly because I ran out of motivation.

The base is a runway section from the Academy 1/35 RQ-7B UAV kit. I chipped the edges of some of the slabs and added cracks and some grass. The straps are blue tape with PE ends.

(https://i.imgur.com/RpLR1W8.jpg)

The fuel tank covers the gap under the cargo. The rusting on the tailgate doesn't look great, but I'm done messing with it.

(https://i.imgur.com/NkAV0Se.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/eTy3Pwv.jpg)

The figure is from the recent set, Ukrainian Tank Crew at Rest (https://www.scalemates.com/kits/miniart-37067-tank-crew-at-rest--1266277) The plastic water bottle is from Meng.

(https://i.imgur.com/Sx1MWkD.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/yQWTbfJ.jpg)

Didn't do a great job on the face, but it'll do:

(https://i.imgur.com/sL8dmNh.jpg)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: finsrin on December 21, 2023, 12:00:27 PM: Brushed on real rust did you ? Tarmac with its touches works perfect :smiley:
So nice in its so used way. :-*
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Old Wombat on December 21, 2023, 06:58:06 PM: Love the old Midget!

Great work, again, Frank! :smiley: :smiley: 8)
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 22, 2023, 12:01:47 AM: Thanks, guys! I’ve since fixed the left side of the cabin roof that got pushed down out of place by my handling.

This is a fun little kit and it never disappoints. A modeling equivalent of a blank canvas.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: GTX_Admin on December 22, 2023, 01:59:28 AM: :smiley:
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Frank3k on December 23, 2023, 03:18:27 AM: I took a picture of my first build of this kit and the latest:

(https://i.imgur.com/2vupNd2.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/qXyy1ty.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/tvdynES.jpg)

I managed to pop the cabin roof and tailgate chain again, but those are easy fixes.
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Buzzbomb on December 23, 2023, 09:14:45 AM: Really nice work again Frank.

The finish is excellent and really sells it.

Well done
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: GTX_Admin on December 24, 2023, 12:08:56 AM: :smiley:
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Robomog on March 06, 2024, 12:16:19 AM: Stunning build, perfectly weathered and a simple but effective scene, the addition of the dog just sets it off a treat.

Mog
>^-.-^<
Title: Re: Daihatsu 1957 Midget
Post by: Jeffry Fontaine on March 06, 2024, 02:49:24 AM: Excellent looking vignette with good placement of the vehicles and also keeping it simple and yet great details. Thumbs Up! :smiley: