1/9 Protar Ducati 916 racing.

[outrunner]

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I think this will be an interesting model to build.
Sprues.
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The detail is very good and only the odd bit of flash. Decals are Cartograph and there is a little bag with cables, springs and screws but I forgot to photograph them.
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And lastly the chain, and you guys think tracks are bad.
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There are 2 sprues for the chain and all those parts are individual but the way the chain is assembled is quite clever and it will be a moving part, all will be revealed when I build it but it will take some time and thought before I start.

Andy.

[GerryW]

[ATTACH]420251[/ATTACH]
I think this will be an interesting model to build.
Sprues.
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The detail is very good and only the odd bit of flash. Decals are Cartograph and there is a little bag with cables, springs and screws but I forgot to photograph them.
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And lastly the chain, and you guys think tracks are bad.
[ATTACH]420259[/ATTACH]
There are 2 sprues for the chain and all those parts are individual but the way the chain is assembled is quite clever and it will be a moving part, all will be revealed when I build it but it will take some time and thought before I start.

Andy.

Take it that you've got to assemble the chain almost like a real one's done - two outer plates with a link inside? Better than the rubber band ones supplied with the speedway bike.
Working suspension as well?
Take it that the 'cables', HT leads etc. are tubes to be fitted over lugs on the various points?

[outrunner]

Take it that you've got to assemble the chain almost like a real one's done - two outer plates with a link inside? Better than the rubber band ones supplied with the speedway bike.
Working suspension as well?
Take it that the 'cables', HT leads etc. are tubes to be fitted over lugs on the various points?

Yes on all, chain has movable links, suspension is sprung and there is enough material for brake/clutch/throttle/plug leads. Some of the build will be fiddly and time consuming and as I am building it for someone else it will need to be done properly so a lot of care will be taken, good job he is in no hurry for it.

Andy.

[GerryW]

The suspension can be a pain, as the springs are under compression when assembled - if I remember right, I clamped the forks together until the cement dried overnight (no rear suspension on a speedway bike)
Must admit that they do come up well - great details and a satisfying build.
Only thing I thought was the let-down were the molded in engine case screws, I picked each out with the Humbrol 'Polished Steel' metalcote paint then buffed them up (time consuming, but I felt well worth it)

[Tim Marlow]

Looks like a good kit Andy. Always liked the look of Ducatis.

[tigersteve]

Look forward to watching the build - I rode down to Monza 1999 to watch the World Superbikes Races. Carl Fogarty doing the double on the same bike !

[Nicko]

I'll tag along if you don't mind. Currently mulling whether to add an ex-Protar Paris Dakar bike to the stash....

Nick

[outrunner]

I made a start on the drive chain which is made in 2 parts then joined together but it did not go too well, my fault for not looking closely at the drawing which to be honest was not very clear. The instructions say that you heat the ends of the pins but the plastic must not be melted so I went with gentle heat just to try and swell the pins enough to keep the side plates on. All seemed well until I started to cut the chain off the sprues and it went a bit Pete Tong and the chain virtually fell apart.
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After banging my head against the wall a few times I made a little jig to help me put the thing together virtually one link at a time, such fun.
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I will do the other half tomorrow having fitted the sprues together but I will use a bit more heat this time as any melted plastic will never be seen with a bit of sanding and a coat of black paint.
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Andy.

[GerryW]

So in effect, you're riveting the chain together? Sheesh, that's going to be tricky enough, and it's got to be able to move! I don't suppose that they've supplied any spare links for practice, either :flushed:
See why you're after a magnifier now! :thumb2:

[Airborne01]

That is sado-masochism of the highest order! Good luck, the build is superb so far!

[Steve Brodie]

That looks as bad as individual track links

[outrunner]

Well the other half of the chain went a bit better and I now have a completed item that is the correct length, I did check but not having a lot of faith in the length quoted in the instructions I temporarily fitted the drive sprocket and swingarm/rear sprocket to one engine half just to make sure.
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Still a wee bit of cleaning up to do but with a coat of black paint it will look OK.
I also built the paddock stand to use as a test for paint colour but Tamiya X7 is too dark so I think I will order a TS8 Ferrari red spray can as I am led to believe it is very similar to the Ducati red. [ATTACH]420779[/ATTACH]

Andy.

[GerryW]

Well done with the chain - think that I'd have handed the kit back to the owner! :tongue-out3: :smiling5:

[outrunner]

Well done with the chain - think that I'd have handed the kit back to the owner! :tongue-out3: :smiling5:

Spending probably 3 hours in total making the chain is still better than admitting defeat. The chain is probably the worst bit but there are other things that bother me about the kit like having to paint the engine halves before joining them together as some of the other bits have to be painted and fitted into them when joining it up. Some parts I might get away with but things like the fuel injectors can not be fitted after it is built. Not to worry though as I have plenty of patience and there is no hurry as the kit sat in the owners wardrobe for twenty years so he is used to waiting. :smiling5:

Andy.

[GerryW]

Will you be doing the chain with the outer links 'gold' coloured? Can't remember the make of chain that used to be used, but can remember that all the photos of racing bikes had that sort of colour chain.:thinking:
The painting before assembly is, I think, pretty much 'standard' for a lot of m/cycles, what with the frame tunnel through the tank and all the fiddly bits.
Glad that you got through the (possibly) most tedious part undeterred! :thumb2:
Must admit that it must be getting on for 30 years since I built their model JAWA, and still remember parts of the build every time I look at it! (Still got the bike models in a storage box - couple of Harleys (one was a WLA 'converted' to a 'civilian'), Suzuki, Vincent, JAWA)