Alfa Spider

[mouppe]

Syd,

As far as I remember, the extra length on the spokes is important, but it is easy to fashion your own spokes.

Can you tell me the part number that is broken as I think I have a couple of spares and I could mail it to you.

Mouppe.

[sydeem]

Thanks mouppe!
I love this site. There is always somebody to help with a problem. The rear brake backing plate is #71622-21-N.

[mouppe]

Syd,

You're in luck. I have the part you need. The K73 kits come with pieces to make 6 wheels, but obviously you only need the brake parts for 4 of them. I have sprayed them black, but you can recolour them if you wish. PM me your address and I'll send it to you. If there is anything else you need, let me know and I will see if I have it. I have a 621 as well.

Mouppe.

[Tage]

I do so love the symbiotic energy here.

Way to go guys, this is how the whole world should behave.

[sydeem]

Happened to line up all the 71026 spokes to be sure there were no other types buried in the vial. Wow - maybe that is why it is so hard to make all the spokes fit into the wheel slots. Most of the sharper bends are at different angles. Probably explains why it was so hard to sort the 71024 and 71025 spokes out of the combined mess the prior owner had provided. Note also a few of the 71026 have no upper bend.

[Don Garrett]

I do so love the symbiotic energy here.

Way to go guys, this is how the whole world should behave.

[B]AMEN to that!!!!!!!!![/B]

[sydeem]

So far disassembly of the prior owners work is proceeding OK except for the engine. He had glued a few parts that have me stymied. For instance the front mount is glued and I can get a blade inserted all around in general but apparently there is glue on the mounting ridge, I am about to either apply real pressure or saw the face flush. Before I do - any comments from those of you that have disassembled kits or Pochers in particular???

[sydeem]

Well one really can disassemble a Pocher completely. Whenever Mario starts one of his projects it so enthuses me that I have to try my hand also if for no other reason than to learn from the master. I didn't have the courage to take apart the Alfa I built a couple of years ago but this partially built Spider I got originally for the wheels gave me a chance to take something apart. The model came assembled except for the body and wheels. Apparently wheel spokes were his downfall.

Image 1 shows partial disassembly.
Image 2 shows the engine finally disassembled. Took some doing as he had applied glue in a number of places were he had had screws stripped or parts broken.
Image 3 shows one of the six wheels assembled and waiting to see what color paint will be used.

The prior owner's work was as good as I would have been able to do and I would not have taken it apart except for Mario's work egging me on to do a really nice Pocher for a change.

[Mario Lucchini]

Well one really can disassemble a Pocher completely. Whenever Mario starts one of his projects it so enthuses me that I have to try my hand also if for no other reason than to learn from the master. I didn't have the courage to take apart the Alfa I built a couple of years ago but this partially built Spider I got originally for the wheels gave me a chance to take something apart. The model came assembled except for the body and wheels. Apparently wheel spokes were his downfall.

Image 1 shows partial disassembly.
Image 2 shows the engine finally disassembled. Took some doing as he had applied glue in a number of places were he had had screws stripped or parts broken.
Image 3 shows one of the six wheels assembled and waiting to see what color paint will be used.

The prior owner's work was as good as I would have been able to do and I would not have taken it apart except for Mario's work egging me on to do a really nice Pocher for a change.

Welcome Syd to the Pocher adventure...start slowly after your dissasembly stages and continue slowly enjoying the whole build....as this is also a Alfa, many things with my build are common....please ask whatever you wish....you can do a splendid job here!

Congrats again....

Mario

[sydeem]

There seem to be more than one version of the Memini Carburetor as shown below but none that I found that had the same characteristics as the model. The main difference seems to be the throat. The model has a vertical throat, Image 1, while the only pictures I could find show a curved (elbow?) throat, Images 3, 4 and 5. I got metal parts from Dan that are closer to what the pictures show, Images 2 and 6.

One can add more detail but the carburetor is buried between the engine and car frame so none of the detail is really visible.

[sydeem]

It might make sense to caution beginners regarding handling of metal after market parts. I did more damage to the parts I got from Dan with a file than was there from voids or flash . Even though I had small files I was impatient at first and used a full size file were there was room. Man it is easy to gauge that soft metal. When I tried to get into nooks and crannies with a small file there was not room to follow up with fine sand paper. I managed to polish some of the finish with fine crocus cloth. More care will be taken next time I attack this type of metal part.

The images show parts from Dan grouped as they might be used. The last image shows the manifold where I hope to drill through holes at final assembly to attach the parts with small screws “a la Mario”.

Another caution is that one should have proper size taps for screw holes or one will not be taking the assemblies back apart!

[sydeem]

One of the advantages to using after market metal parts is if you don’t have Mario’s machine shop one can still have a part that looks like it has a machined face and shaft by only painting a portion of the object. (image 1)

I think I am getting the idea of handling metal parts; file lightly then use sanding sticks of various course styles and finally use Crocus cloth for polish where needed. Tough to paint the plastic assembly and have it look like metal (image 2 the water pump assembly). Interesting was the fact the cast part had bolt heads on a surface that meets flush to the engine block. Had to confirm these were to be filed off as I am never sure what might be a feature or a vent stub and these sure were not vents (image 3).

What I am curious about is how best these parts should be finished. They can be polished to look like chrome or left untouched to look like a cast metal part (trouble is one always has to remove a little flash or imperfection which makes for a shiny area. Would be nice to be able to finish off the part to have a total unpolished cast look. Painting the part one might as well have used the kit plastic.

[Mario Lucchini]

One of the advantages to using after market metal parts is if you don’t have Mario’s machine shop one can still have a part that looks like it has a machined face and shaft by only painting a portion of the object. (image 1)

I think I am getting the idea of handling metal parts; file lightly then use sanding sticks of various course styles and finally use Crocus cloth for polish where needed. Tough to paint the plastic assembly and have it look like metal (image 2 the water pump assembly). Interesting was the fact the cast part had bolt heads on a surface that meets flush to the engine block. Had to confirm these were to be filed off as I am never sure what might be a feature or a vent stub and these sure were not vents (image 3).

What I am curious about is how best these parts should be finished. They can be polished to look like chrome or left untouched to look like a cast metal part (trouble is one always has to remove a little flash or imperfection which makes for a shiny area. Would be nice to be able to finish off the part to have a total unpolished cast look. Painting the part one might as well have used the kit plastic.

Hey Syd!
Good looking metal parts there....you can even go a little bit further and add some more detail to them....for polishing, use a thin ink rubber eraser in your Dremel after sanding & filing!...

Cheers & congrats...

Mario

[sydeem]

Mario are you just guessing where electrical connections (starter, generator) go or have you found reference drawings or photos? I haven't found any example of a modeler wiring them and no reference photos showing that detail.

Difference between ordinary and extraordinary!

Same parts from Dan but looks like there might be a difference in talent. BUT I am going to drop into our village stationary store and see if, in this day and age of computers, ball point pens and white out, they have any magic ink erasers and rework the one part before starting on the generator.