Tom Poynton has made a superb model of the new FWJ shale car, and he kindly sent us this description of how he made it…. and what’s more, he’s very kindly offered to raffle it off!
As soon as I saw Frankie’s new shale car at the first King’s Lynn of the season, I instantly started thoughts of wanting to make a model of it. I wanted to get it as accurate as possible, I wanted the engine to be mounted further back, the foot wells to touch the bottom of the under carriage.
Get all of the curves on the roll cage to be exactly as they are on the real thing, make it look wider at the back and get the fold down the side of the car. I wanted to make the graphics and design on the car look as real as I could.
Here is a guide I put together to show you how it all came together!
The first step is to draw out a plan of the chassis and roll cage and then use it to make the chassis, I make all of my models out of plastic as you would in an Airfix model kit.
Next step is to make the engine, engine mounts, radiator and exhausts also the cab detail like the seat and steering wheel.
Then it was onto the roll cage. This was the bit I found the hardest to get right. You have to melt the plastic with a heat gun to make it bend and to get it exactly right took a lot of time, practice and patience. I then painted it purple and black and it started to all come together.
Then it is time to start panelling. I use thin plastic card, it’s easy to cut, shape and bend.
Next I paint the panels in purple. I make the wing too and paint it red.
Next job is the pattern and signwriting. I design and draw all the signs myself on Adobe Photoshop and then I print them off onto water decal paper. I hope my signs do justice to the great work Brian Evans Signs always do on all of Frankie’s cars.
Now the axles, link bars, pan hard bars, steering arms, drive shaft and suspension and mounts are added to the model.
Just the wheels left to stick on, these are made myself from silicone moulds and resin.
I then made a plinth for it to stand on out of wood and made a wire fence round the back.
And then the finished model looks like……..
Here is a photo of it with a Jnr Junior shale car I’ve made too.
I’ve been a massive supporter of Frankie and the Wainmans all my life. I thought what I would like to do is sell this, one off model, and all the proceeds go into Frankie’s/ the Wainman’s racing fund.
The model will be raffled off. Tickets will be £2 and sold at the transporter at meetings during July. At the August Coventry meeting the lucky winner will be picked at random – they win the model and the plinth! It could be you, so look out for it being advertised on Facebook, Stoxnet, and at the tracks. Good Luck!
If you would like to see and keep up to date with all my other models, please like my Facebook page, Tom Poynton Models. Thank you!
Since the model was made, Frankie has won the British, and the model will include the black and white chequered wing.
Tom.
Please note that the FWJJ Model is not included in the raffle
