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Williams FW11 |
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Williams FW11 Honda driven by Nelson Piquet 1986 |
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The Williams FW11 was famous as “Red 5” when in the hands of Nigel Mansell but the Ferrari F189 in the Tamiya range was also driven by Nigel Mansell so I decided to model the car driven by Nelson Piquet instead. |
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This was the year with one of the most dramatic endings ever seen on the race track. In the final race Nigel blew a tyre, Piquet made a precautionary stop and Alain Prost went on to win the race and the title. |
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This was the first model where I used a hair dryer to help with the positioning of the decals. The curved contours of the cars body meant that if a hair dryer is not used, the edges of the decals end up with a crinkled finish. Obviously this spoils the overall effect of trying to recreate the real car in miniature. |
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It is possible to apply to much heat with the dryer, however, and when this is done the decal can split or loose it’s gloss finish and look very dull, so be warned, keep the dryer on minimum speed and minimum heat until you have some experience with it. If all goes well you will find the decal shrinking slightly and conforming to the shape of the part where it is placed. Be sure to get the position right first time as the heat makes the adhesive on the back of the decal dry, this makes it almost impossible to move the decal for a second try without damaging it. |
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Finally, I thoroughly recommend the use of decal setting solution. This is a clear liquid which is painted on the area where the decal is intended to be placed. I bought two 30ml bottles of Humbrol solutions called Decal cote 1 and 2. They have lasted me for years, as you only need a small amount per model. There are also solutions made by Tamiya themselves and I am sure any good model shop will stock at least one manufacturers example. |
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By using the solution first it allows the decal to float around and be positioned precisely where it is required. The second cote is supposed to disguise the carrier film (the clear backing which is visible at the edge of the decal) and assist the decal to conform to the models shape. |
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It is always wise to carefully trim off as much of the carrier film as possible before fitting as otherwise it is always visible when the light catches the model in a particular way. |
