Epoxycraft
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Epoxy Basics
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
  • Trade Secrets
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Aviation
    • Architecture
  • Meet The Maker
  • News
  • Contribute
  • Contact

Projects: Building a Formula One racing car – for the garden
31st July 2016

Building a Formula One racing car – for the garden

When John White’s grandson was born, he suddenly realised he had the opportunity to fulfil a boyhood dream: to build a Formula 1 racing car! Or, at least, a model of one. We find out more about the role epoxy resin played in bringing a small version of John’s childhood dream-car to life.

How did you begin building the car?

I started out with a £4 model of an F1 Ferrari that I’d bought. I also had some previous knowledge of boat building, so I knew the first thing I needed to make was the plug, followed by the mould and then the moulding. The plug was made from large lumps of wood which took hours of careful carving, sanding and finishing to achieve a shape I was finally happy with. Once the plug was shaped, I faired it using a mix of WEST SYSTEM® 105/205 epoxy with 410 Filler added to “peanut butter consistency” and then coated with several coats of WEST SYSTEM® 105/205 epoxy mix to seal the wood and achieve a glossy finish.

Untitled2

I then decided to build the mouldings directly onto the plug and fair the outside of the mouldings to a suitable finish prior to starting the painting – this was mainly done to save time and avoid unnecessary work. Due to the shape of the plug, it was designed so that it could be separated into different sections. I therefore made separate mouldings of the various parts of the plugs, which were then joined together into one final moulding away from the plug. These mouldings were made using WEST SYSTEM® epoxy and WEST SYSTEM Episize™ Glass Fabrics and they were then faired with a mix WEST SYSTEM® 105/205 epoxy and 410 Microlight Filler prior to painting.

How complicated was the build?

Over the course of the project, the building of a scale model Formula 1 Ferrari quickly changed into just making a child’s toy. The design and construction of all of the mechanical parts as well as fitting them into such a small space became more and more complex. A lot of hours were also spent getting the electric motor to run at the right speed, the steering required a reduction system and the driver’s seat had to be moulded just to name a few!

The final result can be seen in the photo below! Although the racing car was a working success, it should have been a lot bigger as this would have created much more space inside the mouldings for all the electrical and mechanical components.

Untitled3

Many thanks to Richard Mace at Marine & Industrial LLP and Hamish Cook and David Johnson at Wessex Resins & Adhesives Limited, for their technical input and assistance to John White.

To find out more about non-marine applications for WEST SYSTEM epoxy, contact us.


Share on


Back to projects

Subscribe to our newsletter
Our unique epoxy knowledge and experience, delivered straight to you

Events

Future dates TBC

What is epoxy?

Epoxy Projects

UK Chandleries Open – January 2021

As England, Scotland and Wales enter another lockdown, you may have started work on those home projects. Whether it’s boat maintenance and repairs, a restoration or a brand new build,

Creating an Artisan Gold Ring with Canadian Maple and Epoxy

You may be surprised to learn that the UK is home to some of the finest gold around. Mark discovered this as a child when his father, Edward, would take

Heritage 9.9

Castagnola Launch Heritage 9.9

Castagnola Shipyard has launched the elegant, custom-made Heritage 9.9. Able to reach a cruising speed of 34 knots, the 10.91m custom-built luxury yacht is a fine example of what happens

Nick Zammeti Gets Creative with Epoxy and Liquorice Allsorts

What happens when you give Youtuber Nick Zammeti lots of epoxy and bags of Liquorice Allsorts? You get one incredibly funky table! Nick is well-known and loved in the industry

Meet the Maker – The Resin Reserve

Resin artist, alchemist, resin-gineer. Kate Ede of The Resin Reserve has always kept us in awe of her marvellous and beautiful creations. Inspired by patterns in nature, Kate is a

Split Film Festival Trophies

Creating the 2020 Split Film Festival Trophy

The Split Film Festival is one of the oldest film and video festivals in Croatia, showcasing new films and radical works of all styles, themes and genres. The festival celebrated

Hot Box

How to keep your epoxy warm in winter: build a hotbox

Winter is a challenging time for epoxy products. Warmth is needed to keep the resin fluid enough for dispensing pumps to work well and cold ambient temperature can greatly reduce

How to Work With Epoxy in Cold Weather

The frosty mornings and dark evenings are drawing near. There are projects that need finishing, but what do you do when epoxy and cold weather don’t get on too well.

Mas Snowboard

Snowboard Enthusiasts Taking On The World With Incredible Designs

To many a holidaymaker, Turkey is a haven of golden sand beaches, historic landmarks and party towns. However, it’s not just those looking to top up on their tan that

Class Xero Yacht

Class Xero Combines Coffee and Epoxy in Sustainable Yacht Design

Image credit: Alec Smith - https://www.imagemundi.com Craig Palmer, based in Worthing, is looking at opportunities to bring the marine industry together in a collaborative way. In the middle of building

Craobh Woodwork

Bringing a New Lease of Life to Reclaimed Scottish Timber

Tucked away in the highlands of Scotland is the small village of Culbokie, home to Craobh Woodwork and artisan Bruce Neill. Specialising in producing bespoke timber products from the highest

Final Bar Design

Cheers! Leeds Furniture Maker Creates a Bar Worth Celebrating

James McKay has been a creator since his early years. His fascination for creativity guided his interest into art, design and technology during his school years. James went on to

  • Home
  • Epoxy Basics
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Architecture
    • Aviation
  • Trade Secrets
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Boat Building
    • Woodworking
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contribute
  • Contact
West System
Pro-Set
Entropy Resins
Subscribe to our newsletter
Copyright © 2021 Epoxycraft | Website by MAA