Streicher Hawk Midget Brass Build

I have been dying to try working with some brass since I was given a rack of metal last year. I thought a good first project might be a rework of this die cast midget I bought a few years back. I thought I might modify the die cast to resemble my little brother's midget he raced in Indiana back around 2008. The more I think about the project, there will probably be less die cast and more scratch-building, starting with the frame.

Since I will likely want to enter the finished model in the Modified Die Cast classes at shows when there is one, I am going to use a few things from the die cast that I otherwise would have cast in resin, like the metal tail tank, the hood, the engine, tires and the rear end. That's probably about it, though.

Here's a few shots of my brother's car:

Here's the die cast:








This my first attempt at scratchbuilding an open wheel chassis and my first attempt at brass work. So far it's a lot of fun.

It's not dimensionally correct to the real car, but is consistent with the die cast so that the parts fit.

I managed to get the other side built. Amazingly, it matches up pretty well with the first side!





Not all the bars are in place, but the two frame rails are now connected...

I added a few more bars here. The anti roll tubes on the ends will get trimmed later.

I purchased a bundle of brass open wheeler parts from dirtmodeler.com.

I got the Kirkey seat, rod ends, spindles, radiator logo masks, and all kinds of goodies.



The seat is a perfect replica of the Kirkey in the actual car.

It's an improvement over the die cast seat, for sure!

I also did some work on the rear end. For some reason, they top of the rear end was shaved off. I wanted to add the shape back to it. I took a piece of brass tube that was about the same diameter as the center section, and cut a piece off that was about the same width. Then I filled the tube with resin and made a plug. I popped the resin out and cut a piece off of the circle and applied it to the rear end.

Added brackets for the steering gear. This was probably the hardest part to do so far, as getting small rings of tube to hold it, with a spacer behind it, was a challenge.

Here's another update. I added some bracing for the cage and torsion tubes, and also managed to get the bumpers built. Thanks for looking!

Hi Art,

WOW...('nuff said)

Andy...

Nice work Art.

It would be nice if you would take the time to introduce yourself in the approriate section please!! I'm sure the members would apprciate it.

Looking good there.

Never worked with brass but I'm a new modeller so sure one day I will.. How do you stick it together, brazing?

Welcome to the forum,Art. That is top notch stuff. What is the engine BTW, I can see its an inline 4.?

Wow, looks like we have another Hero in our midst.
Hello Art, it's a nice subject, and temps me to get my soldering kit out.

Long time since ive done anything like this, and nothing like the quality here that's for sure!

Welcome to the forum Art, keep those updates coming.

Very Nice Work. I notice that you have added quite a few bars to the chassis that aren't on te die cast chassis. Are those there because they are on your brothers car? I am a drag racer and have built more than one tube chassis and know about them adding bars years after a frame is done and certified. Just curious. Top notch workmanship.

Skid wrote:Nice work Art.

It would be nice if you would take the time to introduce yourself in the approriate section please!! I'm sure the members would apprciate it.

Thanks, Skid! I just did the intro- glad to be here!

Art, this chassis looks absolutely wonderful. The small detail work is stunning.

Your frame building techniques are nearly identical to what I use. The start with a scaled drawing makes the building real straightforward, and accurate! Seeing your wonderful work just reinforces why I love working in brass so much!

What type of soldering do you use, a soldering pencil or a resistance soldering setup?

I will be watching this one carefully!!!

Johnag wrote:Hi Art,

WOW...('nuff said)

Andy...

Thanks, Andy!

Just read it Art. Thanks for doing it. It's always nice to have a little background from a new member. Hope you enjoy your stay with us.

Back in the late sixties and early seventies, I used to scratch build all of my slot car racing chassis from brass rod, tube and plate but never transfered the skills to static models.

Back then I always used 'Bakers Flux' (a brownish paste) to get the solder to flow well. It was acrid stuff. What do you use now or do you just rely on pre fluxed solder?

A5h wrote:Looking good there.

Never worked with brass but I'm a new modeller so sure one day I will.. How do you stick it together, brazing?

Thanks!

It's just soldered with lead solder and flux from Radio Shack. It's like anything else- you just need to dive in! It's actually a bit easier than I thought it would be, so when you feel your skills are ready, I would definitely recommend it for a project that warrants it.

Hard to believe this is your first try at brass. You obviously have a real talent for it. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

So is the radio Shack flux a paste or a liquid Art?

BTW, most here call me Al.

NICE WORK !!!!!!

ACE craftsmanship! Don't say the brass tubing work isn't a skill. From bends to solder to making a jig to maintain even stance, it's a real skill. We did a few slot car tube frames in the '60s and it wasn't half as neat as your work. Thanx for the fotos and references to outside suppliers!