Roger's handcrafted 1:12 scale models

@ dan (dan@larescorp) In case my steering box would get too much play, would your company restore it? As you maybe know, it's almost the same box as 56 to 58 Cadillacs, produced by Saginaw.

If you're referring to the gear on the model it may be a bit smaller then my seal kits go. Full size wouldn't be a problem though.

Another element which is completed. Really completed? Not quite: the small end pipes are still to be done; this will be possible when the rear bumper is installed as the exhaust outlet in done through the bumper, a feature common at that time.

The pipes between resonators and mufflers were not bent as the radiuses were too tight. I cut some splices, bent and silver soldered the curve.

As you see, the configuration is rather unusual, due to the frame's shape.

The rear mufflers are attached to the frame by real rubber bands, allowing some lateral and vertical movements. The support after the resonator is all brass; this was needed to have a stable distance between pipes and frame.

I will put the body back on the frame (by the way, you can see that the paint suffered; this is why the correct paint will be applied just before final assembly) and continue with the front inner fenders, now that the exhaust pipes are installed.

Looks great Roger. How will you finish the brass items - exhaust pipes, spring clamps, etc. Will you leave them in brass?

Geoff

Thanks Geoff! The exhaust pipes will be sandblasted and chromed. The clamps are stainless steel, the stay that way. Bolts will either be also matt chromed or substituted with stainless ones. The rivets at the rear supports will be ...painted.

That is the most realistic model I have ever seen! Absolutely fantastic!!

Thanks! And it gets heavy: with most of the engine, frame, body (without hood, not yet done) it's about 2 kg (4 pounds). When finished, I expect the weight to be 2.5 to 2.8 kg...Brass in indeed heavier than polyester!

I related that the exhaust tubes are going through the inner fenders, making the construction more complicated. I began with the upper part, keeping the crucial issue for later. It ended with a strange construction:

Unless you know that car type very well, it's hard to tell what it is. OK, there is a heater motor, but that large tube behind? Well, it's the fresh air tube coming from behind the grille via a duct located under the front fender. This tube is in fact a valve: either the driver can get fresh unheated air from outside or let the air through the motors to the heater cores. No, I will not do the valve inside that tube!

Once soft soldered into the fender, without motor, it may be more evident:

Now, I'm doing the same on the other fender.

Roger, San Diego county is a hot bed for auto restoration. There is a shop East of me that is doing a Lincoln. I was out there last week looking at a tree problem for them. Seeing your chassis, complete with engine, exhaust sitting on wheels, I had to do a double take. If you superimposed your chassis into that shop, you could not tell it from the real thing. SO REALISTIC ! What color will be chosen for your paint and interior? You may have put it into the previous threads but I missed it. I do not know how far out you are from the finish, but it sure seems to have come a long way since your start.

On another topic. You mentioned that you do not have a jewelers saw? That is something that I use for fine brass work. I cannot imagine that you do not use one for the intricate cutting of the brass parts in your modeling.

Do you use a drill press or do you do all of the drilling by hand? What other tools do you use in your shop besides the soldering irons and files? I am sure that you have a plethora of hand tools and other tools that you use in the pursuit of your modeling. It would be great to show us what you have at hand to create such models. We mortals would like to see what your shop looks like and the lay out for all your work.

Randy

Roger, I forgot to ask you. Do you do the plating at home or do you have a local plating shop do the parts for you? I was looking into a home plating system but have not decided to go that route. It is scary to have the minute parts on a tree handed off to a company and trusting that they will not lose any of the parts. I am sure that you have that under control but I am curious as how you achieve the plating for your parts.

Randy

Randy, the picture from my "shop" is on the first page!

I suppose that I did show the tools I'm using. Next the Unimat SL I'm using mostly for drilling, I have the Unimat3 which is used as a lathe and as a milling machine; 2 or three years ago I bought a Dremel Stylus which is amost a must for a brass construction. From a Swiss supplier I have some dental diamond tools as well as conventional dental steel tools. Some of them are on pictures somewhere in this thread. Next to those tools, I have small files, hammer (the best tool ever) and other basic tools. Nothing fancy, although with more elaborate tooling I could get my parts quicker. Remember, when I began 40 years ago, funds were limited. When I sat down again for modelling 12 years ago, I just continued with what I had, just adding the Dremel and dental diamond cutting tools. An accumulation of tools is not a garantee to do nice models!

The exterior paint is not yet decided. I'm still considering dark blue metallic with a blue trim, metallic dark grey with a red and white trim or medium blue metallic with also a blue trim. In any case, no white, no black, nor pastel tone!

Plating is done by a local shop. I'm assembling all parts to be chromed on a tree made with copper wire. The manager from that company understand my needs and the results are good and the price moderate. I'm not a fan to have a plating (or etching) facility at home due to the needed chemical products.

This is one of the tree for the Avanti:

If you are loking well at the picture, you will find "Toronado" scripts. No, it was not for a Torovanti, but the scripts for the Olds models were late and were chromed with the other parts.

The RH front fender is now finished. Now you can see why a removal from the fender implies also some work with the exhaust...

Obviously, the Duplicolor primer is not that strong; it did suffer with so many manipulations.

The original part was made with thick cardboard I suppose. I cannot replicate it, especially the boot must be flexible as it will be installed on the motor before the fender(s) is installed. Therefore I saw that only rubber could be the solution. As I still have silicone rubber from the tires, it was a good opportunity to use some from it.

Of course, a form must be done, as well as a core. The first sample went well, except that the rubber took some copper dust:

When I tried to install that sample on the other side, I noticed a gap at the heater box. On the naked eye it seems that both sides are the same, obviously, they are not. I will have to make a LH mold; if I'm lucky, I can keep the same inner core.

In fact, I had to make a complete new mold, outside and inside. I'm amazed to see the difference in shape...I can explain that way: the little differences between RH & LH which are added along the way.

On the left lower corner of the picture, you'll see a round fitting. It's for the fresh air. The question is if I will be able to install the flexible tube. For the moment it would be possible, but when the hood hinge is bolted on the body, I see some difficulties. Depending if that spot can be seen, the flexible tube will be omitted.

Another view from the duct. I tried about 10 times to have a sharper picture; it seems that my small camera is not up to the task!

The headlamps were done some time ago; I showed here how I did the lenses. To have a more friendly appearance, I decided to install the lamps. My previous planning was not so good; I had to rework the mounting support. The headlamp and housing are like a module; the module is pushed into the fender and just one screw is attaching it to the fender. I could have soldered the mounting bucket to the fender and attach the headlamp to the assembly the usual manner. As the distance between the fender and headlamp ring is very short, I may get difficulties with the assembly if I would do it like a real car.

And now, with what should I continue? Obviously, the hood is still missing. I could also do the dashboard; this element would allow me to fabricate the steering column, emergency brake system, brake and accelerator pedal among the parts coming to my mind.

On December 4th I will go according to the votes!

It's absolutely amazing to watch this car being built. By any chance will the headlamps or for that matter any of the lights actually work?

Just curious.

I find the steering column to be the most difficult of all the sub-systems on a car. There's a lot going on. I'd be starting there, but I'm sure you have your reasons.

I am regularly astounded by your updates. Thank you for posting them.

It's absolutely amazing to watch this car being built. By any chance will the headlamps or for that matter any of the lights actually work?

Just curious.

Thanks DJ! Yes, I have planed to have headlamps and parking light, front and rear, no more.

You are welcome Barry! If I'm understanding well, you would like to continue with the dash and steering column? If I can do the way I like, the transmission lever will be connected with the movable lever on the transmission. Small fingers will be needed...

I think the hood and it's mounting then the dash but you know the best sequence.

I vote for the dash & steering column, to get a more difficult job out of the way.

Geoff

As much as I would like to see the hood done, and it would finish off the major outside body panels, I too agree that it would be best to tackle the dash/steering wheel, etc... The addition of the headlamps (eyes) really brings a life to the car that was missing. The first photo showing the car from head on sure adds to the optical illusion that this is much more than a model. All the work is really starting to take shape and it's looking great. Scott...

Quel talent et patience!!

Bravo!

André Fitzback

Frankly, I expected more involvement...From 4 forums I'm active, I got:

6 votes for the hood

8 votes for the dash and associated parts

Yesterday, in anticipation to the verdict, I went to the stored Mark II and took other dimensions from the console and horn ring...Thanks to all who took the time to answer.

To those who lost the “battle”: I expect to go with the hood during spring time.

To André: ça fait plaisir de te revoir ici!

Mr. Z, I would not consider making suggestions as to how you should do or choose anything about your model building ! You sir, are the Master of your craft. I'll just watch, read, and be astounded as I have been so far. Thank you for keeping us all up to date on your progress.

I agree. It would be akin to us wanting you to paint it first.

Mr. Z, I would not consider making suggestions as to how you should do or choose anything about your model building ! You sir, are the Master of your craft. I'll just watch, read, and be astounded as I have been so far. Thank you for keeping us all up to date on your progress.

I would have chimed in on the opinion myself, but I figure you know what direction you would want to go next. Sure, it would look great to have the hood finished.

You may have misunderstood my question. I don't ask how I have do do this or that, but just what you would like to see as the next step! From the both I offered as an option, both can be done independently one from the other and both must be done. The "how to do " is usually a question I'm asking myself when the first bit of brass is cut and I don't know further! Usually, at 4 PM when I'm awake, a hint of a solution is pointing his nose.

To keiser 31: too late: I'm already after the dash. I hope to have a good solution about "how to do" next morning at 4 PM!

To West Peterson: you can ask for a paint job but not before I know which color the model will be!

Roger,

Sorry that you did not get much feedback. I read everything you post. I am sure that most folks are like me and feel that your skill level is so much higher than ours that we don't even feel that we should bother you with our opinion on what you should do next. I just continue to enjoy being amazed with everything that you do. You have a lot of fans that tend to just sit back and marvel at your work. Your thread is one that I check every time I sign on to the forum. Thanks for keeping us entertained.

Sir

after following this thread for a long time I decided to register and offer my admiration for your ability. It is truly astounding.

I would have voted, if I had registered, as i find that just a simple response now and then can make all the difference to someone who has taken the time and trouble to record their projects.

I got a long way through building an 1/8th scale T Bucket in brass, making original parts to cast from, including a Jaguar IRS; but a friends young son knocked it from the bench and wrecked it. I almost cried; spent hours just on the front spoked wheels drilling 72, 12 thou holes in the rims and hubs then spoking them with brass wire.

I though I was doing a fair job until I happen on to your build.

Any thing you choose to post will always have my attention.

Gerry

Gerry,

Do you have any pictures of the T Bucket, in progress, completed or whatever?

Geoff

Thanks Gerry!

Since I began this model, I was wondering how I could replicate (or duplicate?) the fine detail which is on many parts from the dash, like on this picture:

Just have gold paint? Or media blasted the ground plate? I remember I did a try with a tool (don't remember exactly) and the result was awful. Now that I'm continuing with the dash, I had to find a solution.

I calculated the pitch between two dots at 0.13 mm (0.005"); I tried with 0.15 mm but it was not good looking, plus there was a large risk to be confused with the horizontal axis from the lathe. I tried with a pitch of 0.2 mm (0.008") and I found it acceptable. So, yesterday, I did the decor on this part. One line has about 180 dots, you can calculate how many are for the whole surface!

The method? using a very sharp tool inserted into the chuck and, using the lathe as a vertical drilling machine, pushing that tool on the brass one dot after the other...

Gerry,

Do you have any pictures of the T Bucket, in progress, completed or whatever?

Geoff

Yes but not on this thread.

Wow, wow, wow!!! That dashboard plate looks SO much like the factory dash pattern. Roger, I wish I lived close to you so as to see that model in person. I remember seeing a Rolls Royce model scale model in our local hobby store when I was about 16 years old. I think it was 1/12th scale. It was in it's own display case and I could not believe the detail of that car model. You, my friend, have surpassed that model by showing us new heights in scale modeling!!!

I don't know how you do it, but you somehow always find a way to amaze us even after we think we've seen it all. Kudos again...still shaking my head in disbelief!

Roger,

Just wanted to ask. Did you do all the dots in one sitting? If so how much time did it take you? How thick of material is the dash panel you're cutting on? Just wondered.:confused:

You, my friend, have surpassed that model by showing us new heights in scale modeling!!!

I'm doing my best to surprise you and the other viewers from this forum!

By the way, even if you are not living near, my door is open to whom desire to visit me (or the model...) It happens that last year, I had somebody from Canada visiting me while on tour in Europe.

An explanation in a foreigh language is sometimes hasardous. So, for you, Electra 59 a picture replacing 1000 words: this is the set-up I'm using to do the dots:

The dash part was glued to the large bit of brass and then the sharp tool was pushed (it was not rotating) on the brass with moderate strength, each 0.2 mm. When one row was finished, the other axis was moved by 0.2 mm and a new row began. Yes, very boring and time consuming: I had the whole afternoon to finish the part which may be discarded: the holes for the bezels were finished; the dots provoked an elongation of the material and now one of the holes is slightly too large, creating a gap between the bezel and the plate. I will use the plate for the construction of the dash; if the gap is highly visible, I will do another plate, finishing the holes after the dots are done.

My method is an anachronismous to our time when things should be finished before they begin. Well, it's not my philosophy!

To Laughing Coyote: the sheet is 0.3 mm thick (0.012"). It could work with a thicker material, with the added benefit of less elongation. At the end, I had to concentrate myself not to get asleep or make an error with the pitch!

Roger, are your tools Swiss made too? I would think they would have to be as I doubt the quality and precision I've seen so far could be achieved with anything else.

Roger, are your tools Swiss made too? I would think they would have to be as I doubt the quality and precision I've seen so far could be achieved with anything else.

The lathe, which is getting old and has some unwanted play, is made in Austria; the sharp tool came from a dentist...The quality from the tools is certainly a factor but the way they are used is important too!

Roger

Please excuse the invasion but I though you may like this. Its a rotary milling table I made to do some parts on my T. Measures 50mm across the table. If you would like me to remove this post from your thread, just ask.

Gerry