Roger's handcrafted 1:12 scale models

[Roger Zimmermann]

There are some salvage places in Switzerland; however, less and less because for cars not too old people prefer to replace them with new ones. Junk yards were profitable once, but no more.

When I need parts, I never look in Europe, I'm searching in the US. There could be parts located in Sweden or Finland but, as I don't speak their language, I never tried this route. As their parts are anyway coming from the US, I prefer the direct way.

[Randiego]

Roger,

 

With the internet, the world has shrunk.  It is much easier today for shopping for anything.  I'm not surprised that you are most successful with the used parts market here in the US.

 

Looking forward to the next item that you will be constructing for the Cadillac. 

 

Randy   

[Roger Zimmermann]

Well, Randy, we are just coming back from our usual summer vacation. The scale model Cadillac will have to wait some time as I'm busy with other duties!

[Roger Zimmermann]

 This week, I resumed the construction; I'm not after the fuel pump. As it will be seen, I'm trying to make as few shortcuts as possible. I'm attaching a picture showing the unfinished upper part of the pump.

[Laughing Coyote]

Welcome back Roger. Hope you had an enjoyable vacation. Happy to see your back at it.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Martin, it was fine! Indeed, I have no more vacation, just staying at another place!

[Pat Hollingsworth]

Roger, it's really nice to see you back. I understand how important the vacation and other things are, but I was getting a bit antsy waiting to see a new post. I had to keep myself happy by browsing the other parts of your saga. Welcome back- we missed ya!

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thank Pat for the kind words. If you are looking at my saga, you will notice that I'm silent each year at the same period!

[Roger Zimmermann]

The lower part from the pump is ready. Have a look at the previous picture; you will see what I added. There are 14 pieces which are silver soldered together, one after the other. With that syringe for the silver solder paste, no rework is needed to remove the excess solder. This task would be impossible with a soldering rod.
Now, I can begin the lower part with the flange attaching the pump to the engine. There will be less tiny parts... 

[Paulie9fingers]

That's amazing

[Randiego]

Bonjour,

I am happy to add that it is nice to see you back in Switzerland and after attending to other duties, working on the Cadillac once again.

Roger, that is absolutely amazing to see the top of the fuel pump completed.  So many mico parts that came together to make that assembly.  One thing that has always amazed me (and most that visit this site) is that if the parts are painted and placed in a dioarama, no one would know that they are not 1:1 scale.  It is truely  amazing how detailed these parts are.  Looking at the clutch and brake linkages, pedals and booster, that picture is just boggling !  

 

You show us how intricate your planning and craftsmanship are.  The results are stunning and again FEW can do what you do. 

 

I, like the rest of your following, am looking forward to the next post to see how the completed fuel pump  will look.

 

Any more thoughts about what body that you will be mating to the chassis?  Actually, a completed chassis would be great WITHOUT the body.  It would  show all the intricate detail that is usually hidden when a body is attached.   

 

There is a great museum in North Los Angeles, the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, CA.  They have a P2 Rolls Royce chassis on display.  It was hidden during WWII in a portion of a factory that was "bricked up" and the allies did not know it existed. It was to be fitted with a body by one of the premier German Coach builders but the war broke out.  The owners had it hidden in a munitions factory, behind a bricked up wall.  No one was the wiser and somehow, it survivied all the bombing raids that took out the rest of the plant ! !

 

Mr. J.D. Nethercutt got wind of it back in the late 50's or early 60's when Germany was still divided into East/West.  This chassis was in East Germany under the Communist control.  They did not know about this chassis.  But car people knew about it.  Mr. Nethercutt brokered the deal with some East German folks and the chassis was smuggled out of there burried in a load of corn (or cabbage) going to the market in West Germany.  Once there, it was shipped to England, then on to California.  Mr. Nethercutt had his restoration shop restore the chassis and it was put on display.  I saw it back in the early 2000's  We heard from the director that they were thinking about mating it to a body but I do not know if that was done.  It was stunning as it sat there and Roger, you could see all the marvelous engineering that Rolls Royce built into their P2 chassis.  

 

So, with or without a body, your work of art already is magnificent.

 

Randy

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Randy. As I often wrote, the body is a "maybe". It depends how fit I will be when the frame/engine is completed.

[John S.]

Just jaw dropping, Roger. Body, or no Body, your work is something else. I have been building for years, and I am just stunned by your craftsmanship !

[Mike Macartney]

It is great that Roger takes the time and trouble to document and photograph his work for all to see. I for one look forward to every one of his posts. Mike 

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Mike! I hope you are well. It's that not too boring the way I'm showing my "work"?

[Roger Zimmermann]

The second half from the pump is ready. I also added the vapor dome to the upper part. As you can see, the upper part got a thin coat of primer; during it's handling, the paint of the edges is gone!
To complete the pump, I still have to do the "glass" bowl for the fuel filter. I also have to do the provisions to attach the glass on the first part; there are often small needed details which are easily forgotten. 

[Buicknutty]

Words always seem to fail me when I look at your work, Roger! Such tiny and amazing details.

 

Randy;

 I had never heard that story before, and thank you for relating it. In a way it would a shame to put a body on it.

Thanks to both of you gentlemen.

Keith

[Mike Macartney]

8 hours ago, Buicknutty said:

. . . . it would a shame to put a body on it.

 

I agree, it would be a shame to hide all that wonderful intricate workmanship.

[Paulie9fingers]

I am always amazed, I stare at these two pieces admiring the detail and then remind myself that both pieces will fit on the face of the quarter with room to spare and my amazement goes to a whole other level.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The provisions for the fuel bowl were added (tiny cylinders soft soldered) and both halves were glued together. Glued? Why? Just because I did an error: I intended at first to attach both halves with .5mm bolts; when I was ready to drill the necessary holes, I switched to 0.6mm because I had tiny screws which heads are more in line with the original screws. Unfortunately, I had only 6 or 7 such screws and during all those years, I never found equivalent screws again. I decided to revert to the first decision, but now the holes are too large. To modify the lower half with silver solder would be hazardous, therefore I will put the 0.5mm bolts as intended, but glued.
I attached the pump at its location, well hidden behind the front engine support. The upper part is turned at about 45°, otherwise, the fuel bowl would interfere seriously with the frame.
I will do now the fuel bowl in plexiglass. I could machine that part in brass and paint it, but I have a remaining bit of plexiglass I can use for that.

[ericmac]

Roger, you could just say the glue will serve as a replica of the diaphragm.  Either way your work continues to be amazing. 

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Eric! as I used temporarily two screws during the time the glue got cured, this will be a very thin diaphragm!

[Roger Zimmermann]

The fuel bowl and its retaining hardware are ready. Man, that is small! Fortunately, the fuel bowl will be protected by the frame, so no fat finger will fiddle with it when the engine is installed.

[keiser31]

4 hours ago, Roger Zimmermann said:

The fuel bowl and its retaining hardware are ready. Man, that is small! Fortunately, the fuel bowl will be protected by the frame, so no fat finger will fiddle with it when the engine is installed.

 

[Roger Zimmermann]

Yep, good eyes are needed!

[Roger Zimmermann]

After I did tiny parts with the fuel bowl, it was time to go to large parts: the intake and exhaust manifolds. I choose to begin with the exhaust parts; indeed, the intake manifold would be easier to do and would help to locate the exhaust with more precision. I began the job by drilling the threaded holes to attach the manifolds to the heads. Then, as I did not know how to proceed, I did the flanges for the exhaust tubes at the head. With that, I'm not very far...I wanted to begin the front tubes; did something just to realize that I'm going nowhere with that. Therefore, I decided to do the middle part (the picture from a real pair of manifolds will give the needed explanation). As my pictures were not good enough, I searched for exhaust manifolds with Google. I found very nice pictures from a company who is recasting those manifolds! Sure, they cost almost the price of a cheap new car, but they are there! 
The pictures I found will help a bit, but even if I'm looking at them the whole day, the brass will not be magically shaped...Anyway, here is what I have up to now...

[Paulie9fingers]

Very nice, I agree that I think that the center would be a good place to begin

[Roger Zimmermann]

Indeed, I'm not much further with the manifolds. I added a flange for the carburetor to both central parts and did some holes. As I did forget the formula to make parts by looking at the pictures, I had to do something concrete: attach the central manifold on a temporarily basis to go further. This is what I did the last few days; the central RH manifold is not attached to the engine using the holes attaching the block to the crankcase. I also installed a flange to the head. I "just" have to make two tubes joining the flange and the manifold...

[Roger Zimmermann]

Those tiny "tubes" (I made them from a solid bar) were rather labor intensive because they had to be adjusted with precision. To complicate the task, they are not perpendicular to the heads, they are slightly directed towards the rear. Anyway, both sides are now ready at more or less the right position. Now, it's the time to make the front manifolds.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The logical continuation was with the front manifold. The center one is a nice guide for the right position of the main tube. Both rear outlets near the center manifold were soft soldered on the main tube when it was assembled to the engine. 
Now, I will do the LH front manifold.

[John S.]

Roger, you're the man. First, last and always! Your attention to detail is incredible! Beautiful work. John

[Randiego]

Roger,

Behind the "scene" is what we do not see.  How many hours of filing, sanding, test fitting, filing, sanding, test fitting..............until Voila !  The part is finished.  It is a real treat to see how you think, scratch your head and come up with the answer to a problem.  You make us all think that if you connected a battery, added gasoline and hit the switch, that motor would start and RUN ! ! !  

It is a marvel to see how this engine is coming together.  Great work, Roger.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Randy!

The rear manifold is not an easy one: there are indeed 3 parts merging in one place. I began the tube connected to the center manifold and realized that I cannot go further. Then, I did the tube going down and the flange where the exhaust tube will be attached. Then the idea: with that flange, I can attach the tube to a fixture screwed to the engine. From there, I will be able to continue with the smaller tube coming for the head and finally adapt the horizontal tube. All three elements have a different diameter, you can see on one picture from the repro manifolds that the tube going down is more or less flat to conform with the other parts. 

[Roger Zimmermann]

I expected difficulties with that rear manifold and I got them! When the lower tube was done, I did the tube for the last cylinder, going down towards what was already done. However, the diameter from both parts is not the same. I did a tail at the upper tube and adjusted it at the lower one. When I was satisfied, I could silver solder both elements. Then, I silver soldered the flange at the cylinder head to the upper tube. This operation was delicate: if the assembly is crooked, the tube will be pointed in the wrong direction. By chance, that soldering went well, even if I had to "massage" a bit the tubing assembly. Then the more delicate job: merge the horizontal tube with the vertical one. I did not remove too much metal at once, looking if the job was right. After a while, I came to the conclusion that the horizontal tube was too short. Not wanting to do another one, I cut it and put a spacer about 2.5 mm wide (.1"). When it was done, I had a better vision how both elements could merge, removing metal here and there until I was satisfied. The next question was: how to assemble both? with silver soldering or soft soldering? To silver solder it, I should create a jig; I could however soft solder both elements when they were assembled on the engine.
I now have to shape and solder the two last tubes for that RH manifold. 
I noticed that there is an interference between the tube coming from the water pump and the exhaust manifold ( the second picture is showing it well). I will have to solve this issue before I can go to the other side which should take less time to build
 

[Paulie9fingers]

It's looking good, I assume you will modify the water pump tube and maybe "shorten" the block fitting to move it closer to the block ?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Paulie! As the flange from the water pump tube is not thick, I can only remove 0.1mm (0.004"). I already removed some material at the vertical outlet; I will have to bent is a bit. the other side is less critical: there is also a water tube, but it's nearer from the block.

[John S.]

Outstanding work , Roger. 

[Pat Hollingsworth]

Roger, it'll fit as soon as you install the gaskets!🙄

Looking really good, though.

[Roger Zimmermann]

By bending a bit the elbow at the last exhaust outlet, I could get the needed clearance. This will also help for the exhaust routing near the gear box. There is also not much space between the rear manifold and the water pump; according to the various pictures, the distance is really short.
With that issue solved, I could solder the remaining outlet tubes on the manifold. The LH rear manifold will be (I hope) easier to do!

 

[Roger Zimmermann]

With the exhaust manifolds done, I had two possible paths to continue: the carbs or the intake manifolds. I choose the later possibility. The intake parts should be less complex to do; I will see...For the moment, I did the distribution boxes which are sitting on top of the center exhaust manifolds. 
I did a small error when I did the holes for the attaching screws: they are a tad too much towards the exterior. Because of that, I could not do the countersunk holes large enough to allow the regular brass bolts I have, their heads are rather large. The stainless bolts have the ideal heads, but are way too short. Therefore, I silver soldered a threaded shaft (cut from screws) to the stainless steel bolts. Another alternative: mill the brass heads at the same dimensions than the stainless steel ones. Making the bolts longer was quicker done, this is why I choose this solution.