Roger Zimmermann

Well Don, you are assuming things which are not quite right: I like to eat, but way from sophisticated diner and I don't dance at all! Music...not eclectic at all! For the other properties...come here to check! In between, I found a third bit. I'm effectively bare foot but nothing went stuck into one foot...

Don, it seems that you not really appreciate my joke! It was time to use the tool as designed: with a strange position for the drilling module, I could do the holes for the splash plates, one after the other. As the plates are located by a stud each at the crankcase, I needed the engine installed on the frame do drill the remaining holes. That set-up is usually dangerous for the drill bits: after doing the last hole, the head from the drill press rotated (most holes were not perpendicular) without warning. The drill bit broke in several pieces; I found only some!

Is this the body for the model, missing a hole on the roof for the driver’s head? No! It’s just a tool: with that assembly upside down, I will be able to do the holes for the splash plates and other holes if needed. As I like to drink good wines, sometimes I’m buying some in a wood case. That wood is ideal to begin the fire in the chimney from our vacation house or to do some strange constructions!

Very impressive work on the door. I always thought that it was not possible to weld a bit of steel on a panel without distortion. Now, I see it's possible!

Jeff, I enjoyed your MG restoration and I went almost by accisdent to the Metz. Obviously, the multiple tasks are very different but I see that you have a solution for each difficulty!

Thanks for the wishes, Randy! To all, have a Happy New Year, good health. Indeed, there are still many details which are missing from the frame/engine, they will be done during the final assembly unless the parts must be chromed like most vacuum or fuel lines in the engine compartment, or the tubes between air cleaners and carbs. However, the enthusiasm to make them now is rather low… The latest parts I found interesting were the exhaust tips. They were probably an accessory, the shape they have is well suited for the epoch, they would be out of place on a Tesla! I had the impression that those tips were easy to do; they were not, mostly due to the transition between a tube and a triangular shape. Anyway, they are there, even installed on the chassis. I will have to shorten the exhaust tubes as the tips are ending way after the rear bumper. For the moment, I don’t see other interesting parts to do; I will have to begin the firewall but I don’t have enough brass. And, of course, the local metal store is closed till next week! Thanks to the pictures from Johan and Paul Ayres, I have time to do some planning…

Thanks John! My wishes for a Merry Christmas is coming just in time, with a small report! Some details were added to the mud plates. The four front louvres could not be done with my basic tooling; after many tries, I ended by soft soldering the elements which are forming the louvres. The plates are attached to the frame at the front with four legs; they were added. I tried to drill one hole on the frame to attach one plate; the “construction” was too instable; I had to cancel the idea before the drill broke or the hole at the wrong place. I have to make the holes for the plates before the engine is removed: there are two studs screwed into the crankcase; they are giving the location for the plates. I will make a frame with wood to put the frame on it upside-down; this stable construction will allow to drill the necessary holes.

Jeff, I can assure you: doing parts at 1:12 scale is much easier than 1:1! Thanks for the comments, have fun in 2024!

@ Don: the brass punch is remaining rather sharp. I noticed the wider the louvre, the more accurate tools are needed; steel would certainly help. Obviously what I did was OK for the narrow louvres but not for the last ones. @ Pat: thanks for the comments and enjoying what I'm doing! I hope that you will also see other things next year, but I still don't know what! To all: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The sheet is 0.2 mm thick (0.008") and with luck, the sheet was pierced while forming the louvers. I mentioned that four larger louvres are still to be done at the front. I tried and tried again, no luck, the same sheet will not tear. I can do the slit later, but I'm disappointed!

When an element is finished, I have usually a hard time to decide “what next?”. As you can see, most of the frame and engine are more or less ready with the exception of vacuum and fuel lines. Those elements will be done just before the final assembly because they are rather delicate. Anyway, I found something to do: the mud pan shelfs or splatch plates. Two factors were the reason I delayed as much as possible their construction: the lack of information and the louvres. I had four pictures, the most informative is shown here. Finally, the real dimensions are not that important: they must fit the frame and engine. I did first the plates with cardboard to see how to place the louvres. That was the easy part. I never did louvres, so it was for me something new. I intended to do a simple tool which ended to be more elaborate by necessity. The first try was successful, so I could continue on the real parts. I had to do three different punches; I began with the short one. The tool had to be modified when switching from the LH to the RH part, and of course, both elements from the tool had to be adapted for a longer punch. Finally, the result is not so bad, but not perfect. If I had to do a hood with louvres, my tool should be much more refined to have the exact same dimension between louvres. Fortunately, the hood has doors, so no more louvres on this model! To have the frame upside down, I used something I did for the Mark II. The splatch plates are not completely finished, some details must be added, like 4 larger louvres at the front.

Thanks Don! Yes, they are rather delicate. It will be a challenge to polish them for plating. As you can imagine, I'll attach them on a tree with other parts, like I did for the Mark II.

The grilles were drilled to accepts the strips or moldings. I noticed that on the larger grille, the middle strips are too short! Obviously, I did an error during the calculation. I will redo the two, because the look is not what it should be. Once plated, the strips will be partially glued to avoid lifting. The exterior moldings are also installed (they will be chromed too); the two moldings finishing the square from both grilles will be glued. The original ones have tiny screws; this method is too impractical to be applied on the model. As you can see, the grille's paint suffered a lot during the rework...

Probably the day I need a magnifier glass to read the newspaper, it will be the end for modeling! I just hope you are exagerating a bit...

Most of the time, parts made with stainless steel are "flash chromed". This is a very specific process done at the factory and difficult to replicate in the field. If you are polishing a stainless steel part long enough, the very thin chrome coat will go away and then the part will have the stainless steel color which is more yellow than chrome (which is more on the blue side). When I resrored my '56 Cadillac de Ville, the upper molding at the windshield has a dent. It was very easy to repair that spot, but I had to sand/polish it to remove the hammer traces. When installed, the color difference between original condition and repair spot was easy to see. It stayed that way until I sold the car some years ago...

Absolutely. No rush, looking with full light and magnifier glass...That's the kind of job I like!

Don, thanks for your comments! On purpose, I did not answer because I wanted first to see if the process I was thinking at was possible. See below! If you are looking back at the V-16 luggage rack’s picture I published some time ago, you’ll notice “rub strips” on the grilles. How could I do them? I calculated that the strips or moldings are 0.7 mm wide. If all is going the way I want, I could drill two holes @ 0.5 mm into a 0.7 mm rod, insert wires and solder them. Those two wires per molding have a dual purpose: I can use them for the tree which will go to the plater (when?) and provide a positive location for the strips on the grilles. Fine, but how to do that? As the rods have to be flattened on one side. I milled a groove into a scrap bit of brass. Each rod was glued into the groove with contact cement. The bond was strong enough to rework the rod and then, that assembly went in a wise to drill the holes. For each hole, I had to verify if the position was right, because the hole has to be exactly in the middle of the rod. For each hole, I had to adjust the position by 0.02 or 0.03 mm (0.0008 to 0.001”) as my machine is no very rigid. The rod was then removed from the jig using paint thinner. Then, I silver soldered the pins and did the necessary rework at the rods. Now, I have to drill the grilles for the moldings…

Don't be foul by the Swiss Franc Don is using: he is really located in the US! Glad to see that you are still active!

Randy, there are sometimes things I cannot replicate, at least not with the tools I have. The radiator grille is an example; I still don't know "how to". I will probably need some exterir help, but that's far away. I have to say that I'm really satisfied how my "casings" for the frame are looking. Some were not easy to do, but, once ready, the difficulties are something from the past! Forget about a miniature driver and clothing for him! The luggage rack is structurally ready. There are however garnish elements which must be done: the molding around both grilles and the slats over the painted surface (to protect it). Plus some screws which are specific for that application with an oval head. Thanks to the 0.8 mm die I bought recently, I will be able to do them. Fortunately, the forces applied to the screws are not important: the finished diameter from the tread is about 0.73 mm; the nuts screwed on this smaller diameter is giving the feeling that the tread could be stripped easily. Its an understanding to say that I’m not really satisfied with this die. Finally, I may use the treaded portion from the bolts I have and modify the 6-pan head to have the oval one. A remark for Don: the strips should be 0.7 mm wide (.028"). That's wide enough to insert pins, having that way a positive positioning on the grilles. The pins will also help attaching the parts to the tree for plating.

Don, thanks for your comments! Regarding the strips...I'm not sure how to do them. My initial idea is to use a 0.6mm rod, flattened on one side. Maybe small pins to locate them, but this is the "luxury" version. Glue is maybe more efficient; anyway, there will never be much luggage on that rack or, as you can see on pictures some pages back, I could do the coffer like it's installed on the car from Alex D. Most probably, it will be place in the position "not in use".

Getting the rod's length and its position on the rack was easier as expected. The pictures show how I did it. The pivot point is glued on the rack and could be moved if necessary; it appears that it's almost at the same position than on the real car, it must be just luck! Now I can do the real parts.

Johan, you are the guy to answer such questions!

The first tread I tried to do with the new die was a flop: it snaps off during the work...I had to drill what was into the die and patiently could remove the remaining brass…The second try was better: I used a slightly small diameter and used lubricant. This “success” allowed me to do both pivots for the rack hinges; in between, I had made the hinges which are connecting both halves from the luggage rack. The next tricky job was to drill the holes into the rack elements for the hinges. Those parts are now assembled but with the wrong screws; I have to make them; the head is the oval one. The next task will not be easy: doing the rod supporting the rear half from the rack. If the luggage rack should not be stored when not in use, there would be no problem. But, with the movement needed to store the rack, the rod’s length and its pivoting point at the rack will be found with trial and an adjustable rod. When both variables are found, then I can do the definitive rods and drill the rear rack. Confused by my explication? Thre will be soon pictures from that.

The luggage rack must now be attached to the frame. There are two supports attached to the frame (the fuel tank cover is indeed between the frame and the supports; it’s not yet done) and an hinge is attached to the first smaller part of the rack. I have numerous pictures from both parts but all were shot in perspective, therefore it’s difficult to calculate the dimensions. Those small pieces are also difficult to fabricate as, as castings, they are irregular in shape and can mostly only held with the fingers to be worked. And, when they are ready, they are slippery! All the brackets from the rack are attached with oval heads; I went recently to a store selling watch’s screws; I found none suitable for my needs, therefore I will have to make them. Fortunately, I found a 0.8mm die. Easy model? Nope! Oh! The rod between both hinges is a temporary solution. Easier than with screws and nuts!

Not sure either if you posted something here; to check at all 92 pages is too much! Don't worry: when I restored my cars scale 1:1, I had also some difficulties!