jpage Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Roger, your work is mind blowing! So precise! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 As a Swiss product, it have to be precise! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 Even if this not the place to tell it, I have a deep concern about the situation in East Europe. How will that end? (this comment can be removed by a moderator; it had to come out. The ordered material arrived, so I could finish the starter motor's lever which is inside the car. He is probably not the exact replica, but I'm satisfied with it. Next to that, I did the levers going to the throttle levers, the lever for the hand throttle and the one which will actuated by the gas pedal. All those elements are free to rotate but, as the throttle levers at the carbs are fixes, everything from gas pedal to carbs will be static. I did also both knobs attaching the valley's cover. Unfortunately, these are too small; I cannot engrave the Cadillac emblem on them! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Agreed Roger, it's not a good situation It's amazing how much you have going on in such a small package. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Hollingsworth Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 There is a lot of 'stuff' in that area of the build, and that's for sure. Which prompts me to ask, if there will be a steering column and wheel as well as all the rest of this fabulous build, Roger? By way of agreement with Roger and Paulie- that's a worry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 Well Pat, it seems that you are not following well this thread or your memory is fading: I did the wheels for more than two years; recently, I did the master tire but, for the moment, I did not order the necessary material. Another thing I must organize: steel for the springs...You see, there is something in the pipe line! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 2 hours ago, Roger Zimmermann said: Well Pat, it seems that you are not following well this thread or your memory is fading: I did the wheels for more than two years; recently, I did the master tire but, for the moment, I did not order the necessary material. Another thing I must organize: steel for the springs...You see, there is something in the pipe line! I'm pretty sure when Pat said "wheel", he meant a steering wheel since he had just said steering column. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 Oh! it could be...Plus he wrote wheel and not wheels! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Hollingsworth Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 'S OK. I probably should have been a bit clearer of as they might say in Switzerland, Precise. Mighty pleased that you have more in the pipeline. This thread is habit forming!😉 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 No, the engine is not completely finished, I just need to do something else. As we are getting towards better outside temperatures, it's a good idea the continue with the tires. I ordered some silicone products for that. I also ordered a bit of brass stock to make the mold for the white walls. All should come next week. Fortunately for my, I did pictures when I did the tires for the Avanti and Mark II; it's easier to remember "how". And I spared some "tools": the cut can for the first stage and the plexiglass which will be used to separate both half-molds. This later element was used for the Mark II tires; as the Cadillac tires have a larger diameter, I will adapt it for this new usage. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 7, 2022 Share Posted March 7, 2022 Now I need to go back and scroll through the manufacturing of the other tires to refresh my memory 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 7, 2022 Author Share Posted March 7, 2022 Even me I don't remember exactly all the steps, even if I was involved three times! Even if Switzerland is a small country, mail orders are taking time to arrive; the tires will begin later this week. In between, I finished what was still open: the rods going to the carbs. The rods themselves are not a big deal: a 0.8mm rod, bent more or less in the middle. But the small parts to attach the rods are taking time. As the carbs are not functional, I did a trunnion at each carb, soldered to the lever. The rods are just sliding through the trunnions, suppressing any length's adjustment. The pins at the other ends are not very large: the diameter is 0.8mm and a hole of 0.5mm was drilled for the cotter key (which will be just a rod). This does not let too much liberty, the hole must be in the middle! The red paint on the LH rod is used to differentiate both rods as they don't have exactly the same shape. There are also rods to operate the chokes. I will not do them now because the shaft to operate them is attached on the firewall. Maybe one day there will be one, maybe not... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randiego Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 FLAWLESS ! ! ! Excellent work. The fit and finish is world class. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randiego Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Roger, The mayhem in Ukrane is being felt here also. Gas at the pump here in California is now at $5.34 (the chepo gas stations, not Mobile, Shell, Chevron, etc). The operators of the stations don't even post the prices as the prices are changing daily. With my business, I am taking a huge "hit" in operating costs. But this is minor compared to the unfortunate Ukranians who are being devistated by Putin. We are all pitching in to the local Ukranian community here in San Diego and helping them as much as we can. You being much closer to Ukraine probably get more informed news as the events are unfolding. We wish there will be an end to the hostilities......SOON. Just sensless for the citizens of that country to be attacked who did nothing to provoke Putin. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randiego Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Roger, Getting away from your build and commenting on the unfortunate issues of Ukraine is a departure of the site here. We all "tune into your build" to escape the news as most of it is unpleasant. That is why we so enjoy following you Roger. You are an oasis for us. We come here to see the marvelous work that you are doing on the Cadillac. What is really amazing is how much detail that you have captured in this engine ! ! And to think that it is only "inches" long, not feet. Once painted and set on an engine stand, it will be as if looking at a 1:1 engine. Great, great work Roger. We await the next installment. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 My prayers are with everyone in eastern Europe, and the surrounding areas, right now. I love the engine. Amazing and beautiful! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 One key element was missing for the tires: the master for the white wall. As the manufacturer is on it, I could not just do a negative pattern: I cannot carve the letters for the name. Therefore, as with my other tires, I will do the name with paint. This time, I will write "Firestone". The shape of the characters is not easy; maybe I will have to come back with "Good Year"... On the picture, the master is just finished; that bit of brass is expensive: about $ 35.00. I'll have first to write the characters with a pencil and then apply the paint with a thin brush. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Hollingsworth Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Roger, I'm always impressed when you do a good-sized piece in your small lathe. The finish that you manage with hand feeds is far more than I can do on even much smaller cuts. You have to have the steadiest hands and the best attention span of anybody around. And, patience. All things I sometimes find in small supply here. Amazing, as always my friend. Amazing. Do you do your own sharpening of bits? You could teach me a lot, I know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 (edited) Pat, this small machine can be sometimes not very cooperative! However, we are living since a long time; I know most of the time the tricks needed to "tame" it! My hands are not more as steady as they were 3-4 years ago, but it's not (yet) an issue. Patience, yes, I got a large dose many years ago! Yes, I'm sharpening my cutting tools with that small stone (I don't know if that the correct expression) and some machine oil. Manually, of course. I sometimes succeed to sharpen drill bits as small as 0.5mm in diameter (0.02"), usually by luck! Edited March 14, 2022 by Roger Zimmermann (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 That is one tiny, tiny drill bit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 Yes! And, without magnifier glass, I don't even think to sharpen those small drill bits. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 The next step was to put the name and dimension on the white wall pattern. The "Firestone" script is not an easy one; my attempt to sketch the characters on the tire went bad. Fortunately, I found in the net a script which was the size I wanted. The print I did with that was not very sharp; anyway, I could cut the letters with a cutter. I glued them on the brass with paint; once dry, I scratched the excess paint. The method for the dimension was different: I used thick paint and applied it on the brass with a thin brush. Once the paint dry, I scratched the excess paint to have a decent script. It's not perfect, but will be good enough on the rubber. Now, I can do the negative mold for the white wall elements. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randiego Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Roger, Looks good to me. The script for "Firestone" is not your everyday style of lettering. Finding it on the web was a stroke of good luck. Getting it applied to the mold in the method you described takes a MOUNTAIN of patience. As Pat said; "Patience. All things I sometimes find in small supply here". Oh how true. I am restoring a 1958 Cuddy Cabin Cruiser that was built by a Dutch boatbuilder here in Costa Mesa, CA. A work of art. I have been working on it for 6 months now. All mahogany and teak wood with a painted hull. Like my neighbor said, "that isn't a boat, that is a piece of furniture!" It has required a vast amount of patience to get the quality of work. Anything that is done wrong SHOWS. I have had to redo the paint. It is a special lacquor "LPU" (linear polyurethane). Very expensive and when you have to do it twice, REALLY EXPENSIVE! I had to go back to "school" to learn the art of applying varnish again. Everything on this boat is like your Cadillacs..........painstaking and any mistake shows. Our respect for your craftsmanship is immense. Not only on your scale model, but your 1:1 Cadillacs. They are georgous! An example of your Swiss craftsmanship. We can't wait to see the whitewall tires. That was like putting "spatz" on the car. Dressed them up. P.S. Spatz (if you don't know) were a white or grey covering that men wore over their ankles that covered the shoe, only showing the toes of the shoes, which were a shiny black. Very dressy. Randy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 18, 2022 Author Share Posted March 18, 2022 Good luck with the restoration of that boat! Getting older does not mean getting wiser... The facts: I decided to make a mold for the white wall. From the Avanti/Mark II projects, I still had some RTV material; I prepare a batch to pour on the pattern. Usually, after two hours, the product begins to be very viscous; after 12 hours, the RTV is set. This time, after 2 hours there was no change at the viscosity. Same after 6 hours and again no difference after 12 hours. To me, it was obvious that the product was indeed too old. I heated a bit the whole; not too much because of the paint for the letters. There was a slight change at the viscosity so I let it in a corner because as the material is still sticking at the pattern, it could take away the scripts. I began the preparation to pour the first half-mold from the tire. This time, I used a fresh product, mixing 9 grams harder to 180 grams RTV silicone. After creating some vacuum with my hand pump, the material was poured into the form. This operation creating again trapped air, the vacuum pump came again in action. The most vacuum I can generate with this pump is 14 to 15" HG. Enough for the purpose, but very tiring for the hands. After one hour, I took the recipient out from the desiccator. After two hours, the viscosity did not change. I went to bed; the next morning, still no change. I was a bit upset and wanted to call the supplier. Just before that call, I had again a look at the syringe. The are two marks, 1 and 2 and 10 smaller lines in between. Suddenly, I saw my error: each mark is not 10 grams, but ONE gram! Therefore, the mix had just 1/10th of the necessary harder quantity! No wonder it cannot be set... I have a similar problem with the tire pattern: there will be no paint on the surface, but the product in the uncured state is sticky. How can I remove the remaining material on the surface and, more important in the tread? I will put it on side for some weeks; maybe the small quantity of harder will be sufficient to set the RTV. As I'm blocked with my own stupidity, I ordered some material to do the springs. Of course, it's not available right now. Therefore, I will begin the shock absorbers... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 Well that's unfortunate. I'm not familiar with your material, but the two-part materials that I have worked with in the past would not cure no matter how long you let it sit if the proper proportions weren't used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 18, 2022 Author Share Posted March 18, 2022 Your are probably right. Anyway, the first piece I did has a subtle change in viscosity. I don't think it will be usable but maybe cured enough not to stick to the paint used for the letters. No change yet on the second part; after the shock absorbers will be done, who knows... I have also a funny story about another product. It's a Dow Corning RTV; the product is to be mixed 1:1. It takes a very long time to cure and, after 40 years, I still have some of it. When I'm doing grommets, I'm using that RTV; to shorten the curing time, I'm heating the product at about 100°C. It takes some minutes and the part is OK. Once, I had prepared too much material. I intended to use it some days later, therefore I put it in the freezer. To my surprise, it was cured when I took it out of the freezer! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randiego Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 Roger, How long ago did you do the tires for the Mark II ? Seems like yesterday but in reality, that was some 8-9 years ago? Hell, I cannot remember where I put my keys after an hour in the office 😞 I just hope that the Firestone lettering will be saved. That was a LOT OF WORK to get the script prepared. I just hope that you do not have to do that again. Being the perfectionist that you are, you will prevail. Since this is an automotive site, I will not post pictures of the boat, but it is coming along. We will see the tires, in all their splendor, as you get your "skills" tuned up to redo the pour. Being away from doing the Mark's tires for some time, it is not a surprise that a mistake was made. Not doing a proceedure after that many years one is bound to miss something. But at least you found the mistake. And the next time that you do the tires, we will see minature masterpieces! It is really a sad note that a lot of suppliers are missing from the marketplace. Due to the shut down two years ago, that put unbelievable strains on most businesses. The smaller ones closed shop. I just hope that there will be others to step up and fill the voids. For example; I am having a difficult time finding a steering cable for my boat. The steering gear is a masterpiece. It was engineered when quality was the main ingredient in all products. After all, it was made in 1958 ! I may have to have one made and that will be expensive if one cannot be found. For us restorers, finding parts on Ebay or Hemmings is always a crap shoot. There have been repro parts introduced in the last few years, but those parts are for "popular" cars that have a high demand for particular parts. For those of us who are restoring unique or not run of the mill cars........................it is tough, to say the least, in finding the parts that we need for our projects. With the internet, that has been a great tool for searching. Swapmeets are a hit and miss affair. And unless you live in the vicinity of Hershey, PA that marketplace is vast, but again, hit and miss on a chance to find that part. Thank goodness for the car clubs that have a great networking set up. Fellow enthusiasts are our best friends in our hobby. Oh the days of yore when we could cruise through junkyards and readily find parts for our projects. Those days are almost gone with the demise of junkyards out here on the West Coast. I'm getting old. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 18, 2022 Author Share Posted March 18, 2022 Randy, I did those tire 12 years ago! If I have to loose the scripts, well, I can do them again. Annoying, but mistakes have always a cost! You are getting old? Me too! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Hollingsworth Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 Randy, I used to love the swap meets- even local ones near a good size community brought so many wonderful parts. And, sometimes a new friend. Now, things are different at the meets. And, I'm getting old too- yesterday was my 76th b'day. Today, I feel most of 'em. Barely cleared the gym door without collapsing under the weight of my corned beef dinner of the night before. Roger, I sure wish I had a pointer or two for the cleaning of your molds, but I don't . Maybe take some of the uncured material and see what disolves it= internet search first? But, I have faith that the problem is in the shop of the best man to perseve and resolve the issue. Will keep thinking the good thoughts for you my friend. Pat 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 The tires are waiting for better days...and I began the shock absorbers. To give you an idea how they look like, I'm attaching two pictures from the real ones. At first glance, the shape is easy; a good look at the shape is revealing some interesting details. It would be one thing to replicate the shape as well as I can, but I want also that they are absorbing the suspension's movements. I will be use the same sticky fluid/paste as I did on my telescopic shock absorbers. Here, I still don't know exactly how I will do that. Certainly not like the original design as compression and rebound had probably different rates. The medium I will use is usually slowly leaking at joints without gasket; I will have to find a method to keep the medium inside the bodies. On one picture, you can see the end caps which will be soft soldered on the body. Can you imagine the shape of the wrench used to torque them on the body? I replicated the hexagon shape by punching the caps and soldering the inner side. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie9fingers Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I find watching you construct pieces like these to be very interesting, there are so many details, and you just seem to add pieces here and there to achieve a perfect resemblance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 Thanks Paulie! Right now, I'm scratching my head; wondering with what I can continue because as they should really function, some planning is indeed necessary. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Tate Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Roger, would it be possible to put two springs on either side of the center point where the arm pivot point is located and have a cam in the center? That way you wouldn't have any leakage of the fluid/paste problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 Yes, I could, but it will not be acting as a damper...Or the springs into the shock absorbers must be so strong that they try to keep the actuating lever at curb height. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 I'm not sure I can explain what I'm picturing in my head. But could you put some sort of plate inside the mechanism with a restrictor hole in it? With trial and error, you probably could get pretty good damping. As the arm moves, the fixed internal plate would push through the fluid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 It's exactly what I intend to do. With or without hole, as the sides will not be exact. I'll try with two products, one with a rather low viscosity and the other with higher viscosity. I'm however not that far! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Great minds think alike 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 There are some good and bad news. First the bad: despite 2 weeks without disturbing my bad mix, both preparations did not cure. Today, after one hour at 100°C, same result. I will have to bite the bullet and remove manually the sticky and almost liquid products. The good news: while in France in our vacation house, I ordered an electric vacuum pump. The on-line shop is French, the pump came from Germany after 3 days and the pump is made in...China. Bad luck as I try not to support this country...The same search done in Switzerland gave no result...with the exception of that French store! A quick test was done this afternoon: I can pull 25"Hg and the vacuum is slowly decreasing, like it was with the manual pump with which I could only get 15" Hg. It will be really a pleasant job to "cast" the various parts, but first I have to clean and maybe redo the marking on the white wall mold. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 Roger, are you clamping the compressor hose after you pull vacuum? If you have no other leaks in the system, it could be the pump itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share Posted April 10, 2022 No, I cannot clamp it, because it's too rigid. The cover on the recipient is a flat surface; I'm "sealing" this surface with liquid soap. When the vacuum is applied, I see tiny bubbles going into the recipient. The leak is there. With a rubber seal, it would be more tight. As I have anyway to monitor the process, it's not a huge problem to start the pump from time to time. I'm assuming that with a greater vacuum the bubbles trapped into the silicone rubber will be quicker eliminated. I will report it when I'm that far. For the moment, I'm cleaning the mold for the white wall. Both scripts survived, but the final cleaning is tedious. I cannot take a too aggressive product because it would wipe the scripts. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now