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Converting the Red Barron to the Black Knight


Pete J.

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Clear lights would be my suggestion as well. Any color would be a distraction.

Are you going to clean up that lower edge of the radiator opening? Looks like removing about 0.010 with a flat bastard file could fix it.

Looking very good.

Yea, I noticed that in the photo. Kind of hard to notice on 1:1. Photos are great for bringing out the errors. I will also clean off the bit of Qtip on the left lens also before I clear coat it. I like to let the brass age just a little and get a slightly deeper tone before I seal it. Thanks Mark.

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Hi again! Well it is time for an update and a request for opinions.

Here is some of the latest progress. I had a bit of a problem. The screen that I used was brass and I used "blacken it" to get a nice even color. About a week after I used it, the black changed color and flaked off. Not a problem. Sand it down and paint it with a good enamel. It seems to be holding.

In the meantime, I have mounted the head lights on the radiator shell. I think they look good, but here is where your opinions will come in. I put a clear lens (Krystal Klear) and they looked good, but I have seen hot rods with colored lenses before. I can do red, orange, yellow, blue or green. I have my opinions about what may look good in this context but I am not really a hotrod person, so I am going to you for your opinions. What do you think??

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that is amazing artwork right there, wow wow and more wow this thing is gonna be a work of art.

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As good as you are, I'll bet you could come up with a variation of the blackout headlights used on military vehicles:

blackout.jpg

The lens strips should be clear

notec blackout lights. Not too tough. Only two shapes. A disk and a rectangle. Turn the disk and then cut the rectangle and solder them togeather at a photoetched screw head. Not hard really. Just not sure that they would look right on this one but I did consider them. Thanks

Edited by Pete J.
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Wow man this is amazing great work coulda ya share a pic of your layith. Sorry don't know if that's spelled right lol

Ok, you got it. Here is the lathe. Nothing spectacular but definitely one of the best. Sherline, made here in SoCal in Vista California.

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This is an image of the machine in action. I am cutting a pin .040" in diameter for the suspension.

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Here you can seen the pin completed and soldered in place at the top of the spring arc.

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This is a test fit of all the components. The pin goes through the mounting bracket and holds the whole thing in place. The springs are mounted to the axles with similar pins. The differential will not be black on the final piece. The black finish is just the base coat for alclad. I am planning on using alcad stainless. I want it shiny but not high gloss like chrome. I want a differentiation between the diff and the axles.

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Just a bit of a side note. After looking at the photo I posted of the springs, I decided that I didn't like them very much. This was one of the first pieces of brass that I made and I have learned a lot building this model, so I made a new set. To my eye the arc is much more pleasing and the springs are much cleaner and a better polish. Now having said that, I am going to give away a little secret. Almost every piece of brass I have done for this model has been redone at least once. In the case of the springs, this is the third set, but then that is the pleasure of leaning new things. Enjoy what you build, even when things go wrong!

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Edited by Pete J.
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By black knight, are you talking about darth vader. It kinda looks like him in one of the above pics.

Great job. Keep it up

You are right, it does have a bit of a Darth Vader look to it. However I am a bit of a war history buff and this was more of a conversion to another WW 1 flying ace who transitioned into WW 2. Here is a little information on him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Ritter_von_Schleich

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What thickness of brass sheet did you use to make the leaf springs? I am planning on making two sets of springs for an upcoming rat rod build and would love any tips you might have from your three attempts to get what you wanted. Did you use a wire brush for polishing out the edges?

Kevin

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