absmiami

so now I've got a radiator cap with a handle that I can easily slip onto the radiator shell once everything is painted .... now to the dash ....

so these shots show the nickel silver handle that was filed from nickel silver and the latch for the front side of the cap

so the hinge in the third picture is the part that I ended up turning fr nickel silver with the flats filed in the lathe - using the bars of a four jaw chuck as reference points to file the flats ... - no intention of making a working hinge for the pressurized cap handle just want something that looks right ... then I had to make the cap handle and the latch that sits over the tab on the front of the cap ....

then I've got to saw a slot into the cap body - the chuck is handy for that and then solder a tab from nickel bar stock and then I made a sort of hinge on the back side of the cap body took four attempts to get that right ...

merry new yr I'll call this the radiator cap from hell ... the first two parts - from nickel silver round bar stock fairly straight forward - things got difficult from there ...

also did some more machining with nickel silver the steering wheel photo-etch is an accessory fr profil-24 - and is accurate for this car - but I machined a button the photo-etched part is not accurate for the Delage and is not 3 dimensional the bevel on the face of the button is machined by rotating the headstock about 30 degrees the cap at the end of in the fuel pressure pump is machined and then scored with a fine file nickel silver is fairly "soft" - so the file leaves its pattern marks then the transmission case inspection cap and the stick shift receptacle .....

thanks to Mr harrisburg so begins the great wire wheel experiment always wanted to try this .... using soft steel wire just less than .010 - which is actually over-scale - but looks better to humans than scale wire would it has a tendency to twist during the back and forth thru the holes and around the hub so the results are OK but Pico suggested fishing line instead and I think I now know why ... gonna try that for the next wheel

oops forgot to include a shot of the milling machine set up with the cutter sorry for the iffy focus - actually - I don't see the part that much better than this under magnification - maybe a little sharper .....

so the basic shape is cut on the lather and then the chuck is removed fr the lathe and set up on the milling machine with an indexer tool - to drill the dimples to suggest the screws - each dimple drilled at 60 degree intervals ... using .015 cutter for the dimples - .012 would be more scale accurate - but I broke my .012 cutter - and besides - .015 is easier to see! the chuck is then returned to the lathe to part the bezel from the brass stock then a test shot to show size relation to the tach decal from an Indycals 1/32 Bugatti sheet - this is about right - if I use these decals I'll have to remove the Bugatti script fr the gauge - but that will be easier than making my own Delage gauges ...

workshop space is limited so before I wire up some wheels I'm doing some more machining on the Sherline lathe and mill finished all four hubs and now machining some instr bezels for the dash - as pictured in 2 photos on page 1 some bezels will be machined from nickel silver rod but the bezels for the tachs appear to be brass - there are two tachs - not sure why - maybe the pounding and vibrations expected in a GP race in the mid twenties caused frequent instr breakage ?? - they may be run separately off of the separate cams - they appear to be the gauge opening is .160 with a bezel just wide enough to allow for some small dimples to be milled onto the ring - the tachs were screwed into the dash....

the first hub - dimensions based roughly on the corresponding hub in the Wills white metal Delage kit - shown in the third picture shaped with a ground cutter - like the one used on the axle halves - only smaller - with the headstock swiveled a few degrees for the taper then parted and set in the jig today's pico question - the spoke wiring will partially obscure the hub - so should I paint these things before I wire them ??????

thanks Codi - and can you tell me the name of the (once) young man who composed "born to be wild" ?? and you want me to take my time on the car ? - its been on my workbench for a year - I'm not sick of it yet .... but ..... actually I haven't gotten to the fun part yet - which as Pico knows - will be the finish on the body panels .... and thanks to Pico for ..... the third way ....(insert announcer in echo chamber) now its back to the lathe to make the hubs ...

the tires are printed in the same translucent material as the rims and feature a terrific tread pattern and super accurate sidewall features and lettering - Model factory pico has designed a number of different vintage tires and I suspect that he gets a little better each time .... while I'm about to set up the jig I have the following question - either for Pico - or for Mr. Michelin .... wire has to be wound through the rim spoke openings and around the hubs - but in what pattern ???? I have enclose two possibilities - the first is from Wingrove's bible the second is from the instruction sheet for the Wills Finecast Delage or maybe there is a third way .... ????????

so work begins on the 3 D printed wire wheels and tires - the rims feature very precise - and very small - radial spoke holes 64 on each rim - in two rings - outer and inner the holes are "printed" into the part and are simply opened with a # 82 drill and no - I can't do this without magnification .... will use some sort of fine line for the spokes - to be wound around each hub in a jig that I will set up - the hubs will be turned on the Sherline

I know it's important. I do, I honestly do. But we're talking about process, man. What are we talking about? Process? We're talking about process, man? We're talking about process. We're talking about process. We ain't talking about the game. We're talking about process, man. sorry just had an allen Iverson flashback ....

On the inside of the drums is a "backing plate" - think that's what its called - that has a ridge on its circumference. - do you know how hard it is to spell that word ??? made from plastic sheet in two parts - glued with liquid glue and then turned on a drill with sanding sticks for shape - need to make a second one these will be painted aluminum think I'll turn the dash gauges next - or the wheel centers ???

the brake servo [that's what the 1/12 Fiat scratch-builder calls it in his build no the British model cars site - really really good build] that attaches to the back and bottom of the transmission case is made in the same way - it is smaller than the brake drums but also features the cooling slots.

the drums are drilled with the headstock drill 1163 shows the second rear drum fitted over the axle - which I expect to have to shorten about 1/16 or so...

7500 hits celebrating with Delaware's finest ... so I'll be on the lathe and milling machine for a while shot of my "tool box" - with cutters purchased when I bought the lathe (years ago) and some additional customs cutters that I ground on a grinding wheel from cutting blanks - used for specific purposes - such as cutting the cooling slots in the drums .... the resin cast rear brake drums fr Model Factory Pico are replaced with lathe turned drums in aluminum - the front drums will be resin castings that I had made for a similar project some time ago - both fr and rear drums will be painted the color of the chassis.

by the way - most of the rear suspension components will be painted light blue to match the chassis - this is how the restored car was finished - and the leaf springs will be wrapped in thread - per the photos on pg 1

a flange to fit/glue the end of the axkle into the diff is cut with a parting tool and then the same tool is used to part the axle from the rod the flange cut is simply measured with a piece of evergreen that is marked for this purpose - nothing fancy - precise enough could be much more precise with the hand wheel calibrations - but it's not needed ... next maybe the brake drums - probably aluminum - and maybe the spindles ...

off to the lathe ... chucked some clear acrylic rod to make the axle halves the sherline has a feature that allows the headstock to swivel to cut a taper ... I just eyeballed the taper and cut with two cutters - one was cut from a blank years ago and I use it to cut the bell or horn shape on one end then drill the other end with a 1/16 bit to take the axle stub the clear acrylic deforms a bit when turned down below about 1/8 - but corrections can be made with a sanding stick and I don't need much precision - just two halves that look alike and fit into the differential

this was just posted on Tuesday on the GPMA site: Mike Quarterman just told me that resin casters Paul Fisher of Fisher Models and Joe Vondracek of Quikskins have lost everything in the California fires except for their lives. So sad for all the lives and property lost. The Large Scale Aircraft modellers set up a Go Find Me for the Fishers. Last I saw it was nearly $10,000. Hope it goes way beyond that goal. Note - in checking the Fisher site and my own correspondence records, I see that Paul and Joe both lived in what was once known as Paradise California ... Oh boy

these collars also have tabs that will attach to the ends of the friction shocks that are suspended above from the chassis rails - see pix on pg 1 - they'll be made later from nickel silver … the U bolts are bent from .020 nickel silver rod that will carry nuts on top next the rear axle and gear transfer case and rear brake drums - time to fire up the Sherline ….

the rear axle is clasped by a "collar" - what's the proper name for this ? - that is bolted with U shaped bolts to the top of the leaf springs have to spend xtra time making these because they have to be strong and symmetric - have to hold the axle level and at the correct height in relation to the front axle ... evergreen stock - .125 by .156 and evergreen tube - drilled with .020 for the bolt holes - top and bottom will be finished in light blue as with the chassis