AmericanMuscleFan

Thanks Ian, Forced to admit that you are right about life's priorities... and I also think that my differential is a step in the right direction in terms of improvement, I learn from the good work and motivation of my peers! ? The months of May and June have often been rainy in recent years in my region, so I might have some time for my favorite hobby! Francis

Thanks Daniel, I love machining aluminum and brass, but my goal is to try to make the best parts possible, so if Styrene (or any kind of plastic) can create something more precise and detailed, I don't see why I wouldn't use it. You know too well what I'm talking about, I know it's your physiology too! ? Francis

Thanks Dave, I missed your comment but I really appreciate your visit, it's always a pleasure to share, I just wish I had more time available and could show more...! Francis

Good Lord I love that front suspension, plus the steering seems to work wonderfully! ? Did you have a technical plan or a real scale car model to guide you?

We can't say that you don't make an effort to innovate Daniel, all your models always have something new to offer and your resourcefulness seems endless!!! ?

Thanks Rich, an 8 3/4 would be a good challenge to make, maybe I would have to make it in styrene! ? Francis Thanks Will, no I didn't make them myself and I won't take the credit, if you read the note above the first photo I mentioned that I used aluminum bolts from RB Motion. It would take way too long to start machining the bolts, there are experts for that and the quality of RB Motion's products are incredible! It's not cheap (especially with the exchange rate) but time is worth money, right? Francis

Thanks Daniel, I'll do my best to get this thing going as often as possible when the bad weather allows! ? Francis Thanks Andrew! Francis

Thanks Tim, I'm just trying to improve on what I've done before by learning from my mistakes and watching what the best in this field are doing! ? Francis

Hello everyone, It's time for another little update and I don't know when the next one will be because the low season for my favorite hobby is fast approaching. I will definitely try to work on the project when the weather permits and when the chores and housework on the schedule are done. For the moment, I have been able to install the leaf springs, this allowed me to confirm the correct alignment of the rear axle and the suspension in the body. Some elements including the two fins of the Dana are not glued and will require some minor adjustments when it is done but overall it will look like this as they say! When the front suspension is done I will be able to take some photos with the wheels to assess the stance of the car. I don't have to tell you that this is a long-term project, you are able to see it progress slowly from one week and/or month to the next. Don't hesitate if you have any comments, I will continue to stop by the forum on a regular basis as much as possible. I hope to see you again soon, Francis I used 0.020" brass rod to make the U-bolts and RB Motion aluminum nuts with photo-etch washers to hold them in place.

Great job Daniel, you are in your comfort zone with aluminum and it shows! For carbide bits, they are very useful but the very small ones are easy to break when using with manual devices, they are not designed for that, you have to go gently but after breaking a few you know their limits...! ?

I also noted that the front suspension didn't seem to have much travel in the photos when the car had the front wheels in the air. You will find a solution I am sure!

Thanks Roger! By building a generic drag car I certainly have less constraints than if it were a tribute car but I'm quite satisfied with the results so far. Francis Thanks Will, I still have a few details to integrate into the differential (the leaf springs among others) but I'm short on time at this period of the year, so I hope I can continue to move forward from time to time. Francis

Thanks for the info Tim, I think I've already seen something on YouTube regarding what you're telling me about. I saw on the Caswell website that they now offer a new product (Nickel & Copy Chrome Brightener) to improve the brightness of plating, I will probably try it as it is not very expensive. As with most of the options for generating a beautiful chrome effect, it's all in the preparation and it's not always easy to polish certain corners and complex areas, which is often what produces different results. Your results are very beautiful by the way and what I like about the plating is that the finish is durable and resistant compared to a chrome finish produced with spray paint or chrome powders. Spray chrome options have been surprising in recent years compared to what was offered not long ago where the finish was more aluminum-like than chrome. Spray cans are getting expensive though, just thinking about what Revell offers on this point, the results are there but the bill comes with it, especially on this side of the border! ??? Thank you again for your intervention my friend, I really appreciate it! Francis

Hello Tim and thanks for your question! That's exactly it, I made several passes adjusting the tilting plate at different increments and finished the rough surface by hand. It was a lot of trial and error but I wanted to make the cover in one piece to avoid the use of glue if I had made it in 2 parts or having to weld if I had made it in brass. It's more of a personal challenge than logic because I probably would have had less difficulty doing this one in 2 parts. ? There is no master here, just a stubborn one who goes through winding paths but the point is to have fun, right? ? Francis

Thanks Rich! There is a brass axle (0.063") that goes through the axle housing and both ends are epoxy glued into the wheel hubs, I did several test fits to be sure the clearance was optimal before gluing them permanently. You can see the hole I made where the axle goes in if you go back and look at the photos on page 22 when I machined the wheel hubs. Francis

Thanks Daniel, I did the plating using a small kit (Plug N' Plate Copy Chrome Kit) that I purchased a few years ago on the Caswell Canada website. It is very easy to use, inexpensive and there are two different techniques that are possible if you follow the instructions. As usual, success is in the preparation and I bought this kit in order to chrome the bumpers but I have never tried, but it is certain that it will work very well. Francis

Thanks Lee! ?

Hell everyone, I've been seeing the warmer days slowly creep in lately, it's a sign that the hours available for hobbies will soon decrease and summer work will inevitably take over. I will try to advance the project as much as possible but the updates will undoubtedly be more spaced out. After finishing the rear brake calipers, I decided to overcome my fear and tried chrome plating the brass axles and the parts I had welded that are part of the rear axle assembly. I didn't want to paint over the bare metal so I tried not to over polish the brass in order to get as little chrome finish as possible, more of a metallic tint to hide the brass. The result is quite good and the plating went well so that will give me confidence for the other brass parts that I want to change the color. I also took the opportunity to drill the holes for the differential cover bolts, it will be held in place with small brass bolts from T2M. The differential cover is not permanently installed, I will wait until final assembly to do it. Anyway, let me know what you think, I think the result is acceptable. Francis

Glad to see you back in the saddle with a new project Daniel, I'm sure I'll find lots of new tips by visiting your updates. The gold leaf technique is great and the results are just as great! You mentioned at the beginning that's will be "a glorified curbside" but I know your curbside builds are always next level. ?

I'm sure we'd have more than just a toast to share! Let's live in hope, maybe it will happen one day, the time of my retirement is not that far away! ? In the meantime, this forum brings us closer together, thanks to web technology!

I love it James, the stance is absolutely perfect! ?

Nice color Keith, your boots follow your lips as they say around here, you already told me in a post that it was one of your favorite colors! It’s true that this color goes well with this type of bodywork. These old Model Master spray cans are very rare now (at least here in Canada), save it for the museum, it will increase in value. ?

Thanks James Anthony, everything I post is there for those who want to try doing the same thing! Francis

Thanks Rich ! Thanks Lee, I wouldn't put my fingers between the rim and the caliper if it was 1:1 scale ! ? Thanks Daniel ! Thanks Ian, I appreciate your comments ! Francis

Sorry to be late to the party but I'm toasting you! ??