Monogram Don Edmunds Supermodified

[Straightliner59]

13 minutes ago, alan barton said:

Dan, I continue to enjoy your progress on this epic Edmunds.  It is a really well thought out model with an amazing amount of engineering - I believe the American term is "ten pounds of potatoes in a five pound bag!"

I  am particularly enjoying the saga of the home made injection manifold.  I once built an Aussie style Fiat 500 (not Topolino) altered using a Y block for power.  I took the crazy curved injection tubes from the Double Dragster kit and then added the eight Strombergs from the same kit to the top of the tubes for a very home made looking ram induction set up.  In all probably it would have worked terribly if at all but like you, I wanted it to look like a home mechanic item.

If I could offer a suggestion on your current injection manifold.  Have you thought about using fine thread to duplicate amateur welding? Many years ago I scratchbuilt an IMCA modified.  They feature GM subframes which have a very distinctive and somewhat crude weld along the top of the rails joining the inners and outers together.  I glued a length of cotton down the middle of the rails of a modified plastic Chevelle subframe and after a coat of primer and colour it did a pretty god job.  If you wrapped thread around the lower joins of your manifold tubes, I'm sure you could achieve a similar effect.

Cheers

Alan

That sounds like an idea worth exploration! I will definitely give that a try, before I move on. Thank you for your kind words, Alan! They're always appreciated! 

[DustyMojave]

I have to agree with Alan. Good thinking!

OTOH, In the US, those potatoes you referred to would be fully processed potatoes and anything else processed by the human processor.

I'm gonna go back to take another look at the intake before I comment on it. But I think it's coming along nicely. For a finish when the fabricating is all done, the manifold should probably be painted gloss black.

[DustyMojave]

I'm thinking you're intending the tubes to be representing aluminum TIG welded together. I had been thinking more in terms of steel tubing. Either way works.

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, DustyMojave said:

OTOH, In the US, those potatoes you referred to would be fully processed potatoes and anything else processed by the human processor.

That was exactly what I was thinking!

 

2 hours ago, DustyMojave said:

I'm thinking you're intending the tubes to be representing aluminum TIG welded together. I had been thinking more in terms of steel tubing. Either way works.

I was figuring it was all mild steel, because, as you stated, that would be more common, therefore more likely to be used. My "guy" is just a hobby racer, mostly interested in seeing what he can do with the stuff he has access to--but he likes it to at least look tidy! The main reason I am doing this, is because I don't want "just another Hilborn", and I already built a dragster with a proper, scratchbuilt, Enderle setup. And, I have plans for a Hilborn injected big block car, so, it had to be different! Thank you for your help!

[DustyMojave]

You're welcome! It seems that you and I are on the same page.

Just to be clear to all the rest. I'm not trying to say how this model HAS TO BE built, just making asked for suggestions based on a lifetime of experience around full scale race cars combined with 61 years of experience with model cars.

[Straightliner59]

2 minutes ago, DustyMojave said:

You're welcome! It seems that you and I are on the same page.

Just to be clear to all the rest. I'm not trying to say how this model HAS TO BE built, just making asked for suggestions based on a lifetime of experience around full scale race cars combined with 61 years of experience with model cars.

And, that's exactly why I asked! 

[Straightliner59]

It's getting closer...To make the welds, I rolled the straight-knurled end of a cap screw along a length of .010" Plastruct rod, to create beading. Then using liquid cement, applied with an insulin syringe, I attached it in place, and worked it "in". I still have some work to do, and some parts to add, before I can paint it. For color, I'll probably go with MM Stainless metallizer, and apply a touch of color to the welds, and some overall color, to make it resemble unpainted mild steel. I think I'm pretty happy with the way they look. Paint will tell the story! Questions, comments and critiques are always welcome! Thanks for looking!

[DustyMojave]

That looks really good. Should work great on roll cages too.

Can I use it on my full scale projects? 😎 There's a Baja Bug waiting by the garage for good weather to coincide with schedule conflicts to get the roll cage welding finished. I suppose the plastic rod would need to be larger though...😲 And different glue too...

[DustyMojave]

I actually have like 3 mis-match fabricated steel intake manifolds for fuel injection on a VW engine for a Midget from back in the 1970s when VWs were starting to take over as the engine of choice for midgets. that came to me from Johnny Parson's collection after he passed. Made from cold-rolled steel bar and DOM tube welded together. One is painted black, one painted silver, and the other painted gold. Since each has no match, and they're way obsolete, and nobody is building VW midget engines with the early fabricated stuff, since ready-made parts are available that are bigger tubing for bigger throttle bodies and aftermarket heads with far bigger ports, they're wall art for the shop, never to actually be used on an engine.

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, DustyMojave said:

That looks really good. Should work great on roll cages too.

Can I use it on my full scale projects? 😎 There's a Baja Bug waiting by the garage for good weather to coincide with schedule conflicts to get the roll cage welding finished. I suppose the plastic rod would need to be larger though...😲 And different glue too...

I would recommend using JB Weld, for your application. 😄

 

[DustyMojave]

3 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

I would recommend using JB Weld, for your application. 😄

 

😄

[Straightliner59]

18 hours ago, DustyMojave said:

I actually have like 3 mis-match fabricated steel intake manifolds for fuel injection on a VW engine for a Midget from back in the 1970s when VWs were starting to take over as the engine of choice for midgets. that came to me from Johnny Parson's collection after he passed. Made from cold-rolled steel bar and DOM tube welded together. One is painted black, one painted silver, and the other painted gold. Since each has no match, and they're way obsolete, and nobody is building VW midget engines with the early fabricated stuff, since ready-made parts are available that are bigger tubing for bigger throttle bodies and aftermarket heads with far bigger ports, they're wall art for the shop, never to actually be used on an engine.

That's some pretty cool wall art, I'd say! Extra cool that they have that kind of history.

I really think I want to just "leave" this in raw metal. I think I am going to mount the fuel block/throttle valve on a post, in the center of the manifold. It's about the only thing I can think of, that will work. Anyway, once I had that sorted, I decided to shoot some Testors Stainless Metalizer on it. That really made the welds "pop". I will add some detail paint, and some slight weathering , then start putting the injectors together, and installing them. I kinda' like the way it looks!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Another very cool tip Daniel, your soldering is great and very convincing! 👍

You really have a very small welder and your hands are very precise my friend! 😁   There is always a lot to learn from your magic my friend, you are obviously not easy to catch off guard... my hat is off to you!

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Another very cool tip Daniel, your soldering is great and very convincing! 👍

You really have a very small welder and your hands are very precise my friend! 😁   There is always a lot to learn from your magic my friend, you are obviously not easy to catch off guard... my hat is off to you!

Thanks, so much, my friend! Things have gotten much better, since I got one of those giant dimes, like you have. 😄 Thanks for that tip!🤣

Kidding aside; I had tried to pull the material through my straight knurls, but it was pretty much uncontrollable. Then, I thought about the flutes on the cap screws. They were small enough to work! They provide even beading, but, once the rod is in place, and has been manipulated, some of the beads get shifted a tad, creating a mostly even, but, not perfect seam. I'm really happy with the way they look!  

[Straightliner59]

Getting a bit further along. Who am I kidding? I just wanted to get my first post of 2022 in. I got a bit of a wash on the manifold, and sorted out the mounting for the fuel block/throttle valve. I threw a couple of injector units on, just for grins, and to see how the aluminum works with the paint. I still want to darken the manifold, a bit, via washes or pastels. Anyway--thanks for looking! Comments are always welcomed!

[Straightliner59]

I got the injectors drilled for the fuel lines. Just need to create flanges for each pair, and do some final alignment. Still want to add a little more "color" to the manifold, as well.

[absmiami]

Thoughts on the fittings for

the fuel lines ?

[Straightliner59]

23 hours ago, absmiami said:

Thoughts on the fittings for

the fuel lines ?

I'm not sure, just yet. I will likely use some 1/32" brass tube. I'll study the photos a little more closely, once I'm ready to install them.

[Straightliner59]

I got a bit more color on the manifold. I also added the flanges for the injectors. I decided to go with a single piece for each side, because that will keep everything aligned. I went back and reread Bernard Kron's post on his '32 Ford, because I love the way he did the body in natural metal. His steel looks better than mine, but, mine looks a lot more like steel than it did, before. If you happen to see this, thanks, Bernard! The flanges are installed. Next time I have time, I will begin installing the injectors. After applying some pastels and a wash of India ink, I went back and retouched the welds with some of that Floquil blue, then lightly touched them in a few spots with a silver Prismacolor pencil. As always, critiques, questions and comments are welcome. Thanks for looking!

[cobraman]

Cool project and your work is first rate !

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, cobraman said:

Cool project and your work is first rate !

Thank you, Ray! I appreciate that!

[Straightliner59]

Well, I guess that's that part! I still have the fuel block and lines and the linkages to add (the throttle rods pull right out), but the injectors are mounted. Comments, questions and critiques are always welcome. Thanks for looking!

[Straightliner59]

I jst wanted to post this, because, once it's installed, nobody will ever see it, again!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

8 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

I jst wanted to post this, because, once it's installed, nobody will ever see it, again!

 

That's kind of the price you pay for being a detail freak like you my friend!!!   There are often many details that are hidden in the end but you will always have the satisfaction of having completed your ideas and that's what counts!  Your intake is an example of determination Daniel, you can be proud of the work done, it's superb! 👍

[Straightliner59]

On 1/8/2022 at 9:53 AM, AmericanMuscleFan said:

That's kind of the price you pay for being a detail freak like you my friend!!!   There are often many details that are hidden in the end but you will always have the satisfaction of having completed your ideas and that's what counts!  Your intake is an example of determination Daniel, you can be proud of the work done, it's superb! 👍

Yes, Francis. I cannot count the number of things I've built and/or detailed, and hidden, over the decades! In fact, I probably don't even remember most of them! Yet, here we are. 😄 Yesterday, I actually considered building another one, because I know I could make it better. That kind of stuff can be a real project killer, for me. "I know I can do that, better, but I don't want to, right now. What else is in the closet, to play with?" I thank you for your kind words, my friend.