’72 Dodge Demon Drag Racer 1/25 scale

[Tortuga Kustomz]

Beautiful work on the door jams, i want to do the same thing with my next pro touring project, hope i can do a good job like this one

[Straightliner59]

5 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Another shot, I used the dime to try to have a better focus but it's a waste of time...

The door jambs look excellent! As for photos, I don't worry, too much about their quality, until it's time for the "beauty shots". Until then, it's all about the model!

[Butter 1]

that rear jamb is a work of art. I agree with your comments about opening doors.  There is a lot to it when done correctly as you are doing.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:26 PM, cobraman said:

Great work on the doors. I cant even make doors open on a kit with opening doors !

Thanks Ray!  I appreciate your great sense of humor!  That being said, I remember putting together a kit or two in my early days that had the option of working doors and it was a challenge that gave me a hard time.  I guess time has made me forget a lot of things as I embarked on this adventure decades later.  I'll try to do better this time! 😁

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/29/2023 at 1:19 AM, Tortuga Kustomz said:

Beautiful work on the door jams, i want to do the same thing with my next pro touring project, hope i can do a good job like this one

Thanks Marcos, you have the skills to do it, I'm sure, you just have to be patient and take more precautions.

Anyway, nothing is lost, it will always be possible to glue the doors in closed position in case of major disaster, it will just add a hundred hours to my project. 😳

On 3/29/2023 at 1:46 AM, Straightliner59 said:

The door jambs look excellent! As for photos, I don't worry, too much about their quality, until it's time for the "beauty shots". Until then, it's all about the model!

Thanks Daniel,  anyway, as we often say, photos can't always do justice and it's with naked eyes (or with glasses...) that we can appreciate all these details that we take so much time to create.

Obviously, I must be a better modeler than photographer... 😁

On 3/31/2023 at 4:25 PM, Butter 1 said:

that rear jamb is a work of art. I agree with your comments about opening doors.  There is a lot to it when done correctly as you are doing.

Thanks Ron!  I put a lot of effort into it and I am sure that in the end I will find a different way to do it.  It's part of the fun of trying to improve on what you've learned, there's more than one way to get there!

Thanks again guys, Francis

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Obviously, I must be a better modeler than photographer... 😁

I absolutely relate to that response! I just shoot a ton, and hope a couple come out!😃

[Ian McLaren]

Francis, I'm pretty much speechless on the door frames, WOW!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 4/1/2023 at 6:12 PM, Straightliner59 said:

I absolutely relate to that response! I just shoot a ton, and hope a couple come out!😃

Luckily, digital cameras and smart phones save us from disappointing trips to the lab to get all those bad pictures... 😂

Francis

On 4/3/2023 at 10:27 AM, Ian McLaren said:

Francis, I'm pretty much speechless on the door frames, WOW!

Thanks Ian, I must admit that I surprised myself!  I couldn't reproduce all the details of the car but the essence is there.

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello everyone!

More progress on the doors and the huge amount of work involved in this part of the project.  I could have made it simpler by using a simple brass rod and a styrene tube but I wanted something more realistic so I decided not to back down.  I didn't take pictures of the whole process of thinning the door panels because it's very repetitive and I didn't want to bore you with all that, you probably know the principle.  I machined the first part of the hinges, the one that will be mounted on the door pillars and I will make the other part, the one that will be mounted on the doors afterwards.

I'll get back to you later with the rest.

Francis

Both doors side by side showing the one I slimmed down and the original.

Different angle of view.

Another one...

Part of the side fabricated and mounted in the vice to engrave the latch opening, admire the amateur installation to hold the part in place! 😁

Aluminum hinges in the rotary table chuck.

I made 45 degrees cuts on the shoulders for more clearance.

The four amigos!  I can't wait to see if they will do the job, there is a bit of an unknown in all this, I'm in unfamiliar territory...

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Beautiful work on the hinges.

[Straightliner59]

13 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Luckily, digital cameras and smart phones save us from disappointing trips to the lab to get all those bad pictures... 😂

No kidding! Can you imagine this forum, if we all had to do that, still?🤣

[Straightliner59]

12 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Hello everyone!

More progress on the doors and the huge amount of work involved in this part of the project.  I could have made it simpler by using a simple brass rod and a styrene tube but I wanted something more realistic so I decided not to back down.  I didn't take pictures of the whole process of thinning the door panels because it's very repetitive and I didn't want to bore you with all that, you probably know the principle.  I machined the first part of the hinges, the one that will be mounted on the door pillars and I will make the other part, the one that will be mounted on the doors afterwards.

I'll get back to you later with the rest.

Francis

Both doors side by side showing the one I slimmed down and the original.

Different angle of view.

Another one...

Part of the side fabricated and mounted in the vice to engrave the latch opening, admire the amateur installation to hold the part in place! 😁

Aluminum hinges in the rotary table chuck.

I made 45 degrees cuts on the shoulders for more clearance.

The four amigos!  I can't wait to see if they will do the job, there is a bit of an unknown in all this, I'm in unfamiliar territory...

 

I love seeing this stuff! Those look great, Francis! Have you considered purchasing a rotating column attachment for your mill? I bought one around the end of last year, and I really like it! It makes milling angles a much simpler proposition. Or, do you have one, and find the tilting angle table to be better?

Edited April 6, 2023 by Straightliner59

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 4/5/2023 at 3:38 PM, bobthehobbyguy said:

Beautiful work on the hinges.

Thanks Bob, the second part is "in the works" and I hope to have them installed next week.

Francis

On 4/6/2023 at 1:02 AM, Straightliner59 said:

No kidding! Can you imagine this forum, if we all had to do that, still?🤣

We would still need a digital camera or a smart phone to take pictures of the good shots developed to be able to upload them to the forum... 😳

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 4/6/2023 at 1:08 AM, Straightliner59 said:

I love seeing this stuff! Those look great, Francis! Have you considered purchasing a rotating column attachment for your mill? I bought one around the end of last year, and I really like it! It makes milling angles a much simpler proposition. Or, do you have one, and find the tilting angle table to be better?

Thanks Daniel!  I've thought about it before and will probably buy one one of these days, but I've always been a little worried about the stiffness due to the weight of the motor assembly (head stock) when positioned at an angle.  Keeping the cutting assembly (head stock) perpendicular to the bed with an angled table for the workpiece has always seemed like a more traditional way to go.  I am self-taught in machining so my way of working may seem strange to experienced machinists.  The goal is to get there but it's always interesting to see the approach of other modelers who make their own custom pieces.

Francis

[Ian McLaren]

2 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks Daniel!  I've thought about it before and will probably buy one one of these days, but I've always been a little worried about the stiffness due to the weight of the motor assembly (head stock) when positioned at an angle.  Keeping the cutting assembly (head stock) perpendicular to the bed with an angled table for the workpiece has always seemed like a more traditional way to go.  I am self-taught in machining so my way of working may seem strange to experienced machinists.  The goal is to get there but it's always interesting to see the approach of other modelers who make their own custom pieces.

Francis

Your a self taught machinist? Your turning out beyond aerospace level machining on a regular basis. I am astonished, and I'm only saying that because I'm to old to say "my mind is blown!"

[Straightliner59]

9 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks Bob, the second part is "in the works" and I hope to have them installed next week.

Francis

We would still need a digital camera or a smart phone to take pictures of the good shots developed to be able to upload them to the forum... 😳

Francis

The good ol' scanner! This just made me think of trying to do research, in pre-internet days. Now, I wonder, "How the devil did we build anything?!"🤣

[Straightliner59]

9 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks Daniel!  I've thought about it before and will probably buy one one of these days, but I've always been a little worried about the stiffness due to the weight of the motor assembly (head stock) when positioned at an angle.  Keeping the cutting assembly (head stock) perpendicular to the bed with an angled table for the workpiece has always seemed like a more traditional way to go.  I am self-taught in machining so my way of working may seem strange to experienced machinists.  The goal is to get there but it's always interesting to see the approach of other modelers who make their own custom pieces.

It feels very rigid, to me. When I angle it, as soon as I am finished, I just return it to vertical. I have the tilting table, as well. Your work is very impressive! I'm a neophyte, when it comes to machine work, but I'm spending more time with it, lately. I have a lot of toys for my equipment, too. I've been acquiring it over the last twenty years, or so. I bought the mill and lathe package that was just above the most basic one. Still, I have probably spent another couple of thousand dollars, over the years purchasing accessories that are almost necessities: rotating mill vise, tilting angle plate, rotary table (I think it's most useful), vertical fixture for the rotary table, the taper cutting attachment for the lathe, various lathe bits, drill bits and end mills...Sometimes, I'm almost embarrassed to have all that stuff, because I have put it to so little use. Thankfully, with inspiration from yourself, and Tim and Charlie, I've been pursuing it, a bit more, and I've been pleasantly surprised at some of the things I've accomplished, no matter their simplicity! You're right, too, it's always interesting to see the different approaches we take, to reach our end result.

[Straightliner59]

6 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

I'm to old to say "my mind is blown!"

Stop it! You are not--because I'm not!😀

[AmericanMuscleFan]

20 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

Your a self taught machinist? Your turning out beyond aerospace level machining on a regular basis. I am astonished, and I'm only saying that because I'm to old to say "my mind is blown!"

Yes, I am, I bought all this nice equipment in order to improve the precision of what I could do manually with the basic tools and my two hands.  I often take unconventional paths but my goal is to try to improve the recipe from time to time (what we call gaining experience).  These are tools that seem intimidating but I have learned that you just have to work slowly and measure twice (maybe more...) before cutting.  On the other hand, you need a wide range of cutting tools because this is often what limits the realization of a part where several sizes are necessary to create the details.

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

13 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

It feels very rigid, to me. When I angle it, as soon as I am finished, I just return it to vertical. I have the tilting table, as well. Your work is very impressive! I'm a neophyte, when it comes to machine work, but I'm spending more time with it, lately. I have a lot of toys for my equipment, too. I've been acquiring it over the last twenty years, or so. I bought the mill and lathe package that was just above the most basic one. Still, I have probably spent another couple of thousand dollars, over the years purchasing accessories that are almost necessities: rotating mill vise, tilting angle plate, rotary table (I think it's most useful), vertical fixture for the rotary table, the taper cutting attachment for the lathe, various lathe bits, drill bits and end mills...Sometimes, I'm almost embarrassed to have all that stuff, because I have put it to so little use. Thankfully, with inspiration from yourself, and Tim and Charlie, I've been pursuing it, a bit more, and I've been pleasantly surprised at some of the things I've accomplished, no matter their simplicity! You're right, too, it's always interesting to see the different approaches we take, to reach our end result.

You prove with each update that you are gaining in competence, this can be seen in the quality of your custom-made parts.  I too think that the rotary table is one of the most useful tools and it allows you to machine surprising parts with great precision.  There are several talented modelers on the forum and you are certainly one of them, I always find in your post ideas to use for my own projects.  Thanks for that my friend! 😊

[Steve H]

Hello Francis!!  I have been checking in from time to time, but not always commenting. Your craftsmanship is amazing, and getting even better!! These opening doors will certainly set the bar to the almost unachievable level. The trunk details, and grill are top shelf. Keep up the awesomeness!! 
 

I’m always watching, just sometimes silently.

Cheers, Steve

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 4/10/2023 at 11:09 AM, Steve H said:

Hello Francis!!  I have been checking in from time to time, but not always commenting. Your craftsmanship is amazing, and getting even better!! These opening doors will certainly set the bar to the almost unachievable level. The trunk details, and grill are top shelf. Keep up the awesomeness!! 
 

I’m always watching, just sometimes silently.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks Steve!  You don't have to worry, we are all silent visitors from time to time and it is not possible and necessary to comment every time.  I'm having a lot of fun with this project and I'm trying to share as much as possible by trying to show what is relevant.  I will try to hide my disasters as much as possible and share only my good shots. 🤫😂

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello guys,

I finished the second part of the hinges and did a test to see if they will work as I planned.  It should be fine but I have to admit that there is not much space left and the thickness of the front fenders must be as thin as possible not to interfere.  When the details of the doors are finished, only the end of the hinges will protrude and will be visible, the rest will be used to glue them inside the door.  It's not easy to adjust the hinges on a real car so I chose this easier way of doing it because I couldn't see myself trying to mount the second part on the walls of the doors, the adjustment would have been nightmarish.  Now I can finish the door details and continue with more work inside the cabin.  I'll be back soon with more updates.

Francis

Second parts of the hinges being machined in the rotary table.

Temporarily installed with brass bolts to verify proper operation, I will use smaller bolt heads of course.

The hinges can open 90 degrees but the door will limit the opening once in place.  It's pretty simple, but it works...

It's not over yet but it looks promising! 😁

To give you an idea of how they are fixed inside the doors.  I will take better shots when I do the fabrication of the door walls.

[Ian McLaren]

12 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Hello guys,

I finished the second part of the hinges and did a test to see if they will work as I planned.  It should be fine but I have to admit that there is not much space left and the thickness of the front fenders must be as thin as possible not to interfere.  When the details of the doors are finished, only the end of the hinges will protrude and will be visible, the rest will be used to glue them inside the door.  It's not easy to adjust the hinges on a real car so I chose this easier way of doing it because I couldn't see myself trying to mount the second part on the walls of the doors, the adjustment would have been nightmarish.  Now I can finish the door details and continue with more work inside the cabin.  I'll be back soon with more updates.

Francis

Second parts of the hinges being machined in the rotary table.

Temporarily installed with brass bolts to verify proper operation, I will use smaller bolt heads of course.

The hinges can open 90 degrees but the door will limit the opening once in place.  It's pretty simple, but it works...

It's not over yet but it looks promising! 😁

To give you an idea of how they are fixed inside the doors.  I will take better shots when I do the fabrication of the door walls.

The hinges look very good, and the doors appear to be operating correctly. I would call that a win.

[bytownshaker]

Beautiful work Francis, thank you for the continuing photos of your work as you progress through your build.

I hope you didn't get affected by the recent ice storm.

Edgar