’72 Dodge Demon Drag Racer 1/25 scale

[Keef]

Amazing work!! I’ll never possess the skill or equipment to do this so I’m living vicariously through you! ??

[gtx6970]

2 questions, 

Is the 72 grille scratchbuilt ?

 

And are you sure the lower K member isnt down too low. The actual cars dont hang anywhere near that low below the frame or radiator support 

 

 

Otherwise I think you nuts. But in a good way  LoL

[Straightliner59]

The headlight buckets are excellent! I'm adding that to the bag of ideas I have stolen from your arsenal!?

[AmericanMuscleFan]

21 hours ago, Moparman18064 said:

What, no adjustment screws?? Absolutely incredible! The real cars never had that kind of quality. Keep the great work coming so we can keep drooling.

Thanks Rich!

It's funny because I was thinking exactly that and I had thought about mounting the supports with small bolts (to simulate the adjustment screws) but I told myself that I was pushing the note a little too much and I feared for the rigidity of the assembly.  Let's say that reason won over madness... ?

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

16 hours ago, Keef said:

Amazing work!! I’ll never possess the skill or equipment to do this so I’m living vicariously through you! ??

Thanks Keith!

I realized over time that it takes a lot of different sizes and shapes of bits and cutters to make all of these things.  It's very frustrating not to be able to make the part you want when you don't have the required tool.  I've bought so many, I have to use them to justify the purchase. ?  I still have a lot to do so come back whenever you want !

[AmericanMuscleFan]

16 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

2 questions, 

Is the 72 grille scratchbuilt ?

 

And are you sure the lower K member isnt down too low. The actual cars dont hang anywhere near that low below the frame or radiator support 

 

 

Otherwise I think you nuts. But in a good way  LoL

Thanks for your questions Bill.

I don't know if you checked all the pages in the thread but the grille is completely scratch built, you can see how I made it on pages 6 and 7 of this WIP thread.

For the K member I used a reference image as a guide and you can see it as I started making this one on page 15.  This is a "Chris Alston" kit and I have no measurements to guide me other than the size of the frame rails which are 3" x 2" and which I reproduced to scale.  I used them for proportion to make the rest of the elements and I think I'm not far off from the reference image.  I simulated the position of the front wheel in the front fender opening and it makes sense so I will see at the end if I need to adjust it, that's the beauty of styrene, we can take off the part, adjust it and glue it back together, I have had to do this several times on my Dodge D100.

Thank you for your constructive comments and concern about my mental state, I appreciate it! ?

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

13 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

The headlight buckets are excellent! I'm adding that to the bag of ideas I have stolen from your arsenal!?

Thanks Daniel, don't worry, I owe you several too. ?

[Straightliner59]

12 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks Daniel, don't worry, I owe you several too. ?

It's always good to know, and to find others who freely share the things they've discovered!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've done two updates in the same week but I have more time available this week so why not take advantage of it. ?   Now that the hidden parts are done and installed, it's time to add the visible part, the headlights.  Basically the process for making these is almost the same as for the headlight buckets, while the measurements are still fresh in my head so here they are.  These are quite small pieces so I will certainly have something more substantial to offer you for the future (and there is still a lot to do).  I still have a few days free before returning to work so I'm having fun! ?

Francis

Instead of styrene, the base material is aluminum, so I won't have to paint them to a chrome color.

After shaping on the lathe, the base pieces were turned to the other side and I machined the seat for the lenses and kept the outline to simulate the chrome rings.

Back on the milling machine, I used a ball end mill to create the parabolic shape.

I then drilled holes for the wiring in the back (NO, I don't plan on adding a tungsten bulb in the hole ?).

The lenses are resin and were too big, I filed them down slowly until they fit perfectly.

I had made a template to monitor the shaping progress on the lathe, so they fit the headlight buckets like a glove.

Close view.

I'm quite happy with the position of the headlights in the grille openings. This could be considered an insignificant detail but nothing can detract from the real appearance than poorly positioned headlights, you just have to think about the front headlights on the 73/74 Barracuda kit.  There are details that cannot be overlooked!

[Straightliner59]

Those look awesome!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 12/30/2023 at 12:35 AM, Straightliner59 said:

Those look awesome!

Thanks Daniel, the next updates should be, I dare say, a little more substantial...LOL.   I am slowly but surely approaching the fabrication of the mechanical elements.  I just have a few body parts left to complete before moving on to the calculator and digital caliper! ?

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello everyone!

I'm just stopping by to wish you all a happy new year 2024. ?

I wish you health and happiness in the hope that you will still find time to feed the beast with your beautiful builds during the next year, rest assured that I will do my best to do my part!

I hope to see our friends soon who have been rather discreet over the last year, we miss you all !

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello everyone!

My little end-of-year vacation is over and it's already time to go back to work.  I spent the last few days making the front valance by again using reference photos found on the web.  I didn't take a photo of the fabrication process because it mainly involved gluing, filing and sanding successions of styrene parts until the desired result was obtained, it's all handmade.  I will glue it later on the body shell for fine-tuning, the way I have planned the assembly allows me to mount it permanently without affecting the passage of the front frame members.  See you next week with the next part, the hood will be my next thing to work on.

Francis

This is a small part but rather difficult to reproduce because it must also follow the shape of the bumper

There are two embossing and slotted holes for a deflector but I don't plan to add one since it's a drag car.

The small tab in the center will be used to bolt the valance to the bottom of the hood support where it connects to the base of the radiator support, I will drill the hole when I do the final assembly.

The interior side.

[Ian McLaren]

Deceptivly simple part, untill you take into account all the different surfaces and compound curves all in a very small area.  This is scratch building at it's finest.  Very well done Francis!!

[Straightliner59]

That, my friend, is some amazing work! Like Ian said, it may look like a simple piece, but the curves and contours, and the fact that it has to match up with another piece. Magnificent work, Francis--it looks better than a kit part!

[dust collectors]

Amazing work, thank you for carving out time to share your progress.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 1/3/2024 at 12:29 AM, Ian McLaren said:

Deceptivly simple part, untill you take into account all the different surfaces and compound curves all in a very small area.  This is scratch building at it's finest.  Very well done Francis!!

On 1/3/2024 at 2:03 AM, Straightliner59 said:

That, my friend, is some amazing work! Like Ian said, it may look like a simple piece, but the curves and contours, and the fact that it has to match up with another piece. Magnificent work, Francis--it looks better than a kit part!

On 1/3/2024 at 10:56 PM, dust collectors said:

Amazing work, thank you for carving out time to share your progress.

Thanks Ian, Daniel, Jeff and friends who used the "Like" feature for your kind comments and support!

I am very happy with the part and I think it should be even more relevant once glued to the body shell between the grille and the bumper.  I have tested the fit of the piece several times by placing it where it will be glued and I don't think I will need to do much adjustment but that remains to be seen.  It's part of the hobby and the pleasure (or surprise...) of making your parts from scratch! ?

Francis

[Musclecarbuilder]

Man I just came across this WIP but OMG it's freaking awesome! The detail?. You might as well just shrink a 1972 Demon into 1/25 scale. I'm definitely gonna be following this one! What machines do you use for making your parts? 

[AmericanMuscleFan]

12 hours ago, Musclecarbuilder said:

Man I just came across this WIP but OMG it's freaking awesome! The detail?. You might as well just shrink a 1972 Demon into 1/25 scale. I'm definitely gonna be following this one! What machines do you use for making your parts? 

Thanks for your kind comments Will, I really appreciate it!

If you look closely at the photos when I machine parts, you should see the name Sherline on the chuck and I do not hesitate to give this manufacturer the praise it deserves in my posts, I really love these tools!

You can go to my personal page and click on the "about me" tab to view my previous builds and a short explanation of my origins and motivations.

By the way, welcome to the forum and rest assured that I intend to add many more details to this thing! ?

Francis

[Claude Thibodeau]

Salut Francis!

After the headlights, made with a lathe, the valence panel made by hand? Goes to show your mastery of both techniques, my friend. And to say some are amazed by 3D printing. Is is me, or is Old School still the norm we should aim for? 

Masterfull work!

CT

[Musclecarbuilder]

5 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks for your kind comments Will, I really appreciate it!

If you look closely at the photos when I machine parts, you should see the name Sherline on the chuck and I do not hesitate to give this manufacturer the praise it deserves in my posts, I really love these tools!

You can go to my personal page and click on the "about me" tab to view my previous builds and a short explanation of my origins and motivations.

By the way, welcome to the forum and rest assured that I intend to add many more details to this thing! ?

Francis

Thank you! Can't wait to see the car when you finish it!

[Straightliner59]

14 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

If you look closely at the photos when I machine parts, you should see the name Sherline on the chuck and I do not hesitate to give this manufacturer the praise it deserves in my posts, I really love these tools!

Sherline's tools are perfectly suited to this pursuit. Over the past three or four years, I have really begun to use them, much more frequently--especially the mill. That part, is thanks to inspiration from you, Francis, and from Tim, Charlie--the usual suspects, around here! I've been using the lathe, for years, to bore hex stock to make fittings. I'm using the mill and lathe in conjunction with one another to machine aluminum fittings for the dragster. The mill makes it very simple to accurately space holes, as well. Like those in a fuel block. It might take four or five attempts to "get happy" with one, drilling by hand. Of course, it also helps to use the mill more frequently, now that I have all the crucial accessories to go with it. You really want to have a rotary table!?

[Straightliner59]

14 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Is is me, or is Old School still the norm we should aim for? 

You're not alone, around here! I will always be more impressed by fine hand work, than I ever will by any work done by a machine controlled by a computer! It's art. There's a warmth to craftsmanship, while "manufactured art" has a certain coldness, to it. Guys like us are different than others. For us, an important aspect of what we're doing is the journey--the path is as important, and satisfying, as the goal. I've seen hundreds of guys, over the years who've spent thousands of dollars, buying aftermarket parts, just to arrive at the destination. Neil Peart once wrote:

"The point of a journey; Is not to arrive"

 

[Claude Thibodeau]

6 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

You're not alone, around here! I will always be more impressed by fine hand work, than I ever will by any work done by a machine controlled by a computer! It's art. There's a warmth to craftsmanship, while "manufactured art" has a certain coldness, to it. Guys like us are different than others. For us, an important aspect of what we're doing is the journey--the path is as important, and satisfying, as the goal. I've seen hundreds of guys, over the years who've spent thousands of dollars, buying aftermarket parts, just to arrive at the destination. Neil Peart once wrote:

"The point of a journey; Is not to arrive"

 

Hi Daniel!

Agreed. Funny you should quote the famous drummer: in the 90's, I custom-painted his new Harley project. It's a small world!

CT

[AmericanMuscleFan]

23 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Salut Francis!

After the headlights, made with a lathe, the valence panel made by hand? Goes to show your mastery of both techniques, my friend. And to say some are amazed by 3D printing. Is is me, or is Old School still the norm we should aim for? 

Masterfull work!

CT

Thanks for your kind words my friend !

When I look at all this, I sometimes wonder where it's going to end but I'm still having fun so I think the ultimate goal has been achieved: having a good time and expressing my artistic side by making things I love!

We're not that far apart in age and like you, I prefer the good old methods.  I created my own version of 3D: Determination, Dremel and Dust.  It's certainly slower and I'm not sure of the accuracy but I'll live with that for now knowing that horseshoe makers are rare these years, tractor makers have taken the place. ?

By the way, I find that you are still very present on the small screen for a retiree, what would it be like if you were really retired?  Hint: even more wonders!!! ?

Francis