Pierre Rivard Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 19 hours ago, 1959scudetto said: Quite a good solution with these wheels, Pierre (Jason always delivers). Agree, not completely accurate but a lot more realistic looking than the kit wheels, which by the way also have an incorrect wire pattern for a 1920's car. 17 hours ago, Straightliner59 said: Those wheels look much better! I have some parts from a Johan kit lying around here, someplace. I believe the Johan kit depicts the 500K with a straight 8 engine? So much potential. PLEASE build it.... or ship it to Montreal! 😃 16 hours ago, TarheelRick said: Some most excellent work. I keep looking back at that engine and am waiting for you to service it and crank that puppy up. With that much detail in the engine I can only imagine what lies ahead with interior, chassis, and body work, you have already shown the wheel/tire assemblies. Thank you Ricky. Super satisfied with the engine. Focus is now on finding a solution for the fenders. I want to find a way to make it look like a race car while the kit was designed more as a touring car. 15 hours ago, stavanzer said: Those wheels look superb! This whole car will be a Masterpiece when done. Perhaps too high expectations, but I will try my best but mostly focus on enjoying the journey whatever the end result
Pierre Rivard Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 The brake drum casings were ribbed on the SSK, something that could not be done with the tool orientation of the kit's casting process. Short of having a lathe or 3D printing capability I will try to mimic these with 0.5mm Evergreen and CA glue. We don't do fancy here, this is a plastic/glue/putty shop! 😃 8
MarkJ Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Thats perfect, Pierre. You don't need that other stuff. Let your fingers do the fancy stuff. They work just fine. 1
Straightliner59 Posted January 15 Posted January 15 8 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said: The brake drum casings were ribbed on the SSK, something that could not be done with the tool orientation of the kit's casting process. Short of having a lathe or 3D printing capability I will try to mimic these with 0.5mm Evergreen and CA glue. We don't do fancy here, this is a plastic/glue/putty shop! 😃 Nice job! That's exactly how I'd do it, if I didn't have a lathe. Worked out, beautifully! I don't know whatever happened to the Johan body. I run into miscellaneous parts, when I'm looking for other parts. I do know where the front axle is, because I was planning on using it for a speedster, I was messing around with. If I know where the rest of the kit was, I would happily send it your way! I'd say I'd bring it, next time I'm up that way, but, I haven't been to Montreal since 1969, ,when I was a mere child of ten. 1
Pierre Rivard Posted January 15 Author Posted January 15 Taking on the braking system. First picture shows the parts as supplied with the kit (not really useable) and second is my home made schematics of my understanding of the system functionality and I will try to replicate the most visible components. These mechanical brakes use rods that enter into the drums and pivot to move the shoe with some sort of cam device (inside the drums). These rods that run side to side front and rear pivot through a lever and pull rods. These rods are pulled from small arms connected to a pivot axle that runs through the lower part of the trans case. The brake pedal and arm transfers foot movement to pivot the axle that pulls on the rods etc. There is a second brake pedal for the riding mechanic that also connects to that axle, and a hand brake that also connects to one of the rods.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 15 Author Posted January 15 This will take a few days as I try to figure out what can be done to replicate the visible components. So far I have done the rear axle piece of the system. 3
BK9300 Posted January 16 Posted January 16 That looks so cool, Pierre; awesome detailing! I like the layout diagram, too - nothing works better than knowing in advance what it is you need to make. Pleasure to follow along.
stavanzer Posted January 16 Posted January 16 Your Brake system is just Jaw Dropping! Amazing scratchbuilding.
MarkJ Posted January 16 Posted January 16 Amazing work again, Pierre. I'm guessing that's a return spring you created that looks like a garage door spring I have in my garage that I had to replace a couple of years ago. One day it just broke and it sounded like a gunshot went off followed by a violent unwrapping noise. Not something you want to hear in the morning. Again, your scratch building is on another level than us mere mortals who try to do it.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 16 Author Posted January 16 17 hours ago, BK9300 said: That looks so cool, Pierre; awesome detailing! I like the layout diagram, too - nothing works better than knowing in advance what it is you need to make. Pleasure to follow along. Sketching the general layout helps me plan the fab & assembly. Information may be only 50% accurate based on bits and pieces of learnings from multiple sources but offers a reasonable replica for this type of braking system. 17 hours ago, stavanzer said: Your Brake system is just Jaw Dropping! Amazing scratchbuilding. Thanks Alan, It's a foray to unknown territory but quite enjoyable 17 hours ago, Straightliner59 said: Very, very nice! A scratchbuilder's delight! Fun stuff, I'm planning to add brass rods. encroaching on the rules of the plastic/glue/putty builder's club. 8 hours ago, MarkJ said: Amazing work again, Pierre. I'm guessing that's a return spring you created that looks like a garage door spring I have in my garage that I had to replace a couple of years ago. One day it just broke and it sounded like a gunshot went off followed by a violent unwrapping noise. Not something you want to hear in the morning. Again, your scratch building is on another level than us mere mortals who try to do it. That was sort of the idea with the spring. 8 hours ago, absmiami said: Shout out for the friction shocks … They lack detail but at least they are there... 1
Pierre Rivard Posted January 16 Author Posted January 16 Added the U bolt fasteners (PE) on the spring/axle clamp and then moved on to the center part of the braking system, the central cross axle on which the brake pedal and pull rod levers are attached 4
AmericanMuscleFan Posted January 19 Posted January 19 Great job Pierre, I love all the added details, it's a pleasure to see them add up! 👌
Pierre Rivard Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 5 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said: Great job Pierre, I love all the added details, it's a pleasure to see them add up! 👌 Thank you sir. This kit is very basic and with many inaccuracies, but worth upgrading because I love this old race car.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 Working the front axle part of the braking actuators and a quick fabrication of the 4 pull rods with 0.75 mm brass. Braking system is 95% done. 5
Pierre Rivard Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 Starting some body fabrication at the rear. The kit's rear chassis cross bar has lead off for bumpers, which these cars never had. I replaced it with 1.5mm Evergreen. The small body panel covering the rear of the chassis has been shortened to expose that bar. I then added the fuel cell attachment straps to this bar (0.25x1.0 & 0.25x1.5 strips), and then attached to the bar the fabricated legs and shoes to support the rear part of the spare wheels. All these components were lacking in the rudimentary kit design. 8
Pierre Rivard Posted January 21 Author Posted January 21 The kit as tooled portrays the touring body (pretty accurate) but then added chrome bumpers and whitewall tires, both of which I doubt were ever seen on these cars. The touring body was raced at times (see ref picture 1) but the sport bodies (ref 2-3) were usually used for racing. I very muck like the Dorothy Page SSK at REV's with it's variation on the sport body with more flowing fenders. The plan is to go for something like that but maintain the small steps/platforms for the tool box & fluid containers. First task is the step, basically downsizing and repositioning them. Done. Front fenders are big and close in completely on the wheel back side. First I moved back the headlamp assembly about 2 mm, which sets up where one of my fender attachments will need to be, then moved on with the task of opening up the back of the fenders. I then re-contoured the fenders to drop faster at the back and then cut off and reshaped the trailing edge. I also sanded the top inboard & outboard edges to remove a bit of the flat top surface appearance. Rear fenders are an easier task. Again opening up the back side, shortening the front and reshaping the rear so that they flow away from the tires 5
1959scudetto Posted January 21 Posted January 21 Awesome stuff, Pierre ! Pic # 2 shows the 1931 Mille Miglia winning car of Rudolf Caracciola. I really like what you are doing here with the fenders.
MarkJ Posted January 21 Posted January 21 Fenders look magnificent, Pierre. They are mirror images of each other. How you get things to match perfectly is amazing.
Straightliner59 Posted January 22 Posted January 22 Always such beautiful fabrication, Pierre! Those headers on the 1:1 car look huge!
AmericanMuscleFan Posted January 22 Posted January 22 WOW, that's a lot of filing and sanding to get to this point, perseverance overcomes everything! 👌
Pierre Rivard Posted January 23 Author Posted January 23 On 1/21/2025 at 5:15 PM, 1959scudetto said: Awesome stuff, Pierre ! Pic # 2 shows the 1931 Mille Miglia winning car of Rudolf Caracciola. I really like what you are doing here with the fenders. Thanks Helmut, I think it is the closest I could get to a sport body with the kit fenders as a starting point. Now I need to figure out period style tool boxes and fluid containers On 1/21/2025 at 6:56 PM, MarkJ said: Fenders look magnificent, Pierre. They are mirror images of each other. How you get things to match perfectly is amazing. I was fortunate that the styrene on this kit cooperated so well. Some old kit have brittle styrene, not this one. On 1/22/2025 at 5:47 AM, Straightliner59 said: Always such beautiful fabrication, Pierre! Those headers on the 1:1 car look huge! True Daniel, big headers and I will have to consider how to replicate that. Adding it to the list! 20 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said: WOW, that's a lot of filing and sanding to get to this point, perseverance overcomes everything! 👌 Thank you Francis. Working with styrene makes this possible even with simple tools. I like the fender design I have come up with, racy and stylish.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 23 Author Posted January 23 I have been delaying the decision on color themes. I'm down to 4 options: 1 - All black or perhaps black with flat aluminium bonnet 2 - Dark blue... or blue with aluminium bonnet 3 - Dark red... or red and black 4 - Yellow and black Well, that's more than only 4 finalists.... HELP!
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