Rolls-Royce No Chemicals, No Paint, No Harmful Glues

[David G.]

I would say cut it in if you can. In for a penny... y' know.

One thing I've done when cutting replacement glass is to stick a piece of masking tape to the original, trim the tape to size, remove it and stick it to the replacement material as a template. That way the tape carries the third dimensional curvature of the original over to the two dimensional replacement.

David G.

 

[Anglia105E]

2 hours ago, David G. said:

I would say cut it in if you can. In for a penny... y' know.

One thing I've done when cutting replacement glass is to stick a piece of masking tape to the original, trim the tape to size, remove it and stick it to the replacement material as a template. That way the tape carries the third dimensional curvature of the original over to the two dimensional replacement.

David G.

 

That is indeed excellent thinking on your part David . . . I was watching a YouTube video only yesterday, where the guy was showing how to use masking tape in exactly the same manner as you have just described. The curvature of the Silver Cloud screen is very subtle, but I agree that this third dimension is important.

Here are two photos, one of the Jig that the Rolls-Royce factory used in order to fit Silver Cloud windscreens, and one showing the price of a real screen, which is very reasonable at £648.90 which is US $. 875.28 . . .

David W.

[Anglia105E]

The following photo shows three windscreens / windshields . . . The screen at the top is the Franklin Mint diecast version, with it's chrome surround as part of the screen. The screen in the middle going downwards is the kit supplied screen part that is included in the Entex / Minicraft / Revell kits. The screen at the bottom of these three is my piece of cutout clear plastic film . . .

As part of the process I shall use the masking tape method to determine the precise dimensions for a template . . .

David

[meechum68]

Been following your build and it's been very educational. 

[Anglia105E]

6 hours ago, meechum68 said:

Been following your build and it's been very educational. 

Thank you Michael . . . I shall continue to post more interesting updates during the next few days and weeks as this project develops . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

Using the kit supplied windshield part, I covered this with blue tape and cut around the perimeter of the screen. Removing the blue tape, allowed me to press the tape onto the surface of the clear plastic film . . . Once carefully cut out, following the outline of the tape, the screen was taped onto the inside of the body first of all. Then I mounted the screen onto the outside of the body, again using tape to hold it in place.

I shall study the following photos more closely over the next day or so, and then decide which approach is more realistic, so inside or outside the windscreen frame . . . Then there is a third option available, which would be to mount the glass into the frame, as it would be on the actual 1:1 scale car. This method would require some reduction in the dimensions of the screen by a small amount, and also there would not be much material on which to apply PVA glue, in terms of the screen plastic material . . .

The rear window was also cut and taped to the inside of the body at the rear of the car, but this was done from measurements and not using a tape template.

I was outbid at the end of the Ebay auction for the Revell kit, during the very last minute, and by only one GBP . . . Starting price was only £15.00, and the final sale total was £27.02 . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

The RREC here in England responded to my enquiry message within 12 hours, during the following day. The Rolls-Royce Owners' Club of North America however, have not responded to my enquiry at all during the past seven days . . . There could be any number of reasons for this, and I won't dwell on them.

The Texas license plate for the car that I chose to base my model on was not a valid license plate, and I was not able to validate the UK registration plate either, so I have chosen an alternative motor car for my build . . . This is a 1957 black Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, registration number 200 DYO which has a verified chassis number of SDD54 . This car appeared in the opening sequence of a British film . The Fast Lady ' in 1962, and I have viewed the film to check this detail.

Also, I checked the DVLA database, which is the official government website used to verify every motor vehicle ever registered historically. The car registered as 200 DYO is taxed until February of 2026, so this actual Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud is still on the road today, since it was built in 1957.

Here are three images obtained from the film, in which the car was driven by James Robertson Justice . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

Today I set about fabricating an exhaust tailpipe for the Silver Cloud, and previously I would have used super glue and Liquid Chrome for this part. However, this time I needed to find a method of making the part without resorting to any solvent or chemical based materials . . . The exhaust system is moulded into the chassis rather crudely, and the rear section of the exhaust ends short of the where the chassis floor ends, This would be correct, except all Silver Cloud cars had a chrome plated tailpipe which extends just beyond the rear bumper, and immediately next to the overrider. This part is not supplied in the kit.

First of all, I measured and cut a 14 mm length of cotton bud stalk, and this was drilled out along it's centre lengthways. Another hole was drilled into the end of the exhaust pipe on the chassis . . . Then a quilting pin was pushed through the hole in the tailpipe, and inserted into the end of the exhaust pipe on the chassis floor. The white tailpipe was covered with Bare Metal Foil, and after cutting off the surplus quilting pin, the tip of the tailpipe was blackened with a permanent marker pen . . .

The end result seems to have worked, and I am pleased because the idea came into my head out of nowhere. I used my Revell hand drill to fabricate the holes. One of the following photos shows the tailpipe as it was done on a previous build of mine ( photo number 101_0399 ) . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

Today I set about fabricating an exhaust tailpipe for the Silver Cloud, and previously I would have used super glue and Liquid Chrome for this part. However, this time I needed to find a method of making the part without resorting to any solvent or chemical based materials . . . The exhaust system is moulded into the chassis rather crudely, and the rear section of the exhaust ends short of the where the chassis floor ends, This would be correct, except all Silver Cloud cars had a chrome plated tailpipe which extends just beyond the rear bumper, and immediately next to the overrider. This part is not supplied in the kit.

First of all, I measured and cut a 14 mm length of cotton bud stalk, and this was drilled out along it's centre lengthways. Another hole was drilled into the end of the exhaust pipe on the chassis . . . Then a quilting pin was pushed through the hole in the tailpipe, and inserted into the end of the exhaust pipe on the chassis floor. The white tailpipe was covered with Bare Metal Foil, and after cutting off the surplus quilting pin, the tip of the tailpipe was blackened with a permanent marker pen . . .

The end result seems to have worked, and I am pleased because the idea came into my head out of nowhere. I used my Revell hand drill to fabricate the holes. One of the following photos shows the tailpipe as it was done on a previous build of mine ( photo number 101_0399 ) . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

Having established that the interior seating and upholstery colour is light grey, I have applied Vallejo acrylic Light Grey over the light blue that was previously applied . . . This is using the interior tub from the previous paint testing, and not the Entex interior tub that goes with the body shell that I am working on.

Later, there will be grey felt carpets added, and also a beige headlining. One possibility is that I might use masking tape for the headlining, as it has a cream coloured texture to it . . .

David

[bamadon]

I truly admire your determination to continue the hobby and find ways to do it.

[Anglia105E]

1 hour ago, bamadon said:

I truly admire your determination to continue the hobby and find ways to do it.

Thank you kindly Don . . . I am fairly confident that I can continue to build scale model cars, especially Rolls-Royce motor cars, as long as I follow my doctor's expert advice not to use solvent and toxic based chemical substances . . . I am surprised how washable PVA glue is holding styrene parts firmly, which I hadn't expected to work.

David

[MarkJ]

On 8/9/2025 at 7:37 AM, Pierre Rivard said:

Sorry about the bad news David. I love your fighting spirit. May I suggest moving to acrylics for paint? I've spent considerable time developing ways to brush on Vallejo acrylics (all layers) and pretty happy with the results, and no harmful solvents. I'm taking the liberty to post a picture as an example of what is possible with a bit of  a learning curve.

 

Pierre, tell me more about this Ferrari. I don't seem to remember ever seeing it on your bench in the wips, or in the showroom.  I need more views of this awesome build.

[Anglia105E]

24 minutes ago, MarkJ said:

Pierre, tell me more about this Ferrari. I don't seem to remember ever seeing it on your bench in the wips, or in the showroom.  I need more views of this awesome build.

Hi Mark . . . David here ( Anglia105E ), Please could you communicate with Pierre Rivard on his topic about the Ferrari, as this is my topic about my Rolls-Royce build . . . The Ferrari model that Pierre has built looks very good, but please do not hold your discussion on my thread, thank you . . .

David Watson

[Anglia105E]

Earlier today I tried out some BMF on a section of the door window frame, but the result was not good . . . I am pretty sure that the three packs of BMF are rather old, so the foil is not sticking to the plastic. Usually, I can apply BMF easily, but this time it was a struggle. My regular suppliers of BMF here in the UK either have no stock, or the price has increased quite a lot . . . Having watched a YouTube video by a model builder in the US, in which he demonstrates how to use basic cheap kitchen foil as an alternative to BMF, my plan is to try out this method. The thin aluminium foil is applied over washable PVA glue, in just the same way as you would apply the genuine BMF.

Next up was the headlining for the inside of the roof, within the passenger compartment. I have used Elle by Crown ' Earth Balance ' which is a water based emulsion paint. One coat of this paint has covered the black plastic quite well, but a second coat will be required. I am still getting used to the idea of working without applying a primer coat before the top coat, as I cannot use a grey primer from spray can, neither enamel nor acrylic . . .

The dashboard was test fitted to the interior tub, along with the steering wheel and steering column. This is the LHD version, which I shall change to the RHD version for a British registered car . . . Usually, I would use enamel paints for the burr walnut finish of this dashboard, so for this build I shall be using Sharpies.

David

[MarkJ]

2 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

Hi Mark . . . David here ( Anglia105E ), Please could you communicate with Pierre Rivard on his topic about the Ferrari, as this is my topic about my Rolls-Royce build . . . The Ferrari model that Pierre has built looks very good, but please do not hold your discussion on my thread, thank you . . .

David Watson

Sorry, Dave. Very bad form on my part. I should have private messaged Pierre. Won't happen again. Please except my heart felt apologies to you and all of the other posters here.

[Big Messer]

Glad to see that you use a proper ruler when modeling a proper car...

[Anglia105E]

5 hours ago, MarkJ said:

Sorry, Dave. Very bad form on my part. I should have private messaged Pierre. Won't happen again. Please except my heart felt apologies to you and all of the other posters here.

Okay thanks Mark . . . No problem !  ( enjoy the forum )

[Anglia105E]

3 hours ago, Big Messer said:

Glad to see that you use a proper ruler when modeling a proper car...

Of course Jose . . . Only the best for this build.

David

[David G.]

David, I'm quite impressed by your determination and all the clever alternatives you've been coming up with. They seem to work so well that it almost makes one wonder why there are so many VOC products used when there seem to be so many suitable alternatives.

David G. 

[Anglia105E]

2 hours ago, David G. said:

David, I'm quite impressed by your determination and all the clever alternatives you've been coming up with. They seem to work so well that it almost makes one wonder why there are so many VOC products used when there seem to be so many suitable alternatives.

David G. 

It is a shame that all those wonderful products usually contain at least one harmful ingredient of varying amounts, and very often several.

To a certain extent, my lung condition may have been caused due to me not observing fully the safety precautions, such as insufficient ventilation in the workspace, perhaps not using a mask of high enough specification, not always wearing disposable latex gloves, and maybe not reading the labels on the backs of containers properly, although I thought I did . . . This is something that has been building up over a period of 8 years I would say.

The odd thing is this . . . When I am at home in Derbyshire, specifically inside my stone built cottage, I am experiencing shortage of breath, coughing, bringing up phlegm during the first half of every day, loss of appetite and energy, muscle wastage and difficulty sleeping, as well as other unpleasant symptoms. The busy road immediately outside our cottage carries daily traffic of HGV's that collect and deliver stone products to and from large local quarries, so there is an excessive amount of dust in the air, much of which is brake dust from the overheating brake drums as the trucks descend the very long steep hill . . .

Then, when I travel to Falmouth in Cornwall, always during the month of May every year, for my annual two weeks holiday I feel completely fine . . . No bad symptoms or illness whatsoever. Within two days of arriving back home, all of my symptoms return with a vengeance . . . How odd ?

The air near the coast in Falmouth is so clean and pure, whereas my once beautiful countryside village has been contaminated it seems.

David