Creating a lens optic

[Mr. Don]

Hello, a few years back I was contemplating how to make glass headlight lenses.

In 1/8th scale, a Ford model A.

Well I was thinking graphite blocks machined and assembled to make a molded impression.

Seriously planning for this, when also researching a subject that I was interested in modeling.

One thing, one rabbit hole lead to another.

The subject car was a Continental MkII, and my search brought me in contact with Roger Zimmermann, of Switzerland.

He had already started his model of the MkII,  and in Brass he had made a compound mold to heat and then emboss his lenses.

Like this-

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Don]

These are my molds, in Brass, machined on a Sherline mill.

I had a line drawing taped to one side on the mill bed, and a bent wire for a pointer sitting just above the drawing helped me to keep track of what I was doing.

Using a ball end mill of a slightly larger diameter than the channel to be milled, since I was only going for a partial depth. - think a full depth would produce a hemisphere and I wanted less than half of that.

A few passes to make sure of the results.

 

 

 

 

 

Segments were screwed together, that needed the same pattern. Machined as one, then disassembled and polished individually.

The mold has a ring to help align the parts and to create the edge of the lens.

 

Plex sheet, 1/16” thick was cut into discs.

And using a vise grip to provide clamping pressure, the whole mess went into the over set at 300’ F. 
 

Trial and error, I think I was getting pretty good results in about 10 minutes.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 08:47 AM by Mr. Don

[Mr. Don]

 

Again the other modeler is Roger Zimmermann of Switzerland. And he IS the best at showing what can be accomplished with the simplest tools, and efforts. His work bench is a standard sized office desk.

To date Roger has made a gorgeous Avanti, a beautiful Toronado, and going step by step, for 7 years!  -an absolutely magnificent Continental MkII!!!!!

You can find his postings at the AACA forum. “Roger’s handmade model cars”  Located in the OUR PROJECTS sub section.

Roger is currently working on a 1932 V-16 Cadillac.

Tell him Don sent you.

Don

 

[Mr. Don]

 

 

[OldNYJim]

That is OUTSTANDING craftsmanship - really really nice work.  And a LOT of work too - was the requirement to make headlight lenses that aren’t available from kits because of a unique size or design?  Or just as an engineering challenge?  I assume there aren’t a bunch of 1/4 scale kits to pull parts from…

Either way - impressive!

Edited 12 hours ago by OldNYJim

[Ace-Garageguy]

Beautiful work is a serious understatement. Stunning might be better.