LR3 Posted December 7, 2011 Author Posted December 7, 2011 Put off opening the grill area as long as I could. First attempt will be on the original vintage part. Drew a rough outline, drilled a starting hole and inserted a jeweler saw. Tricky to hold part by hand while sawing. Broke blade on the first attempt but after a while you get the hang of it. Any better ideas would be appreciated before I cut up the 4 Bar body. The cut was not true to the drawing. But some repairs could be made by trying different rasps and files.
MADD FABRICATOR Posted December 9, 2011 Posted December 9, 2011 (edited) Syd, just use a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel and make a huge opening in the grill area, cutting slots in all directions without cutting into the outline of the opening. Then use a small sanding drum in the Dremel to finish making the grill opening outline. It's all pretty simple, as the fiberglass cuts and sands very easy. Just wear a dust mask ( a cheapy paper kind), and have the shop vacuum going at the same time to collect all the grinding and sanding dust. Hope this helps. CHEERZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!! Edited December 9, 2011 by MADD FABRICATOR
LR3 Posted December 10, 2011 Author Posted December 10, 2011 No plan, just forging ahead with a grill. There must be better ways of doing this. Anyway made a loop from 10 gage copper wire. It looked like it stood out too much for the scale so tried some putty to act as a ledge inside the nose and also to maybe reduce the visual effect of the wire size. Don't know how to make a curved grill so laid some small wire on top and held it in place with masking tape. Soldered the wires. (ugly solder job) But files took care of the mess.
LR3 Posted December 10, 2011 Author Posted December 10, 2011 Slathered on some putty. Looks like I painted myself into the proverbial corner. Now I know for sure I wont be able to have a chrome grill. Guess the entire nose cone of the Vintage version will be one color. Maybe I can figure something else out for the 4bar version.
W-409 Posted December 11, 2011 Posted December 11, 2011 This is amazing project. I like what you've done for the grille. Great job with the frame too. I've been watching it from the start, and all I can say is Wow. Excellent details, keep pictures coming.
LR3 Posted December 11, 2011 Author Posted December 11, 2011 5/8th rod ends from TDR are on hand so I can size the radius rods and add installation tabs. Learned I should have had a plan. Should not have mounted front hubs yet. No room to get a wrench into place for the lower front rod bracket. Might have to just glue that bolt in place (maybe all bolts? doubt there is much spring in this chassis anyway) Nothing is locked up yet - just laying in place. Still some painting required.
LR3 Posted December 13, 2011 Author Posted December 13, 2011 The back axle had the radius rod and shock mounts knocked off as it bounced around during handling of the frame the past few weeks. Just another reason to use TDR 's quick change instead of the old Deuce kit assembly. The good part is bolting the radius rods to the brackets allowed me to angle the brackets properly to reduce strain. I put everything in place before final gluing in of the rod ends. Fortunately no one will see the rear axle once the body is in place as I have hand painted it more than once while it rattled around back here and it needs one more coat. Notice the finely tuned and machined holding fixtures in place as the glue drys.
eviltwincustoms Posted December 13, 2011 Posted December 13, 2011 Slathered on some putty. Looks like I painted myself into the proverbial corner. Now I know for sure I wont be able to have a chrome grill. Guess the entire nose cone of the Vintage version will be one color. Maybe I can figure something else out for the 4bar version. Very impressive work you did, and I don't feel like you have painted yourself into any corner! You should be very proud of yourself and what you accomplished! Just tape it off and shoot it will Alclad Chrome or the HOK Mirror Chrome and you will be golden.
comp1839 Posted December 13, 2011 Posted December 13, 2011 syd, this turning out very well!! your craftsmanship and ingenuity are fantastic. the details are great. and while i think you may be a little hard on yourself, it's sometimes the motivating factor in what we do. keep up the hard work.
stump Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 Outstanding springs to mind on this Syd. Great work mate.
LR3 Posted December 24, 2011 Author Posted December 24, 2011 This scratch building requires too much planning and experimenting for an old guy. I am looking forward to digging up a nice kit for my next project. Anyway test fitting goes on with the radius rods, torsion bars, etc. Glad this is all bolted together because it has had to come apart time and again.
stump Posted December 24, 2011 Posted December 24, 2011 Syd, that chassis makes a beautiful display piece as is.
W-409 Posted December 24, 2011 Posted December 24, 2011 Chassis looks great. I like all of the scratchbuilding, you've done. GREAT job with it, I'm watching this one very closely. Nothing to complaine about, very nice progress, keep those pictures coming.
DaytonaTim Posted December 24, 2011 Posted December 24, 2011 Syd, did those rodends work out OK for you? It is nice having that little bit of "wiggle room" when putting those components together, huh?
LR3 Posted December 24, 2011 Author Posted December 24, 2011 Rod ends worked great. Made all the difference for attaching radius rods. AND I found a use for the 3/8th ones I bought by mistake. They will be used in the Jacobs Ladder I need for the rear axle - But I would much rather be working on a kit project. May have to buy your 6.1 Liter Hemi. Do you plan to offer the detail parts like the alternator in the latest fine grain material?
LR3 Posted December 25, 2011 Author Posted December 25, 2011 Never heard of a Jacob's Ladder until Ken Meaders sent me the 4 Bar drawings. Now I have one and as soon as the chassis tabs glue dries I will mount it.
LR3 Posted December 26, 2011 Author Posted December 26, 2011 Attached the Jacobs Ladder to the rear shock mount on the axle. Probably puts too much strain on one component in real life but there wasn't much room here for tabs.
LR3 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Posted December 27, 2011 I received an email asking where one can find the rod ends. They can be found on the new combined TDR website: https://sites.google.com/site/tdrinn...op/1-8-rodends They really work well. I used 5/8" scale for the radius rods and 3/8" scale for the Jacobs Ladder.
DaytonaTim Posted December 28, 2011 Posted December 28, 2011 May have to buy your 6.1 Liter Hemi. Do you plan to offer the detail parts like the alternator in the latest fine grain material? When the time comes that you want to buy it, just let me know and I will see what I can do for you. I am sure we can work something up pretty quick. Glad the rod ends worked out. I really thing they should become a "hot item" for the scratch builders. They are truely a new and unique item and are unequaled in their functionality........... because the are real, fully functional, rod ends. https://sites.google.com/site/tdrinnovations/ http://www.tdrcatalog.com/servlet/StoreFront
model.maker Posted March 30, 2012 Posted March 30, 2012 Looking very nice Syd ,was following this build elsewhere .
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