...assemble a photo-etch radiator grille from individual slats

[Matt Bacon]

Hi, all... I've just started work on a Gunze Ferrari 250 SWB. The radiator grille is built up from strips of photo-etch. The short verticals are slotted half way through on the front edge, and the long horizontals half way through on the back edge. In theory, they interlock criss-cross fashion to make up the "egg-crate" grille. Gunze would have you place the centre two verticals and then the centre pair of horizontals, and then fill outwards vertically and horizontally a pair at a time. The problem is, once you have placed the first pair of verticals and crossed the horizontals, you have to lift the whole thing up to get the next pair of verticals "underneath", and repeat over and over. The fit is good, but not completely snug, so the whole thing can move at any stage unless the joints are stuck. Currently, I've got as far as placing the first pair of verticals on some double sided tape, dropping the first pair of horizontals in place, and marking all the locations of the rest of the verticals. My thought is to remove the horizontals, place all the other verticals at the marked locations, and then drop all the horizontals. I'm worried, though, that if I join the slats with liquid superglue, it'll run down and stick the grille to the mat below. I also might be barking up the wrong tree entirely!

Anyone built either this kit or anything like this out of etched brass and have any hints and tips that they'd care to share?

Many thanks!

bestest,

M.

[trogdor]

Can you use a thick super glue and then hit it with an accelerator ? Not sure if it would work, but that's what I would try.

[Mike Kucaba]

Even if you screw up, you can soak the entire unit in acetone and that will dissolve the super glue. Is there anyway/anything you can use to jig the entire thing together,and then glue it up? I've got a couple of these kits and now I'm curious about this piece.