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1932 Cadillac V16 scale model

Started by Roger Zimmermann, July 12, 2019, 01:40:19 PM

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Moody

Moody

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks Barry and David!
Yes, the radiator assembly will be attached to the cross member with two nuts. Both studs are already silver soldered to the base of the radiator support. To install the nuts: just put the model upside down or on one side, that way it's easier!
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Like I said, There are no words...

Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks Barry, I appreciate your comment!
To attach the radiator on the frame, I had to do the support. It has two tasks: as I wrote, to attach the radiator on the frame and it's the support also for the radiator surround.
I tried to replicate the attaching points for the surround; for the moment no holes are drilled because I have to find first suitable screws.
I wrote in one of my ports that there is a cap over the thermostat, but it's not correct. Therefore, I have to make a simplified set-up, just to attach the rod actuating the shutter.

528 Radiator support.JPG529 Radiator and support.JPG530 Radiator and support.JPG   
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Roger Zimmermann

One of the last element added to the radiator is the thermostat system. Of course, there is just a movable lever and behind, nothing!
As the base with the lever is soft soldered to the "nut", I exceptionally glued the assembly to the radiator with a two components glue.
The last part to be added is the shroud.

531 Thermostat.JPG
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Roger Zimmermann

After our Easter pause, I continued with the shroud. It's very narrow; I suppose it was efficient. Like the original, mine can be adjusted to keep the fan centered.

532 Shroud.JPG533 Radiator with shroud.JPG 
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

carguyblack

Wow, what a impressive bit of engineering back then and an even more impressive reproduction of that engineering today by a remarkable artist and craftsman. Excellent work, Roger!
I loved the shroud slide adjustment those Cadillac engineers anticipated the need for.
Thank you for documenting it so well.
Chuck
Chuck Dykstra

1956 Sedan DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille (2 sold)
1957 Oldsmobile 98 (sold)
1989 Bonneville SSE

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks for your comments, Chuck!
That adjustable shroud was designed in case the fan must be adjusted to tighten the belt, requiring also that the shroud must be adjusted. In my case, I will do the belt to have the fan in the middle of his possible adjustment travel, but I have yet no idea if the radiator is at the right place. Therefore, all is possible up to some limits...
 
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Roger Zimmermann

The front brakes were long overdue. Even if the radiator is not 100% finished, I did the final installation of the cable and casing. I intended to silver solder the tiny tube arresting the cable at the wheel but I opted for soft soldering. I was wise: I had to adjust the position of that tube to get the proper cable length. For that, I had to remove the wheel shield (one side at the time); at first, I did not recall how it was attached to the axle!
Finally, I have functioning brakes at all four wheel, a first to me, thanks the entirely mechanical actuating of the brakes.
Oh, I will not leave four black markings on the "street", but each wheel has some braking by pushing the pedal even when the front wheels are steered.

534 Front brakes.JPG535 at the wheel.JPG536 At the wheel.JPG537 at the frame.JPG   
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Lexi

Wo! Fantastic work Roger! Clay/Lexi

Roger Zimmermann

Thanks Clay!
Now, back more or less to the radiator: I have to ad the upper hoses. They are straight, so not a big deal? Wrong! they have a characteristic shape as you can see on the picture. I'm trying to replicate it.

Water hoses.jpg
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Lexi

Have been thinking about what I would do if I had to replicate those hoses. That is going to be some work! Please keep us posted on that. Looking forward to seeing the results. Clay/Lexi

Roger Zimmermann

Well, the first step is done: the pattern or male mold. The challenge was to do the lines on the central section. After a disastrous try, I imagined another way to make the lines by turning a cutting tool 90° and moving it along the brass part. This time the result was good.
In fact, that mold is done in 3 separate parts because it was not possible to have a sharp beginning/ending of the lines with the ends attached.
The first picture is showing how I did the lines; the second one is the mold completed with an end plate. I will now play with various RTVs hoping to get two acceptable hoses.

538 Machining the pattern.JPG539 Pattern ready.JPG 
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Lexi

Very nice work Roger. I don't have a metal cutting lathe, so was wondering how I would work around that. The pattern you cut looks great. Clay/Lexi

Roger Zimmermann

Doing tires was easier than the water hoses! If the negative mold was unproblematic, the hose itself was hit and miss. To spray the separating wax, I had to split the negative mold, "open" it with fingers while spraying the product. After a while, the mold unrolled it, allowing to spray the wax on the total inner surface. After a while, the mold closed itself again but was swelled. I had to wait some more hours to slip the mold into a tube done to guide the inner core.
Finally, I have one almost perfect and two with various imperfections. As the good one was more as an accident, I decided that it's now enough.
By the way, the negative mold was usually destroyed by peeling it from the cast tube.
It seems that I don't have enough with silicone rubber: I will now do both rubber booths for the front brake. I will use for that the same Sylgard from Dow Corning I have since more than 40 years. I did the tires for the Toronado and the rest was kept in the refrigerator as this product is ideal for small elements. It can be heated at about 100°C and get cured in 5 minutes...

540 Water hoses.JPG
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Cadman-iac

Quote from: Roger Zimmermann on March 18, 2022, 08:17:34 AMGetting older does not mean getting wiser...
The facts: I decided to make a mold for the white wall. From the Avanti/Mark II projects, I still had some RTV material; I prepare a batch to pour on the pattern. Usually, after two hours, the product begins to be very viscous; after 12 hours, the RTV is set.
This time, after 2 hours there was no change at the viscosity. Same after 6 hours and again no difference after 12 hours. To me, it was obvious that the product was indeed too old. I heated a bit the whole; not too much because of the paint for the letters. There was a slight change at the viscosity so I let it in a corner because as the material is still sticking at the pattern, it could take away the scripts.
I began the preparation to pour the first half-mold from the tire. This time, I used a fresh product, mixing 9 grams harder to 180 grams RTV silicone. After creating some vacuum with my hand pump, the material was poured into the form. This operation creating again trapped air, the vacuum pump came again in action. The most vacuum I can generate with this pump is 14 to 15" HG. Enough for the purpose, but very tiring for the hands.
After one hour, I took the recipient out from the desiccator. After two hours, the viscosity did not change. I went to bed; the next morning, still no change. I was a bit upset and wanted to call the supplier. Just before that call, I had again a look at the syringe. The are two marks, 1 and 2 and 10 smaller lines in between. Suddenly, I saw my error: each mark is not 10 grams, but ONE gram! Therefore, the mix had just 1/10th of the necessary harder quantity! No wonder it cannot be set...
I have a similar problem with the tire pattern: there will be no paint on the surface, but the product in the uncured state is sticky. How can I remove the remaining material on the surface and, more important in the tread? I will put it on side for some weeks; maybe the small quantity of harder will be sufficient to set the RTV.
AS I'm blocked with my own stupidity, I ordered some material to do the springs. Of course, it's not available right now. Therefore, I will begin the shock absorbers...   

 Hey Roger,

 You mentioned using a hand vacuum pump for your tire making mold and wearing out your hands. Have you a vacuum pump for air conditioning?
 Whenever I need a reliable vacuum source, I use mine for that. The pump has a couple of different types of fittings, so I was able to find something that would allow me to connect a small hose to do what I need, usually testing a carburetor part or a vacuum diaphragm for A/C ducts.
 It's a lot easier on the hands than that manual pump is.

 Rick
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

Roger Zimmermann

Hi Rick
Yes, I used to have a hand vacuum pump for the rubber parts. However, if you go to the page 27, answer #531, you will see a nice vacuum pump. I did the tires from the Cadillac with this machine; with the age, one prefer to use a technical aid with less efforts!
I have to confess that I did not use it for the water hoses and some rejected tentative had some tiny pores at the outside surface.
I may use it to do the rubber boots for the brakes because I may use another RTV product.
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

Roger Zimmermann

I began the rubber boots for the brakes and went up to the negative mold. Studently, I had enough and wanted to do something else. I just choose the draft tubes. I had many pictures from the upper halves, but few from the bottom. Anyway, enough to guess how they end. Most probably, there will be a discrepancy compared to the originals; who cares?
I had to remove the distributor to have access to some screws at the right. As the parts are clean, they got a light coat of primer.

541 Draft tubes.JPG542 Draft tubes.JPG 
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101

carguyblack

Roger,
Hello from sunny America again! Wondering if since you live in Switzerland, have you ever created your own watch?? Your intricate work and all the hand tooling reminds me of that. I'm sure you could if you haven't yet tried that.
You are high up on that pedestal of mine, for sure.
Chuck
Chuck Dykstra

1956 Sedan DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille (2 sold)
1957 Oldsmobile 98 (sold)
1989 Bonneville SSE

billyoung

Age 68, Living in Gods waiting room ( Florida ) Owned over 40 Old Cadillac's from 1955's to 1990 Brougham's. Currently own a 1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible and a 1992 Cadillac 5.7 Brougham.