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Schwarz-Brot

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Posts posted by Schwarz-Brot

    Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix (1/8)

    in Work In Progress - Vehicles

    Posted

    54 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said:

    @Roy vd M. and @Schwarz-Brot I began since several weeks using nickel electroplatting. It doesn't work on aluminium....the swirls of an engine-turning will be still visible after nickel-platting....but I think this platting could be too shinny for the appearance we want to get.....

     

     

    Good point!

     

    Well, aluminium is hard to plate because the surface usually isn't conductive. It corrodes immediately (in a positive way - the corroded surface protects the underlying material). Aluminium therefore usually is eloxadized / anodized as plating is not necessary. To be able to do so it is prepared with acids, maybe even placed in acid during the process, don't remember completely. Very high currents are necessary to get a strong finish. I guess by incorporating an acid into the process plating would be possible as well. But probably not worth the work and dangers as there's enough alternative materials around.

    • Like 1

    Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix (1/8)

    in Work In Progress - Vehicles

    Posted · Edited by Schwarz-Brot

    I like your systematic approach to research and how you stick to it. This is a lot of work but so much help for you but also everybody else who ever might want to have a go at this car. Nice touch you credit the people who contribute, even if they are not around here.

     

    Quote

    Gerald Wingrove says in his great book The Complete Car Modeller 1 that the quality of the plated surface will be as high as the polished surface beneath it... thinking a contrario, would the swirls still be seen after nickelplating? Probably so... it's worth the try I think. I'm curious to know what you think of this possible solution (and also, if the silver solder will also be affected by the nickelplating...). 

     

    If you refer to a electroplating process when talking about nickelplating: It most likely works on any metal surface. If the surfaces are isolated from each other you may have to contact them individually to allow the current to flow. You may end up with a non uniform finish if you use different metals. This may or may not be solved by longer plating times. I have no experience with nickelplating, so this is just thinking about the process and possible problems. You'll have to read up yourself or find someone who knows, sorry.

    For the quality of the surface: The swirls will be seen for sure. Electroplating leaves ultra thin surfaces which show every mark, no matter how small it is. To be honest, it may happen the surface looks worth than you thought because of the uniform and possibly shiny coating every inaccuracy sticks out even more.

    • Like 1

    Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix (1/8)

    in Work In Progress - Vehicles

    Posted

    On 12.1.2017 at 1:25 PM, Roy vd M. said:

     

    Quote

    I am pretty sure the motors were not actually polished, only smoothened to a blanc and pretty even surface. 

     

    By 'polished' do you mean engine turned? If so, do you think Photo the picture of my previous post was made after the race season? If so, why would they have taken the trouble to apply the effect at that point in time? Perhaps it isn't logical to spend so much time and energy on engine turning on a race car -before the first race-, but I'd say that it would be even less logical to do so afterwards.

     

    I never said it was done later. I only described the techniques that would have been used most likely. Jewellig is actually a form of polishing: A pattern of minimal scratches is introduced into a surface of higher quality. So if you say the parts are jewelled they would have to be polished to a shine before. Now think oft the tools available at the time and the way they were operated. Motorized handtools? I don't think so. Lapping machines? Unlikely. Polished by hand only to introduce the pattern after that? Never-ever.

    As I said the parts were most likely cast. And for some reason a clean surface was required. How would this be achieved? Scraping is a technique as old as metalworking, much like working with a plane on wood. But it is very time consuming and leads to a very different surface than seen here. If I had the possibilities back in the days I would most likely try to use a machine for the task. My guess would be there was only a drilling machine or maybe a simple 3-axis milling machine available and it was decided to utilize it. So you have a rotating axis that only moves up and down, maybe even back and forth and left and right. But no way to work around a curved surface. Put a tool in it - some abrasive material or a mill or a wire brush, take two men to position the part and operate the machine. Work your way all over the surface, dot by dot. Inverse the direction between dots. There you have your jewelling pattern. But in fact the surface still isn't really shiny. It is smooth and blank, but still not polished.

    • Like 3

    Gorilla Glue

    in Other Tools

    Posted

    Use whatever works for you. Why not?

    I know some modellers use it and I got me a bottle to try it out. Worked very well on large tin models and with ABS parts so far. Problem is you have to fix the parts in one way or another as the volume increases remarkably when it hardens.

    Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix (1/8)

    in Work In Progress - Vehicles

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Roy vd M. said:

    That's something I had not considered before. Great thinking... do you reckon the 'turned white metal' jeweling would resemble the Delage? A disadvantage I see is that to get an even look I'd have to make the entire engine out of white metal. 

     

    This is going to be a very realistic option though. Thanks for thinking out of the (my) box!

     

    You're welcome!

    polished white metal looks silvery and very shiny and keeps that shine usually. If you don't get tin pest, that is. Over time and certain conditions and probably depending on the exact alloy used tin alloys can corrode or bloom. This happened a lot to certain makes of tin soldiers of the eighties and older. A clear coat would prevent that surely. This may veeeeery slightly be tinted to knock back the shine a bit, if it is too much.

     

    I am pretty sure the motors were not actually polished, only smoothened to a blanc and pretty even surface. Technically I can think of several reasons for this: The engine parts were cast parts most likely.

    - A blank surface allows for easier quality control on those highly stressed parts. Cracks from bad casts are next to impossible to find by eye on the rough surface you get with metal casting.

    - A blank surface allows to see cracks and problems more easy on a working motor. Under race conditions it is the easiest way to optically identify a problem without the eye being mislead by rough and coloured surfaces. Excessive Pre-installation testing would benefit as well. Also, cracks would only show up on a painted or rough surface when it is probably too late (engine already blown).

    - A blank surface is way easier to clean. Oil, water, dirt, grime. Whatever you get on there - it comes off quite easily with the right solvent. On a rough surface this wouldn't come off completely.

    - the blank surface might cool down better then a scaled one which has effectively more surface but probably with worse heat conducting properties. As I get it this motor revved very high for its time.

     

    There may be more reasons, but I am pretty sure it was not done barely for the optics.

    • Like 2

    Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix (1/8)

    in Work In Progress - Vehicles

    Posted · Edited by Schwarz-Brot

    I would go a completely different route. How about scratching the parts in an easy to work material, then build a form with heat resistant silicone and cast in white metal?

     

    White metal is easy to cast or you could give away the job to someone who already has the equipment. Hardest part is getting a good working mould.

    White metal is easy to polish and easy to work and gives you a completely massive part to work on. If you mess up it is just a matter of melting and pouring again...

    • Like 3

    Tamiya 2015 Mazda MX5

    in Ready For Inspection - Vehicles

    Posted

    I especially love the first generation, but even the recent is a cool little car. The MX 5 is very high up on my wishlist of real cars to own. Good to see a beautiful model version of it. I will build this kit some time in the future as well. Though the steering wheel is on the wrong side :P

    • Like 1
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