Talbot Lago Record 1950, 1:24 scale, by Heller

[Codger]

Very glad your maladies do not impede you from small detail work. I'm hoping the whole project is therapeutic for you.

[harveyb258]

Lovely work, Thierry....I like very much indeed.

13 minutes ago, Codger said:

I'm hoping the whole project is therapeutic for you

Ditto!

 

Cheers, H

[CrazyCrank]

Well, the wiring has been done, with 0.3 mm diameter copper wire: That was no fun doing !

 

 

After painting yellow the wires, and some weathering, I can show you this:

 

  [

 

 

It remains to fabricate 2 oil filler caps for the 2 engine valve's covers

 

Thanks for watching

 

PS: don't be surprised neither afraid by the stains on the valve covers. In day light they are less visible, and it is a matter of  weathering, soiling, which is absolutely normal on a old car's engine (We are not at Pebble Beach exhibition !)

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by CrazyCrank

[CrazyCrank]

Fan painting Alclad Chrome (without varnish, so it look rather like polished aluminum ) and fixed in place

 

  

 

Good night all

 

 

 

[Tone1980]

Great deatail, love it!

[CrazyCrank]

Natural daylight photo:

 

[s.e.charles]

I can almost hear it "purr".

[Paul H]

Great work - really enjoying following your progress with this build and reading about the tweaks and details that you are adding.  I don't see many threads for models from this classic Heller series, which is a pity as the two I have built so far (M-B 500K & Bugatti T50) were nice kits.  Bookmarking this for reference when I build my one!

[CrazyCrank]

Hi chaps

 

A little progress on that build...

 

I've modified the wiring that get out of the flute, and its color, to red, more adequate than yellow, and glued in place on engine's body some very tiny parts, as the distributor/igniter.

 

  

 

I'm thinking about the way to fit on it the six spark plugs wires.

The diameter of the the copper wire I've used for the wires getting out the flute is 0.3 mm.

I should use the same for the distributor wiring..... BUT:

- on one hand, it is rather stiff and is difficult to shape and bend regularly, on a short section (30 mm) 

- on the other hand, it is rather too thick to be glued easily on the distributor (6 wires to glue on six microscopic dots on a 3 mm diameter part....

 

So, it is possible that I decide to use 0.2 mm diameter copper wire, and increase artificially the diameter while painting it.

However, 0.3 or 0.2 mm, it will be necessary, in order to ensure a good bond strength, to drill deeply the six tiny holes at the periphery of the distributor.

And consequently, I've ordered today on the Net some micro drill bits of these diameters...hoping not to break one or more of them during the drilling process, and to keep enough precision of the gesture, avoiding so to ruin the tiny plastic distributor 😕

A new challenge in perspective !

 

I've made a first try to simulate the 2 oil filler caps on the valve's covers:

 

- Drill on each valve at the right position a 0.6 mm hole

 

 

- Used 2 headed pins, that I've cut

 

  

 

- And put them in the holes, and I got that:

 

  

 

 

Headed pins with slightly wider head would have been better....but I don't find them in my wife's hideout 😉🤭

 

More progress and enhancements to go...stay tuned if you like

 

 

[Roy vd M.]

Looking good as you go, good luck with the tiny drills

[Marco F.]

Fantastic progress! Looks like a masterpiece is on it's way... I'll keep an eye on this WIP

Marco F

[Schwarz-Brot]

I guess you know and apply the technique of stretching copper wire before using to get it straight?

If not - grip both ends of a piece of wire firmly with strong pliers and pull. If you pull hard enough you'll feel how the wire stretches a bit before the movement stops again. This piece is straight now and easily workable.

 

For very small parts I personally use a longer piece of wire. I then try to build the needed form in the middle of that section which is way easier with the longer ends to hold and apply pressure with. Then it is a simple matter of trimming with very sharp side cutters (and not losing the part to the carpet monster).

 

0.3mm should be available as soldering wire. I am sure you know about using this stuff for delicate parts? It is very easy to bend to shape and won't flex back.

 

Enjoying your updates - keep them coming!

[harveyb258]

Lovely work, as always, Thierry. It's good to see you back "at it" again.

 

1 hour ago, Schwarz-Brot said:

grip both ends of a piece of wire firmly with strong pliers and pull

 ….or you could roll it on a flat surface with a steel ruler.

 

Keep up the good work!

[CrazyCrank]

2 hours ago, Schwarz-Brot said:

I guess you know and apply the technique of stretching copper wire before using to get it straight?

If not - grip both ends of a piece of wire firmly with strong pliers and pull. If you pull hard enough you'll feel how the wire stretches a bit before the movement stops again. This piece is straight now and easily workable.

 

For very small parts I personally use a longer piece of wire. I then try to build the needed form in the middle of that section which is way easier with the longer ends to hold and apply pressure with. Then it is a simple matter of trimming with very sharp side cutters (and not losing the part to the carpet monster).

 

0.3mm should be available as soldering wire. I am sure you know about using this stuff for delicate parts? It is very easy to bend to shape and won't flex back.

 

Enjoying your updates - keep them coming!

Thanks a lot, @Schwarz-Brot

Yes I knew the tip for getting straight copper wire.

However, I haven't had the idea of soldering wire, which will be probably easier to bend and will keep the shape, so I 've just ordered a coil of 0.3 mm soldering wire on Ebay....Thanks so much for the tip

 

[CrazyCrank]

Waiting for my micro drill bits and 0.3 mm soldering wire, I've made today a little progress on the engine,  despite being frequently interrupted by my grand-daughter's solicitations (Emma is my best "scale model" )

 

So, I've painted the 2 carburetors, glued them in place, added the accelerator linkage part, and weathered the whole set.

 

  

 

As the engine at 1:24 isn't very detailed, I've added some scratch: the fuel line which connects the 2 carburetors, and joins the main fuel line (coming from the fuel tank)

 

To fabricate this tiny part, I've used 0.4 mm brass rod (approximately 10 mm at 1:1 scale), have formed two parts:

 

  

 

Have soldered them, to get this (not perfect, pity) :

 

 

Now, dry fits of this part on the 2 carburetors:

 

  

 

Then, I've taken a 1 mm brass tube, 4 m length section, glued it at the end of the fuel line, and painted it satin black.

 It's supposed to simulate the connection part between this fuel line and the main fuel line I'll fabricate later.

 

  

 

 

 

You could see, if you watch carefully that I've added somme other enhancements, as a micro-drop of Molotov Liquid  chrome on the 3 bolts of each engine valve cover

 

 

Well, now, to finish the engine, it remains to paint and glue the exhaust collector  and to achieve the wiring that comes out the distributor .....

 

Thanks for watching and stay tuned if you like

 

[Roy vd M.]

Looks really nice, love the extra detailing. 

[CrazyCrank]

Exhaust pipe has been primed

 

 

And during this Sunday, while glued or painted parts were drying, I've worked on the chassis frame
 

It has been a time consuming job, because it required a lot of sanding, filing, sealing, and more sanding etc., but it was worth to do it/

 

     

 

 

And after priming Alclad Grey primer and filler, and on the photos below, dry fit of the engine:

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Stay tuned if you like and thanks for watching

 

[CrazyCrank]

Exhaust manifold painted and glued in place, then weathered:

 

  

 

Goof night to all and sweet dreams

Thansk for watching

[JeroenS]

You've really made something out of this tiny engine. 

[harveyb258]

I'm really enjoying your progress, Thierry....I love all the extra detailing.

 

[Pascal]

Very nice work mate. 

[CrazyCrank]

Hi gentlemen

 

Still waiting for my 0.3 mm soldering wire (Thanks @Schwarz-Brot ), I've put on hold the final job on the engine, and begun with the front axle.

 

 

As expected, on this model, wheels  can turn left and right, so the front axle is functional.

Very delicate job to cut off the sprue several very tiny and fragile parts, and assemble them without glue (only pins to melt carefully with a neither too much nor too little heated blade).

 

So after some  mistakes (a part pined upside down, a pin too flattened, thus preventing the assembly's mobility) that I got finally perfectly fixed, I can show you :

 

 

  

 

  

 

I've now to prime the whole set (chassis and front axle), then paint it satin black (very low quantity on the axle to allow its mobility ), and finally paint "stainless steel" color the springs of the shocks absorbers.

 

In the meantime, some shots of the body just put over the chassis with engine, to get and idea of the final model:

 

  

 

Thanhs for watching

 

[CrazyCrank]

Thanks another time to @Schwarz-Brot, I've finished the engine this evening 😎

 

6 spark plugs made of 0.3 mm soldering wire have been cut, fixed in place on one hand on the distributor (6 holes of 0.2 then 0.3 then 0.4 mm drilled on it), and the another hand, on the "flute",

Then I've painted them red, using first a diluted flat red (2 layers) and the a transparent red (1 layer)

 

Hereunder the result:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   

 

 

Initially, the engine from the kit had 17 parts .

With the additions I made, it has now 37.

 

I could improve it a bit more with acceleretor linkage, but frankly, no one would be able to see the differences at this scale.

So, the best being the enemy of the good, I've decided to abstain.

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by CrazyCrank

[Schwarz-Brot]

To be honest - these are among the best wires in this scale I've seen yet! 😮 You managed to make them look like they lay down a bit under their own weight while being too stiff to conform to every contour - just like in reality! Brilliant.
With most builds in 1/24 the wires are looking like plumbing because they are laid out too neatly or the material is too stiff to behave to scale. You got this so, so right!👍

[CrazyCrank]

Thank you for this kind compliment @Schwarz-Brot, much appreciated