BMW 507 Cabrio 1957 - Elvis Presley's one - Based on a Revell old kit 1:24

[Noel Smith]

A very nice model taking shape here.  This thread has certainly attracted a lot of interest looking at the  number of posts.

[CrazyCrank]

3 minutes ago, Noel Smith said:

A very nice model taking shape here.  This thread has certainly attracted a lot of interest looking at the  number of posts.

 

Thanks a lot, @Noel Smith for this very kind comment

I do my best, but I'm a very slow builder 🙄

[CrazyCrank]

Evening guys

 

I was wondering since several weeks, how I could do to glueing the windscreen onto its frame, without touching the fragile chrome, and thats's why I've been silent for such a long while !

 

I'd heard of sticks with micro-adhesive silicon at their ends ("Pick & Place"), and I had a look at them on hobby shop websites... probably very handy, but they don't seem to be convenient for holding the wide windscreen glass because their points are too tiny, and, to be honest, I'm afraid of the glass could unstick while I'm handling it.

Furthermore, it costs an arm 😮

 

 

But this gave me an idea: fabricating by myself this kind of tool, using a wood stick and attach to an end some UHU-PATAFIX.

 

  

 

To be sure that this stuff wouldn't be excessively tacky, what would be very annoying when I'll have to release the glass above the frame, I did some tests with my spare windscreen glass, and it occurred that that worked perfectly and easily.
Furthermore, it was mandatory that this kind of gum do not leave any print on the glass once unstuck, or at least a print I could easily and totally remove, gently wiping with soft cloth, such microfiber fabric.....and it was the case
 

So today, I summoned up all my courage, took a deep breath,  and cleaned up the windscreen glass, applied micro-droplets of stiff-setting wood glue, with the tip of a cocktail stick,  to the contact areas between the frame and the glass, used my homemade handling tool and fitted the glass in the right place on the first try (I must say I'd done a lot of practice before without using glue...)

 

  

 

I've also painted chrome the inside mirror (s) and  the mounting plate of the sunvisors (the tiny parts that fit on the windscreen frame) and painted semi-gloss black the sunvisors.

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to get the same slightly grainy aspect of the paint, to simulated the leather texture .

 

 

II still have to chrome paint the mounting plates on the sun visor side, and of course make the hinges between them and the windscreen frame.

 

For the rest, here's how I see things in chronological order:
- first, when the glue between the windscreen frame and the glass has hardened, I'll glue the 4 mounting plates for the sunvisors in their place on the frame
- then I'll make the sunvisor hinges and test them on surplus parts
- Then everything else will wait until I have glued the windscreen / dashboard assembly to the body, which won't happen until the very last phase of this build.
- And only then will I be able to fit the sunvisors, then the rear-view mirror.

 

And to fit the windscreen/dashboard assembly to the body, without touching the chrome of the windscreen frame, I made myself a rather special pair of reversed mechanism pliers, 3D modeled  and resin printed

On the jaws, I've attached little velvet adhesive patches, so as not to damage the parts I'm going to grab.
These two-part pliers open normally when you pinch them, and close again when you release them. But, as the resin isn't elastic enough to give sufficient grip, I've added a ‘knob’, which, placed between the two arms of the pliers, and pushed backwards, increases the clamping force of the jaws.
To release the held object, simply pinch hard in front of the wheel!
 

 

  

 

  

 

That was the principle! And now it's being put into practice:

 

 

Of course, the cocktail stick will be removed 🙄

 

See ya later, Gentlemen 😎

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hendie]

Great idea with the custom tweezers. Ingenious! 

[CrazyCrank]

30 minutes ago, hendie said:

Great idea with the custom tweezers. Ingenious! 

 

Thanks Hendie

If you're interested in the STL file, tell me 😉 I'm sure you can improve it

 

[CrazyCrank]

Evening  guys

 

The hinges for the sunvisors have been made, using Nickel-Chrome 0.25 mm wire.

On the photo below you can see the kit part provided to represent the mounting brackets and the hinge.... No way tu use this stuff !

 

And then, their mounting plates have been painted with Molotov Liquid Chrome:

 

 

I'm not pretty sure that, once the mounting brackets have been placed onto the windshield  frame, it could be easy to install the sunvisors on them...indeed I wonder if the spacing between the shorts legs of the hinges is not too large
It's difficult to check that before glueing the brackets onto the windshield frame, so, I've decided to modify slightly my 3D drawings, decreasing the spacing between the plates on the sunvisors, and then to print, and paint  a bunch of new ones, at any chance

 

[CrazyCrank]

Hello, happy modelers

 

I just achieved to glue the sunvisors's mounting brackets onto the windshield frame.

Bear in mind that each of them has a plate measuring 1.2 mm x 2.2 mm, topped with a 0.9 mm diameter eyelet drilled through the centre at 0.45 mm.
In order to position it correctly on the windscreen frame, each plate has a small 0.6 mm diameter stud on the front, which fits into a corresponding hole on the frame.
They still need to be securely and permanently fixed, and care must be taken to align the eyelet holes horizontally and in pairs.

 

 

  

 

The hardest part is still to come: fitting the metal hinges into the eyelet holes, without removing the eyelets from the windscreen frame, or, worst,  breaking them!

In the end, I'm wondering whether I shouldn't try to do this before gluing the windscreen to the body, as it could be even more difficult afterwards ?

 

See you soon 😉

[Lvp]

Would it make any sense to first attach the eyelets to the hinges and then glue the assembly to the frame?

I agree that the windshield should be glued as last step, maybe even attach the frame to body first and then attach the windshield.

Nice work with the 3D printing!

[CrazyCrank]

12 hours ago, Lvp said:

Would it make any sense to first attach the eyelets to the hinges and then glue the assembly to the frame?

I agree that the windshield should be glued as last step, maybe even attach the frame to body first and then attach the windshield.

Nice work with the 3D printing!

It's too late, @Lvp to do so.

I'd thought about this method first, but rejected it because the eyelets should have been glued on the hinges in order to facilitating the assembly glueing to the frame.(Otherwise, while handling the assembly, for sure the eyelets would slip on the hinge and drop out ! )
And then, the hinge wouldn't be functional anymore !

 

And regarding the windshield, as I MUST not touch the frame, which chrome is very fragile, I HAD to attach the glass on the frame FIRST, in order to be able to handle the whole set by the glass, using my custom twizzers, to glue it on the body

 

[CrazyCrank]

Morning gentlemen

 

I won my bet 👍  
It was challenging but I managed to hinge my sunvisors and place them on the windshield frame 😎 
The alignment of both sunvisors isn't perfect, the right one is tilted slightly downwards and to the right when lowered but I can't do better (I've already made 5 or 6 tries and broken as much sunvisors and 2 mounting plates, so,  now it works, I dont't want to start again for an hypothetical better result !)

  

 

 

 

  

 

What is still to do later, when I've glued the windshield onto the body, will be glueing the inside mirror and the steering wheel.

 

Now, I can switch to the cabin decoration 

 

See you soon 😉

 

[Neddy]

Y'know, it's only when you see a cocktail stick looking the size of a baseball bat that you're reminded of just how small that assembly is!  Fine, fine work.

[CrazyCrank]

29 minutes ago, Neddy said:

Y'know, it's only when you see a cocktail stick looking the size of a baseball bat that you're reminded of just how small that assembly is!  Fine, fine work.

Thank you, @Neddy, for this huge compliment 👍 much appreciated, as always

 

[CrazyCrank]

Afternoon guys

 

I began the cabin decoration by an attempt, it's the first time for me, to fabricate floor mats, which will be placed over the carpeting of the cabin, under the driver and passenger legs and feet !

I took inspiration of the incredible job that did several times Kenji, from Kenji plastic models Youtube channel , using Tamiya Epoxy Putty smooth surface.

 

I'm perfectly aware that I don't have his dexterity or his experience of working with this material, and that the first result I've obtained, see below, is far from reaching the perfection of his... but everything has to start somewhere.
And if it doesn't look right once it's painted and in place, I can start again!
 

Like him, I tried to simulate the surface appearance of this type of floor mat by lightly tapping the surface of the drying putty with a semi-hard bristle toothbrush.
And I used a new scalpel blade to make a banded bead around the edges of the carpet.
I'm only half satisfied with the result so far, but we'll have a closer look once the putty has dried, been sanded from underneath to reduce the thickness, and painted.
 

Those floor mats have been cut in the flatted putty, following a template I made previously with masking tape in the unused cabin of my first BMW 507's 'kit.

Once the mats done, I've put them in place in this cabin, and to prevent them to stick on the plastic, I've first spread lipstick balm on it.
Hopefully, I could remove easily the mats once dried 🙄

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

So, wait and see 🙄

 

 

 

[hendie]

this is one of those areas where you can't really tell how acceptable the parts are until they're painted. I like the idea, and hope you get the effect you're looking for.

My last vehicle builds involved rubber floor mats, so I molded them in silicone - much easier than carpeted mats.

[Neddy]

I like the idea too, likewise I'll be interested to see how they turn out once painted.  You might find a little more bristle-tapping might be needed but it's looking effective so far.

[CrazyCrank]

Good evening mates

 

After a long session of bodywork masking, I've sprayed on the cabin the same black as for the seats and door panels, so AK Nato black.

I've to let it dry until tomorrow morning before spraying on it a light coat of Mr Color semi-gloss clear, just to give it the same leather reflect than for the other parts.

Then will come the un-masking, and, fingers crossed, hopefully it will come out nicely....

 

 

  

 

Later on, I'll make the carpeting with black embossing powder, where it has to be done (according to my ref. photos).

 

I'm thinking this build is slowly coming to an end, now 🙄

 

Stay tuned if you like 😉

[CrazyCrank]

Morning everybody

 

Cabin painted and varnished with the exact grainy aspect I wanted to get.

The un-masking has ended up well, without any paint spillage nor stripping 😎

 

Now, it just remains to make the carpeting.

 

   

 

I was lucky and I'm happy with this good result 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Evening guys

Waiting for the clear coat to dry completely so that I can make the carpet, I've spent a couple of hours fabricating a telescopic radio antenna.

So, I used:
- a 0.17 mm steel wire
- Threaded into a 0.4 / 0,2 mm brass tube
- Itself threaded into a 0.6/0.4 mm brass tube
- Itself threaded into a 0.8/0.6 mm brass tube

- Itself threaded into a 1.0/0.8 mm aluminium tube
- At last, itself threaded into a short section of 1.2/1.0 mm brass tube
This last one will be painted mat black, and ill be inserted into the hole on the right fender, slightly protruding from 0,3-0,4 mm
The free end of the 0.17 mm steel wire has received a droplet of UV curing resin, to form a little "ball" which I've painted red.

The alu and brass tubes will be painted Molotov Liquid Chrome

 

The antenna will therefore be deployed.

 

 

See you soon 

[Fnick]

Nice antenna!

 

But what is wrong with sprue stretching! 😋

 

Nick

[CrazyCrank]

1 minute ago, Fnick said:

Nice antenna!

 

But what is wrong with sprue stretching! 😋

 

Nick

Nothing Nick, but my way is funnier (for me, in any case ) , and the result is more accurate, obviously 🙄

 

[Neddy]

I just LOVE that antenna!

[nick]

This is looking really good now, amazing work at this scale. 

[CrazyCrank]

10 hours ago, Neddy said:

I just LOVE that antenna!

Sorry Sir, she and I are already engaged 🤣

 

8 hours ago, nick said:

This is looking really good now, amazing work at this scale. 

Wow, coming from you, it's a huuuuge compliment 😮 Thank you so much, @nick

 

[Toftdale]

When I made the antenna for my Beach buggy I used Nickle Silver rod and tubes (instead of brass) from Albion alloys as it saves on the painting - Andy 

[Bengalensis]

Right, it's 1/24 scale, and we continue to see a lot of excellent small scratch built details. Excellent work all over.

Then I see working sun visors. In 1/24 scale. Working sun visors. That's another level, again.

Superb work!