1932 Cadillac V16 scale model

[Cadman-iac]

  That's gonna be a great piece when you get it done. For sure you won't find another one anywhere.
 If you just put the buck on the frame it would look great. Can't wait to see the final product.

 Rick

[Roger Zimmermann]

You are right, Rick! Maybe I have the flair to build models nobody else is tempted...
The buck will not go on the frame: to much wood to remove at the underside to fit the existing floor. Further, I will need that piece of wood to make the front fender's bucks!

[Roger Zimmermann]

After the wood work, I'm back to metal at which I'm better! The next part is indeed a continuation of the body: the fuel tank cover; it's the same part for all '32 Cadillac and LaSalle bodies.
I had concerns about the curve from that part but, at the end, it must comply with the frame and the body's floor. It must also contact the pods for the trunk rack; therefore, there is little liberty for that shape. The cover may be too wide; if necessary, I will trim it when the rear fenders will be done.
As I still have copper from my previous model, it was a good opportunity to decrease my stock.

[Stefan Bartelski]

This is such beuatiful detail, will you be donating to a museum when completed? It looks worthy of such an honor.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks for your comments, Stephan! Indeed, I got years ago the advice to contact the Swiss transportation museum for my home made models. I did nothing because I can hear the question: "when can we get this or that model?" With the answer "when I'm no more here", the interess will vanish. Therefore, there is no project in the near future.

With the exception of the holes to attach the rear fenders, the tank cover is finished. I added the double moldings at the bottom; the smaller one in diameter surrounds the blisters for the rear bumper supports.
I had to modify the upper supports for the luggage rack to get the assembly parallel to the rear bumper. Obviously, the left side was not identical compared to the right side!

[Roger Zimmermann]

As I'm waiting for info to continue with some accessories, I intended to redo the ornament located on the radiator shell as I was not happy with the result. Its picture was published early January 2025.
Mr. Murphy was with me when I did the new ornament: the first round element was too thick; I misread my drawing. Without a word, the second one fell on the floor; I probably hit it with my chair, resulting in a broken stud. OK, I'll redo a third one!
Murphy was still here with the wings: I attempted to do the details with files; the distances were too irregular to continue with the first try. To overcome the difficulty, I machined the steps and finished the ends with a file.
The third shield was the right one; the other two were discarded. All elements were silver soldered with a minimal amount of silver paste. Too many hours were needed for that part, but, as it's installed at a prominent place, the time spend is maybe justified.
The new ornament, which is a tad better, is just above the coin on the picture. The discarded part, which is on top, will rejoin other parts in the "museum of horrors"!

[Roger Zimmermann]

While waiting for some measurements, I began the windshield wipers, so tiny and so easy! The first difficulty came with how the wipers are constructed: on some pictures, there is a flat band connecting the hub to the blade's attachment point and, on a car restored in the Netherlands, there is a rod. I suspect that the rod is the original style and the blade type is a replacement part. I opted for a rod; the diameter I choose is probably a tad too large, but is adding some stability. The rubber support is just a U into which something will be inserted after the chrome plating. The shaft which will be inserted into the windshield frame is much too large, but was practical for the handling of the parts. The shafts will be cut after plating; the wipers will not be mobile.



In between, I got the needed dimensions from Johan: it's for the headlamps and rear lamps.
The headlamps are huge: they have a diameter over 8 ¾". The question was: how can I replicate the glass pattern?



 From a box with past tools, I grab the one I did for the Mark II which is at the left on the picture. The new tool is a similar design: each vertical line will be represented by one piece of brass. On that picture, the block you see on the right is an assembly of 23 plates screwed together. That block will be machined in the next few days.

[Lexi]

Great innovative, thinking outside of the box Roger! Clay/Lexi

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Clay!

The material I used for the headlamp tool is not ideal for machining because usually flat stock has something missing for that purpose, maybe lead. Most of the trimming was done with a file as there was too many vibrations trying to use a milling tool. Dressing the front surface on the lathe was not kind either for the cutting tool...
Now the fun will begin by taking the tool apart and shaping each blade.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The simple graphic for the headlamps was indeed not so easy to reproduce. The lines separating the middle field are not as straight as I expected, but I will use the lenses as is, as redoing the whole bloc is too much work for an hypothetic improvement.
From the four lenses I did, one was done when the tool was too hot: bubbles were formed at the outer surface of the Plexiglass. It can be corrected by sanding and polishing. Anyway, the outer and inner surfaces must be polished which can be done when the headlamp doors will be available.

[Big Fins]

Roger, what you do with these miniature parts just amazes me. I ran out of words when you first started building the frame. Beautiful! Very worthy of a museum.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks John!
Finally, I decided to rework slightly the tool to improve the alignment and to polish the surface as polishing the inner side of the lens is impractical.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The reworked tool for the headlamp's lenses had a positive influence over the lenses' condition. The separation lines are a bit less in zig-zag and the inner side of the lenses is acceptable.
I will do now the tail lamp lenses.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Rear lenses are much smaller than the ones for the headlamps; they are originally in 3 parts: the outer lens, a blue dot lens for the reverse light (was that efficient?) and a chromed ring separating the blue dot and the red lens.
I decided to simplify by making just one piece; the chromed ring will be painted. However, I tried to replicate the reliefs inside and out.

[Roger Zimmermann]

After the lenses, the logic was to do the headlamps or taillamps. Both have issues: how to attach the door to the body? The original lamps have a single screw for the doors; for the taillamps, it's just impossible with my tools. I doubt that I will do it for the headlamps as the screw must be very long and thin. Well, glue will probably be needed.
I began with the tail lamps, first with the doors and then the body. If you have a look at the original tail lamp's picture published a week or two ago, the body is circular till the smallest diameter and then getting almost flat and wide. The pictured parts are done on the lathe till the change of shape; the missing element will be silver soldered to the body and trimmed with files.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The last few days, I was busy with the front part of the tail lamps. Thanks to various pictures, I think I have the shape and dimensions more or less right as the sole dimension I have is the lens diameter. I have to say that the parts from the 1:24 scale model are a good help dimensions wise, but they are lacking some precision.
I had the good idea to drill the attachment points to the rear fenders before the parts were silver soldered, but I missed the aperture for the license plate illumination. I was toying with a white tape affixed on the chromed part, but as it would look very cheap, I did a fixture to make the hole into the body. That support is not very rigid, but was sufficient for the job. A curved Plexiglass will go into that hole after plating. On the second picture, you can also see a small hole; it will be used to locate the license plate support during the soldering process.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The bracket for the license plate is probably not very accurate; this is something which is mostly hidden what cars are photographed. The strange reflections on the picture are in reality almost unseen when looking at the part: On my screen, the picture is about 10 times the size of the lamp!

One member from another forum gave me a good idea for the tail lamp's lens: taking a plastic element like a slice of toast and insert it into the hole, avoiding the creation of another mold to make the lens.

[Roger Zimmermann]

I'm closing the tail lamp chapter with the addition of the bracket on which the license plate is attached.
This bracket is indeed in real life more complicated than my rendering: the height can be adjusted on real cars, as well as the distance for the captive nuts for the license plate. On the model, those are solid; the holes at the license plate will be done according to the ones at the bracket.

[Roger Zimmermann]

For the moment, I'm continuing with the headlamps. As I still have old dies, I modified two to shape the reflectors. What a difference between an headlamp which is 5" and one which is 8 ¾": there is a considerable quantity of removed material to get both dies!
Smal parts are usually easy to shape by pressing a thin piece of brass, but for a larger element, I was not sure if I would success.
The first try with a 0.2mm thick brass was a failure: the brass folded it over itself, no matter is a tried the "brutal" process or a progressive one. Life was easier with a 0.3 mm thick material: even if there were some waves, by pressing both dies progressively, a reflector could be done, followed by a second. Thanks to the thicker material, all flaws could be removed by sanding.
As I already wrote, there will be no light; a fake bulb will be done with Plexiglass.