Wooden Morgan: 1950 DHC - Week 6

Radiator Mark II

Using the approach of adding in the grill bars instead of removing the spaces between the bars I could now use the router to level off the indentation to the fronts of the top and bottom tanks.  After doing a little geometry I came up with this jig to guide the router.  A little two sided tape holds the work piece in its slot.

Some touch up with a chisel squares the lower corners.

I'm going to cut out slots where the grill bars go, so measure and mark the distances to each line on the grill.  And mark the top and bottom tank lines.

Then I cut out the radiator opening with a coping saw and filed its sides flat and square in the corners.

The fancy magnetic saw guide I bought only works on the outside edge of a board, no help for the internal cuts I need here.  But the dove tail saw has the exact kerf width needed for the grill bars so I used it with a squared piece of hard wood for a guide.

I then fitted the grill pieces, cutting their ends on an angle with tin snips until they slid in close to the face of the rad.

Here it is after gluing in the bars and sanding the grill flat.

I succeeded in cutting the sides at (close) to the 15 degree angle they should be. 

The right side ended up a little off angle, because the band saw blade slipped out of the top guide when I tilted the head, letting the blade flexed a bit on the first cut.  Another thing I have to add to my 'Working with Band Saw' check list.

A little sanding to round the sides and top and we have a radiator.

One more item off the check list.  Speaking of check list, here is what is left to do:
- Cut outlines of the doors and the bonnet.
- Do a wood inlay of some Hop Hornbeam for the bonnet hinge.
- Do a wood inlay of some Hop Hornbeam for the side trim.
- Do a wood inlay of Black Walnut for the wings' scuff protectors.
- Bonnet louvers
- Head lights
- Bonnet catch handles
- Door handles
- Trafficators
- Spare hold down
- Wind screen pillars
- Wind screen frame
- Hub caps
- Gas and rad caps
- Steering wheel (top that shows above the door)
- ? Morgan wings badge for the radiator?

The outlining of the doors and back edge of the bonnet was easy with the little V chisel.

Another one off the list.

I was intending to use the router to make the slots for the wood inlay but with the three dimensional curves on the car I abandoned that idea.  Instead I'm using a beading tool that holds a custom made scraper bit that scratches the wood out slowly but very accurately.  I practised several times on the prototype Plus 8 model,

... before cutting the groove for the Flat Rad's bonnet hinge.

Hmm... Now how am I going to make that curve at the back of the groove for the side trim?  Or maybe I'll tackle some of the easier items on the check list next week.