1:12 1932 Cadillac V-16 frame and engine

[MODEL A MODEL]

Another suggestion is to create an oversized version. Longer than you need, using that area to help affix the strips in place, adjusting them as needed then on this "outside margin", soldering them hard and fast. Straighten the line, use your solder then, then another strip, repeat 130 times!

If your using a stainless steel ruler to hold your strips straight, it might act as a heat sink, so keep it hot . And a thin coating of kiln wash, plaster, or soot should prevent it bonding to the solder.

Of course, once you're done, you can trim off the excess border, and in the end these areas are hidden by the radiator frame anyway?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Good theory, Don. Unfortunately, the strips are not 100% regular not straight. Plus, they are not rigid, not at all! The idea to tin the base came also to my mind but with heat application, the base plate is getting distorted; I was amazed at it. A small flame or heat from under is heating a too large surface, the strips already soldered are moving!
I'm thinking at another method: milling grooves into a thick bit of brass , maybe 5 mm deep and the grooves .2 mm wide (I have nothing thinner ) and cast the fins with the same material I used for the tires. As the radiator is black when finished, this could be acceptable.
I saw your second answer when my response was published!
This different method has the same flaw as explained above: the strips are not laser straight and my tooling is not up to the job to have 150 times the same strip. By the way, I have about 5 to 10 minutes for each strip...

[MODEL A MODEL]

Hmm. You do have a novel approach! If we can beat this horse a little longer, how's about replacing the Soldered base for plasteline clay? The non-hardening type, create a thin even layer, and push (gently) your strips into that, you could then pour your black rubber into the radiator fins , maybe create some diking around the perimeter, the resin won't adhere to the clay, put everything into your vacuum chamber, so that any air bubbles will rise to the surface and pop.

Once the resin has cured the whole fin/resin amalgam thing could be pulled clear of the clay?

[MODEL A MODEL]

Clever idea using the black resin that way!

[MODEL A MODEL]

Switch from Brass to Stainless Steel? S.S. shim stock can be cut with scissors. And it is a bit more rigid.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Your other suggestion is not bad at all! Sometimes it's good to beat the horse a bit longer! I will not switch to S.S because I have plenty of that chinese thin brass. I have to make some tentative as I cannot do fins 1 mm wide. I have to be more generous like 3 mm. As my tools are only 1.5 mm wide, about half of the material will stay straight, making some rigidity for each band.
I'm now back to the brake system; we let the beaten horse recover!

[MODEL A MODEL]

Oh one more thing, after you pour your resin , but before it cures, you can "dust" it with charcoal dust, this will only stick to the outer most surface, and give you a matte surface. -if that's an issue with your resin .

After everything is cured, the excess powder can be blown off. -At my day job we use a Powder Guide Coat to aide in surfacing our cars, and I found this to be an effective technique to kill the shine of Silicone caulking. Something we use on concept car headlights.

[Roger Zimmermann]

If I'm understanding your plan well, I will get a negative mold: the fins will be as grooves. To have fins in relief, I will have to pour another batch. To avoid that both are sticking together, I will have to use a can of wax. This will make the end product dull.

[MODEL A MODEL]

I thought you were intending to fill the voids with your resin , the through holes going black?

Forget the clay or solder, can you lay one fin down flush on one edge? Super glue it to a stiff cardboard. Repeat, repeat, 148 times! -then pour your resin ? Vacuum chamber away any trapped bubbles, let cure . -then soak the cardboard in water, peel/scrub it off?

If your Brass is clean of oils, the resin should bond to it, no need for solder. The glued down edge becomes a flat face, and the cardboard and super glue can be sanded off.

All these "?" marks are my indication of guessing. I have not tried any of this. -you're a pioneer!

[Roger Zimmermann]

Well, Don, it's getting obscure with your explanation! If I can get the fins on a stiff carboard, that's would be all I'm needing! Just paint it black and insert that into the radiator's frame. I tried to glue a band on the brass base; it took too long to set. However, it could be much more effective on a cardboard at the excess glue would be "aspirated" by the cardboard.
It's interesting to notice how a discussion can lead to something impractical or interesting...It seems that I have more things to try.

[MODEL A MODEL]

You are wise..

[Roger Zimmermann]

Maybe!

During a discussion with Don, he gave me some ideas, some utopic, some useful. The best idea was to use carboard and glue the bands on it with instant glue. Fortunately, the glue is not so instant (except on fingers) and very minor adjustments can be done. I tried that method with 3 bands. Obviously, the result is not too bad.
Another lesson with that project: sometime less is more. Explanation: I have two different tools to make the waves, a long one and a shorter one which is giving crisper angles: first the band is shaped into the long tool, then into the short one and again into the long tool. This time, I used only the long one and I have less issue with the pitch. Some waves are not exactly the same with the next ones, I had this issue by using both tools too.

[PaulPK]

That looks great.

Now you could go back to one of your earlier ideas about using a tinned piece of brass. Super glue the pieces on an aluminum base and build an aluminum box around the base to contain the pieces. A soft soldered tinned piece of brass is placed on top, then heated to activate the solder while the heat also releases the super glue. The solder for tinning would be a very soft solder, requiring low heat. You could then soak the part in acetone to release the remaining super glue.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Paul!
A few remarks about your idea: To avoid the break of the bands, I'm annealing them. Therefore the surface is lightly oxidized and don't get covered with tin. If the coat of tin on the base placed on top is thick enough, it could solder the elements. Maybe not all but enough to have a solid part once the cardboard is gone. However, this whole operation is too risky to me. I'm gluing the bands the super glue, one after the other. As a base, I'm using a cardboard as a metal one would take too long for the glue to set.
The result is not perfect but will be good enough because indeed the radiator core is masked by the shutter doors. I'm attaching a picture from the real thing. Of course, the doors can be opened for maximum cooling, but the view at the core is still limited.
I'm still thinking to create a negative mold for the other side of the core, the one seen from the engine side.
Even if I'm spending a lot of hours to shape and glue each band, creating a mold will not be much quicker due to the limitation of my "milling" machine.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Hello Roger, is there an additional screen in front of these slats? Or is that actually the front most part of the radiator? Thermostat actuation I assume.