Roadster Door Hinges ?

[Jon Haigwood]

Working on a 29 A . Just did my first hinged trunk lid. Thinking about doing the doors. Any tips, hints or tutorials on hinged roadster doors? 

Thanks

[Ace-Garageguy]

I've built some proof-of-concept pieces using 1/16" brass tube and straight-pin or brass wire hinge pins. It's pretty straightforward, just build in scale kinda what you see on a real car, but only use 2 tubular sections for each hinge to avoid handling and fabricating excessively small parts. Brass shim stock soldered to the tubes reasonably recreates the plate sections on many hinges.

The problem with 1/16" tube is that it equals about 1.5" in 1/25 scale, where real hinge tubes are around 3/4" to 1". Find some smaller tube, you should be good to go.

Build 'em like this, but very small.        

You want to end up with something like this, but only two tubular sections, and delete the sheetmetal cover.      

You can fab the same thing in styrene with sheet and rod stock. You'll need sharp eyes and a pin-vise. .010"-.015" brass wire is sufficient for hinge pins if the model is to be adult-handled.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[Scott Colmer]

I have not done this yet, but I remember and article where the person used brass strips folded over. The then line up the top and bottom hinges with a pin or rod all the way through both so the door would swing properly.

[Jon Haigwood]

Thanks

I will have to hunt down some smaller tubing. Mine scales down to   2". Is there a problem on a roadster keeping everything in line since you are separating the front and back ends of the body with no roof to keep things together ? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

13 minutes ago, Jon Haigwood said:

Thanks

... Is there a problem on a roadster keeping everything in line since you are separating the front and back ends of the body with no roof to keep things together ? 

Yes, and it's a problem on real cars too. Hanging doors accurately requires the body to be jigged or mounted on the frame using the same spacers you'll use on final buildup.

After cutting your doors open, tape them back in position...accurately...with something like aluminum duct tape. Jig your body to the frame you'll be using, with white glue as a removable adhesive.

You should then be able to remove the doors and build your hinges, ensuring everything will fit at the end.

You really have to be careful here, as just a few one-thousandths of an inch out-of-line and your doors won't work properly.

[Jon Haigwood]

4 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yes, and it's a problem on real cars too. Hanging doors accurately requires the body to be jigged or mounted on the frame using the same spacers you'll use on final buildup.

After cutting your doors open, tape them back in position...accurately...with something like aluminum duct tape. Jig your body to the frame you'll be using, with white glue as a removable adhesive.

You should then be able to remove the doors and build your hinges, ensuring everything will fit at the end.

You really have to be careful here, as just a few one-thousandths of an inch out-of-line and your doors won't work properly.

Thanks  That gives me some good info to start with. I just finished doing the trunk lids on a 32 and 29. After cutting out the trunk on the 32 I had to add plastic to the edges so the gap was not to large. On the 29 since I wanted louvers I used the one from the Revell 32 5W kit and it to my surprise it was a drop in. 

[mod3l Lover]

    Jon, I just cut open the trunk on a `29 A myself, and I too

was amazed at how the louvered lid fit right away!!?!!

   And it really looks great also!!  

  But the doors however, I think would be an entirely different

matter for sure, but I think that I came up with a brain storm

on that though!?

  Are you doing a rumble seat in that car when you get to that

point on this build?

          David S.

Edited May 13, 2019 by mod3l Lover

[Jon Haigwood]

It is going to be a Track Nose Roadster. I want to put a fuel tank and battery and a vintage style fire extinguisher in the trunk . I decided to have it open rumble seat style so you can see the trunk interior better.

This is my first attempt at doing hinges. Next one I think I will make the inner support thinner.

 

[Chariots of Fire]

Simple solution is to go to Micro Mark and get some of their smallest H hinges.  They work well with all sorts of vehicle of your era.  I've used them on plenty of truck models that would have the outside hinges.  Hard to see but here is one example.

[my80malibu]

MCG used to make some hinges,  in PE I used them on a 37 Ford, they work well. Micro Mark sells some small doll house hinges in brass, Randy Ditton used these on his brass built, GT 40 ,and his tow truck. The Smallest brass tube  I have found is from special shapes.