It is time to fabricate the windscreen frame for the AC Six. This is not a difficult part but there are a number of ways to complete this particular part and here I show what I did.
WINDSCREEN: The first step is to review the plan diagram for Parts 8A and 8B, seeing how they fit together and also fit onto the auto body. Determine how you will create the radiuses end for each up right and understand that there is not a L and R need; both parts are the same. The radius on the top is used to secure the 104mm cross beam, Part 8B. For this part, I decided to use 3/16"dowel instead of the metric version. My choice is about 1/32" larger than the plan dimension but in general it will not make a huge difference in the outcome.
After sizing the needed 5mm x 6mm stock in sufficient quantity in case of an "opps, I need to remake this" event, I started by marking the center of the 5mm side. The hole will be drilled with a 3/16" brad point drill on the drill press and the initial location is center punched with an awl. Give yourself plenty of extra length above the marked area. Too close to the end will encourage splitting. You could also drill this with a forester bit. I just chose the brad point. I don't think either one is better than the other. Also, some practice drilling will show any issures with layout or how the material responds.
While I did not capture it in this photo, the part is held to the table with hold downs to insure stability during drilling. Do not force the bit through the delicate material. Let the drill do the work and apply pressure slowly and evenly until the drill exits the material.
Here is one side drilled and ready for final sizing. The pencil mark lays out the 75 degree angle called for. The angle goes from back to front and is cut on the 5mm side. After both are cut, hand sand to insure they are the same dimension and the front 15 degree angle is cut on the 6mm side.
Once sanded and you are happy with the outcome, its time to glue the 3 pieces together.
This is a front-facing view of the finished windscreen frame. NOTE: Now is a good time to insure that the dashboard fits snugly between the uprights. Doing this before gluing the dash to the firewall will make doing any sizing adjustments easier.
LICENSE PLATES: The next pieces I made today were the license plates. 2 are needed for the model and I decided to use the laser to engrave the plate information. I decided on '25 AC Six.
First I dimensioned the material and laid out the dimension for the plate and the frame in the CAD program. The engrave and cut out was quick and the outcome what I wanted. For the painted model, I wanted the engraving to be a bit deeper so I could paint the background of the plate black, put an acrylic top coat on the plate and then overpaint the letters with paint, wiping the surplus off the black background. There is also a separate frame that will be chrome.
Here is the outcome of the initial engraving and cutting out. The lettering is about 1.5mm deep. Since they will be painted, I have not removed any smudges made during the engraving. If these were to be left as is, I would use 350-400 sandpaper to remove any soot or darkening. I would also make the frame from a different species stock to make it stand out. Here are the painted plates and frames.
These are the finished plates. For the unpainted model, I will use the technique shown in the first photo of the engraved plates above.
