Traveling to see two new grandsons, family visitors and the holidays have been the focus of activities for several months now. But the pleasure of working on Co-Hogs has also been squeezed in. A good bit of progress has been made on the four G935's for my sons.
The first to be finished is having the final details worked out and has entered the never-ending cycle of priming, filling, and sanding.
From the front and down on the deck, the stance and overall look rings true.
The low rear view is close to spot on even without the engine in place.
Wheel and tire proportions are finally dialed in and I'm happy with the overall playful balance between fun and aggressiveness.
This first G935 will be all black with silver five spoke wheels. It should be splendid.
Going back in time just a bit, the body and wing are shown ready for yet another priming. Each cycle takes several days and can't be hurried. Some days are meant for this level of finesse and on others it just can't be forced.
The wing support struts needed tiny extensions to be able to get the wing angle just right. It's a minor modification that makes a big difference. Everything needs to be close to done to get the final touches right.
Numbers 2, 3 and 4 are in varying stages of completion. As #1 is finalized, #2 up is brought up to the same level and #3 and #4 are then moved along accordingly.
Alignment pins were used to position each body on a gridded template during initial construction, which helps determine bilateral symmetry. Now they're not needed so they're filled and sanded flush. The tape protects the already flattened bottom surfaces.
Getting the final wheel-tire-wheel well proportions right is critical to the overall feel of the finished piece. These completed rear wheels and prototyped maple rear tire are the fourth set of changes (at least) I've made to hone them in closer to being right.
Since the finished wheels will have 3D printed five-spoke centers, they'll be painted. The wheel rims are turned in acrylic because of paint adhesion issues with aluminum at small scales. Additional etching primers add thickness and, in my experience, gives mixed results. Even the turned acrylic surface is too smooth and must be abrasive blasted to provide the needed grip with primer.
All turning is done by hand, not CNC. I could install CNC attachments, even on my tiny lathe, but the intense satisfaction of doing it by hand would be missing.
Further progress on the Co-Hog G935's will be featured in future updates. Someday they'll even be done!
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