Making model engine radiator

be about 5 inchs square and about 3/4 inch thick. Please keep in mind that looks are paramount for a model so slapping something together with a heater core is out of the question.

I would like to make the entire radiator out of stainless steel. I would like to make the fins out of SS stock about 35 thousands thick. This leads me to all kinds of questions. I need to run some tubes through the fins. How do I run the tubes through the fins and still maintain good thermal contact? I also need to maintain a uniform spacing on all the fins. Obviously drilling holes in the fins and sticking the tubes through the plate will not work. Should I drill an undersize hole and then press the tube through the fin? Is there some way to punch a hole in the fin such that it leave a consistant raised surface that would provide the fin to fin spacing??

I envision silver soldering the manafold to the tubes. How do I do this with tarnishing the fins? I suspect there is no way, so perhaps you can suggest how to attach a manafold to the tubes.

I need about 60 fins that are cut from sheet metal; I don't have a shear. I suspect my band saw with mutulate thin stock. I could use a slitting saw, but that seems very time consuming. I suppose I could gang some slitting saws on the horizonal mill and cut several at a time. After rough cutting the fins, I could sandwich them all together and mill them to make them all consistant but I need something reasonable to start with.

chuck

Reply to
Charles A. Sherwood
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Sure it'll work, just epoxy them together with thermal conducting epoxy.

Reply to
Nick Hull

Well... You could get get some Cerrobend, pour it into a sheet the thickness of the spacing of the fins. Cut it into strips, and sandwich the fin material between the strips. Mill and drill the assembly as a block (make the holes undersize for a friction fit with the tubes). Insert the tubes. The assembly should now be stable enough to solder the tubes into the manifold while melting out the Cerrobend.

Kevin Gallimore

Reply to
axolotl

Charles Have you connected up with this group;

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? Chase down the contacts and contact Gary Hart. I believe that you will find him a wealth of information, and joining up with the group will get you contacts galore in your neck of the woods. lg no neat sig line

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Reply to
larry g

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