So it's been 11 weeks now without the car, so as I have said before I have been getting on with the bits I can do with it being away.
I have been working again on the grill. Each individual rail has had a thorough polishing with 240, then 400, then 800, then 1200 and then autosol metal polish, before assembly, all looking nice.
Fitted the brackets to the second rail up from the bottom. Fixed them with machine screws and nuts, then put Gorilla glue on the nuts and along the exposed edge of the bracket. Anyone who has not used this glue should know that it is similar to the expanding foam you can buy for filling large holes, in that it expands. Great for getting into small crevices (not so good for getting a tight fit when joining two pieces together....you must clamp it or the expanding action pushes the two pieces apart).
It did as promised and found its way between the brackets and the rails, giving extra strength. I also dropped a couple of spots onto the nuts to ensure they don't come undone. All nicely, nicely.
Then came how to ensure the whole grill structure remained rigid. DNA recommend pinning it from the back with small screws....after I broke a 1,5mm drill in the tiny hole I was trying to drill, I gave up and decided to come up with a different method.
I bought a couple of small right angle brackets from a DIY shop (35p each) and used these at the ends where there is a right angle join between the rails (see pictures). I fixed them by drilling through and attaching with TEK screws. The drill end of the screws came right through so I just ground them off with a Dremel.
Then how to make the rest rigid. DNA say you can grind out a groove on the back where the rails interlock and then epoxy in the groove. I gave it a go but with a Dremel grinder it was going to take a month of Sundays....so instead I drilled shallow pilot holes at each intersection then used a big drill to put an indentation at each junction point, making sure the cut exposed metal on both the upright and horizontal rails. I did a couple of extra "craters" either side of the brackets, again for additional strength.
I may do a few more yet....it is surprisingly quick and easy. I will then fill each crater with JB weld, holding horizontal and vertical rails together, then smooth it off and spray with satin black.....this is all at the very back of the grill, including the brackets, so will not be visible when fitted to the car.