FAULTLESS SPEEDSTER PROGRESS

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: FAULTLESS SPEEDSTER PROGRESS
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JAMES STARKEY Naperville, IL on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 02:48 pm:

What Jimmy has been up to...

Not sure there is a lot of progress to report but I thought I should at least let those who have been faithfully following my threads since 2012 know what I've been doing this Summer.

1. Engine is shipped off and getting a rebuilt.

2. The motorized bead roller that I started a separate thread for has been completed and it works and even looks great. In the end, the (free) electric motor I tried to use lacked torque, I was too cheap to buy a worm gear reduction box so I settled for a very 'torquey' and very in-expensive, heavy duty Harbor Freight power drill. It works like a charm and I can control it very precisely with a H.F. foot pedal. Case closed.

3. I added a planishing hammer to my arsenal of sheet metal forming tools. What the Hell was I waiting for??? It saves a ton of time and the results are stellar. Again, Harbor Freight and again like anything that comes from China, don't expect it to work straight out of the box. It had two flaws. One major and one minor. I was able to fix it myself but the novice who has limited tools or 'fix what's broke' skills would have been very unhappy. I also made a few new lower dies for it (you only get three). Good ones if you buy them are about $45.00 ea. and you get no shrinking or toe-nail type dies with the Harbor Freight/Woodward Fab machine. If you want the thing to vibrate less, fill the frame with #9 lead shot or even fine sand.

3. I've been planning to make the pair of lower frame skirts for the Faultless body, since that's all that's left to do, besides upholstered seats and smaller details like that. I started experimenting with how I wanted to reinforce the bottom edges. That's an exposed area that might take some dings so I wanted some strength. I elected to use a wire edge with heavier gauge fencing wire but rather than a rolled wire edge, I want a folded wire edge. See photo. After the metal tab is firmly seated as you see in the picture, I'll run a line of MIG tack welds along the folded edge. It seems darn strong on the sample piece. I'll probably just run a decorative bead along the brake rod and rear radius rod cut outs.


This is the inside edge view that will not be visible when mounted.

4. I had just got my hands on a very good book called; ADVANCED SHEET METAL FABRICATION and one of the craftsman in the book, Craig Naff had some nifty hand tools he had made. Using a photo in the book I made my own set of 'Wire Edge Crimping Pliers' out of Dad's old Craftsman Vise Grips. I took some hot rolled steel bar, drilled a hole to suit my wire size, split it, clamped it in the jaws and welded them in place. They work very well but I would encourage anybody who works with sheet metal heavier than 20-22 gauge to use the larger grips or you'll be doin' a lot more squeezin'than crimping.







5. So, what do you do with a planishing hammer after you get it working? You play with it and make goofey things for your car. I've been looking for some time at many original style air vents and louvers that came on the various T Speedster body kits and narrowed down a few I thought would look quite snazzy on the Faultless. The louvers (air vents) would be mounted to the side cowl in pairs of three. They are functional and both styles (could) be made to close if you don't need the fresh air in the cockpit on a cold ride. These are only ideas and rough prototypes so don't moan if you don't like em. Not sure the photos will describe exactly what I have in mind but I'll do my best to explain in the captions.

PROTOTYPE A:
Three air scoops on each side. Cut out in cowl skin would have a screen mounted to prevent bugs from landing on the wife's lap. The flange is what would be tack welded from the inside and the outer seam would be lead soldered to give it a smooth (pressed in production) look.Scoop mouth would have some sort of rolled or beaded edge not the sharp edge you see now.




my hand to show scale


Position of first scoop. The other two would mount behind, equidistant about 4 inches apart.

PROTOTYPE B:

This is rather hard to explain without showing a finished example. The air vent is made in two parts (inner & outer dome) and the outer disc turns 180 degrees to open or close it. I have a sketch in the first photo but I've changed the opening design. If you can picture an hour glass shape with a round quarter size center and a brass wing nut, that's the idea. Again there would be three per side. A brass fine mesh screen inside the dome will prevent unwanted beasties and debris from getting inside. P.S. Somebody may wonder, "Are they water tight if it rains"? The car has no top so 'water-tightness' is not a concern.





Well that's about it. We just returned from a wonderful trip to the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia. We visited a fellow forum member who rolled out the red carpet in his beautiful town for us. Many thanks again, dear friend. You meet the best people on earth in the Model T forum!


Skyline Drive, Virginia


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - 12:53 am:

Great stuff! I can't believe how beautiful that picture is of Skyline Drive, Virginia. I have never been to Virginia. However I know Tennessee is beautiful.
Glad to hear about the bead roller. And I would like to see the planishing hammer in action. I like the looks of the bead wire cruncher. That looks great!
Thanks for the update!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ake Osterdahl on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - 02:51 pm:

A Swedish man who moved to the U.S., skilled in sheet metal processing.
Look into this:
http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/category_id=5/home _id=5/mode=cat/cat5.htm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JAMES STARKEY Naperville, IL on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - 11:46 pm:

Hello Ake,
Lazze is already a legend in the US. I know all about him. I've watched all his on-line videos, bought some of his DVD's and own his Lazze brand Shrinker & Stretcher. If I could afford the expense of flying to California, staying in a hotel for a week, renting a car, meals and paying the tuition for his courses I would gladly do so. As an affordable alternative, I'm getting some good classroom training (starting in August) from a master metal shaper and body man in my area. Lazze has some methods however, that are unique because he is always adding new ideas & 'tips n' tricks (as he calls them)to the traditional old world technique he has mastered.

What makes him so remarkable, is that he can turn out an accurate steel or alloy fender in a single day because he is always figuring out a better and quicker way to do something without sacrificing quality.

Cheers! Jimmy


Lazze is the guy on Left


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