I am about to start assembling the Irons and bows for the top on my 1915 Tourer, I have oval Irons and laminated bows. my question is how deep do the bows go into the irons and are these glued in ?


John Oldland
Perth Western Australia

For anyone that's interested, here is the same car 20 years ago



John Oldland
Perth Western Australia

Wow! It was in worse condition than my '15 runabout!
Nice job!!!!!
Sorry, I do not have a proper answer to your question, though. I haven't gotten far enough along yet with my car. I will be looking back in here so I can be ready when I get there.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

John, hope this helps.

The bows are fit to the top sockets. They are held in place by a nail.

Great work on the car! It looks beautiful!

And you may find these previous postings helpful as you fit your top:

1913 – but similar process for 1915 -- Fitting Top Bows and Sockets
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/49876.html?1205772092


Roadster top bow vs touring not all the same
So which way does this thing go?
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/310440.html?1347301416

Wrapping the bows
Clippy Top 2 ... A Little Progress
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/93079.html

Roll up rear curtain – not original for the USA cars – probably not original for the Canadian 1915s – but I don’t have any documentation one way or the other. But an option to consider see the posting:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/147528.html?1278501687

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

On a '14, Ford called for the front and rear bows to be driven into the sockets 7", and the center two to be driven in 5". Although you are doing a '15, and the front bow is shorter, I expect that this would be the same. The fit is to be tight and smooth, like a glass stopper in a bottle, so that once driven in they are difficult to remove. Even so, what Royce said is correct; a heavy tack is driven in, presumably as insurance against the wood loosening up by drying out and shrinking. With laminated bows this would be less of an issue.

Thanks all most useful

Regards John Oldland

To expand a little on what Hap posted above, here are the three posts I entered about my experience with my '16.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/92334.html?1242739710

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/93079.html?1243523410

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/93685.html

Be_Zero_Be

Thanks Bob, I've made a note of all the comment in your post

Regards John O

Hope it can be of help!