Projects Giant speedster project

Hey, I found them. Nice, Jack! Thanks!

Jerry

 

I don't think you can get enough heat from propane. I use to work for Vestas, making windmills/windturbins. We used something called flamal(R), it's propane with acetone, just to be able to cut with it. And even then it burned so cold, you coulden't born thru, you have to start from the edge and heat it up slowly.

Thats how it works i Denmark, but I Think it should be the same over there.

 

Jerry, where did you find them? I might be able to use some.

 

Be careful, I just looked up step bolts on McMaster-Carr's site & they are indicating that elevator bolts & step bolts are the same thing. Wrong - you do not want elevator bolts; they have a flat head meant to bolt rubber to the chains on a belt type elevator.

Restoration Supply Co. has them, page 40 of their catalog http://www.restorationstuff.com/pdf/RestorationSupplyCompany.pdf

Look through their catalog, they have everything & they are great people to deal with.

 

I found them all over the web, even on amazon, but I had trouble finding them in small quantities at a reasonable price. I figured 5/16 was a good diameter. The head was about an inch. This place was pretty cheap. http://www.fastenermart.com/html/BL173-9912.html I like Restoration Supply but I haven't checked with them. You guy's gotta see the windshield I picked up. I was going to make one but this one is pretty cool. It just arrived tonight. I'll try and get a pic posted tomorrow.

Jerry

 

elevator bolts are used to bolt the buckets to the rubber conveyor belt, the flat head is so they suck down into the belt when fastened and then will not really contact the head, tail or knee pulleys. ya i work at a grain elevator.

propane is as simple as changeing the cutting tip. great for everything but welding!

 

New Windshield

Old actually. I believe this is an accessory rear windshield for a dual cowl phaeton. Unbelievably, I got it cheap on ebay. Had to be St. Eligius! In the first two pictures it's upside down. You can see that the wind wings are real neat with beveled glass--nice PLATE glass. The windshield is a little too wide but I can take care of that with no problem. As far as the height--we'll see. I plan on raking it a bit too. The wings will hang out somewhat over the doors which will be nice. I think I might also change the shape of the glass in the wings slightly. Of course, in accordance with standard shop operating procedure, as soon as I took the windshield apart I put everything in a box and stashed it away.

Fender braces

Before I could make up the fender braces (irons?) I had to firm up the running board position which meant solidly attach the running board hangers. That's why I had to take off the body and frame covers. I bent up the left side rear braces but they still need to be tweeked. I also have to make up some supports for under the fenders. That's where the step bolts come in. Time to order!

Jerry

 

Jerry,

A couple of other running board/fender things:

If you are using wooden running boards, elevator bolts work really well to bolt them down. A very minor countersink with a Forstner bit & they sit flush with the surface.

On my 1911 Cadillac the running boards attach to the fenders with a bracket screwed to the bottom of the board & 2 threaded bosses that bolt to the fender.

This leaves a 1/2 gap so the inevitable crud & rust does not accumulate between the two parts & there is little chance of distortion of the fender at that point. There is a 1/8" thick reinforcement on the inside of the fender that is the fender width & about 6" high. On the Cadillac the reinforcement hangs below the board about an inch & is bent back at about a 30 degree angle - this acts as a deflector for road dirt that wants to come up through the gap.

In the picture the bracket at the left is sitting in the position you would see it looking from above. The grid is 1" for reference.

 

Neat brackets, Jack. I'm afraid mine are going to be a lot simpler.

I spent Tuesday welding up one of the running boards. I'll face this with wood and line it with velvet and make pockets for lots of neat tools. After that I started welding up supports for the exhaust pipe since they are built into the fender braces.

Jerry

 

Looks good, I like the exhaust cradle too. Propane works good for cutting, just use a larger tip.

 

Exhaust and Hangers

I got the two fender/exhaust supports built so I figured I might as well tack the exhaust system together to make sure everything would fit together okay. The pipes are 3.5" electrical EMT. I have to take off the zinc plating because it's nasty to weld and I don't like it anyway. A little pool acid makes a nice show. I put the long pipe into a piece of 4" pvc. When the plating's gone I rub it down with metal prep. The EMT has almost a mandrel bend. Tomorrow I weld the pipes together. I also changed the protective lense on my welding helmet, Man, what a difference! I can see again! I don't know how I was welding! Not sure how I'll get the acid out of the pipe. Exhaust! Fenders! Running Boards! Man, I'm cooking!

Jerry

 

That long pipe is going to sound great!

 

Wash out the pipe with a baking soda solution ASAP or rust will start.


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

64 Dodge 440 -Is that what's he'd doing in Picture 3?

 

No, That's the pool acid. Mmmm bubbly!

 

Exhaust

I siphoned the acid out of the PVC and into a jug. I might need it again. After I rubbed the pipes down with metal prep I needed a way to attach the system to the muffler. An EMT connector seemed to be the answer but it looked a little too modern. After I added a band around the center and some rivets I was satisfied. Looks sort of medieval. I loaded up some .23 wire in the MIG and welded the pipe together. I might add a few bands (brass?) around the joints but for now everything is fine. Now I'm thinking some sort of interesting fishtail for the outlet. So next I'll make some fender supports for the other side. I can't seem to find a couple of original bumper mount brackets that I wanted to fashion the front fender supports out of. They're somewhere in the shop--but where? Ever have that problem?

Jerry

 

Cannot WAIT to hear that exhaust note!!!

 

Just a thought...might want to put some sort of baffle or big (1/4") mesh in at the end of the pipe to keep the critters out. That thing looks like one giant Habitrail to me...hate to see it get loaded up with bedding. Then again, it could be world's largest mouse cannon! patOOOM...thwack!

 

Perhaps a Brooklands style flattened funnel on the end? Something along the lines of this. Sorry I don't have a side view.

 

I think one of those came with my vacuum cleaner.

Jerry

 

that exhoust pipe needs a steam whistl e or at least away to put a tea kettle whistle in with the pull of a lever

i also like th look of a splayed exploded blunder buss as an exhaust tip ... in brass all curled up like flower petals ????

gogogogogogogo

 

Like the horn on a Victrola?

 

I meant more exploded than that split and curled
LOOKING LIKE A BLACKENED BRASS EDGED LILLY

or some of those serpent /goose headed bulb horn thingies
a cast devils /skull that belches oily smoke and fire .... ooh boy!

the vacuum attachment is also a way to clean up the exhaust..

invite the school band over and see which parts from the brass section they can provide..

 

Gerry, my compliments on the build. It has taken an entirely different direction than I anticipated when you began. Great creativity, design and workmanship!

 

Leg up

Thought I might as well build the right side step since I was getting the exhaust squared away. As you might recall the left side has a tool box for a step that goes between the shifter and the rear spring. The right side step goes around the exhaust pipe. It's got to be pretty sturdy so I made it out of 3/8 by 1/2. Box will be covered with aluminum plate etched with Seagrave Special or something neat. I used the left side toolbox/step to hold up the pattern and make sure the height was correct. The bender came in handy to make the piece around the pipe but when I got everything tacked in place I realized I'd made it a little too tight. There's not enough room around the pipe. I'll have to cut and add a little to give it more clearance. Also raked my arm on one of the fender supports. Notice the makeshift bandaid. Plym49 The build is going where it wants too I'm just trying to keep up.

Jerry

 

You mean like the barrel of Elmer Fudd's shotgun when it blows up in his face?

 

YES YES YES DO IT DO IT DO IT
YOUR INJURY MUST A BE SIGN WE THINK ALIKE THANK GOD WE DO NOT LOOK ALIKE .....YIKES

 

Real men don't need store bought Band-Aids, they have shop rags, electrical tape and duck tape in the shop.

 

Did I tell you that I invented these? But they had them already.

 

So you are saying, that my Lightning McQueen band-aid ain't cool, or HAMB friendly? ;-) LOL

Nice repair, if you don't get hurt now and again, it's because you are not giving All you can!
And by the Way that is good work, as always!
Keep it up.