Projects Giant speedster project

I think the dog locked him in his kennel after the christmas card

 

Hah! You're all wrong! Let's see. My water heater developed a leak and I had to replace it. Got a lifetime guaranteed, no money down, financed by the power company, Marathon model. It looks like nuclear reactor. Xmas and New Years came and went. Watched kids, and Monday, yes I said Monday, they are finally after 3 weeks of basically messing around, they are going back to school and things will be getting somewhat back to normal. YAY!!!!!

Today, I did go to the shop. It was like I was in Chernobyl at some abandoned shop where everyone just dropped their tools and ran like hell. Took me a while to get my mind into working mode. Finally I found a dull pencil and traced out something on a piece of steel. I don't even know what it was. Then I grabbed a nibbler and began nibbling. When my vision cleared I saw it was the start of a fender apron. The joy, the ecstasy! A new day has dawned! Tomorrow I shall return.

Jerry

 

Yep, sometimes you just have to start doing something.
Then you start to get into the flow.
I'm bad about bouncing all over the place.
"I need to do this."
"Oh but there's that, I need to do that first."
"Crap, I can't do that until I do this other thing..."
Your progress is looking great though.
Keep it going.

 

keep the nibbler away from your ecstasy .. unless??????

 

I got to the shop a little late, but I did get there. Cut out one fender apron then welded in some stiffening members to help with the ecstasy factor. Since I don't have a fancy jig I'm going to try and roll the sheet metal over the 1/4 by gentle persuasion with a large hammer.

Jerry

 

I guess I needed a jig.

Well, I needed something, a tool maybe to turn up that lip. It worked out pretty good. I also decided to spray a little Rustoleum under the lip. It can't hurt can it? The weather has been crappy here. Wet, cold overcast. Hard to get into the working mood. Plus you won't believe what they're doing around my little shop. The STATE is building a 4 lane bypass around the town. Giant graders and bulldozers travelling up and down my road. They're cutting trees everywhere. Everybody's getting paid off but me and my little 1/4 acre. Is this an excuse for no progress? Hell, I got to blame someone! Driving by spring!!
How long do I have?

Jerry

 

Fantastic build!

 

I know what you mean... crappy weather indeed..

 

I had a plan

I had this plan. I was going to make this 1/4 rod surround then cut out some metal form it around the surround, make up some tabs and bolt it in next to my fender. Sweet! Well when I got the thing done, or almost done, it didn't match up to the fender. It looked terrible. I knew I needed a jig! In retrospect I really needed the apron to go under the fender's lip. So I cut out the 1/4 inch rod and rebent the edge. The only way I could think to attach the apron to the fender was to drill tiny holes, insert tiny studs, then punch holes in the apron, line it all up and bolt her up. I wanted the apron to be removable. So the holes are drilled. Now I've got to cut off the heads and clean up the threads. I left the heads on because I needed to have something to tighten the screws with. I guess I could have double nutted some studs now that I think about it. Hell, I can't think of everything! Not with those bulldozers rumbling outside my door!

Jerry

 

gosh
all this is happening under the fender ? why couldnt a strap have been bent to sandwich the apron in place wth fewer screws/bolts
gee i hope that rod on the fenderedge is not weakend now

a couple three- four clover leaf shaped straps a few more carrriage bolts ?

them bull dozer do not run 24-7 do they?
wishen yall the best good luck

 

Just reviewed this thread and your build again. Besides being a talented fabricator, inventor and technician, you've pretty much re-defined "stick-to-it-ness"!!!

Thanks for sharing it all with us!

 

Apprenticeship

I think I was supposed to have an apprenticeship or something. Well I'm learning. But then again, I always was a slow learner. I got my little studs in and cleaned up the threads and punched some holes in the apron. Of course all the holes had to be adjusted by hand. You see I should have punched the holes first then used the holes as a template to drill the holes in the fender. Live and learn. The other side will be easier. Because to took out the 1/4" rod the rolled edge got buggered so I have to rework that. At least the rain has stopped. Left my camera at home so you get crappy cell phone pics.

Jerry

 

carry on pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.. ER APRON

 

Looks like it's coming along well.
A bit late for you, but Harbor Freight sells a rivet-nut tool that will install machine screw threaded rivets in sheet metal.
I used one for my toe board and trans cover in my coupe.
Costs under 20 bucks.
BUT, it's best if the back side is not seen. They're not pretty on the back side.

Sets 3/32", 1/8", 5/32", and 3/16" blind rivets and
Threaded nut sizes: 6-32, 8-32, 10-24, 1/4"-20

I see you're in Cleveland, GA. Come up to Pigeon Forge in May (17-19).
I'll be at the Classic Chevy show and there's an F100 show there as well that same weekend.
Let me know if you plan to attend and we can meet up.



It works well.

 

Rivnuts?

Did they have those back in 1923? As you know I use only authentic 1923 tools and techniques. All my machines, hand tools, electric hand tools (built in China in 1923) and fasteners were made in 1923. Even the electricity I use was generated in 1923 and has been circling the grid until I captured it, had it thoroughly identified by electricity experts as 1923 electricity before running it through my tools. Rivnuts?!

So I think I finally have the fender apron thing down. I may very well be able to make the right side apron in about 30 minutes. I tidied up the apron, rolled the edge and made some welds. I still have to cut down the fastening studs and rivet the stiffeners and make up some attachment tabs. Just checked the pictures--boy are they bad! My camera sucks. I tried the macro function--note, don't do that.

Jerry

 

They were invented in the mid 1930's. You could always claim that the aprons were a later date modification done in the 30's!

 

Right side

I worked on the right side apron. It might take a little more than 30 minutes, but not much more. I got the top and bottom formed. I think my right biceps is getting bigger than my left from swinging the hammer. I hope the girls at the beach won't mind too much. Okay I learned a big Chinese secret when using your 1923 hole punch and flanging tool. The thing will stop working to good and here's the reason--it's out of oil. The tool is air over hydraulic. You can try pour oil in that filler hole--good luck! I disassembled mine and filled hydraulic part with ATF. Worked great! Cell phone pics again--sorry. Jeez, I just looked at them Bad, bad, bad. Sorry!

Jerry

 

all done by a 23 year old nonsymetrical bicepted apron maker... gogogogoggoo

someone gonna think this all factory geez goof up once in a while wouldja

 

Jerry, you don't need to "pour" the oil in the little hole. Use an oil can to fill it. Ya know...one of those things with a long tapered tube on it that ya push on the bottom and the oil squirts out all over everything except what ya want the oil on.

 

Jerry new project for you.

Not sure what year the 4 cyl model was.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/3552330784.html

 

Hey, that ALF was just on ebay a few days ago and didn't meet reserve probably because the engine is missing a cylinder set, pistons and rods. It's the perfect year that everyone is looking for. 6K will seem cheap one day--if you can find the cylinder. After this project is over I'm doing a series of little short ones.

Jerry

 

I know where there is one of those jugs, but I also know that it ain't for sale : )

Wish I could afford the 6K (even though it is pretty high)- that would be a GREAT start!

 

Used to belong to the American Truck Historical Society. http://www.aths.org/ They have classified adds in their magazine and if my memory is correct you could find some old fire trucks listed for very low prices. If you are serious about building something from one of them, it might be worth the membership.

 

Isn't that ice.

We had our once a year ice storm Friday so they called off school. Today I worked on the right side apron. It really is going about four times as fast. I wanted to show you the Bic white out marker. I love those things. They're great for marking metal. They don't dry up like marker pens. They're kind of like those junk yard markers but you can buy them at Walmart. I was so excited when I did a fit check I opened the doors for a picture. The front aprons look so good I have to make rear aprons now. I don't know why some pictures are in focus and others aren't. Maybe the camera gets a reflection from the metal? I need a manual focus camera. Do they still make those?

Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,looking good.Yes,they still make manual focus cameras.Digital SLR type.If you go that route,get one with the interchangeable lenses.Little pricey,BUT an outstanding setup.Check them out.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Ad says engine is complete. Wonder if it is the same one.

 

The craigslist ad says it's missing one head but that's a little miss leading since the head includes the cylinders. You can see in the ebay pics there's no pistons or rods either unless the guy has them stashed away. One of you guys buy this thing!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1900...2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&forcev4exp=true

 

For those needing a project, I still have this late 20s Seagrave available. It has the same engine & transmission as Jerry's but the original rear axle is geared a little higher & made for single wheels. As a Hook & Ladder truck it did not need the weight carrying capacity as a pumper but was intended to be a first response unit. Being from the late 20s it has large 4 wheel brakes that would be a bonus on a speedster. The truck is very complete & shows about 3000 miles from new. The engine is stuck from sitting but everything else is free. To ease shipping it could be stripped & shortened here if need be. $5,500 . Available only because I have more projects than time!

 

I like it!!

 

I wasn't sure that there was such a thing, short of a DSLR, that focused by twisting a ring on the lens barrel. But you might keep your eyes open for a used Panasonic Lumix, something like this...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2006/7/19/panasonicfz50

Your camera may have a manual focus setting but it probably is adjusted by pressing some buttons. Often kind of futzy and inprecise.