What are you doing today 2016?

kb426 · January 16, 2016, 08:50:23 PM

I spent some time today replacing some parts on my Fender Jaguar. I know that isn't hot rod on wheels but you can hot rod a guitar.

I ran the 32 in the shop and worked on the motor mounts that I installed a while back. I made a cross bar to tie the 2 sides together. I welded an end plate on the drop from the mount and threaded a hole and welded a nut on top of it so it has double strength for the fastener. The parts are shot with left over spray can paint to prevent rust until there is warmer weather to paint them with urethane to match the frame.

kb426 · January 17, 2016, 05:57:22 PM

Today's project was to replace the clutch master and slave on the 32. I bought a CNC brand master. It's the only one that I'm aware of having a steel sleeve in the chamber. I bought another Speedway slave. It's made by CNC but cheaper. The alum. adapter is a replacement for the original that I made in 2007. It fits nicer and is made for a c clip to hold it in the bell housing boss. I'm using a Ford bell housing that was made for a cable clutch. I was going to convert to cable this winter but after looking everything over, it will require the clutch pedal hanger to be remade and bracing for the firewall. I got lazy and decided to replace everything instead. On the slave cylinder, there is a recess where the boot fits over the end. That has an o-ring in it to help hold the slave into the adapter. The c-clip holds everything into the bell housing boss just as the Ford cable would be. The pic from underneath shows the swivel that I put in a long time ago. Without that, it knocked out the slave shortly. I got about 20,000 miles out of the last one. It wasn't dead but it would leave a drop of fluid on the floor while sitting. I have some long trips I'd like to make this year so I want fresh parts.

idrivejunk · January 17, 2016, 08:28:44 PM

Quote from: "kb426"I know that isn't hot rod on wheels but you can hot rod a guitar.

The parts are shot with left over spray can paint to prevent rust until there is warmer weather to paint them with urethane to match the frame.

Yes you can, and come on please springtime! Sounds like you have a plan and the rod work looks nice.

I sorted over 27,000 pics today. 16 of those grand are build project pics. Any requests? Ha. Thats enough to choke a horse if they were prints! It is great to finally be able to flip through projects from start to finish in order but it makes me tired just looking at it all. Meeemoriiies

UGLY OLDS · January 17, 2016, 08:42:19 PM

KB ...Does that improved engine mount clear your scrub line :?: :?: Sure would hate to "snag" that on sumthin' at speed ....

You found a "Blue Man Group" guy to help install your slave cylinder :?:

Bob....

kb426 · January 17, 2016, 09:16:41 PM

Bob, yes it does. It is above the bottom of the sump which is above the scrub line. I didn't used to need the blue man group but as my skin has aged, it needs all the help it can get. Besides, I hate brake fluid. Sticky nasty, ect.

sirstude · January 18, 2016, 08:37:47 AM

Spent the weekend adding some triangulation to the front frame section on the Oldsmobile. That steering box way out there bothers me with the leverage it has. Forgot to take the camera out to the shop when I did it, but will take some pics later and post.

chimp koose · January 18, 2016, 11:51:11 PM

Just got the quickchange gearbox back together on an OLD harris lathe . It has been an extra experience project for a number of students of mine for a few years on and off .It had been piled up by an overly aggressive operator to the point of shearing off gear teeth and shearing off a key flush to the shaft as well as bending one of the gear shafts and splitting the gear housing . this was my only lathe for 9 years when I taught at another school . When it piled up , that school was going to scrap it so I asked to have it as I have another one like it at my new school so it would be a parts machine if nothing else . These boys have learned how to make drawings from mangled parts , weld up and re-cut select gear teeth , straighten shafts , machine new parts using the mangled ones for a guide and improve the lubrication of the new parts including adding a much needed bushing in a key failure area . I am tickled pink at the thought of getting this machine back in use . It sounds weird but I have a soft spot for this machine , I built almost all of my Anglia parts on this one . The boys who work on it are the better skilled ones with an eye for entering the trades . It has been a great training project for them . Once it is running I think I will invite them all back to school to each have a turn on it.

UGLY OLDS · January 19, 2016, 10:44:29 AM

Good on you Chimp for teaching students to return a machine to "life"..

In today's "disposable" society that is something that is becoming a lost skill ..

Hopefully , they will feel the same sense of accomplishment as us "Old Guys" with the machine being usable again..

Thanks again for taking the time to teach the kids the "basics" of machine work & the trades .......We actually have some small "job shops" in our area that do die repair & basic machine work ... Part of the job interview is to hand the applicant a part & ask the question; how would YOU make this ??
Sadly , most fail at that point .....

Bob....

Rrumbler · January 19, 2016, 04:12:35 PM

That's interesting, Chimp; a good project for a class or three. Interesting because I had a project like that, myself, when I was in "Metal Shop" in 1956 - 58. The teacher got his hands on a beat up Southbend 30 inch lathe, and handed it to me as a long term project; I selected a couple of other students to join in, and we worked almost exclusively on that lathe through my Sophomore and Junior years. My family moved during the summer between my Junior and Senior years, and I finished my high school years 200 miles away from there. I don't know what became of the project - it was about 80% complete when school let out for the summer in '58.

chimp koose · January 19, 2016, 11:14:01 PM

I hope some of my boys will remember the experience too.A couple of them from this project are pursuing a career in industrial mechanics and a couple more hope to become machinists . I have a standing offer with the guys . You show me your journeymans certificate and the first beer is on me ! I have bought a few enjoyable rounds to date. One of the better perks of my line of work is seeing these guys grow into skilled tradesmen with above average incomes .Many of them were never expected to finish high school .

1800guy · January 20, 2016, 01:10:54 AM

Quote from: "chimp koose"I hope some of my boys will remember the experience too.A couple of them from this project are pursuing a career in industrial mechanics and a couple more hope to become machinists . I have a standing offer with the guys . You show me your journeymans certificate and the first beer is on me ! I have bought a few enjoyable rounds to date. One of the better perks of my line of work is seeing these guys grow into skilled tradesmen with above average incomes .Many of them were never expected to finish high school .

Wish I'd had a teacher that thought like you. You could only take metal shop if you were deemed "not very teachable". "Ending up working with your hands" was a threat to motivate the un-motivated. Sad.

Rrumbler · January 20, 2016, 04:42:18 AM

Quote from: "chimp koose"I hope some of my boys will remember the experience too.A couple of them from this project are pursuing a career in industrial mechanics and a couple more hope to become machinists . I have a standing offer with the guys . You show me your journeymans certificate and the first beer is on me ! I have bought a few enjoyable rounds to date. One of the better perks of my line of work is seeing these guys grow into skilled tradesmen with above average incomes .Many of them were never expected to finish high school .

You get an "amen" to that from me. When I was going through my last apprenticeship, I had a Lead Journeyman who would not let his Apprentices buy breaks or lunch, said he made a lot more than us, but when we topped out, lunch would be on us. I carried that routine on with me when I became Lead. Had several Apprentices that grew up and did real well, made me feel I had done something right by them.

kb426 · January 23, 2016, 06:25:06 PM

This was a do everything day for me. I'm doing a cabinet project for my wife's office in the house. She has some used cabinets that are being utilized to give her work space more usable storage. I put 8 gig of ram in my computer. That helped it some. I now have 12 and that will do everything I think I will be doing in the future. I messed with the 51 some. Nothing worth reporting.

enjenjo · January 23, 2016, 07:16:58 PM

I am doing a disc brake conversion on a 51 Hudson. I am using the stock hubs with a Lincoln rotor. I had to machine the pilot on the hub down by .017" to fit the Lincoln rotors on them. I am also converting from lug bolts to studs and nuts.

I found that Lincoln rear caliper brackets have the same bolt pattern as the Hudson backing plates, but I couldn't use them as they were too thick, and interfered with the hub, and the caliper spacing was wrong. So I am fabricating a bracket based on the Lincoln bracket, but offset to give the correct spacing.

Rochie · January 24, 2016, 09:14:42 AM

I just finished putting Fitech's injection unit on my 57. I think it was rumrum that was going to use the same unit. Man it works great!!! I can now reach through then window and hit the key and listen to it settle into a nice idle. The throttle response is right there,and with the snow we have it'l be a while before it gets a good road test. It certainly cleaned up the ol'girl