JV Puleo
-
Posts
5,197 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
22
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by JV Puleo
-
-
The OD of the rings is actually a bit larger than the finished OD. I'll cut everything at once. When I make more, I'll use the same rings but work very close. The second set will be rubber so I can "finish" the outside edges with some sand paper. As long as everything is very tight they should come out fine. I did the same thing with the gaskets for the water system although that was a stiffer material. If this works really well I could replace those with rubber...but it probably isn't necessary.
-
1
-
-
I think you are more than the proverbial ten feet away...
I had one of those days where little seemed to get done...though it may be that I'm just tired. I did receive the newly polished brass fittings for the water system. You'll remember I had used copper which isn't really right but was all I could find. I eventually found some brass NOS plumbing fittings...almost enough. I only had to make the "T" fitting. Ted, "christech's", neighbor polished them. I doubt anyone would now recognize them.
I used the 15/16 punch to put some holes in copper sheet and made some rubber ones as well.
Holding these pieces to turn them is a challenge...so I also decided to make some aluminum reinforcing rings to go on the ends of the stack of copper pieces in the fixture.
All of this is a PIA because of the odd sizes. I did this twice, the first time with a piece of mystery metal I had. It gave me all sorts of trouble so I just scrapped it and did them over in aluminum. They really don't have to be steel. Here's the fixture all bolted together. I finished this at the end of the day so I think I'll wait until tomorrow to turn them. If ti works, I'll then do the rubber ones the same way.
-
2
-
-
20 minutes ago, nickelroadster said:
You just need to get an older truck. Then it would be easy to fix.
Funny...I've just done that. I bought a 76 Blazer...low milege, no rust very basic model that is pre-all OBD crap. I've had it with electronics and even this in'st completely free of them but the less the better.
-
I pressed on with the grease caps even though they weren't coming out as nice as I'd hoped. Knurling the soldered-on end proved to be difficult because the pressure from the knurling tool wants to pop the end off. This happened three times. I was able to reattach them but the knurls aren't consistent or as deep as I'd like. These will work...and I doubt anyone but me will care but I know I could have done better.
When there were only three left to do, I had another idea. So, when I'd finished I decided to make a prototype of the improved version.
First making another cap. I don't have the materials to make a complete set but there is no point in getting them if I can't improve the result.
On this one, I knurled it below the end cap so that the pressure from the tool would not dislodge it.
It isn't as close to the top as I'd like but I think I'm on to something. Although I didn't take a picture of it, I turned this knurl off and did it again with another tool I have and got it even better. I don't have the patience to do this all over now but I will probably get the materials in and the next time I'm stuck for something to do because I'm waiting on materials I'll go back an make another set. If the shackle bolts come out close to perfect, I'll have to just to satisfy myself. I'm also thinking of putting little zerk fittings inside under the caps. I know that isn't original but the purpose is to force grease into them and that will work better...the jury is still out on that one but it does seem like a good idea, especially as I'm aiming at much closer tolerances than the car originally had. I want to eliminate ALL extraneous play in the springs...no clunking or squeeking and I've good reason to believe that getting the tolerances right will make it easier and safer to drive.
The copper for the sump gaskets came in so, having some time I tried out the punch I'd made. I still have to finish the repaired 13/16 punch but the one for a 15/16 hole is usable. I cut a 2" square of copper and clamped it in the punch then put everything in my shop-made 20-ton press.
This worked like gang busters...I got a perfect 15/16 hole in the sheet copper.
So, I'll go on and finish the punches and make the gaskets and keep on with the shackle bolts. About 90% of my experiments have worked so I have no valid reason to be discouraged when one doesn't come out exactly as planned.
-
4
-
-
Well, when you rent a car in the UK they always try to sell you an automatic because, as one clerk said to me "Americans don't know how to shift". I got to respond that "I was driving manual shift cars before you were born." The automatic has never caught on there. I'd say 98% of the cars have manual transmissions...the exceptions being the very expensive Mercedes and other "foreign" cars.
A friend of mine bought his college-age daughter a car with a manual shift. She was never bothered by friends borrowing it and never had to be impolite and refuse to loan it because none of them could drive it!
Personally, I'd rather shift but my everyday car purchasing budget forces me to take what I can get...
-
My apologies for taking so long to get back to you. Mike West tell me your Mitchell radiator is very nice but for an earlier model...but, I've just been contacted by a friend who may be interested. I'll send you a private message with my real email address.
Thanks,
Joe Puleo
-
Frank, a third endorsement for keeping the vertical molding dark...
-
It might but here isn't much to work with and when I get the knurl right it has the same effect.
(edit:) I did think about that but it added numerous complications to making them. I suspect it could have doubled, or even tripled the time required so since it's one of these points only a tiny handful of people might even notice I decided to forgo it. The original caps were probably made by drawing and stamping in the same way cartridge cases are formed. The machinery for that is highly specialized, developed late in the 1860s to make rimfire cartridge cases. After the Civil War the US was approached by several countries to purchase cartridge making machines...they were sold to Denmark, Spain and I think a few others. One of the most interesting transactions was 3 machines that went to Russia. The Russians offered to pay for them but the Ordnance Department chose to give them to them - I suspect in recognition for the support the Union had received from Alexander II during the war.
-
5
-
-
I finished threading the caps today...
For the top of the cap I bought some 1" brass discs on ebay. They are probably left from punching 1" holes in sheet brass and it was a lot easier to buy some than it would have been to make them. In order to solder them on, I made a little holding fixture out of aluminum since lead solder doesn't stick to it.
The discs are a tiny bit larger than the cap but that doesn't make any difference because they will get turned down together.
I finished one as a test. It will work just fine but the knurl isn't ;perfect. I know why...the piece that was holding it was not stiff enough to take the pressure generated by knurling so I'll have to make something for that as well but, on the whole, they will look good.
-
4
-
-
This morning I drilled and reamed for the bushings...
The press was not as tight as I wanted but rather than doing it again I just used some locktite on them.
According to the technical data sheet this material takes 72 hours to reach full strength. I see no reason to push this so it won't be ready to machine until Sunday...and I will probably leave it for Monday morning.
I'm waiting for materials on this job as well but I do have the brass tube I need so I set this up to cut it in lengths 7/8" long. These will be the caps on the grease fittings.
Fortunately, a 1" diameter will pass through the old collets that came with the lathe. It won't pass through a 5C collet so if I had to use those I would have had more work to do and more waste. This way there was hardly any waste at all. This tube is 1" OD, 3/4" ID. 3/4" is the hole size for the 13/16 thread I used for the sump fittings so I have the right tap and by using tubing I've saved the considerable labor of drilling out bar to make these. I reamed the ID - just to get the burrs out and a consistent ID (tubing is close but usually slightly undersize).
And threaded them.
I only finished 7 by the end of the day but this isn't a taxing job and I'll have no problem finishing it tomorrow.
I don't put in 8 or 10 hour days very often...usually I'm in around 10 and leave a little after 5. mostly because I've found that I make all my mistakes when I'm tired and I'm not in my 30s or 40s (or even 50s) any more.
-
3
-
-
The drill I needed for the 2nd punch came in last night so this morning I set it all up in the drill press.
Only to discover something drastically wrong. Even though the drill is marked 51/64 (the size I want to ream for 13/16) it drilled about .025 oversize. I'm not certain why but I suspect it is ground incorrectly. It was new, too...so now the hole is too big for the punch that has to go in it. I think I can fix this but I needed time to think about it so I went on to the holding tool for turning the OD of the washers/gaskets.
Because the drill won't work, I bored the hole to about .800 (13/16 is .8125)
Then I reamed it and made the cap that goes over the end.
I decided to make a bushing to fix the punch. I'll use the 15/16 OD measurement from the other punch since I know that drill and reamer work just fine. The bushing is steel. There are actually two of them but to make them identical I'll do them together. This is a piece of 1" stock reamed to 3/4" so it will press onto a mandrel.
Then the OD was turned to about .0015 larger than the 15/16 hole.
It now could be squeezed into a 15/16 collet where I bored it to .800. The final reaming won't be done until both pieces of the punch are bolted together.
Then it was cut so that I had two busings about .030 longer than 3/4".
It was getting near the end of the day so rather than push on (and make another error) I'll leave the fitting for tomorrow.
-
4
-
-
At least by the standards of the general public but I can't say those are standards I've ever wanted to live up to.
The place I ordered the copper for the gaskets from is taking it's time shipping it. I probably should have ordered it from McMaster Carr. It would have been here in two days. In the meantime I'm working on the spring shackle bolts and very much taking my time since I won't need these for a very long time...but I will need them and I'll be grateful when I do that they are done. I decided to thread the heads on rather than pin them... these are the heads.
Drilled and tapped to 1/2-20
The brass tube for the grease cup caps came in so I've got something to do tomorrow. The shafts of the bolt will be ground stock. I forget the number but it's about 1/3 stronger than the stressproof I made the prototype from. It will be tougher to thread but in a case like this I think it's worth the effort. The springs and spring perches on the chassis are going to get bronze bushings. The idea is to get the fit really close...I'll lap the bolts into the bushings. Wear on this chassis is very erratic. Some parts (like the spring perches) are very worn while other parts show little or no wear and it seems right to get all the tolerances as close as possible. Much of that wear is probably attributable to a poor fit to begin with allowing dirt and grit to get in and accelerating the wear.
-
5
-
-
2 hours ago, padgett said:
441 Thumper. Had a comperrsion relief on the handlebars and needed it.
It sure did. It took me some time to learn to use it correctly but when I did learn it was extremely easy to start.
Keep in mind that I never owned a bicycle and could barely ride one. I actually started on two wheels with my BSA.
-
I've had two BSA's, two Velocettes and a Norton. All of them were fine. My first was a 441 BSA Shooting Star and if I could find another, I'd be sorely tempted now.
-
2
-
-
I can say that sort of thing to Mike because he's at least as odd as I am.
-
2
-
1
-
-
13/16 and 15/16 ID with an OD of about 1.4.
(edit) But Mike, if I don't make them myself how can I maintain my reputation for being slightly odd...I did look though and they don't have anything close. I'm not surprised, they are very odd sizes. Besides, the punches are done (or nearly so). I tried the 15/16 punch on some rubber material and it worked perfectly so I don't think 1/32 copper will be a problem.
-
2
-
2
-
-
Frank, I like the steel framing but is it possible it will add too much weight to the body? I wonder what the difference is in weight between the solid wood and the steel tubing. It will certainly be solid - probably a lot more solid than it was originally.
-
On 7/16/2020 at 8:48 AM, F&J said:
I also would like to know if you see any younger people, let's say in their 30s to early 40s, actually even wanting any of these heavier types of prewar cars talked about in this thread?
I've been helping a friend lately with his just purchased 1920 Cadillac....a totally unrestored car. I'd guess he's in his 40s (I think he told me how old he was but I've forgotten). Its a good example of someone who likes old cars but isn't the slightest bit interested in the "competition" aspect of owning them. He's not someone who would be likely to participate in a forum like this and I'm sure that if he bothered to go to a car show it would be a local one but, even there, he isn't at all interested in post-war cars so I'm not sure the local shows would be of interest. They aren't to me...
You can't define a market on a single person or even several people but my feeling is that there is interest out there but that the prices have effectively shut those people out. Heck, I'm shut out of the areas I like best. So, though it will be tough on the people who thought they were going to retire on the profit from selling their 55 Chevy, a drastic drop in prices may be good for the overall car hobby.
-
1
-
-
The piece I messed up yesterday... a little projection turned to 15//16
Then cut off...
and flipped around so I could face the cut side and put the 1/2" hole in. This is how it works...the washers will be pinched between the body of the tool and the sleeve with a piece of 1/8" aluminum on each side to stiffen it...and the OD turned. It's a lot of work to make a few gaskets but if it works well will be worth the effort.
In any case, I'm quite unable to find copper crush gaskets in the size I needed so there really wasn't much choice in the matter.
-
5
-
-
I did tidy the bench up a bit. there was a lot of dirt and chips mixed in with the tools so after putting away things that really do have a proper place and sweeping it off, it looks a lot better. As I'm still waiting on a reamer and a drill I decided to do an experiment making the spring shackle bolts. I think this is probably an original but I don't have all of them an all that I do have are worn. they incorporate a grease cup in the end and it occurred to me that I could make them.
What I can't do is the serrated portion at the end...nor do I want to. These were intended to be driven in and never taken out. I'm going to try to make them with a hex at the base so I can use a wrench to hold them when putting the nuts on. For this I bought some 1018 hex stock and turned it down.
I was not happy with the finish and, since I need 14 of them, making them this way would be a considerable chore. I'm also certain I can't hold a perfect tolerance on the shaft portion. On the way home I had another idea...to make them in two pieces. That way I can sue a tough steel for the shaft but the 12L14 which threads so nicely for the head. I cut a piece of 12L14 hex and reamed it out to .495 (.005 under 1/2") and cut a piece of 1/2" ground stressproof for the shaft of the bolt.
After pressing them together I pinned the shaft in place with a 3/0 taper pin...which I seated too deeply but this is only an experiment so I kept on going.
I turned the head...
And, in the process, largely disappeared the tapered pin. Having done this, I will change some of the dimensions to make it a bit more robust. I was going to make brass caps with a 3/4-20 thread but I realized I could make them a tiny bit bigger and use a 13/16-16 thread which will also allow me to use ordinary brass tubing for the caps rather than machine each one.
When I went up to the office to check my emails I found that my other reamer had arrived so I set the 15/16 punch up in drill press.
And drilled it out and reamed to 15/16.
It fits perfectly...
So I went on to finishing the OD turning tool. This is a ring that will retain the punched copper pieces...
And...I made a measurement error on the very last piece trying to squeeze it in before 5:30. I should know better...but it's and easily fixed problem that I'll leave for tomorrow.
-
4
-
-
13 minutes ago, edinmass said:
Please think about that for a second what the hell could you buy 443 BC?
Food. clothes. jewelry - a lot of jewelry is found in archeology. I'll leave out weapons and armor because chances are it was the men who bought that. I don't see much difference in the nature of the stuff my nieces buy today.
-
1
-
-
I very rarely watch videos. Probably 90% of the time I can't stand the hemming and hawing, the confused explanations, silly jokes and obnoxious background music. I've written two "how to" books and I know how difficult it can be to put a rational and easy to understand explanation together but it still amazes me how many people can't (or simply don't try) to do it.
-
I made the punches with a concave end. I'm not sure this will help but it might as the pressure will be concentrated on the outside edges.
I also have to make something to turn the OD's with since none of my regular fixtures are the right size. The video Mike posted above gave me an idea...it's a little more complicated than I've done in the past but I think it will be a lot better. I can only make the bodies of the fixtures for now as I'll need the reamers I'm waiting for to finish them.
I'll make a sleeve that goes over one end of the fixture body and hold it all together with a 1/2" bolt through the center. If I tighten the bolt up really well the washers will not move. I've ordered some .032 copper strip for this. I'm not sure what I can do tomorrow...maybe put the motor on my planer.
-
2
-
-
I'll second that. Your work has been outstanding and I've learned as much from you as you have from me. Thanks again!
jp
That trick for calculating a taper was brilliant!
-
3
-
My 1910 Mitchell "parts car" project
in Our Cars & Restoration Projects
Posted
This morning I got to discover if my fixture for turning the copper gaskets really worked. I did have my reservations... but I started by taking light cuts...
And eventually it started to be round.
Then it was just a matter of taking it to the finished size. This worked better than I'd anticipated and I think the aluminum supports on each end were a big help in keeping the thin sheet copper from bending.
They came out very uniform. They still have to be annealed as this was 1/4 hard copper strip.
I then tried it again with the rubber I bought. This was not as successful because the rubber expands too much when compressed. I have a possible solution to this that I'll try shortly but I think that, in a pinch, these would also work.
I then moved on to finishing the other punch - the one I had to make a bushing for because the hole was too large. The bushings were pressed in to be flush on the top and bottom of the punch and then the inside surface of both pieces was surface ground.
I then reassembled the punch and reamed the hole to 13/16.
Then cut some 2" squares of copper and tried it out. It worked just as well as the 15/16 punch. This takes a little time because you can only do done at the time and you have to take the punch apart each time to insert a new piece but in an industrial setting this would be done with very elaborate machines...I'm just glad to be able to do it.