Keith L.

Keith here, First step in recasting a wheel...getting rid of the old plastic. Gonna see if I can post a movie. Using my pipe wrench I break off the old deteriorated plastic. If the video is a bid shaky, I was doing everything with my left hand while I held the Iphone with my right. I guess I could have talked to you also, but I didn't think of it. If the movie doesn't come through I'll just post some photos. Who knows? This may be a start of a new career. I could show you how I mold stuff. K Breaking_apart_a_wheel.mov

Tom, My wife, Cindy just saw your car.."It's beautiful!" K

Tom, You are absolutely right. All done hunched over and inside a cavity or down from the Top or up from under the car. K

Keith here, again. As I’ve said, many members in the club have helped by loaning me their original parts to make reproductions. I started about eight years ago with trying to make just the dash items for my ’41 Zephyr. Now I manufacture most 1936 through ’48 plastic parts…and still growing. Dashboard knobs, steering wheels, parking and taillight lenses, and some rubber parts. All thanks to you. Well, Alan Whelihan called me and asked it I would make the small high beam and turn signal jewels for the ’41 Continental. There are reproductions for the red high beam jewel (early Ford suppliers) but none that I know of for the green jewels. He sent me a sample. Sometimes the hardest reproductions are not the largest but conversely the smallest. Such is the case with reproduction jewels. This one was a challenge. First I had to have a tiny pour spout for resin, then be able to cut off the hardened sprue and finally a way to hold it while it was sanded smooth. First photos with three panels: I realized I couldn’t use a sprue like plastic models use, a small stem-like tree branch. It would be difficult getting the liquid resin poured into the mold and the jewel out of the mold after casting. Model plastic parts are injected under pressure (a lot), I have to pour. So I made a flat sprue out of styrene from the hobby shop. Mounted it on the jewel and attached to a small round plug. Then made a wall out of PVC to hold the silicone. Poured the silicone and waited sixteen hours. I made two of these molds to speed up the production (first mold is down in the rt. hand corner.) Two days time. Second: After curing, the mold is ready for dark red (or green) translucent resin. I have to squeeze the mold to fill it with resin. In a two step process, I vacuum the two-part resin (A plus B, like epoxy) in a vacuum chamber to remove air trapped in the liquid resin, pour it into to mold and then I cured the resin in a pressure pot under about 45 to 60 pounds pressure depending on the product. Pressure squeezes out any remaining trapped air in the resin down to zip. All the products I make are vacuumed then cured in a pressure chamber to ensure they are bubble free. Esp. the steering wheels. Three and four: After curing I remove the jewel by again squeezing it. To remove the flat sprue on the casting I drilled a hole in a half-inch acylic. the same size as the OD of the jewel. Nice tight fit. Then I just sand off the sprue on the sander and punch out the jewel from the back side. Five: Sanding. Six: Done. And that’s what it takes to make a simple small jewel. Thanks for letting me blather on. Any questions. knobsoup@gmail.com

Keith here. A few weeks ago Tom Overfield called me to ask if I made the ’40-41 Continental taillights. Since I did not, he offered to send me his two (left and right) to make reproductions. One of his has a slight crack (If you look close you can see it in the first photo). Many thanks to Tom for the loan of his lenses. Here are the results. The first photo shows the acrylic box that will hold the silicone rubber and the original taillight resting on clay. The white and black dots are cheap jewels from Michaels. They are “keys”. The keys make the top and bottom align properly. After the silicone rubber is poured in to the box and allowed to set (16 hours) the acrylic box is turned over and the clay and dots are removed. A layer of thinned Vaseline (paint thinner) is applied. The Vaseline keeps the silicone from bonding to each other. If I did not apply a barrier of Vaseline the whole enchilada would be one big block of silicone with a taillight trapped inside. Not good. Next step is pouring the top layer of silicone. Set another 16 hours, then separate. Remove the original glass taillight . The end result will be a clam shell mold, top and bottom. Now rubberband them together and mix up translucent red resin and pour. Getting the right color, correct resin and making it bubble free is another story for a another time Now repeat the whole thing for the second taillight. The second photo shows the molds and the final castings. You can see the “Keys” that keep top and bottom align. The remaining photos are the reproductions. These reproductions have the same reflective qualities as glass, are non-fading and are cast in transparent UV stable urethane resin in the correct 1940 transparent red. Many restorers replace their originals with reproductions, especially the ’36 and ’37 lenses that stick out and are easily broken. My policy is: For the loan of a part to make duplicates, I give you the customer, a copy of the reproduction and return everything (original item and reproduction). No harm is done to your original. I keep the mold to make duplicates to sell. That it. Thanks.

Thanks, I'll pass it along. K

Keith here. Helping a friend. Needs to know how to take apart the Lock cylinder on a '41 rear deck handle. Any help greatly appreciated.

How sad to hear this news. What a wealth of knowledge. We talked and corresponded for several years. Dave was always happy to help me in whenever I had a question about color, style or correctness. He was a fine editor, politely changing my few articles I submitted to flow better and be grammatically correct. He will be greatly missed.

Bruce, Keith here. Attached is a diagram of the '41 steering wheel assembly. Just to clarify things, are you describing the chrome horn button with the embossed Lincoln script or the plastic horn button mount? The chrome button has, or should have three tangs that bend over to hold it in place( not shown in diagram), and the plastic horn button mount is held down by a circular "C" wire spring (shown)

Hi, Wayne. Nice to hear from you. At this time, I'm focused on Lincoln Zephyr reproduction. Keep in touch and when I begin to branch out, perhaps we can do business. Best Wishes, Keith

Me again. I've posted several Knobsoup items for auction on e-bay. Check it out - Keith

Keith here. Latest endeavor from my studio. The molds were made from a pristine 1937 original taillight. Made in urethane resin. Heated treated, bubble free, UV protected. exact color as original. Email me for an order form for all my '37 reproduction items. Thanks. knobsoup@gmail.com

I'm back in business at my new location and listed a new '40 steering wheel, collar, and horn button on e-bay last evening. Here's the link below. Take a look if you're interested - or spread the word if you know someone with an interest. Thanks everyone for your support. Have a great summer! Keith http://www.ebay.com/itm/322180471357?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

A few questions: What size is the original? Out of a magazine? Is it a half-tone, or continuous tone? If it's a scan, what size is the DPI (dots Per Inch) If the original is 72 dpi and you need it for a publication at 300 dpi., theres a few tricks you can use. What will the final image be used for? A lot can be done to increase its size without any degradation. I have over twenty years of Photography and photoshop. Send me a Tiff or JEPG and I'll see what I can do. knobsoup@gmail. You may also want to check with Dave Cole. He has a vast collection of old photos. If he has it, his son Richard at Graphics LTD could rescan it at a higher resolution for your needs.

For those that are interested, I have placed several Lincoln items on Ebay: a new '40 steering wheel, dash knobs and 1938 interior items. Tomorrow I'll be placing a 1941 Zephyr wheel - and more items. Here's the link to the auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321979810804?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 Thanks, Keith

Thanks Ray. While you're at it, send along a tropical breeze.

The electrical switch that attaches to the top of my Ignition lock has gone missing. I took it off years ago, set it aside because it was broken. I need a new one. Does anyone know what it's called? Part number? And where to get a new one? Did the standard Ford use the same part? Any help would be appreciated.

Jeff, Thanks for the info.

Don't know about the brake drums. Checked Macs product catalog '32-'48 Ford for washer. Thought it might be the same as Ford. No luck. Someone must carry it. Maybe Dennis Carpenter.

Thanks Phil.

After sitting for ten years, I'm going to look at my brake and master cylinders. I rebuilt them ten years ago, but sat in storage. I still have foot pressure, and I don't see any leaks by the wheels, but I don't trust them. If I need a rebuild kit, are they the same as early Ford? Who make the best? Any advice appreciated. Thanks, Keith

After sitting for ten years, I'm going to look at my brake and master cylinders. I rebuilt them ten years ago, but sat in storage. I still have foot pressure, and I don't see any leaks by the wheels, but I don't trust them. If I need a rebuild kit, are they the same as early Ford? Who make the best? Any advice appreciated. Thanks, Keith

Yes Merv is still active. I spoke to him three days ago. Call him. 909 980-1333

Yep. Send me an email with your year and I'll send you an order form or promotional flyers. knobsoup@gmail.com BTW, in the search box type in knobsoup to see other posts and interesting stuff on knobsoup. Keith

Happy day John.