1913 Metz 22 - Our first project

[Luv2Wrench]

Thanks to the efforts of fellow AACA members, I now have 90% of the major parts for the car. The parts swap in Hershey was a great success and I now have the seat, belly pan, chain guards and gas tank. I set the parts on the frame to do a quick mock-up. While the restoration hasn't even really started yet, seeing the major parts together makes it really look like a car and is great motivation. I managed to get the air compressor out of my truck and into the corner of the shop. My goal is to have it wired and install air lines by Thanksgiving. Once that is complete I can sand blast and epoxy coat the parts. Hopefully I'll be welding by that time and I can get the chassis completed and on wheels. I can then start on the body work and getting the drive line functioning again. Perhaps this spring I can work on the engine and start getting the car together.

[Landman]

Make sure you don't get that shop dirty now!

[Luv2Wrench]

I finally got some time to spend on the car. I decided to work on freeing the seized drive line parts. I've been applying Kroil to the parts for about 3 months. I'm not sure if that helped but things certainly didn't go smoothly. The good news is that everything is now free. The bad news is that several items were broken. The parts that broke are still together enough that I think I can send them to Cattail Foundry and have new parts cast. Another step forward.

[Guest Andy13]

If you need any detailed photos from our 1913 Metz let me know. I'll be happy to take as many as you need. You've got quite the puzzle there!!

Andy.

[Guest Andy13]

Regarding the chain guards you found at the Hershey meet. Can you take photos of them (inside/outside)? This is the only part I need. And, darn it. You found them at Hershey first. Thats what I was looking for!!!

Andy

[Guest Davethewave]

Look up Henrob 2000. If you plan on gas welding. My favorite slapper is made out of an old rear leaf spring. Also look up metalmeet.com. A great group. May even be a nearby to you metal meet. Great challenge!

[Luv2Wrench]

Regarding the chain guards you found at the Hershey meet. Can you take photos of them (inside/outside)? This is the only part I need. And, darn it. You found them at Hershey first. Thats what I was looking for!!!

Andy

Andy,

Thanks for the offer, I'm sure I'll need some help.

As per the chain guards, I didn't find them at Hershey, I had someone build them for me as a copy of ones they have. I can get you lots of pictures. PM me with your email.

[Luv2Wrench]

Look up Henrob 2000. If you plan on gas welding. My favorite slapper is made out of an old rear leaf spring. Also look up metalmeet.com. A great group. May even be a nearby to you metal meet. Great challenge!

Thanks Dave! One day I hope to be taking on projects like yours (but not necessarily amphibious cars). I have made a couple of slappers. One from a leaf spring, one from a file and one from oak. They all work well and have different advantages and uses. I'm aware of metalmeet and will probably get involved in that this spring. I'm working on my seat right now and after I get the wood work done, I'll need to do some metal work. That will be the point at which I break out my torch and try to learn the proper techniques. I've done a little with it and it hasn't been that bad. We shall see what happens when I try to do something a little more specific than run a bead randomly around.

I'll post some pictures of the seat later this weekend. I'm making pretty good progress on it.

[Guest Andy13]

I have a parts catalogue for the Metz "22" and would be happy to make a copy of it for you. It contains lots of pictures and diagrams of many integral parts and assemblies. Although.....the telegraph codes for ordering parts wouldn't help you. LOL.

Andy.

[Luv2Wrench]

I've been able to get a bit of work done over the last month. I'm now trying to get out to the shop 4 days a week even if it is for only an hour at a time. I've realized that 'spending the day' in the shop is not going to happen and I'm just going to have to make do with an hour or two, but on a more consistent basis. In addition, I've decided to pick a part and work it to completion (or at least primer) rather than skipping around. With that in mind, I've been focusing on the seat for the last few weeks. Here is what I had to start with and what it looked like stripped. Obviously the foam was not correct nor was the color. The rust had eaten through in several places. The wood was shot and there were dents galore. I love the seat anyway because it has taken over a year to find and obtain.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

First step was to media blast, remove the tank straps and the pop-rivets that were added in some failed upholstery job. I then bumped out the major dents and got it roughly straight. I added a quick coat of primer so that I could see the low/high spots and worked those out. I took the wood frame out and blasted again.

[Luv2Wrench]

Making the new frame was a joy. I've been looking forward to this step because I've long been a woodworker and I was anxious to do something that I already knew how to do! It was great to have the smell of cut oak in the shop again as well. I cut the sections out, did the half-laps, cleaned those up and glued it together. I put it in for a test fit and it fit great. A simple one hour job. I look forward to the day I can do the metalwork with the same confidence and ease.

[Luv2Wrench]

Speaking of metalwork... now that begins. I've taken the first step and it has gone better than I thought. I cut out one of the rusted sections. I fashioned a patch panel and stuck it in for a test fit. It looks pretty good. Now I will spend a day or so practicing my welding and then weld in the first patch. There are probably two or three more needed to finish the seat. Once that is done I should be able to prime it and work on filling in the rust pits with a poly primer/filler. I'll verify that it is smooth and then sit it aside to wait for paint and upholstery.

[Landman]

Nice work. That's nice looking oak.

[Guest Andy13]

Wow. Beautiful work. I find it very informative to see the construction of the seat before I even start to pull our car apart. Excellent job fabricating that oak seat frame too. Save the pattern info....just in case I need to drive up from Florida and "contract" you to do a little work for me.

Andy.

[F&J]

Now I will spend a day or so practicing my welding and then weld in the first patch.

Try to leave a 1/32 or 1/16" gap on the new panel. If you fit it too tight, the first tack weld you do, will pull both pieces even closer together. If you see that happen, take a dolly on one side of the tackweld, and whack the center of the tack. One hit will spread it back out. If you let it all pull together too much, it may try to overlap at one end, or not fit correctly anymore.

I do very short welds on those patches, rather than trying for a longer weld bead.

Keep in mind, that heat causes the seam to shrink. If it shrinks enough, it can make the close by areas look stretched (because they are now buckled), but they are not. This is where most beginners go real wrong; trying to work on those other places, and not stretching the weld seam instead.

Edited March 7, 2013 by F&J (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

Pat: I've had that oak stacked for a couple of years. It was real nice to work with. I cheated and bought it from the mill though... didn't pull it out of a creek.

Andy: You're welcome up here any time. I'll try to get those pictures out too you soon. I gotta get back on a different computer.

F&J: I've read some of those tips before and I'm sure they will come in handy. Unfortunately my welding practice was pretty dismal. I started with some scrap (the area I cut out) and the torch blew a big hole in it before I could even see what was happening. I tried multiple times to start a weld pool and move it around but by the time the weld pool formed it would blown out. I was using a #0 tip which I guess was too big. I was using about 4 PSI on both Oxygen and Acetylene. I tried to dial that back even more and go with a slightly carbonizing flame and that helped some, but it still wasn't usable. I tried to back the tip away from the metal some and that helped but the weld pool that formed was about the size of a nickel. I'm going to get a #000 tip and see if that helps. I tried some more with the patch material (22ga) and it worked a little better but it was still way too much heat. With two pieces configured for a butt weld, the edges would melt back too quickly to even get them joined. I'm guessing that either the metal Metz used for the car was 24ga or less, or possible it has deteriorated over time such that it is about 24ga now. I don't have a thickness gauge but I do know it is thinner than the 22ga I bought. I'm wondering now that even if I can get a tip that will work with the old metal, will I be able to weld new metal to it. Should I try to get 24ga metal for the patches?

The good news is that I did build up some comfort with the controls and the procedures with the tanks and regulators. While it was great to have the thick welding jacket and gloves, I can't imagine wearing that this summer. I'm thinking I need to get all my welding done before summer.

[F&J]

Skip what i said about leaving a gap for buttwelding, as I assumed you were using a gas/mig.

No, don't get 24ga, it won't help.

What you are doing is called "hammer welding". Even with the correct tip and minute flame size, the heat generated at the two edges will cause massive shrinking of the seam. The weld seam needs to be hammer/dollied as you go. If you don't, it will be a buckled mess in just a few inches. If it is hammered too much, it will also become a mess.

With very thin steel, many people will not only fit it tightly, but some will overlap just a tick, and the extra metal helps act as a heat sink as you weld, letting the heat travel to both pieces, rather than burning both edges. This also reduces the need for filler rod material.

If there is any microscopic rust in the sandblasted Metz metal. it will show as porosity in the weld, bubbling like mini volcanos.

What I would practice doing first, is the way we were taught in trade school; Start with one piece of sheetmetal, not laying flat on a steel bench. Elevate it away from a steel surface. Now forget the filler rod for now, and practice on being able to make a single perfect round pool about 1/8 to 3/16" in dia., (not on the edge of the piece). Keep doing the new round pools until it becomes easy.

If you have way too much heat or flame size, the metal will "boil" and look porous. What you want is a darker, clear pool with definate edges of the pool...almost like a tiny rain spot.

Then try extending the pool with just the circular motion of the tip. No rod, just try to make a narrow 1/2" long bead with the pool. After you master that, try the rod to get used to how close to position the rod, to have it add to the pool, in an even application.

Work with that one sheet to practice all of that stuff first, before ever trying to butt two sheets together. There might be some videos on youtube to watch.

I will try to get a tip number from my set.

[Luv2Wrench]

F&J: Thanks for the detailed response.

I've been working on creating the pool and working it around. I can do this OK on the 22ga sheet of patch material. I still haven't gotten the flame cool enough, however, to get the definition you talk about even on the 22ga, much less the wasted away, paper thin metal that is left on my car. It doesn't have the definition as it is just a large raging pool. I haven't even started with filler rod (and I bought the wrong size as well). I did find a #00 tip and that helped some, but I think there more adjusting I can do both on the regulator settings and on the torch. I think, that while I've been running low pressure on the acetylene, I'm running too much volume of acetylene at the torch and while I'm adjusting with oxygen to a neutral flame, it is just too much. My DVD said to open the acetylene until the smoking started to stop and the flame started to feather. That probably works great for most welding but probably isn't correct for thin material. Right before I quit last night I tried just cracking open the acetylene on the torch and then dialing in a neutral flame. This was a much smaller flame (cone). Almost nothing there. I think I can make this work and I'm going to give it a try tonight.

I was also thinking about overlapping as you mentioned. I think it might be possible to get the pool mainly on the new sheet metal and let it in turn build the pool on the old thin sheet metal. Or maybe reversed and the new path material could be a heat sink and backup to the old material. Either way, I think this will help a lot and probably eliminate the need for the filler rod and solve my blowout problems.

I've watched a bunch of YouTube videos but most of the ones I found didn't put a filter over the camera lens so it is impossible to see the weld pool and what is going on. I bought a DVD that has a great section on creating the weld pool and moving it around, adding filler, working on edges, etc. I think I can master this technique if I can get the torch setup to work on this thin sheet metal. I've had pretty good results creating the pool and moving it around on 1/8th bar stock I have. I butt welded two bars together and it worked quite well. Hopefully I can get the torch adjusted and master the technique. I do have a real Victor regulator and torch set, so at least I will not be fighting faulty tools.

[oldcar]

F&J: Hopefully I can get the torch adjusted and master the technique. I do have a real Victor regulator and torch set, so at least I will not be fighting faulty tools.

A bad tradesman always blames his tools!

You are very much a learner. It takes years of practice to weld sheet metal successfully. Start by practicing on small pieces of scrap the same thickness as the finished product. It is easy to butt weld bits of Bar. Make sure that you upholster that seat real nice, you can then take it into your sitting room to sit on while watching "How to Do it" DVDs.

[Luv2Wrench]

F&J: I really didn't have much more luck tonight. I cut several strips and practiced running the pool across. The pool was pretty well defined and looked a lot like the videos. It wasn't darker though, more a bright orange, but indeed like a rain drop. It some times started to fizz and boil. After a couple dozen passes I could move the pool around pretty easily. I could make it bigger or smaller and move it fast and slow. I did notice that when the pool got near the edge (about 3/8") it would become disorganized and the edge of the strip would start to glow. On occasion the pool would jump out to the edge or the edge would collapse into the pool. It seems everything worked fine until I got near the edge. This is obviously a problem for doing something useful like welding a joint.

When I tried to butt weld I ran into a few problems.

1) The flame is so small that it is difficult to get both side of the joint to make a pool.

2) Whichever side the pool starts on will boil out of control and retreat/collapse away from the joint.

3) I could start with the edge very close and a small gap. Once the heat hits the edges they curl, but not the same way so there is now a bigger gap.

4) If I tried to overlap, I could get the pool going on the top edge but it would boil out of control and retreat before the bottom would pool.

When I say "boil over and retreat" what I am seeing is like the edge "catches fire" and rapidly shrinks. It is very sudden.

I must have something setup terribly wrong. I've posed a picture of the last strip I did. First to top and then the bottom. Maybe this shows you something or my descriptions call out what I'm doing wrong. Thanks for all your help because I'm stuck at the moment. I'm going to be reduced to blaming my tools and sitting around watching DVDs.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[oldcar]

Given another two or three years of doing it every day, it should come as second nature. Just don't blame your tools that will do nothing for either your confidence in them or your self.

[F&J]

I'm not sure where the scale is coming from, if that is a new clean piece?

Anyways, not bad for a first try at a bead across a 2" wide strip, IMO

The surfaces of some of the welds seem to be "boiled". That is too much heat, or not pulling back with the tip when things begin to get too hot.

My advice for this weekend, is to stick with a nice clean piece, sand it if needed, then practice running a bead with rod in the middle of a sheet. Try to keep anything from boiling. You will get the hang of pulling back the tip at some point, to keep the temps under control. The rod when adding to the pool, also helps to calm things down a tiny bit.

It's a balance act; keeping the rod tip ready to melt, while trying to concentrate on keeping the pool stable. Like rub the tummy and pat the head...it takes some time before it becomes second nature.

You must master running the bead before trying to weld 2 parts. When you do try 2 parts, overlapped, you want to aim the tip a bit more towards the piece that needs more heat, and away from that bare edge. Same is true with Mig welding.

You don't even need to "weld" 2 parts "together" yet as practice. Just do the lap seam placement of the sheets and forget the rod. See if you can get to the point where a pool is just starting on the main sheet, a bit away from the raw edge piece, then move in a bit so that the pool moves closer to the raw edge while that edge just starts to pool. Don't even try to make the pools join to make a weld...you are just practing on how to aim, and how to keep 2 different types of parts hot enough at the same time. Sooner or later, the 2 pools will join if you concentrate on "not welding", but rather the ability to balance the heat on two sheets. Hope that makes sense.

Any boiling would mean it is too hot, or too concentrated. Back away the tip at any hint of boiling.

[F&J]

I was thinking on a test project that will give you a huge amount of confidence in butt welding. Can you find some clean, non-coated exhaust pipe?

These are great to weld, the round shape won't warp at the edges while you practice.

Clean it good like with a benchtop wire wheel. Place them together on a stable surface at a good height to see what you are doing. To keep them from rolling around or moving if the rod sticks, use a tow chain draped over them. It gets addictive welding exhaust, as it is generally a bit thicker, and that, as well as the stable shape, makes for a nice surface appearance when done.

This will also give you a look at what can happen if they are fitted too close together, all the way around before welding. If you don't leave a tiny gap, the first part of the weld will pull them together, which causes the entire joint to pull to one side...and then you won't end up with a perfectly straight pipe. If trying for dead straight, you tack one spot, then do two more equally spaced, 1/3 rd apart.

[Luv2Wrench]

F&J: Many thanks, again. I was confused about the scale as well. There was a lot more. What you see if after cleaning with a wire wheel. The piece came from Home Depot. I guess it has some sort of coating to keep it from rusting. It did say 'weldable' on it.

I will clean up the pieces I have left and run more beads. I've noticed that the torch seems to be really sensitive in setting and folding a neutral flame. I've got some things to look at there. I think the flame is starting neutral but then turning to oxidizing. That would explain some of the excess heat and the sparking I was seeing. I think the adjustment handles might be too loose and are moving a little once I get going.

I will get some exhaust tube today as well. That sounds like a great test project. I certainly could use some confidence at this point!!

I would be nice to remove some variables from the setup procedure. I've read all kinds of different PSI settings for the gas and oxygen. Anywhere from 4 on the oxy to 20 on the oxy. The acetylene seems to be between 3 and 5. It would be real helpful if I could remove the doubt in this area and have some solid numbers to go on. I'm using a Victor regulator set, a 'Victor Style' #00 tip and I'm welding 22 and 24ga metal. Any idea what the exact settings should be or does this vary too much?

[F&J]

I think the adjustment handles might be too loose and are moving a little once I get going.

Most torch bodies have a gland nut below the knob. There is seal packing in there, and I just lightly tighten mine from time to time. That little bit of stiffness you will get at the knob, makes it easier to set such small changes in the flame.

I would be nice to remove some variables from the setup procedure. I've read all kinds of different PSI settings for the gas and oxygen. Anywhere from 4 on the oxy to 20 on the oxy. The acetylene seems to be between 3 and 5. It would be real helpful if I could remove the doubt in this area and have some solid numbers to go on. I'm using a Victor regulator set, a 'Victor Style' #00 tip and I'm welding 22 and 24ga metal. Any idea what the exact settings should be or does this vary too much?<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

When I tried to look up my Smith tip number yesterday, some websites that sell them, had a chart showing the welding range of each size, and what pressure. Maybe run a google on the tip number and brand, to see if there is a chart for your set.

Pressures differ with material and tip size. I run mine maybe 7-8 on gas and 12-15 Ox, mine is a very small torch head made for light work...but it can do big stuff with optional tips. If you get too low you may get pop-back when you add rod material to the pool.

Yes, on weird steels today. The last 4x8' sheet of cold rolled 18 gauge I got at the suppy place, seemed to have a strange surface that fillers/primers would not hook to, unless I ground it first. Can't say that I tried gas welding it though.

Even scrap fenders/panels from an older car is good steel to practice on, if you don't mind sanding the paints off of both sides.

Try the thin exhaust pipe. I think you will get the hang of that pretty quick....if it is not coated.

try to avoid boiling. you can usually hear it start. Back off/away, or move the tip angle...whatever works for you.

[Luv2Wrench]

I decided to take a break from learning to weld and work on something else. Back when I started this I had heard that to restore a car you followed these steps. 1) Take it all apart. 2) Fix or replace what is broken or missing. 3) Put it back together. For the most part, my car was apart when I got it. I finished taking it apart and then started trying to find the missing parts. I also had to build and equip a shop along the way. I've found all the big parts and what is left I will make. Everything isn't fixed so it isn't quite time to just put it all back together, but I thought it would be a good idea to take what I have and start putting it together to find all the little things that need to be fabricated.

So... I started by making the frame rails straight. This was much easier than I thought it would be. It is a lot like sheet metal work but on a larger scale. The experience I've gained of examining the damage, finding and fixing the root issue and then cleaning up the rest worked great. Instead of a body hammer I used my press. The car was hit in both the front and the rear and some point in its life (probably multiple hits). The rear rails were about 1.5" inches out to the left. I was able to find the 'high spots' where the frame buckled, heat those up and press them back. The rails magically moved back into alignment and there was very little cleanup work to get them straight. There are also several cracks around some of the holes that will need to be welded. I'll get to that later.

With the rails straight I cut the floorboards. As a temporary measure, I used 1/2" plywood and cut them a little undersized so that I would have less issue getting them on. Once everything is fitted correctly, I can use these as templates when cutting the final boards out of hardwood. I also decided to use all new, modern nuts/bolts/washers during this phase. Once everything is completed, I will then have a completed list of everything I need to get in 'period' style (square nuts, no grade markings, etc). So time for pictures... First is not a very good shot but it shows the frame rails finally straight. Then a couple shots of the underside where I've installed the shifter and the mechanism that translates the brake and clutch pedal movement. Finally a shot of the first step in the road back to being a car.

[Luv2Wrench]

As I previously posted, while I've found the major parts, the little brackets, levers, push rods and small stuff will need to be fabricated. In just putting the shifter and the pedal rod on I had to make two parts. While this is new for me, it was a lot of fun. I made one of the two brackets needed to hold the brake/clutch pedal rod onto the frame. I had one of them so at least I had something to copy. I tried to find a replacement at the hardware store but nothing really came close and the things that did were really thin. I bought 1" by 1/8" flat bar, heated it up and bent it over the rod. I then put it (with the rod in place) in a vise and bent the sides back. After a little cleanup with the hammer I trimmed the edges, drilled the holes and then mounted the brake/clutch rod on the car. It's a good feeling to make your own parts. Very liberating.

[Guest Andy13]

Very impressive work. Let me know if you need any details of missing parts. Mine are all present and accounted for.

Andy.

[DavidAU]

One thing to know about oxy welding is you should not have a sharp pointed end on the blue flame.

When the tip is pointed you have too much oxy coming in so you should back it off until you get a small rounded end on the blue tip and it makes for a much smoother, easier weld. Hope this helps

[Luv2Wrench]

David:

Yes, that was one of my problems. I adjusted it correctly but the valve on the handle was loose and it would creep towards an oxidizing flame. Thanks for the input, I wish you guys were in my shop!

[Guest Andy13]

Jeff.

A basic question for you and others in the forum. Will you be painting the floor boards in final assembly? Some pics of survivor cars seems to show the floor boards unpainted. As you know, ours are painted black. Maybe the under-side was painted and top side was left unfinished. Any thoughts anyone?......

Andy.

[Luv2Wrench]

Andy,

Based on the photos I've seen of the car that Jason worked on, all wood work was painted on all sides. It is pretty clear from those photos that even the floorboards that were covered with were painted beforehand. It is always possible, however, that this car is not 100% original. It does appear that the car was assembled and painted at that point. The reason I say this is there are several photos that show some small brackets removed and no paint underneath on the wood. One photo shows the floorboards removed and the bottom side has very faded paint but obviously no paint where the frame rails sit.

As per how I will finish my car, that is not 100% determined at this point. I can say for sure that if I were going to keep the car for myself, I would opt for a natural finish with a light aniline dye and linseed oil. For lower maintenance I would probably add a low gloss poly at the end. Since the goal of my restoration, however, is to restore it back to how it was born, I will most likely paint the wood. Since the floorboards were covered in a linoleum like product, I will probably finish the floorboards as described (natural finish) and cut the linoleum to fit but not install. That way it can be left to the buyer as to how that is finally finished.

On a personal note, I drove over a hundred miles to visit a small saw mill to hand select the red oak for my car. We spent hours selecting the pieces and milling them to exact specifications for the car. Great care was taken in the selection of the grain patterns and how they fit together. It is going to be very, very difficult to paint the wood when the time comes.

[Luv2Wrench]

Still making good progress. I've got the main part of the seat structure complete. This was quite a puzzle as I didn't actually have all of the original. Someone had cut the seat off the car so I only had the top 4 inches. That was helpful, but there were still a lot of mysteries as to the other dimensions. Fortunately Andy, a fellow Metz owner, was quick with the tape measure and provided me tons of pictures and measurements. Eventually everything added up and it fit perfectly. There are still two pieces to add, but I'll need the sheet metal on there to get the curves correct.

I also added the rear floorboards and I plan to do the front floorboards this week. I'm hopeful that I can also get the toe board complete as well... but that may be pushing it. If I can find someone around here that will sell me sheet metal then I will be able to do the trunk area at the rear. I sat the seat on just for kicks... it's fun to think that one day it will be up there for real.

[trimacar]

Regarding the painting of the inside wood surfaces of the body, my friend with the Stoddard Dayton has a factory picture of a young man "daubing" black paint on the inner seat areas with a rag...and his arm is black almost to the elbow...no rubber gloves back then, no spray booth, and I guess they figured using a rag to apply paint was quicker and cheaper than a brush!!

[Landman]

Bruce, I can smell that freshly cut wood from here. Wish I was there to see that up close. Good looking work.

[Guest Andy13]

Wow. What progress!! Very impressive work. Thanks for the "shout out" for the help too. It was my privilage to be able to assist you with the measurements. Besides, it forced me to get to know my car better. Because of that, I know which two pieces need to be added. Does anyone else?

And Trimacar. Thanks for your input on the paint issue. Can you upload that photo you mentioned? Some of the paint on the underside/inside of our car looks like it was applied or "daubed" on in the manner you mentioned. That sure would make the process easier. I'm sure they weren't as concerned with perfectly smooth, hidden, interior paint jobs back then as we get now.

[Luv2Wrench]

Thanks Pat and Andy, I'm having a lot of fun right now! Two big boxes just came in from McMaster Carr today. Sheet metal for the trunk panels and the correct slotted wood screws to replace all the Phillips I used when putting the seat structure together. I don't think the UPS guy has ever seen anyone so happy to be getting a sheet of metal and a few boxes of screws!

Edited April 4, 2013 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[Guest Andy13]

Jeff. There is a small piece of wood trim "molding" at the bottom edge of the trunk. I've sent photos.

[Landman]

Bruce, I can smell that freshly cut wood from here. Wish I was there to see that up close. Good looking work.

Jeff, I apologize for calling you Bruce.