What are you working on right now?

[Ben Popadak]

Lugged a pile of wood kindling that use to be pieces of two incomplete 1903 Rambler bodies into the house back in November when it was warmer.  Started between Christmas and New Years to measure up the pieces so I could make heads or tails of how everything went together.  I have the job about half measured up and drawn out.  Will be working again at it as soon as I'm done goofing off and typing.  Anybody who has an original 1903 Rambler body and could help with dimensions, I would greatly like to hear from them.   Also please contact me if you have any NOS 1903 Rambler parts.  

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Great to hear what people are up to.  Biggest movement on the A here in CT was to obtain the rest of the parts to complete front end.  While the front end assy. Is at Pat's Restoration, I bought brake rods, springs, shocks, lots of hardware, etc.  (Jeff thanks for your feedback, after a lot of research on the shocks I opted to go with US made with improved internal design vs. Rebuilds or South American repros.  The cost difference minor and I understand these are proven.) All 3 vendors I used  are up and running.  Felt good to have give them some business but I am hearing, at least in Model A circles, business is ok as of now.  I need to clean and paint some stuff so we are ready when front end and steering column come back.  Pat is building up a set of rear brakes we will exchange and I need to follow up with Travis at A Springs on the rear leaf spring.  Will likely send car to Pat for its top and clutch in one shot.    I am also changing running boards and rear fenders for better ones, and rebuilding seats as seat springs have lost there pep..   So some smaller stuff after mechanical work but definate progress... 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[John_Mereness]

Working on Tu-Tone - Auburn 852 

 

[Laughing Coyote]

This morning I had to go to the steel store to pick up materials for some jobs coming up. I also bought a 10' piece of 2" x 3/16" flat bar to make some legs for my walking plank so I can sand the center of the roof on the car. I originally was going to buy one but they want to much money and wouldn't get it until May.  I had a Z plank in the shed I used for stucco repair so the plank part was covered. I had a thought of how to do the legs a few days earlier.  So after some cutting, bending and welding I had a quick solution. I had round tube in the rack and $10 for some flat bar, boom done. Now I will be ready to use it so I can finish sanding the roof on the car.

 

 

 

[Terry Harper]

Today I headed over to a very, very quite museum and managed to get a lot done on the 1928 Lombard dump truck.

 

The new tool box is installed and fits perfect. I also installed a clip to hold the throttle cable tube

to the dash panel and spent quite a bit of time topping-off the gear oil in the differential and transmission. About 6 gallons worth! 

 

Working around I found one of the trunnion caps was rather loose. The cap secures a shaft that the

track wheel carriage pivots on. The nuts were well buggered-up so I had to dress them-up with a grinder so a

wrench would fit on them. With everything cleaned and greased it all went back together well.

 

I also spent some time snugging-up fuel fittings to stop a few drips. One other task was testing the temperature gauge.

Years ago it was left disconnected and just tucked-up under the hood. Holding a lighter to the bulb the gauge did

what its supposed to. Now we need to make a fitting so we can install the sensor bulb.

 

On another note, Last Fall a very generous gentleman donated a Fairbanks-Morse model Z one lunger. 

I went over it a bit today and tried starting it but I fear the magneto needs some love  - no spark... no boom.

 

We had a bit of a  wind storm and some trees down so after Herb arrived we loaded-up the 10 ton Lombard log hauler

and headed down the old carriage road.  It was a bit of a tight squeeze getting the beast turned around at the end. However,

once we cut a few trees at the turn-around loop it will make a very nice run.

 

 

 

 

 

The guts.... The transmission is a four speed by Cotta. A reverse gear in the differential makes it so we have four speeds forward and four in reverse.

The long arm and rod running over the top pf the transmission is for the forward/reverse lever. The small diameter rod in the foreground is for 

the trip rod for the hoist lever. When the hoist reaches either end of its travel the lever in the cab snaps into neutral.  The diagonal drive shaft

is from the PTO to the hoist gear box. The brake is a cast iron drum mounted to the input shaft to the differential with external contracting

brake bands.

 

I think this beast uses just about every type of drive joint known - Spicer type universal joints, fabric couplings, big pot type CV joints and rubber 

donut type couplings. For a sizable machine there is not a lot of room to work!

 

The hoist for the dump body is  a Wood Mechanical hoist.  You can see the arms - which are driven by pinion gears by the hoist gear box

mounted on top of the differential. Wood Mechanical Hoists was founded by Garfield Wood also known for the exquisite Garwood boats.

 

 

The museum is off the grid. However, last year they installed a solar panel system so now we have lights and power! - which sure beats

running a generator!

 

Messing with the Fairbanks-Morse

 

The green beast - the 10 ton Lombard log hauler tucked safely back in the shed.

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

Unfortunately nothing car related.  Have to finish building the duck coop my wife conned me into building then digging out the swamp a bit so they have a pond to swim in.  Maybe eventually I'll get to do something car related again. 

[edinmass]

I'm further sorting the suspension of a JN Duesenberg, three weeks full time, and am about 70 percent done. With two people on it...........

[auburnseeker]

Those parts look as bad as the ones on my 48 Plymouth did.  Difference was Those Plymouth parts were dirt cheap and plentiful.  I can only imagine what you pay for your parts or do many have to be machined from stock? 

[old car fan]

1924 Cadillac .90 percent or more original,great smooth car.

Edited April 15, 2020 by old car fan (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Randy......they are off a 26 thousand mile original car........everyone brags how great low mileage cars are.......nope. If it’s 90 years old, it need lots of work. The only difficult thing is how heavy everything is.....I’m getting old, and the parts are getting much, much heavier. Strange how you can put so many hours and accomplish what you thought you could do in one third the time. 

[95Cardinal]

I'm not restoring this one...

I've been mocking up final ride height and planning suspension choices for my 33 Pontiac sport coupe.

 

Note the ribbed engine front cover in the bottom, left corner of this image.

That's the Pontiac OHC6 that is destined for this build.

[John S.]

95Cardinal, that is one cool project. 

[keithb7]

Been picking away at my '38 Ply over the past few days. I may have finally put the mechanical fuel pump issues to bed. We'll see. I put JB weld on both ends of the pump lever pivot pin to try to permanently retain it. The pin keeps walking out on me. I re-installed the mechanical pump tonight. Struggled to get it to prime. So I hit the electric pump, filled all the lines and filter. Then the mechanical pump worked just fine. Electric pump was disconnected again then I test drove the car. So far so good! Time will tell if the JB weld will retain that pin, long term. I hope so. Here we are enjoying a few fruits from my labors.

 

 

[Bill Harmatuk]

Finally moving forward with the 30 Chrysler CJ-6, 4 door.

Finished up interior painting. Gorgeous.

 

Spent 3 days sanding Ospo off the entire exterior. Sanded some more. 

Taped off interior, inside firewall and everything from overspray.

Sprayed with 2 part epoxy. Topped it off with 2 light coats of 2K sealer. Done. Stabilized again.

Beautiful. Satisfied. Nothing left undone.

Not a run to be seen.

 

Sorted out other body parts.

Did a little sand blasting. 

Setting up to spray the black fenders and splash aprons, gas tank cover.

Preparing hood top and sides for epoxy and 2k.

 

Not enough hours in the day.

 

No slide show. Wont let me upload. Pictures too big, I guess.

Picture of running, driving, chassis.

 

 

[Bill Harmatuk]

I'll do it this way.

[auburnseeker]

16 hours ago, edinmass said:

Randy......they are off a 26 thousand mile original car........everyone brags how great low mileage cars are.......nope. If it’s 90 years old, it need lots of work. The only difficult thing is how heavy everything is.....I’m getting old, and the parts are getting much, much heavier. Strange how you can put so many hours and accomplish what you thought you could do in one third the time. 

My Dad was just commenting on that.  He's 79 and was going to put a new roof on the back of his garage.  He only got a couple of bundles of shingles up on the roof before he decided to let someone who offered haul them up for him.  I guess that he's still tackling  a roof at 79 is a good thing as far as family longevity.  He's over an hour away or I would have gone over and helped him.  He likes to work the guys he works with under the table just to prove the old man can still do it.  Most of the guys he works with are in their 20's and 30's. 

[auburnseeker]

Someday when I get mine up and going I'll have to install the cutout.  It has the control so it's one of those things it really needs to have working.   I just have to beable to use it once in a while.  

 

Just got word my $500 gasket set shipped.  Should have it in a week or so.  Need to get the duck coop finished up first as the ducks are growing like weeds and have already been moved into a big kiddie pool from the huge tote they suggested.   Fortunately the shed is big enough to build it inside and move it with the forks to where it needs to go later.  Got word the windows will be in next week not this for it.  Always a hang up. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[bob staehle]

On 4/15/2020 at 10:54 AM, edinmass said:

I'm further sorting the suspension of a JN Duesenberg, three weeks full time, and am about 70 percent done. With two people on it...........

Ed just goes to show  no matter how many miles a car has on it, a lack of lube and a little moisture can cost big $$$$ 

[edinmass]

Bob, not only are the parts expensive......either buying or making them, it’s just so difficult today to get simple things like specialty nuts and bolts. The hardware on the job drove me crazy. It’s five times harder to do things correctly today than just five or ten years ago.

Edited April 16, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

3 hours ago, edinmass said:

Bob, not only are the parts expensive......either buying or making them, it’s just so difficult today to get simple things like specialty nuts and bolts. The hardware on the job drove me crazy. It’s five times harder to do things correctly today than just five or ten years ago.

 

Sad but true Ed. We have pretty much lost a cottage industry. The little mom and pop shops that would do small runs or one of a kind work are pretty much hard to come by.

While CNC technology and 3D modeling and rapid prototyping has certain revolutionized the manufacturing and engineering world its come at a price. Which is a vastly different business model.

 

With a good 5 axis CNC milling center costing upwards of half a million, the overhead for programing etc. the focus is on keeping those machine churning out parts at all hours of the day. Its more mass production than anything else. The days of Wilbur spending a few hours on the old Bridgeport to mill out a part are gone. Same with foundry work. 

 

While I am always thrilled to see a 5 axis CNC mill doing its magic it just doesn't have the soul of the old time shops. The smell, the sounds. Watching a good manual machinist twirling handles and wheels and deftly using the vernier dials to place every cut exactly where it needs to be is a sight to behold and sadly a vanishing one at that.

 

The other day while I was working at the Maine Forest & Logging Museum I had to use one of the bench vices in the Grady Machine Shop. Whenever I walk into that

wonderful room its a feeling  - for a mere mortal like me, akin to daring to lay a finger on the helm wheel of the USS Constitution. How could I possibly dare sully the history

and soul of such a relic from the past? I still haven't explored the contents of the machinist chests.You simply do not do it!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Terry.....it’s sad that there are almost no one left to operate a Bridgeport or a surface grinder. The equipment is almost always sold for scrap value today. It’s interesting that a education that teaches working with your hands to become a craftsman is looked down upon......even though a true skilled craftsmen makes twice the earnings of most 4 year college graduates. Every young person today wants a computer job working from home for six figures...........and they are all dependent on others to fix almost anything. Independent people almost no longer exist. Maybe with the new social and economic issues we are currently having, we will again make things and manufacture things in the USA. 

[mike brady]

When I lived in a large metropolitan area finding a capable machine shop willing to do one of and multi operation type work was very difficult.  Now I live in a small town with two great machine shops and an experienced, well equipped engine builder close by.  There is a huge antique boat customer base in my area, so the machine shops maintain there older equipment and are used to one of type work.  It's not inexpensive but I am able to get most things done locally.  Hard chrome, porcelain and any type of plating are all hours away with long turn around times. 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

I am lucky enough to have a son who is a skilled machinist and has worked at the same shop for 20 years. He will make anything within reason for me but, with me owning Fords, there is not much he has to make. 

[John_Mereness]

 

[auburnseeker]

More work on the duck coop. Actually took a photo today.  I'm trying to use up scrap lumber so it's taking longer as I have to rip stuff down.  New Curbside service at the lumber yard isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Ordered shingles and drip edge both in green and when I got there with no one to speak to had green shingles and galvanized drip edge.  I was a bit annoyed.  This is why I have so much trouble taking the advice of professionals.  Seems not every but many times in my life when I hired a professional,  they screwed something up and I had to correct them.  I didn't have a cell phone to call them to come out to correct it as they keep locked up in the building.  

Really annoying being I'll be roofing it on Sunday most likely.  The windows came in early though so Maybe I'll side it instead. 

Atleast I get to walk by the Auburn occasionally to get tools. That's as close as I get to working on cars these days. 

 

[edinmass]

Randy.......be sure to get a site plan, property survey, building permit, engineering wet stamp, and environmental impact statement, and a UL listed energy efficiency certification................or you gonna have problems. I’ll help you out and call the building inspector for you Monday so you can keep working on it. Do you have the plans for the footing and slab? 😎

 

PS - send me the check made out to cash for all the permits........I will submit it will all the documentation. Interestingly enough, the fee is the same as my estimated service bill on my one ton dually.

[auburnseeker]

Checks in the mail.   I was going to send cash but then I couldn't write it off. 

 

I have it all figured out.  No foundation so I'll just move it around if they complain about it.  Besides it's agricultural right?  No permits needed if I can turn the place into a farm.  Infact if those 8 ducks (of which we have no ideas yet as to how many might be females) can produce $15,000 worth of eggs a year we will officially be an agricultural enterprise.  

 

I called the office but they said no one was available.  I take that as a do what you want right? 

[keiser31]

Don't forget to have the ducks sign the Certificate of Occupancy....

[John Byrd]

Karen is still painting the house, I finished up the valve seal and engine compartment "fixing up" on the 55 Studebaker, and presently being the clean'r/ prep'r/ scrap'r/ screen remove'r, wash'r, and replace'r for Karen.

[dei]

Took an hour out of cutting lawns to make a pattern for recovering the dash top of my '58 Buick Special.

With it painted up I bolted the speaker grill back in.

 

Taped some old pop can boxes together and laid it on top to trace the dash and then cut off the excess.

 

Instead of using cotton material for the actual padding I was able to get a material used for padded dashes from an upholstery place. I placed the pattern over it, traced it out and was able to cut it with regular scissors.

 

Putting that aside for now I flipped the dash over and placed the original insulation to be sure I didn't ruin it when removing it for painting the metal top.

 

Since it was cool today I'll wait a day or two when it is warmer to glue them down.

Edited April 19, 2020 by dei (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

Today I worked on modeling the components for a set of skis for the Maine Forest & Logging Museum's 10 ton Lombard log hauler.

This particular machine was built in 1934 for the City of Waterville, Maine. Lombard offered both skis and wheels and they could

be readily swapped out. Our machine, as (far as we can tell) never had a set of skis since it was used for roadwork and plowing.

Back in the day the majority of Lombard tractors were used to haul long trains of sleds over iced roads and that is what we would

like to recreate.The goal is at some point to get it setup with a set for winter events. Unfortunately finding the components just isn't going to happen so we will 

have to resort to fabricating from scratch.

On Saturday I visited a local museum in Ashland, Maine and spent the better part of an afternoon taking photos and measurements.

Its sad to see such a wonderful beast rotting away!

 

With photos, sketches and measurements in hand I began creating each component in Solidworks and then creating an assembly.

There is still quite a bit of work to do. Next step is to create the shop drawings as determine the fits and tolerances. Then its another trip

to the museum to verify dimensions and collect any that I missed of may have flubbed the first time. Below are a couple of screen captures.

 

 

 

Once that's all done I can start thinking about patterns. The cross member I am thinking we can do as a welded assembly. Now we just

need the funds to make it happen!

 

 

[wyankee]

There is a guy in Canada that has a couple of Lombards, and he uses them to haul Cat Trains.               

kingofobsolete.ca

He may be able to help also.

 

[Terry Harper]

2 hours ago, wyankee said:

There is a guy in Canada that has a couple of Lombards, and he uses them to haul Cat Trains.               

kingofobsolete.ca

He may be able to help also.

 

That would be Joey (aka The King of Obsolete) his two machines are Linn tractors. H.H. Linn worked for Lombard in the early days

before developing his own design and setting up shop in New York. Linn's were very popular with towns and cities for plowing etc.

 

 

[dei]

Last night I worked on relaxing.

 

Today I'm going to clean up a bit and sort through the wood pile. Found some of it has rotten wood...

[Lahti35]

Working on getting this old girl back onto the road and back into original configuration... 1961 Mercedes Unimog, Swiss surplus. Its had a few 4wd modifications ( home made bumpers/winch/snorkel) to be removed to get it back to stock. Hope to get the timing chain guides installed today... 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Lahti35 (see edit history)

[mdh7475]

What a pretty paint job ----  too bad it doesnt function properly ....

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, mdh7475 said:

What a pretty paint job ----  too bad it doesnt function properly ....

 

The story of about 80 percent of the restoration shops in the country...........

[Larry Schramm]

On 4/16/2020 at 5:38 PM, Terry Harper said:

 Machine Shop. Whenever I walk into that wonderful room its a feeling  - for a mere mortal like me, akin to daring to lay a finger on the helm wheel of the USS Constitution. How could I possibly dare sully the history and soul of such a relic from the past?

 

 

I pretty much feel the same way when I go into the machine shop at Greenfield Village/ Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[chistech]

Well, no pictures for my post but spent the last two days, in my spare time, doing a full brake job on my tow vehicle, an 08’ Gmc duramax dually 4wd crew cab. It got 4 new rotors, all new pads, plus emergency brake shoes. If we can actually show our cars this year I’ll need it in 100% condition. As strange as this might sound, it was one of the easiest brake jobs done in a long time even though the parts are pretty massive. What I mean by easy was there were no issues other than it being bull work and heavy components. People from the north East will know what I mean by saying a brake job up here can be a ton of problems with badly rusted parts, bolts breaking off, rusted stuck calipers, etc.

      Every single bolt came out fairly easy, all the parts I purchased were correct, and the rotors separated off the hubs without issue. The hardest part of the disassembly was the rear axle seals inner ring staying on the axle tube and needing to be pried off the axle. The worse thing is more the condition of my body today. I also got to use the air over hydraulic press that I bought recently for super cheap money. I’ve never taken HD wheel studs out so easy. My 59 year old body can no longer pull, push, and pick up weight while being in odd positions like it used to. Last night my lower back, legs, and both shoulders kept me up with the aching. It’s not going to get better either as today I had 8 yards of mulch delivered that we need to spread tomorrow as it’s the only day in the next week that will cooperate weather wise.

[Brill_C-37M_Bus]

I put together a pair of front parking lights tonight.  I got a pair of complete NOS red light fixtures and separate clear lenses, not knowing for sure if they would fit.  With  a slightly thicker home-cut gasket, and just a little gentle hammering to straighten out one curve on the bezels, the new lenses fit perfectly!  So once the front end paint job is complete, every light on the front of my bus will be new except the turn signals.

 

What I started with:

 

 

One done, one in pieces:

 

 

A successful test!