MP&C Shop Projects

[MP&C]

Yesterday we took delivery on an 8' piece of pipe, 4-1/2" OD with 1/2" wall thickness. Will come in handy as the column for the pedestal planishing hammer build..

A bit more clearancing for the header tube. Perhaps this fine tuning will also add a few HP...

Didn't show too much detail on the Explorer brake install last week, so let's see if we can do better today.. The "kit" was designed for the big bearing rear housing with the Torino ends. As luck would have it, the Lincoln Versailles used a big bearing early style, so we'll need to align and enlarge some holes..

Bolted in place using two opposite holes and the included metric bolts, we used the axle bearing as an alignment tool for the backing plates..

Then used a right angle drill for better access in drilling the holes..

This worked for all but one hole that was directly in line with the axle pad.. So we had ordered some shorty 1/2" bits, and still had to take another inch off the length and step the diameter for the drill chuck.

Backed into a corner? No problem!

And here's our final version on the brake hose anchor bracket, by popular demand!

Then this will get epoxy primed along with the other bare brake parts and we'll just touch up the plug welds after welding in place..

 

[Divcod]

Robert,

Think the brake line mount turned out great!

I had been told that u bolts and nuts should not be reused so did a little investigation. Long nuts used on ubolts are designed to crush the threads when torqued down to limit spring stress as the spring flexes. With the crushed threads reuse torques would be wrong which could lead to spring failure. Anyway, you avoided a problem / cost by changing the pLan.

Still looking for the first color shot!

Dave

 

[1969]

Robert, have you received your new English Wheel?

 

[MP&C]

Not yet, waiting on the boat from Australia.. Should be another week or so..

 

[flightlessbird]

A Peter Tommasini made wheel?

 

[MP&C]

Yes, a Tommasini wheel..

 

[Yarz]

How did you cut such an even hexagon? Do you have a hexagon drill bit?

 

[MP&C]

Used a step drill to open a hole the same size diameter as across the flats, then a triangular file to add the corners.

 

[MP&C]

With the new brake parts all prepped for paint, and the owner not too keen on blue Monroe shocks (I told her it was Ford blue just to instigate), time for some more Epoxy this evening..

Meanwhile Kyle worked on repairing the cross piece for my brother in law's press that we tore up the other night. seems the "peg" hanging down didn't have room for the long axle under, so I put it next to it. We cracked the weld around the peg and pushed it in pretty good. So to make sure he'd let us use it again, we got some replacement parts...

The brake anchor brackets had been spread apart and a quick coat of SPI sprayed on the inside, then clamped closed with NNVG for the remaining spray session.

Quite the clamping conglomeration...

....and the rest of the parts...

After the shocks first coat of epoxy had flashed, they got two coats of the silver Imron...

 

[xtremek]

Many have said it, incredible work. Thanks for documenting your work, it's a great tutorial and entertaining.

 

[jimkinney]

Used a step drill to open a hole the same size diameter as across the flats, then a triangular file to add the corners.

All of the cool tools in the shop and it comes down to a hand file again and again.

Great project and incredible work. Thanks for letting us follow.

Jim

 

[TimeWarpF100]

Robert,

At least your painter shows up, my painter is a total slacker . . LOL

Looks like your shop is pretty well balanced.

 

[flightlessbird]

A friend has just bought one to make Alloy guards for his Austin Healy

 

[MP&C]

Should be arriving dockside any day now..

 

[bonneyman]

Geez, shortening and milling a step on that drill bit must have been a job! As hard and brittle as drill bits are.

Did you have to have a coolant flow on it while milling?

 

[MP&C]

The drill bits were HSS, tooling in the lathe was carbide insert. Walked right through it..

 

[maverick3316]

Does the solid round bar go all the way through? Did you drill a locating hole on the other side, then plug weld, grind flush, and the weld the plate on top?

Since you are painting the shocks, will the owner get an additional set painted as well for replacements when the first set wears out?


As others have stated, great work, and great attention to detail.

 

[Kevin54]

Geez, shortening and milling a step on that drill bit must have been a job! As hard and brittle as drill bits are.
Did you have to have a coolant flow on it while milling?

A drill bits flutes are hardened, but the shank of a drill bit (HSS bit) is quite a bit softer and allows for it to be easily machined.

 

[bonneyman]

A drill bits flutes are hardened, but the shank of a drill bit (HSS bit) is quite a bit softer and allows for it to be easily machined.

Did not know that. Is that why drill bits always seem to snap in the flute area (harder) and not the shank part (softer = tougher)?

 

[MP&C]

Does the solid round bar go all the way through? Yes


Did you drill a locating hole on the other side, then plug weld, grind flush, and the weld the plate on top? Yes

Since you are painting the shocks, will the owner get an additional set painted as well for replacements when the first set wears out? No


As others have stated, great work, and great attention to detail.

Thanks!

 

[Yarz]

Did not know that. Is that why drill bits always seem to snap in the flute area (harder) and not the shank part (softer = tougher)?

Yep, the hardening makes the metal more brittle, whereas the softer can flex ever so slightly

 

[MP&C]

Well soon after the 35 Chevy returned from GNRS, Cody had it blown apart again to tackle more items on the to-do list.. One of them being inner fenders, which he had asked if we would punch some louvers in those as well. He hand fabricated these parts, seen here:

He had quite a bit of work in these and had suggested shipping them down, but we aren't that far apart so I suggested meeting in the middle to pass off the parts rather than trust them to shipping. So we guessed on Parole, MD as being close to a good midpoint, and picked the Double TT Diner to grab some breakfast and catch up on his trip to Pomona. Kyle and I arrived and had made about one lap through the parking lot when Cody pulled in, so this worked to be a good halfway point between Southern MD and Milford DE.


Here's what we picked up....

This has a tighter radius than what we had done for the hood sides, so for the punch to better follow the contour, or sit perpendicular to the point of punch, we plan on a rotational fixture attached to the linear slide that the "trough" of the inner fender can be rolled from side to side.. More on that to come..

On the way home from Parole, we made a stop to look at an old fire truck that was slated for a total restoration. We did a quick survey of the truck and made some recommendations to the owner.. While we were there, also stumbled across another 35 Chevy. These 35's are coming out of the woodwork it seems..

Back in the shop, getting ready to re-assemble the rear. Test fitting the rear axle bearings, as the brake kit had come with some .250 thick spacers...

My vernier depth gauge showed that the actual distance was .203, so some trimming was in order...

With all the parts now test fitted, we took the rebuilt press parts back and gave them a trial run...

With the press back in business, the only thing left to do there is to add it in the mix the next time we spray some epoxy, and I generously offered some of the leftover orange from the trailer wheel painting, but my brother-in-law seems a bit apprehensive.


Brake line brackets were removed from the paint stand, and this is the first time I noticed these Vise Grips had a Gene Winfield fade paint job on them..

Brackets were plug welded to the housing, welds scuffed and touched up with some SPI epoxy..

Newly painted shocks were reinstalled, and rear brake parts all installed..

A bit closer....

 

[iajonesy]

Man, you just keep me spellbound. The quality of your work and your pictures are both great, Robert. I see you used rubber brake hoses. Do you prefer these over braided lines or was it an economical choice? You need to publish this Chevy's build as a how to book. I think you would have a best seller amongst car guys.

Mike

 

[MP&C]

The brake kit she bought for the front came with some braided lines, which were too short and, IMO, too stiff for range of motion on the suspension. So I went to the local Napa store, Guy Auto Parts, where they let me look through the boxes and find what I wanted.

Need brake hoses for a 9" rear...

"what's it in?"

A 55 Chevy....

"start with these two shelves..."

 

[Duke55]

I'll be watching for you planishing hammer build. It's next on my list and it looks like your planning on building the same style as me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GreyOwl]

I would double check the brake line clip attachment, all I've seen in the past have the upper flange turned the other way. Maybe these are different though.

 

[MP&C]

I'll be watching for you planishing hammer build. It's next on my list and it looks like your planning on building the same style as me.

I've had my eye on that piece of pipe for a couple years. Stopped by the machine shop that had it the other day and they were moving stuff around. Thought I better pull the trigger lest it disappear.

I would double check the brake line clip attachment, all I've seen in the past have the upper flange turned the other way. Maybe these are different though.

I thought it was a bit on the loose side, thanks for the pointer (pun intended). And you guys wonder why I take all these pictures..

 

[NthoozEist]

This thread is inspirational!

 

[MP&C]

The Mini Cooper wheel bearing/hub assembly had come in yesterday (looks like this)

....so the first order of business was to void the warranty. Made a trip over to David's shop to make sure the press was still operational, and pressed the hub out of the bearing. We need a flat surface for the new material clamps, so Kyle worked on the lathe to get rid of the excess metal here:

He got this far tonight...

These are the new clamps we'll be using, the single 8mm bolt will connect it to the flange Kyle it working on..

Meanwhile, I cut out the plate to hold the bearing...

The top will be folded 90* and that flange bolted to the top of the glide blocks here...

Once complete this should allow us to rotate the inner fenders as we punch the louvers. Oh, and finally, looking at the bare spot in the floor here....

The English Wheel has left the building. It is headed to a Porsche restoration shop on Eastern shore, should be putting out some 356 parts soon..

 

[MP&C]

With the wheel hub faced, the flange is trimmed...

The attachment bracket....

Pressed back together...

"test run" videos:

Material clamps should be here tomorrow, so we'll try and get some louvers punched next week.

 

[TimeWarpF100]

With the wheel hub faced, the flange is trimmed...

The attachment bracket....

Pressed back together...

"test run" videos:

Material clamps should be here tomorrow, so we'll try and get some louvers punched next week.

So Cool!

Can I just stop by for a day to watch?

 

[MP&C]

We'll put you to work....

 

[TimeWarpF100]

We'll put you to work....

As a Floor Sweeper? Cool, Thats what I am on FaceBook.

Posted your vid on my Facebook timeline

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010340894277

 

[MP&C]

eh, we only do that about once a year, need it or not. We cleaned up about a month ago so we're good for a while...

 

[EdT]

Great stuff as always. I've learned a lot from your thread. Best tip so far has been using the right and left hand shears to make "stops" on a piece of sheet metal for cutting on the stomp shear. Works great for long, narrow strips. WRT the open floor space, if your shop is like mine, you should be able to see a small vortex forming over the shop roof as the sun sets and tomorrow it will have deposited a pile of something in the space while you were sleeping. That's how mine operates.

 

[TimeWarpF100]

eh, we only do that about once a year, need it or not. We cleaned up about a month ago so we're good for a while...

Whew! Then I can just hang around and watch for 11 months to learn and will leave just prior to sweeping day?

Sounds good . .

 

[iajonesy]

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. Robert, I'll bring my own broom and dust pan for the chance to hang out at your shop. Heck, I'll even bring my 56 Chevy pick up project and let it hang out there too.

Mike

 

[Fan Attic]

Robert, I've been reading this thread which you linked over from the HAMB for the past 10 weeks and only have a couple pages to go to be current. It's all been said already so all I can add is my thanks for sharing your valuable time with us all. I too have learned SOOO much.
I have a general question for you that I hope you or someone can help with regarding kick shrinker dies. I bought the cheap pair of shrinker/stretcher tools from Eastwood decades ago and I have worn out the shrinker dies. Can they be sharpened or are there quality compatible replacements out there? I looked around on line and I don't see even Eastwood shrinker only die sets.

 

[MP&C]

I believe Neil Dunder restipples the dies for HF and Eastwood machines. Try sending an email thru his web site, www.gogitzit.com

You may also be able to tune up you dies by cleaning out any residue that may be in the grooves and adding some grease to the ramps for better performance. That may do the trick..

 

[Fan Attic]

I believe Neil Dunder restipples the dies for HF and Eastwood machines. Try sending an email thru his web site, www.gogitzit.com

You may also be able to tune up you dies by cleaning out any residue that may be in the grooves and adding some grease to the ramps for better performance. That may do the trick..

Thank you for the quick reply Robert, I routinely wire brush the dies and lube the ramps. They just don't have much grip any more, I may have abused them once, maybe. I'll give Neil a try.