Leaderboard

So I retired in 2011 and built a new shed to house the Carlton to make space for all the bits that I would need to remove from the Gloria to gain access to all the rotten wood. The correct way would be to remove the aluminium skin from the ash frame and repair the frame but I just don't have the skills to undertake such a marathon job as it would have entailed removing hundreds of panel pins, prising the aluminium from the frame and then replacing it with all the panel beating and then a full respray. By this time my partner Alison was in poor health and required more and more help around the house until she passed away in 2016. I now needed a project, rather than just want one, and set to planning how I was going to achieve it without everything going belly up. I am not very skilled at carpentry so to make life easier I purchased a few woodworking tools, small band saw, bench sander, planer-thicknesser, dremel, grinder, multi tool, router and a rip-snorter. I already had a small bench saw and my brother in law had one with an adjustable table so I thought I would be able to make all the bits I needed. A neighbour who had worked in the lumber business for many years gave me some lengths of ash trees that he had cut several years earlier and I thought I was on my way but after making a couple of simple flat pieces that bolt to the chassis (4" x 1 1/8" x 12") I came out the following day to find them curled like bananas. Obviously you need to slice your timber and leave it to dry out for several years before it can be used and I wasn't about to wait for this lot to dry out. Found a sawmill beside Huntly that had some 1" and 2" thick well seasoned ash slabs about 10 Ft x 2 Ft and went off to pick them up, should have taken about an hour but got back 4 hours later as the 85 year old owner of the mill was also a Jaguar enthusiast and about 3 hours were spent talking cars and looking round his Series 3 V12 E Type. I had also done some research in to what glue should be used when assembling the frame and found so many different opinions that I ended up using Araldite 2 pack epoxy (the long setting time type). Since I was going to be working in some very tight spaces, using standard slotted head wood screws did not appeal as I would have found it difficult to work even the shortest screw driver so I opted to use torx headed stainless steel screws and a torx bit that I could drive with a small 1/4" drive ratchet or a 10mm ratchet ring key. I managed to get 200 off each 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 an 60 mm screws for under £100 and bought about 12 double syringe packs of the araldite so that I didn't have an open pack sitting for weeks and slowly going hard. A few test samples of ash were cut and either screwed or glued together and pulled apart to confirm that these methods were going to be successful. This is the offcut of the 1" ash that i was left with.

This model 60 aero angine arrived today with some useful literature It's now on display with the others...

Got a bit bored this week, I had an old disability scooter kicking about and found this old jeep on the dump, so I’ve cut 9 inches out of the chassis cut the jeep up abit, and I’ve got a start to an 8 mph tot rod

Yep turned out quite easy in the end Alan , it’s now sold, so some little person will be happy this christmas

Well it goes like shit off a shovel 😂

Hello again all, Long time, no post !. I've been busy during this absence, honest !. Lots of preparation for painting the T Engine, only managed to get to the etch primed stage on most parts. Temp, weather and humidity has halted progress. I have been working on the Water Cart for some time. Glad to have finished the 130 holes for the 1/32" (0.80mm) rivets. Broke 2 drill bits and had to get the pieces out by dissolving them over a few weeks. Have reproduced the raised 'cast in' lettering on each of the tank ends by individually soldering them in place after fitting and sealing the tank end plates in position. The letters are 3mm and 2mm in height and had to make the Ampersand out of bits- Just finished making and trial fitting the wooden board work, tank lid and have revised the pump outlet nozzle . The latch bolts are under way, with just the handle to make before fitting. So just waiting for a 'weather window' to get the 2 part etch primer on- Regards

Not quite a Tot Rod but a Black Hood Wheel Horse look a like, sort of. Based on a Pride Celebrity scooter bought cheap as a non runner. Info said 6.25 MPH. Larger rear wheels make it faster. Steering wheel in place of the tiller with a dummy V twin engine to hide the scooter steering column. Chain and sprockets from column to wheel. 2 x 12 volt 75 amp battery's so should give a good run. Still needs decals. Only had short test run so far. Photo's of Grand daughter having a play. She loved it.