Ian

Thanks Paul, it is getting there.. Slowly but moving in the right direction I will do when I can... It's just getting a lift over.. No Pete for a couple of weeks now. Thanks James.. It was the only way I could think of finding the center point without putting an axle back in.. And they are still a bit too long to fit Why Not now officially has lower chassis rails... Only tacked together and in need of a few cross members but they are there all the same The angles look a bit strange in the photo's but the rails kick out and the up to reach the axle..

And onto the chassis.... Almost I thought it would be handy to have a way of mounting the axle to the chassis so I marked out a couple of squares of steel, cut them out, tack welded together, but it was only when I started to bore the centers out on the lathe that I realized the square plates were going to be too small!! Take 2 on a slightly bigger scale.. That's take 1 on the bench behind it! A perfect fit around this axle off cut.. Chopped in half's and tacked on to the axle.. The sticking up bit's at the back are temporary and were only added to keep the plates the right distance apart for tacking onto the axle... Strengthening will be added but on when I have the chassis sorted.. And finally the first 2 new bit's of chassis roughly in place.. Working out the step up and step out so the rails line up with the axle mounts is going to be fun

Well, the time had come to get cracking on with building the rest of "Why Not's" chassis, but before I could do that I needed to make sure the rear axle was in the right place and would stay there.. So I dug out some old angle iron to make a pair of bolt on axle stands.. But how to find the center of the axle!! Not a problem... I bolted a thin steel plate over the hole and gently tapped around the edges of the bearing hole which kinda gave me an outline, but a rough one.. Once the plate was removed it had a nice smooth sharp bearing hole mark... Just right for marking out the middle The center mark was given a light nudge with a punch so it could be seen on the outside and then bolted back to the axle like so A view from the rear.. The axle is 100% in the right place now and is firmly fixed down to the bench.. And the prop shaft mocked up..

A great start to your project, one to follow for sure Is the chap is the 3rd pic sandblasting or just trying to blow snow away?

I rather like that.. It has everything you could need on it.. Dozer blade, back hoe etc.... I'd just change the seat to something with a bit of padding Thanks for posting it.. I'm guessing as it's so far away your not thinking of buying it?

HI Ghost, good to have you aboard

I don't think Nigel did get it running Mark... From what I understand the engine is locked up solid!

Good work Nathan, and a nice video.. Good to see the tracks turning... I tweaked your post so the video could be seen

I like your thinking James

The final two photo's of what must of been my fastest project to date The finished frame now with more tube and a bit of chain to hold the gas bottle steady.. Loaded up ready to work..

Ouch Charlie, that's a lot of rust! But on the bright side it could be repaired using some thick flat steel, no need to try and shape the ribs into it..

That's good news .. Let hope it's more than a couple of pages.

Thanks James.. The steel turned up last thing yesterday afternoon Now for the tricky part.. Working out how and where the chassis will run, and how to mount the axle to it!!

Thanks chaps, glad you like it... A bit more steel recycling today.. The big tube from this bit of Honda bike frame.. And some blue bit's of angle that were off-cuts from Garry's trike.. Both fitted. As the front castor wheel was rather worn to say the least, I dug this heavy duty castor wheel out.. One of a pair that has been following me around for years just waiting for the right moment to be used.. And a quick test fit ... I just need to make something to hold the gas bottle in place (rather than the bungee that was used for this quick photo), and it's done.. I was going to paint it but I rather like the "vintage used" look

I'm guessing a Crawley as well

I should of guessed when you mentioned it in your text Ben Very nice, it just needs a big v twin engine and a change of pulleys

That looks like a rather new rather shiny 3D jigsaw.. Great work Richard

I will second what Nigel and Mark have said.. Steer clear of stripper, just sand it

I wish I had more of an update on Why Not for you guy's, but as my ordered steel has yet to turn up (fingers crossed for tomorrow he says yet again ) I've not been able to get on with much.. These two bits of blue box have been welded to the back of the body and screwed to the bench.. And a couple more lengths at the front.. These hold the bodywork in the right place so I can work out how the new chassis rails will run.. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I do know I want the top rails to run inside the bodywork.. Roll on when the steel arrives, it will look better and be a bit stronger than the lengths of wood

Hi Iain, yep that's what I'm trying to do, cut the center out the wheel.. A rotary table on a mill would be handy, but as I don't have one it looks like I'm going to have to make my own lathe that's big enough

I like the way your build is going James, keep it up

Evening all, as you know I've now moved from Arc welding to Mig welding, and very happy with the Mig I am The trouble is with the welder plonked on the remains of an office chair and the gas bottle tied to my blasting cabinet so I stood less chance of knocking it over it didn't make my welder very portable or even easy to shift around the shack! So what I need is something with wheels to move it all around on... Enter a tube frame.. This frame used to hold a Kohler powered hydraulic road drill unit.. Nigel has the hydraulic side, Chris picked up the engine today, which leaves me with the frame, all be it a bit on the wide side.. Not a problem.. Out came the grinder as 8 1/2 inches was chopped out.. Chopped As I didn't have any of the right size tube to sleeve it with, I had to use some bits of U shaped steel and lot's of G clamps etc to hold it together for welding.. Have a strange ghostly photo of welding in action.. I don't think the end of this axle is going anywhere It was while sitting with a coffee looking at the narrowed trolley thingy that I thought it might be a bit unstable with the wheels not that far apart! Some more cutting and welding later not only were the wheels outboard but I'd also moved them back a few inches.. And that Ladies and Gents is as far I I've got with the welding trolley today.. More to come tomorrow..

It would need to be!! I don't think Nigel's lathe is big enough somehow looking at the photo's!

Sounds good to me James