2017 F15A Starting over

[sth65pac]

A bit of digression while I make a set and dolly for the rivet tasking. Have the materials but I have to grind a drill bit to the correct taper for the rivet head.

Repainting the cowl and some hardware & the GS toolbox. Now the doors have been re-repaired and the rust sandblasted away (again). I managed to find the RH door bolts too so they will be re-installed.

Some brass hinge bushes purchased nine short years ago are not suitable as replacements so I'll source some new ones through Macs I think.

Sadly the paint shop ran out of flattener for the paint so one day next weekend will be hardware paint day I guess. I found two mirror brackets in the pile.

Nine years in between had caused me to forget what I had wrapped in newspaper

Cheers

Ian

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by sth65pac

A bit of digression while I make a set and dolly for the rivet tasking. Have the materials but I have to grind a drill bit to the correct taper for the rivet head.

Hi Ian,

Just re read this and thought I would offer this suggestion.

A blacksmithing mate of mine said a good way to make a rivet dolly is to heat a grade 8 bolt red hot of the appropriate size and drive a ball bearing of the desired size into it forming a rounded cup.

Drill steel, though hard, is very brittle so may fracture with disastrous results upon heavy impact as would occur in riveting.
It may be worth considering anyway.

Cheers,

[sth65pac]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

Hi Ian,

Just re read this and thought I would offer this suggestion.

A blacksmithing mate of mine said a good way to make a rivet dolly is to heat a grade 8 bolt red hot of the appropriate size and drive a ball bearing of the desired size into it forming a rounded cup.

Drill steel, though hard, is very brittle so may fracture with disastrous results upon heavy impact as would occur in riveting.
It may be worth considering anyway.

Cheers,

Thanks Jaques,

I'll try a few ways. VMVC had an article a few years back... Technique is different but all good.

Cheers,

Ian

[sth65pac]

Well I have been busy over the last few weeks I did a guard repair to make it 'rounder' and a smooth arc.

Cutting out the old welds and adding a bit of metal to make it curve. Surprised to learn that this is over-perfection and my 'template guards are just cuts around the arch-way. Ahh well. They are at the sand blasters this week so they'll be in primer in the coming days.

I have fitted the cross member to the chassis with bolts until we get some still winds and I can have a hot flame. Ron I haven't forgotten your offer.

[sth65pac]

Well after a few hours on Saturday I managed to remove the propellor shafts and the transfer case. As usual the bolts are seized so they snap off in the case. The locking wire was intact - all gone on the top two bolts.

Sorry not much detail but a lot going on behind the scenes.

Cheers
Ian.

[sth65pac]

Well now it was out, a small task of removing broken bolts.
Yep, tried the weld a nut on method. Failed.
Tried the drill small and managed to snap a 1/4" drill in the middle of one bolt then two either side of the two big holes.
Drilled around the edges on one broken drill and then with a diamond point chisel chipped away for just on 6 hours. I managed to get all of the old metal out and no damage to the threads in either hole.
After getting out the dirt and crap I ran a half cut bolt and cleaned up the threads. Now on to clean the case all up and put in new seals.

Cheers,

Ian

[sth65pac]

Today being Sunday requires little noise for everyone.
I set the task of getting the steering wheel off the shaft. After studying a bazillion techniques which looked dangerous or destructive, I came up with my own. A puller would just rip the arms on the wheel and hitting it at the back was out too.

I spied the steel reinforcing plate in the back of the wheel hub, and found the answer. Hit it with a decent punch on three angles (120 degrees apart) and jar it off the shaft. this made minimal damage to the 72 year old wheel.

What I didn't know was that there was a woodruff key of sorts in the shaft. carefully removed its in a plastic bag along with the wheel nut.

I have restored several wheels before so this one shouldn't be too difficult. I am going to do four steering wheels in one lot as the preparation and setting up is as bad for one as several. Enjoy.

Ian

[Mike K]

.................................

Originally Posted by sth65pac

Have the materials but I have to grind a drill bit to the correct taper for the rivet head.

Maybe a ball nosed end mill would do it or a form tool in a lathe


Sadly the paint shop ran out of flattener for the paint so one day next weekend will be hardware paint day I guess.

I read a painting article in the ARMY MOTORS club magazine years ago , a US restorer used silicon powder as a flattening agent , you buy it from hobby potting suppliers i.e. people who make clay pots and fire them in a kiln
Cheers

Ian

[sth65pac]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

.................................

Thanks Mike,
Hoping by FRIDAY the paint shop has a new 4 litre tin of Flattner in and I can move on.

Yep A ball mill might do the job, but from others' experiences I am going to try a drill first.

On another note my 6 Volt headlights arrived today. One step over the original bulbs to Sealed beams.

Cheers,

Ian