Canadair CL70 CFR 58-91588

[Robin Craig]

This being a long weekend in Ontario for most people except Post Office employees, I got some time to do some more work.

I started by building a small deck platform to the same external size as the chassis frame. Then I cut a bunch of small blocks and stops and created this chassis jig.

I still need to make another jig for the side of the chassis but that is a job for Tuesday night as the glue has to set up on this overnight.

I have a take off for the material and hopefully this week I shall be cutting stock and fabricating part of a frame. We suspect that the originals were produced using oxyacetylene welding. We will be using mig for ours. The last picture shows some if the ice damage caused where water go inside the frame.

I am dead chuffed with the progress.

[Robin Craig]

I get a chuckle out of the fact over 900 people have viewed this thread but very few comments.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Stupid looks are free. And you want us to pile on with rude remarks now?

[Robin Craig]

Terry,

I can always count on you for an appropriate remark to a thread

[David Herbert]

Originally Posted by Robin Craig

I get a chuckle out of the fact over 900 people have viewed this thread but very few comments.

Well I am one of the 900 !

I know nothing about this vehicle except what you have put up. You are obviously well on top of all the problems so far so there is nothing much that I can contribute.

If it helps I will say that I think it is a fascinating project and I hope that you will continue to show us how it progresses.

Try not to set fire to the jig when you weld the frame up !

David

[Robin Craig]

David,

I made the jig from wood rather than steel because it is cheaper and more expedient. It will likely get recycled into some kind of work surface in the end.

I think I know what I am doing but in reality I am an utter rank amateur at this.

Thanks for the comments.

[David Herbert]

Robin,

Exactly what I would have done. Only alternative might have been to clamp it back to back with one of the other frames but that has its own difficulties.

Nothing wrong with being an amateur, it is the learning new skills and problem solving that is fun.

David

[chris vickery]

Robin, my .02c worth.
Safety first! Wear a cartridge respirator and plenty of ventilation when you weld her up.
I used to do a lot of AL welding for trailer repairs and its nasty, nasty.

[Robin Craig]

We had a great night in the shop last night but not quite as far ahead on the jig work as hoped, we have some steel on hand but the side jig was not finished.

The idea is that once the side jig is complete it can be removed and the two side panels of the chassis can be made away from the main jig as they are mirror images. Only after they are made will the new sides come back to the main jig and be clamped in place and the centre portion added in.

There is going to be a lot of work with the jig, it is I anticipate going to be a couple of weeks of work. Thankfully it is all mild steel.

We are very fortunate to have acquired the two front cars as checking between the two has revealed so much in the way of detail we would never have gained by just having one.

The parts machine gave up what amounts to a whole wiring harness and how it was routed. It has been hacked a bit and butt splices don't cut it for Gerry or myself but now we know what to remake. Gerry has a great method of marking wiring which is pure genius, white zip ties and a Sharpie marker.