Welding on More Random Jingly Bits

Posted by jjludemann on November 16, 2014

Some shiny frame porn for you…

I had not realized how many small brackets and things need to be fabricated and welded onto the frame before it can be painted. Weeks of work…

The nose mounts are so strong because the car will be lifted by a nose jack under the wing in the pits.

: Bending nose mounts

: How to bend a small box corner

: Nose mount before welding

: Finished set of 4 nose mounts

: Laser cut aluminum and steel sheet parts ready to go to bender

: Radiator mounting

: Bending an oil cooler mount

: Oil cooler in place

: Shoulder belt mounts and firewall reinforcement

: Pedal cluster mounts

: Fuel pump mounts

: Rear head restraint

: Head restraint doubles as body support

: Driver’s leg protection from steering column collapse assembly

: Anti-submarine belt mounts

: Anti-sub belt mounts in place under seat bottom

: Lap belt mounts

: Floor and diffuser mounts

: Bracket for chain tensioner

: Clutch master cylinder reservoir mount

: Brake master cylinder mounts, front & rear brakes

: Dashboard mounts

: This is how long I’ve been waiting to do a big project– copyright 1990

More Laser-Cut Parts and Panels

Posted by jjludemann on January 13, 2014

Second batch of laser-cut parts.

I received my second batch of laser-cut parts, this time from a new supplier that has some more reasonable aluminum. They did a reasonable job, but man were they slow. It took three visits and more than two weeks to get a quotation, then I forget how long to do the work. Then when they were finished, I had to call them to find out. This is Thailand.

The parts are cut from both steel and aluminum of several different thicknesses, and include the radiator and oil cooler mounts, differential mounts, some engine mounts, the entire pedal cluster, parts of the steering column, chain tensioner, nose mounts, steering rack mounts, steering column mounts, lap belt mounts, chassis side panels, seat panels, the firewall, fuel tank, and even an idler sprocket.

Laser-cut panels including sides, seat and fuel tank

Custom Radiator, Lathe Cooling, Suspension Progress

Posted by jjludemann on January 13, 2014

Time for a few miscellaneous updates.

Homemade lathe liquid coolant system

I was always dreading having to machine steel. I had to do it slowly to keep the temperature down and avoid chatter, even though I use carbide cutter inserts. Then I read somewhere that home hobbyists tend to be afraid to run the lathe & milling machine at high enough RPM to keep the cutting inserts happy, but if they do it will cause the insert to overheat and be cooked in two seconds. I figured I can find the cojones to run my equipment at maximum speed as well as the next guy…

So one day I was browsing at my new favorite store, Hardware House in Rayong, and I saw a gallon container of cutting coolant fluid for sale. I’d had no idea of how to find this stuff in Thailand, or even how to ask for it, so it was pure luck to stumble over it. Or you could call it diligence in going up and down every aisle in Hardware House looking for things I might need. They also had flexible fluid squirters and 12-volt water pumps, so I put together my own fluid cooling system, pictured above. I drive the pump with an automotive battery charger which allows me to reduce the voltage and amperage to get the correct flow, and it works like a charm! Now I can cut steel like I used to cut aluminum.