Springfield Flyer.

[tauruck]

Thanks. It was a hectic day to say the least.


I was looking at some pics I downloaded a while back. I have one of Mike Cook's red car. It's a roadster.
The current record holder here in South Africa used a very similar car to set the record.

I know it's a Steve Schmidt car and went back to the States shortly after.

[wobblywalrus]

Mike, in response to your question about the 3M sponsorship.  The best way to end things is by writing a kind letter thanking them for their past support.  The "rule of thumb" is accentuate and acknowledge the positive.  Ignore the negative.   

[tauruck]

Hey Bo, I think the new regime at 3M has their wires crossed so I'm just going to let it ride. We'll see what happens.

Friday was computer day again. It blew for the sixth time in a year. I spent the weekend working long hours and got quite a bit done.

My engine mountings front and rear are finally done. I can now finish the headers and hang the oil pump so I'll be kept busy for another week or so.

I had to use the hand drill to perforate the 8mm plate because the noise from the riciprocating saw would have brought the police out at 3AM. It all worked out fine and when I refitted the motor the plates went straight onto the mounts. No play whatsoever.

I'm really pleased with how things are going right now.

Some progress pics.

[tauruck]

The rear plate finished and ready for installation.

[lsrjunkie]

Nice piece Mike!

[tauruck]

Thanks Joe.

I can run the pipes to where I have to build the collector. This will be a major task but we'll figure it out.

[Captthundarr]

Su weet Mike (joe,mike,joe) Mike. Sometimes ya just got to whittle away at it . good progress.

[tauruck]

He he he, Frank .
You want to see my birth certificate. I think the only Saint's name I never got was Joseph.

It's war out here but I'm avoiding the Claymores.

Working on a sponsor but he's very good at Chess and if I pull it off it will be well woth it.

Back on composite work for a while. Got some neat stuff I'm doing for export.

In addition to that I started making some chute tubes.
37" long and it's on the mandrel with a layer of Peel Ply over it.

The good smooth side is on the inside where it counts. Three more to go.

[wobblywalrus]

Are you going to connect the headers as 4 into 2 into 1 or as 4 into 1?

[Geo]

Mike,

I like the way you are mixing the aluminum we think is light weight with carbon we think is lighter weight.  Great to see you using something we would not consider.  Might change some of the long time engrained views we have here.

Nice job on the hand milling machine to make the engine plate!  I have one of those here as there is no room for the big cast machine I would like. Keep after it.  I found the list getting longer for quite a time period before it became shorter. The big parts were completed and then the details began.

Geo

[tauruck]

Bo, 4 into 1. I have to still find/make some SSteel rings for joining the tubes. I have a pile of suspension parts I need to collect from my engineer Geraldo.

Money is tight but he's cool. I drop of material and drawings, he does the work, I collect and when I bring the next batch I pay.

I tried three different versions of front suspension that wouldn't work but I might have come up with the best compromise yet. Space is at a premium and the packaging is a nightmare. I have about 8 inches between the spindles to work with.

Geoff, I used Carbon because the Aluminum tubing available in that size is heavy wall stuff and the steel has a weld seam. Imagine having to choose the black stuff over steel! The materials are here and I have to use them.
The resin I use to build gas tanks is obviously chemical resistant and that makes it very good at handling heat but doesn't have what I'd call a shelf life. A 5 gallon keg runs at about 3 grand and my experience has been that once you open the can you'd better use it.
I have to use the resin and because I have good Carbon and not so good looking Carbon I made the decision to do the tubes with the fabric that has a few blemishes.
It took about 25 minutes to wrap. I'm doing an oil pan for a 572 Chevy at the same time so there's no waste.

[Tman]

Those cute tubes are cool. I would love to have something like that!

BTW, how are the wheel disks coming?

[wobblywalrus]

Can the supplier package the resin for you in smaller cans?  I ask for that a lot with specialty paints, race fuel, etc.  Sometimes there is a small extra charge for the service.  It is worth it, though, to be working with liquid from a newly opened can.

[tauruck]

Trent, I'm busy on the new mold for the wheel discs. The old one lost a big chunk of Gel coat. I've been at this composite thing for a long time and could never get to grips with Epoxy Gel coats. We hate each other. I use Polyester Gel coat for molds and on parts that require tight accuracy I back that with Epoxy because Polly supposedly shrinks between 2 and 5% on curing.
 I need to get a mechanical bond between the Polyester Gel coat and the Epoxy laminate but I screwed up on the process so I got a big breakout. It rarely happens but I'm human. It beats finishing a big job only to see the hardener still on the bench. I think I cried or started drinking that day. Maybe both.
The new mold will be completed tomorrow. I have promised two sets to friends and I won't let them down.

Bo, The guys here are thieves when it comes to decanting. If the material costs $200 for 5 gallons and you only want 1 they'll hit you $140. The man on the street doesn't count it seems. Little glassfiber repair kits (500ml) cost more than 300% of the value. First we pay ten times more than you guys do and still get taken to the cleaners again after that. They say we have the most expensive cell phone rates in the world here. We manufacture lots of cars here. A Toyota Landcruiser built here and exported to Australia is half the price there. You'd have the best vacation here Dollar wise.


The front suspension is coming along nicely and I should have the major bits mocked up this week. I can't give her 100% due to work commitments and I hate it. When I was a long haired teenager playing hockey the guys had a saying that said if the game interferes with your job, leave your job!. I did and they're all old men still doing the same work.

[tauruck]

A little diversion from my build but it bodes well for the future.

I've been playing with Carbon Fiber since 1988 and being self taught for the most part I've seen all the highs and lows.
Every part I've ever made came out of the mold with pin holes and ask anyone who knows this industry and they'll tell you it's the most annoying part in the process.

Not today. I laminated this Carbon oil pan on Friday using a new resin system. I normally buy pre accelerated resin but the company wouldn't formulate this one so I had to go it alone. These high temp systems have a short pot life at the best of times so you have about 15 minutes to laminate, add all the vacuum technology materials like bleeder film, peel ply and breather layer plus getting it into the vac bag and sealing it.

I gave it my best shot but spent the weekend dreading today. I thought I'd have to redo the job. For the first time in my career there will be no finishing required. Not a pin hole in sight. I just won the Black Art lotto!!!!

I used the same material for the chute tubes and there's a bunch of other parts in the pipeline that will get the same.

I even feel some affection for the 572 the pan is going to.