Springfield Flyer.

[tauruck]

I've been compiling a list of things to do and components still needed for my liner and due to limited budget, the local exchange rate and other factors things are an uphill battle.
I need advice from you guys. The parts I can't source locally are tires, a crank trigger wheel and a 105mm throttle body.
 The car is not that far off. The body work is a no brainer
IMO. I've done this for 30 years so I have it planned, the materials are here and the process I use works.

 Asking you guys to help is cheeky because you all have your own projects
to develop. I need help with a number of US based sponsors and if anyone wants to put in a good word for me with them please PM me?. I hope this request is not offensive.
Thanks in advance.

[tauruck]

Honey do's!!!!!!.
My first wood construction was at 12 years old when I built an aviary for my finches.
Latest project is a cabin at the bottom of the garden. It's on a steel frame with tongue
and groove planking. What a mission but it's coming along nicely. Great therapy for me.
Got 25% done but I need to get it dried in before the rains come. It's an early birthday
present for she who's name we don't mention .

[manta22]

Nice project, Mike.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[floydjer]

Tongue and groove???   So you`re not using studs?? You`ll get that done lickety-split  ( It IS Friday )

[ggl205]

I thought that was tongue 'n cheek. Oops, wrong thread.

John

[tauruck]

 

[tauruck]

I'm preparing to fabricate the tooling for blow molding the canopy.
I've been doing a lot of research and getting advice from Gary Lavarack (a guy who has done the process and been through the R&D).

First step is to draw the profile. I'll use my big plastic profile gauge that I bought from Eastwood many years back. My importer
Dale charged me 800 bucks which I thought was a rip off but it turned out to be money well spent. The tool is invaluable and next
to my CP reciprocating saw most of what I do would be near impossible.

Due to the shape of the canopy making the tool is difficult. The rear section that fits around the roll hoop has an almost vertical edge
so the question was how to shape the cutout so I get the correct shape. I came up with the idea of just doing a mirror image giving
me the advantage of producing two canopies.

I have steel 1" tubing for the frames and some 2mm plate that should be enough to build the two boxes. I have two choices on cutting
out the profile. I can go with the plasma cutter or send the plate and template to my sponsor Aquajet Profiling. I don't think I have a steady
enough hand for using the plasma machine and the finishing will be a PITA!.

I'll build the base box first starting later this morning.

This is the drawing I did of the profile using Paint.

[tauruck]

I forgot to add that I have a material sponsorship coming from Perspex South Africa.
The sheet of material costs around R4500 retail. Thanks to Babera Grifo who was
good enough to come on board.

 She's also involved in drag racing here and will
be at SEMA this year. I'm hoping shell bring back a vital component for me in her
luggage if I manage to convince a US based prospect that I'm worthy of his product.

[Buickguy3]

  Maybe she could squeeze 8 tires in the baggage as well.
    Doug 

[ggl205]

Mike, I am very interested in this process (blow molding polycarbonate). I had to eventually go to a professional to get this done without distortion. Please send us images of tooling and the blow process at key points along the way. BTW, what sheet thickness are you using? The company I used said .125" minimum.

John

[MattGuzzetta]

Mike, when we used to make road racing and street fairings at Don Vesco Products we found the best plastic bubbles we used for our road racing and street fairing were produced by sucking the hot (hanging sheet oven for even heating) plastic into a large box to free form the part. We used to get optically excellent windscreens that way.  We used 3/16" thick material and cut the parts from the bubbles with a epoxy pattern with a "carbo router" bit.  Here is the link to the Severance tool catalog page showing the  carbo rout burrs. The burrs cut clean and you can almost free rout the parts without cracking the plastic.
 http://www.severancetool.com/pdf/Severance%20Carbo%20Routs%20and%20End%20Mills.pdf
I can send you a sketch of the setup that the company used to make the parts.  The reason for sucking the part into the box instead of blowing is that the bubble does not distort from the air blowing in which chills the part.
Hope this is some help. We used sections of the bubbles to make the windscreen for Don's streamliner.
Best of luck!
Matt Guzzetta

[tauruck]

Matt, thanks for the heads up. All the advice helps. Gary is a good guy and knows his stuff.
I'll blow the sheet in an inverted state like he suggested.

I'll be honest. I contacted a local
guru that blow molds canopies for sailplanes etc but he treated me with such contempt
you'd swear I owed him money or something. I grew up in a tough neighbourhood and
my instinct was to go see this nasty person face to face. Man to man!!! but there's no
time for a bad time. Been there.

I figured that if I could do this thing myself it would just be another milestone and give
me the satisfaction of creating another component for what keeps me alive. The long
car is all I have and my only motivation for living.

I've got all kinds of obstacles in my life right now. What they are is not for this forum
but I keep my nose to the grindstone and take small bites at the biggest project I've
ever tackled. Elite force training is 75% mental and 25% physical IMO but this LSR
thing is off the charts.

Doug, the rubber is the BIG issue and it's been a thorn in my side since the first race
I ever entered. Just like my crashes, all on right hand turns.

[manta22]

Mike;

Re: the sailplane canopy guy- some people are just snots, they just can't help themselves. Don't worry about it, you're a far better man than he is.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[floydjer]

Yeah.....Mike....The idea is to avoid right turns if possible...

[tauruck]

Had no internet connection over the last while. TIA= This is Africa.

Better than wrong turns hey Jerry?.