Skip’s “Thing” – Blown Fuel Roadster

[Skip Pipes]

Freud - Thanks for the compliment 

Hi Tauruck,

Yea, I wear long sleeve flannel shirts with the wrists taped closed, neck buttoned up and a 3M mask. I'm limiting myself to roughing in/and cutting the body for roll cage/push bar/parachute access and placement on the chassis. I'm doing any more with the glass I'm going to hire someone to fix my trimming jobs and prep the body for paint.

[manta22]

That's not good. You'll have to wear protection. I don't know what you're actually doing but I try not to use angle grinders for cutting. I use a reciprocating saw and palm sander for smoothing. The high speed stuff makes the job nasty even for guys with experience. I work with the stuff daily and you've got me scratching. PM me anytime for advice, I'll help where I can.
        A guy I knew was on vacation and went to visit his buddies at the yacht basin. They put him to work on a boat but he was in shorts and sandals and ended up spending a week in the hospital. Nice friends!.

I've found that the el cheapo "sheet metal" pneumatic saw that I bought on sale at HF for around $10 is great for cutting fiberglass. It takes modified hacksaw blades so it has a narrow saw kerf and it can make reasonably small radius cuts. Amen on wearing protection from the dust; you'll itch for days without it. A good 3M dust mask is recommended over a cheaper brand.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[38flattie]

Looking good, Skip!

[SPARKY]

Skip, why not form the sides of the cage to the back of the chute housing-- the air for the pilot chute    should be much happier  not nearly as confused

[JimL]

Neil, Skip, a trick on the Harbor Freight air hacksaw.  As soon as you get it home, take the blade guide block apart, clean all the threads with brake cleaner or lacquer thinner, and then reassemble with loctite on the screws.  It will last for years.  Also, notch the plastic cover And aluminim case for access to the blade set screws and loctite the countersunk screw.  I use bimetal blades for best results on fiberglass.  I just snap off the length I want with a pair of pliers.

If you turn the teeth to pull, and run a little long on the blade, you can angle the saw to cut tight corners in your glass.  You will be working farther out on the blade with this method.  The blade can curve quite a bit!  Stay a little off your line, then use the curved side of carpenters wood rasp to finish shape.  The fine teeth of a wood rasp give very nice control on fiberglass, both flat or curved.

[manta22]

Jim;

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check to see which direction I installed the saw teeth. I don't buy anything but bi-metal blades these days-- they are worth the small additional cost. The saw cuts sheet aluminum pretty well, too.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[SPARKY]

not as good as a skill saw---be sure to get ear protection firs

[tauruck]

Jim;

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check to see which direction I installed the saw teeth. I don't buy anything but bi-metal blades these days-- they are worth the small additional cost. The saw cuts sheet aluminum pretty well, too.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

My saw is my right hand . I work with composites every day so I need the best. CP saw and Starrett 18t Red Stripe blades (used to use Green Stripe but they're discontinued). Yup, the blade goes in opposite to the hacksaw setup. For going around tight corners I shape the back of the blade on the belt sander.

[Skip Pipes]

Put some more time into the reverse curve for the windscreen mounting. It’s almost done except for minor trimming and sanding out the shrinker marks.

Then I mounted the windscreen. Just need to do the final trim. 

[Skip Pipes]

Also put some more time into the parachute cover. Finish roughing in the left & right sides and then the top. Then welded them together and finished the seam.

[Kiwi Paul]

Nice, Skip. Good to see some progress--keep plugging away, you are getting there....

[Ron Gibson]

Skip
Not trying to be smart azz, but are you sure you have 120 degrees of vision? Don't think they have changed the rules. Looked in an older book, all i could find on short notice. Would really hate to see you get there and have to change something to satisfy inspectors.

Ron

[DND]

Hi Skip

Sheet metal is looking very nice, i noticed two helmets on a shelf as i'am looking for a vintage Bell Magum 500 ' Visor '

Have a hemet i wan't to get done up like i had mine in the 60's with engine turned silver leaf and a blue border, it really was brite to look at in the sunshine

Don

[Stainless1]

Skip
Not trying to be smart azz, but are you sure you have 120 degrees of vision? Don't think they have changed the rules. Looked in an older book, all i could find on short notice. Would really hate to see you get there and have to change something to satisfy inspectors.

Ron

Ron, with the rule that requires you lateral helmet movement limit enclosure to extend to the front of the helmet I find it hard to imagine that most of the cars really have 120 degrees of vision.  The front edge of all full face helmets is several inches in front of your eyes... and the lateral has to be to the front of the helmet.

[Tman]

Skip
Not trying to be smart azz, but are you sure you have 120 degrees of vision? Don't think they have changed the rules. Looked in an older book, all i could find on short notice. Would really hate to see you get there and have to change something to satisfy inspectors.

Ron

Ron, with the rule that requires you lateral helmet movement limit enclosure to extend to the front of the helmet I find it hard to imagine that most of the cars really have 120 degrees of vision.  The front edge of all full face helmets is several inches in front of your eyes... and the lateral has to be to the front of the helmet.

And if anyone can see through the helmet side bar padding they are Clark Kent!