Good work Sum!
I totally understand your timber mock up methods. My dad was a cabinet maker/woodturner and so have woodgrained hands from holding the other end of the plank in his shed.
Wood seemed the obvious choice to make mock ups for me as I am relatively new to working hands-on with steel.
Dr Goggles is the opposite; he thinks it mad to consider doing anything in wood. But then he is a steel worker and wouldn't know his slotted tenon joint from his annuallar growth rings.
Over the past few years I have learnt a huge amount about the immediacy of steel. The simple things impress me like how cool is it that welding gives you an instantaneous strong joint?!!!
Our venture is a mix of drawn studies of what we want, cardboard mock ups, even steel mock ups to get that look just right, and as neat and minimal as possible. (Except in strength where we are going overboard.)
One of our reference books that is invaluable is Carroll Smith's "Engineer to Win". He really makes it clear the aspects of steel that are important design factors in acheiving strength over time. From reducing stress risers to the right bolts to choose.
We want our car to have a lasting history, so too those driving it, so understanding well how and why steel fails is paramount. Another of the joys for me of this mad science is learning this stuff and slightly demystefying the world that little bit more....
Your car looks like it is progressing well, Sum. It is like looking at a cryptic crossword where you are offered a series of bendy clues to try and work out why it is so. Very satisfying when the answer emerges, "ohhhh... he did that because of so and so...."
The effort, thought and craft is visible. Keep up the good work!
Reverend H+
