triumphfan Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Right, I'm booked in to Chez Andi next Wednesday for an exclusive "lunch 'n' learn" session on lacing wire wheels. Looking forward to expanding my skill set (and a bacon bap!!) I will be opening the box and the inner plastic bags very soon Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Come on VT tell all what lathe you have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) Come on VT tell all what lathe you have Colin, it's nothing fancy at all - a Sieg C2. These are what I term THE generic Chinese mini-lathe. Often rebranded by other companies, but generally all the same (IIRC, apart from the Warco, Amadeal & ArcEuro versions, which they tweak up). Mine is a Clarke CL300m which is sold by Machine Mart and excellent value if bought on their VAT free days! I have a Sieg X2 mill rebranded by Axminster. I went for this at the time as it had the longer travel table (which I rarely need, in truth).Endless toys to buy for them, but I try to keep sensible...a four jaw Chuck is handy, but I'm now a fan of ER16 collets. I have 2x MT3 and 2x MT2 ER16 Collet holders. These fit into the built in tapers on both machines which is a godsend, meaning I can move a part from machine to machine without taking it out the Chuck. A digital spindle reader is nice, but I can now guess to within 100 rpm, rarely even plug it in. One day I will convert the headstock to taper roller bearings, but mine's still running smooth after 10 years of messing. Toys for the mill? Rotary table is handy and one that tilts to 90 degrees is fab, plus a tailstock, good engineers vice and clamping set. I treated mine to a great belt conversion kit made by a chap in Turkey (on a Sieg C2, LOL!). His kits can be found on EBay for 80 quid). Advantages are no stripped gears if the work jams, more speed range and very quiet running. Means no longer annoying the neighbours at night! Edited February 3, 2016 by vontrips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thanks VT, you don't happen to have a link for the belt drive do you, all that seems to come up is for a milling machine Edit my mistake, I thought you had converted your lathe to belt drive oops 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) Colin, there's a metal gear conversion for the lathe, but I imagine it's very noisy (Arceurotrade). Never stripped my plastic gears so far...touch wood! Metric thread cutting conversion could be handy too; though some are already converted (allow for around 30 quid). Quick change toolpost is handy too. You can set your three fav cutting tools to the correct height and swap them over with the turn of a wrench. Edited February 3, 2016 by vontrips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) Steering wheel boss done and dusted. I could have watched 4 episodes of Corrie in the time it took me to make this, haha! Gauge bezels and inserts Edited February 5, 2016 by vontrips 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 That's it time to order the mini lathe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 That's it time to order the mini lathe LOL...trade in the telly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Good idea, but I think swmbo might notice, the look, the silence and then pain, no I'll start saving. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Oops...couldn't resist scratching the spokes from alloy sheet. Still needs a fettle: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 You could go into the aftermarket side with stuff like that for this kit VT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 (edited) Had another look at these two photos tonight and realized I'd missed something! The first photo has the lower bonnet sides extended over the steering drop link! This is impossible, as the sides are flush to the chassis and the drop link has two kinks to kick over the chassis profile. Note too, there's no shadow on the link and also that the poor re-toucher had to add all those extra louvres! Haha. Edited February 9, 2016 by vontrips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Incredible machining VT. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 (edited) Oops Edited February 9, 2016 by vontrips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks Codger! Filler cap done: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Andi Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 How's this for a larf then? ..... Me and the Steve playing at lacing wheels ................... I think I was supposed to be the teacher? - Methinks I was more like chief cook and bottle washer, but the boy Steve did good and we should be seeing some great wheels all laced up in the very near future ............... "watch this space"! Steve setting up the rims ready for trimming.................... And yon-self getting the lacing under way ................... a bliddy good day, productive and an absolutely smashing chance to natter and catch-up - we don't do this anywhere often enough nowadays. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphfan Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Andi, thanks again for a very interesting and productive day (even though I got it wrong near the end!) Shame 'real life' had to cut the school day a bit short. I'm very sure that 99% of this process is in the method creation, amazing how easy the 'manual' part of wheel lacing really is. I am fired up to get moving on the Fiat project now. Looking forward to the weekend even more. The hub will be coming to work with me tomorrow so I can have a mandrel made up in the tool-room Steve. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vontrips Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) Hey, you are both little!!! Looks like you're both having fun there...Looking forward to some wheel pwogress. Two observations; that's a wonderfully organized workspace and glad I'm not the only one to wear at least one pair of glasses at any one time! Meanwhile, I've re-cast and re-machined the resin tyre master! Had microbubbles on the old one and couldn't live with it. Rubber and resin have arrived, so should be on it soon! Had a go at making 1.1mm diameter bolt heads for the cam covers. Couldn't face making 60 of the blighters - caved in and ordered some aftermarket ones! Have you guys thought of improvements for the spark plugs yet? I'm toying with turning some but they won't be anywhere near RBMotion's standard. Can get my head round getting the insulator right, unless I make up a cutting tool. May turn the bases and cast the tops? Edited February 11, 2016 by vontrips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larchiefeng Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Looks like fun; you guys are lucky that you live close enough to get together and work on the same project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Andi Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Looks like fun; you guys are lucky that you live close enough to get together and work on the same project. Well we're about an hour and a half apart, but compared to some of us characters we're positively in each others pockets. Also helps that Steve and myself go a long way back and are right proper mates (colloquialism for good friends) we speak on the phone often as we don't tend to go to the shows very often nowadays (well I don't anyway) Steve's still very active on the show scene. Our modelling criteria and values are remarkably similar and we often find ourselves struggling with identical issues independently - hence the pooling of knowledge and solutions ....................... we enjoy it. Plus we usually get to act like a couple of kids for the day without the disapproving looks of significant others (or in my case the dog, who is the best looking of all of us)! "The Gus" .............. aka ... the good looking one. ..................................................................................... yay us... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharknose156 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) "The Gus" .............. aka ... the good looking one." yes definitely the good looking one and i would add smart, does not to complicate life with lacing and wiring wheels for instance. Must be wondering what you guys are doing when the sofa is so comfortable Edited February 11, 2016 by sharknose156 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Andi Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Annnnd .... the tiniest of updates - BUT, a watershed in the build. Proof positive of having got all the wheels laced and into primer, so now hopefully I can proceed with the chassis with the faintest whiff of unattractive smugness about me! I might yet go along and add a drop of cyno' at the base of the spoke nipples to form a radius to the rim - but there again a good layer of paint may do the job for me? I was a bit wary of using any other primer than my favoured Halfords, as I know this does the job a treat. Me and Steve have discussed this at length and we're convinced that since the Halfords primer is a touch on the "hot" side you do seem to get a bit of "bite" on the surface. I've learnt to trust it however and going in with a cold can so's not to drown the job - and with a gentle "pft pft pft pffft" action they all covered beautifully. I shall finish them later in a deep charcoal grey with high and low lights then will weather to taste. The tyres are going to be a more awkward matter though methinks - thinking of working them up with Artists oil pigments at the minute - but this could change?? Checked on Steve this morning and after running his errands and doing his chores he assures me he'll be at the bench building his jigs etc all ready to start and tackle his four! Next job ...................... the chassis. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larchiefeng Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Those wheels look fantastic! Excellent work made more fun by having a friend in to work with and, great supervision by Gus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphfan Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Well, I eventually made a start on my wheels. My marking off jig is a piece of nylon sheet I picked out of a skip at work, new it would come in handy one day. It's a bit on the large side for making the saw cuts in the rims, if it becomes a problem I'll take the jigsaw to it! The first wheel part is in place and ready for it's slots to be made. This is a shot taken at Andi's bench and his lacing jig. The wheel is locked in place via a pin vice and some copper wire temporarily secured to the underside of the jig. My jig is in progress and made in a similar fashion from a bit of old tongue and groove in my case. A piece of ally rod is set in the centre to prevent wear and eventual wobble. Holding the work piece steady is quite fundamental to lacing success, obviously. Finally, an enduring memory of my training session.....Lunch. The photo Andi posted blatantly shows the effect my love of food has had on my figure The bacon and tomato rolls were super tasty and, yes, Gus had to sample them too. Onwards and upwards. Be prepared for some phone calls Andi !! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Super builds learning lots for when I buy this kit, eventually, sometime, sooner or later. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts