Pocher Bugatti T50 Coupé de Ville: a resurrection

[Roy vd M.]

Solid machining @CrazyCrank, looks good! 

 

It seems you've gained control over your lathe quite swiftly.  

[CrazyCrank]

Hi Chaps

 

Today evening, little progress on this build:  I've finished the spring leaf clips,  at the front  and at the back.

 

On restored vintage cars, you see them painted the same color as the body or polished stainless steel...I'ts not my taste, and IMHO it's unrealistic

 

Some pictures before painting them tar black....as I already did for the front left ones...

 

Rear:

 

 

 

Front:

 

 

 

Thanks for watching and stay tuned if you like

 

[CrazyCrank]

And to achieve the working day, i've machined the second connector of the steering transmission lever, using a 4 mm brass rod, my lathe and my milling machine, and hand tools

 

First, I took a 4 mm brass rod and put it in a 4 mm collet on the lathe (I just discover the virtues of this tool)

Second, I made a face turn at the free end of the rod

Third, I drilled it M1.5 on 3 mm

Fourth, I reduced the diameter to 3 mm over 11 mm

Fifth, I reduced the diameter to 3.5 mm over the next 0.5 mm

Sixth, I reduced the diameter to 3 mm over the next 1.2 mm

And then I cut off the bit from the rod

 

Next, using my milling machine as a drilling tool with a  M0.8 bit, I drilled a hole through this part, at 9.5 mm of the drilled end

Finally, I threaded M1 the M0.8 hole to allow a M1 bolt to be screwed, and I got this connector:

 

 

 

 

Next job:

- Turning the steering transmission arm to 2.5mm diameter starting from a 3 mm brass rod,

- each end beeing turned to 1.50 mm diameter over 2-3 mm

- the major difficulty of this step is to determine the exact length of this arm, because, according to my reference photos, this shaft isn't  straight but angled as on this sketch:

 

 

That's all for now, Gentlemen

 

Thanks for watching and stay tuned if you like 

[rjfk2002]

Great to see you back at work on the magnificent Bug!  

[Totally Mad Olivier]

Congratulations for that stunning work, Thierry, you are in another dimension, using mainly metal. It is really impressive!

[harveyb258]

Beautiful, beautiful work Thierry. Keep it up! Metal is best!

 

Cheers, H

[Codger]

A wonderful devotion to the details Thierry. A superb effort.

[CrazyCrank]

My dear friends @harveyb258, @Olivier de St Raph and @Codger......It's very kind of you...I much appreciate your nice comments and will try to deserve them for a long time.

 

Not very busy on this old lady actually....hard job at my medical office, deficient parents 's health, and my next travel to Montreal for my younger son's wedding on september 9th (incredible but true), are taking  all my time

I'm thinking of re-do my steering long arm connectors, to match closer the reality ( @Roy vd M. ref pictures), and then achieve the steering system and next the exhaust system.

Later, I'll try to machine new sparking plugs with my lathe and milling machine, because i'm no longer happy with the first ones !

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Lot of skill shown there, amazing.

[CrazyCrank]

Well gentlemen...

As I wrote few days ago, I' m not very happy with my steering axle connectors. !

 

Reviewing my ref. photos, not only those provided by @Roy vd M., but these ones anybody can find on Paul Koo's Bugatti DVD, I noticed that these connectors are the same on two different chassis of the T50 Bug', and  that they are very different of the stuff I've machined !

 

So, to match closer with the truth, I've begun to redo them.. below the process for the rear connector, which connect on the steering arm (itself connected on the axle that come out the steering gearbox)

 

I've used a 4 mm brass rod, 20 mm lenght

Have put it in a 4 mm collet on my lathe, face turned the free end, and drilled it 1.5 mm over 3 mm depth.

Then I've reduced the diameter of the free end to 3.3 mm over 11 mm

Then I've cut off the rod, keeping after the 3.3 mm section, a 2.5 mm lenght section of 4 mm diameter

And got this:

 

 

 

Then I've installed the rod in the dividing head of my milling machine, the head placed horizontally, and so, the rod was vertical, the thicker section up.

Then, have put a 0.6 mm drill bit in the collet of the milling machine, searched the center of the rod, given an offset of 1.2 mm, and drilled 4 holes, at the angles of a square, .

 

And got this:

 

 

Next, I've put the part in a 3-jaw chuck on my lathe, the thicker end free, have turned the face, reduced the length ot the thicker section to 1.8 mm, chamfered the face, and polish all the part with steel wool.

 

It remained then to drill 3 holes on the rod:

 

- the first one, 1 mm gauge, to give passage to the threaded connector of the steering arm

- the second one, 0.8 mm gauge, at the centre of the 3.3 section, aligned with the previous hole,  crossing through the rod, and furtherly threaded M1. This hole will host a M1 bolt, which secure the long steering axle on this rear connector

- the last one, 0.6 mm gauge, drilled on the thicker section of the connector, will host a 0.6 mm rod, 0.5 mm long, which will supposed to represent a 5 mm bolt head

 

To drill this holes, I've place vertically the dividing head on the milling machine, used successively 3 appropriate drill bits, rotating the rod at the good location each time.

 

In order to get this:

 

 

 

 

Further processing was a joke:

 

M1 bolt, flat head and a M0.6 brass needle:

 

 

 

Following pictures are obvious:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, I've assembled the steering arm and this connector, to get this:

 

 

 

 

 

And the set, placed on the model:

 

 

 

And now, I come back to my brass bits and little tools to machine the second connector, front one.

 

 

Stay tuned il you like, and thank you for watching and criticizing

 

 

 

 

 

[harveyb258]

Superb work Thierry!!  I LIKE!!

 

Cheers, H

[CrazyCrank]

Second connector done and put in place:

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

And  now, it's time to machine the steering axle which take place between these two connectors: 3 mm rod bended to the right shape, with 2 end sections of 1.5 mm gauge...

It's time to think, and I must sleep on it.

 

Stay tuned il you like, and thank you for watching and criticizing 

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

I've just achieved to machine my steering axle on the lathe, after 3 unsuccessfull tries and a stupid  waste of brass rod 

 

The problem to solve was:

 

- I wanted a 2.5 - 2.7 max gauge steering axle, so it was necessary to reduce the diameter of a standard commercial rod , 3 mm  diameter

- with at both ends a 1.5 mm diameter pin, which could come in the 1.5 mm hole of each connector

- this axle must be bended approximatively on its centre, to match the real one, which is not straight...

 

First, I'd to determine the length of this rod, pins included

 

I've sacrified a 1.5 mm gauge brass tube to make a template, have bended it , and cut it to give it the right shape, and then, I've painted red the angle and the ends of the tube, once it has been placed between the connectors.

I've measured this template:  98 mm, of which 1.5 mm for each pin, so the 2.5 mm section measured 95 mm.

 

 

 

Second, I'd to machine on the lathe the 3 mm brass rod, to reduce its diameter to 2.5-2.7 mm, and there, troubles began !

 

To get a 98 mm axle, I had to cut a 3 mm brass rod over 140 mm.

After several tries, and waste of 3 rods, I've found the method to machine a regular 2.5 mm diameter brass rod, over 95 mm, with 1.5 mm diameter pins on both ends.

It took me 6 hours to get an acceptable result....I'm not a mechanics, only a poor lonesome french physician 

 

Then, following the shape of my template, I've bended the rod.

 

 

 

And now, it has been placed  for a dry fit, waiting to be soldered on the connectors....and finally, to be' nickel plated, as the connectors and the steering arm.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned if you like, and thanks for watching and criticizing

 

Edited August 9, 2017 by CrazyCrank

[CrazyCrank]

I'm not today as happy with this steering axle as I was yesterday evening.

Due to the high flexibility of a thin brass rod when you turn it on the lathe, to reduce its diameter, the rod doesn't turn round;  it vibrate and the cutting tool doesn't work correctly on the middle section( the rod beeing placed between the collet and the tailsttpock at the other end).

 

So my rod is 2.5 mm at the ends, but the diameter increase gradually from both end to the centre, where I've measured it 2.70-2.80 mm

I've fixed partially this issue sanding the rod, but the result remains still unperfect, but just acceptable (the guy who doesn't know this issue, generally, will not see it...but I know, and it's disruptive for me !)

 

So, I've ordered on a Modelism Website brass rods of 2.5 mm diameter (I didn't know this size existed, otherwise I wouldn't have spent many hours and wasted material as I did yesterday)

It will be very easy to machine a now axle,  now that the most difficult part (find the exact size and shape) has been done.

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

[NickD]

Beautiful

[CrazyCrank]

17 hours ago, NickD said:

Beautiful

 

Very glad to read you on my thread Nick and Thanks for the compliment

 

[NickD]

No worries - its a pleasure and an education.

 

One thing that struck me yesterday was that the brake cable routing looks very similar to the drawing of the 806 (although the brake lever is in a different place). The steering too. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the details on cars from a similar era to the 806. They might plausibly fill in the blanks.

Regards

 

Nick

 

[CrazyCrank]

Steering axle redone, with a  2.5 diameter brass rod....It's more pleasant now

 

Connectors have been silver soldered on the axle. It wasn't (for me) an easy job 

 

Dry fit below:

 

 

 

 

It remains to make the nickel plating of the whole set of steering mechanism.

 

Stay tuned if you like, and thanks for watching and criticizing 

Edited August 13, 2017 by CrazyCrank

[Codger]

Carry on Thierry. It will be brilliant dressed in nickel. High marks for devotion to these difficult assemblies.

Bravo!

[CrazyCrank]

8 hours ago, Codger said:

Carry on Thierry. It will be brilliant dressed in nickel. High marks for devotion to these difficult assemblies.

Bravo!

 

Thanks a lot, Mr C. Your compliments are much appreciated.

 

I try to do my best, unceasingly putting the work on the stocks, until, if not perfection, satisfaction....

 

I've done two identical connectors more, because I noticed that the axle that join the two front wheels,  - allowing the left one turning simultaneously the same direction than the right one, when turning the steering wheel -, as, at its ends, on the prototype, exactly the same connectors.

So, there will be here too some improvements...

 

It took 6 hours to machine that, because I'd had to make 3 instead of two.

 

At the last step drilling a 0.6 mm diameter hole on aconnector, the bit deviated and drilled a wrong way, and I got that:

 

On the top side:

 

 

And on the bottom side:

 

[

 

The two good connectors, not yet achieved this evening:

 

 

 

How is that ? this seems like "déjà vu" ?

 

Of course, these are the same as for the steering axle !

 

Stay tuned if you like and thanks for watching

 

[CrazyCrank]

HI chaps

 

Connectors have been achieved and have been soldered on the transversal steering rod:

 

 

 

The rod has been placed between the wheels and screwed temporarilly on the levers, for a dry fit: yeahhhh....rod's length is perfect

 

 

 

Stay tuned if you like and thanks for watching 

[CrazyCrank]

Still alive but not working on my model for the three next weeks, because on holidays in Canada (Montreal) until september 10th and then USA (Boston).

Holidays and overall my younger son''s wedding with a canadian young lady on September 9th 

Pictures to go.....

[Dr. Fiat]

Watching this build is like watching the painting of the Sistine Chapel- you sir are an amazing artist with vision and machining of small parts!  Congratulations on your work thus far, and also on your son's pending wedding!

[CrazyCrank]

Thank you so much @Dr. Fiat for this nice comment.

I 'll try to deserve it.

[harveyb258]

Beautiful, solid and good-old mechanical engineering...I LOVE IT!!!! Keep up the good work Thierry!

 

Cheers, H