Jerry Feather

I got to spend some time this morning on this machine and, although I didn't get as far as I had hoped. I did get the two forms for the inside of the trim piece made including countersunk slots for adjustment needs. Here are a few pictures.

The first picture shows the two forms as they have been completed. I didn't take picture of how I did that because I forgot to take my camera out to the shop and then I realized I have already shown you how to do that kind of stuff.

The second picture shows both of the forms upside down and backwards laying in the machine. I turned them over so you can see the slots that are countersunk for countersunk bolts that will hold them to the forming lever.

Thind is basically the same, but with a handful of the countersunk bolts in place. There will actually be two in the clock opening form even though only one is shown.

What I have to do next is mount these forms to the lever. The clock form will have a single piece to mount it with which will be bolted to the lever arms and which will be able to rotate and move slightly fore and aft. The other form, for the shifter opening, will have two components to mount it which will not need to rotate, but will be movable a little, fore and aft. The depth of this form will be adjustable only by milling off some of the mounting bar or adding some shims between the form and the mounting bar.

Then I will make a handle and latch and be done.

We have company coming from out of town this afternoon, but perhaps I can use the excuse of teaching them some machine trades and get a little more done while they are here. I really would like to be forming some plastic tomorrow.

Jerry Feather

G Man

Looking good. In the pic it looks like the top section of the form where the clock lives is seperate from the rest of the form. If so was this done in order to be able to use different styles of clocks by having several different clock form sections? Sorry if I am being confusing with my wording.

Jerry Feather

No confusion at all, Jim, and very observant of you. Yes, that is exactly why it is a seperate piece aside from the fact that it needs to be seperate in order to make it. I have made several blanks of this clock panel and do indeed intend to use them to utilize various clocks, including the original, the small Infiniti and the larger Infinite as well as any other that you guys might come up with that is readily available.

Jerry Feather

While I was waiting for the company to show up (and they still aren't here) I decided to go out and make another piece. What I made was the mounting bar for the clock recess form. Here are a couple of pictures.

What I did was take a piece of stock that I had thrown on the floor (literally) a while back and use it to make the cross bar for the clock recess form. There was enough material left in it for that purpose, so I was able to recycle stuff again.

The first picture shows the result held in the approximate place between the last forming lever arms. The second picture essentially show the same thing.

The third picture, out of focus, shows me milling adjustment/mounting slots for this cross bar in the forming lever arms.

Finally I have the little clock recess form mounted in the lever arms and ready to form this part of this trim piece.

Actually, I think I need to remove a little more of the bar holding this clock form to get it to form just where I want it. I don't want to form this clock recess too deeply since I am going to try for flushness all the way in this or the later project.

slate blue

Jerry if you were appropriately paid for it what about changing the top part of the console to fit the Motec Mini Dash logger. It is quite small, the size is 86 x 59.5 mm. I don't know if I will be most likely using it as I will use the Cosworth Electronics system and I don't know the compatibility.

http://www.motec.com.au/mdd/mddoverview/

A video of the functions can be seen here,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjhW5LXUabA

Lots of owners are looking for extra information from the car in the form of data logging and gauges. This could be a solution. Just putting it out there. What do you think would be the cost implications? I suppose it would depend on how many people took it up.

Greg

Jerry Feather

I suppose if there is even a handfull if users interested in this item to be incorporated into the clock panel , making a form for it will not be much of a big deal. What I will need to do is try to buy one of these and then try to design around it in such a way that the case front becomes replaced by the face on the panel. I think the space is adequate, except the clock will have to go away, I think. Other than that I don't think adapting this unit will be any different than adapting the original clock or any other.

Good idea, and I really appreciate the input. I'll look on eBay for one of these and maybe start planning for it as an option. I anyone else interested in this unit as a replacement for the clock?

Jerry Feather

Jerry Feather

The out-of-town company did not show up last night. I think my wife got a miss-que and they are going to show up this evening. That was good because I got a lot done on the machine. This morning I made the two mounting bars for the form for the inside of the shifter opening. Then I cut the two last levers off and made the adjustment slots in them and got that part of the form mounted. Now I have to make a little handle and a latch, and I will be done with the machine. Here are few pictures.

This first one shows the machine opened up in all of its present glory.

Second and fifth show the last form component mounted.

The third shows the machine also opened up but not so much.

The fourth shows the ends of the two last forming lever arms that still need a handle and latch.

Jerry Feather

Here are a few more pictures.

The first shows the machine all folded up into itself.

Second and third just show the mounting of the last two forms on the forming lever.

Jerry Feather

There, I have finished the machine. Here aer a couple of pictures, one of the handle and latch I finally made to finish up and the other of the machine expanded and proped up on each of its latches. Do you see what I have occasionally referred to as "an organic process? This thing actually looks like it grew into this wierd collection of aluminum pieces and bolts.

If you will recall the title of this thread, you will realize that this is just the completion of the first step--make the machine. Now I have to try to put it into use to fabricate the trim piece. That wont be as complex, by far, as this machine has been, and it will go much faster, unless I discover that there is some major flaw in the machine. I hope not.

Right now I am going to enjoy a celebratory drink, and then go out and cut some plastic up and drill it for mounting in the machine, then start cooking. I don't like to drink and run the machines, but I don't mind having a drink and then cooking plastic--it is not so dangerous.

Sorry this has been so drawn out and, at this point, probably pretty boring and too much trouble to go back and read the whole thread to see what is going on. I hope getting in here at the end is not too puzzling. Maybe after I get done with this machine I'll put it on display somewhere. I am actually kind of amazed by it, myself.

Jerry Feather, FBA Certified

heinrich

more weight is bad.

Jerry Feather

Yes, I know. I have actually been troubling over the thought of lifting this thing in and out of the oven each time I form a trim piece; and at my age that becomes an important criteria. Nevertheless, I think I can handle it since the oven is mounted at about chest height and it is not too far from the oven to the work table where the forming will take place.

On the other hand, this thing is not really as big as it looks. It is only 21 1/2 inches long so it will fit in the oven.

Good point, though. Then again, I wonder if it was-tongue-in-cheek?

Jerry

Jerry Feather

And then on further reflection, it occurs to me that the more weight the better. That is because this whole thing will be heated up in the oven with the plastic installed. When it all gets up to temperature the heat in all of the aluminum will help in keeping the plastic at the right temperature while the forming is taking place and will give me a little extra time for the forming, which usually has to take place fairly quickly.

Jerry

Jerry Feather

And even further, my wife has been telling me that for a long time. She even puts me on a diet around this time each year and helps me take off about 15 pound or so each time. Then I get to have a drink-e-poo in the evenings which contains a lot of carbohydrates, and over the next 8 or 9 months I tend to put the weight back on. So, you are right, too much weight is bad. I'll just have to learn to live with it.

Jerry

Jerry Feather

I wonder how you had that much insight into my life?????

Jerry

Jerry Feather

WOW! That must have been a stiff drink. I am getting guilty of D & P. Guess I had better leave the rest of this drink and get to cooking. Jerry