Wisconsin Joe

Do you know how much you will be getting for one of these yet?

G8RB8

Am I on the list? If not, please add me.

Jerry Feather

Gator added from before.

Jerry Feather

Now I have the workpiece bars cut into individual pawl pieces. I first milled the end of each one, four at a time, then the other end, to get one surface of the piece flat and true, then I cut each end off in the band saw leaving a tiny bit of material on the cut end of each piece to mill off later to cut again. When all the bar stock is cut into individual pieces I will set the mill so that I can simply clamp one of the pieces in it and mill the bandsaw cut surface true. That will bring this last batch of pieces up to the state of the first 40 or so that I salvaged from before.

Then I will finally be into the next step which I think will be to plunge-cut the opening in the top of each piece for the lock. That will be when I get the mill cutter for that. Maybe Friday or Saturday, I hope.

Jerry Feather

"The best laid plans . . . Gang aft a-gley," or so they say. After refining my geometry carefully and finally getting to cut some of the newly milled bar stock into individual pieces, I then put one of the pieces into the center of the cap and find that my geometry is off, not just a little bit, but a lot.

I decided to ****-can those I have milled to this point and have refined my geometry, now more carefully, and have started over. I ordered a different tapered end mill cutter to make the groove between the teeth, and I have changed the angle of the front and back of the teeth from 27 degrees to 30 degrees.

Now I have another batch of individual bar workpieces, totaling 18 I think, that I am milling with flats on both sides. Then, as before, I'll cut the teeth, being able to finish that only when the new cutters arrive, probably next tuesday.

I still hope to have some of these ready to mail shortly after the first of the year.

Jerry Feather

I got the new mill cutters I had ordered and finalized my geometry and am now on my way back to where I was before. I have all 18 or 19 pieces of bar stock milled with the front and back teeth half cut and am halfway to finalizing the groove in between that will complete the other two sides of the teeth. My first bar looks like it is matching the teeth in the cap just about perfectly. I'm going out shortly and finish the center groove in all of them and then maybe tomorrow I can get them all cut into individual pieces and be back where I was before.

Now I also have the correct mill bit to cut the slot in the top of these for the lock. After that the only thing left is to narrow the top sides of each one about 25 thousandths on each side and these will be ready to ship.

I even have some padded mailer envelopes to mail these in, but I think I will cut some quarter inch plywood into small rectangles and then cut an inch hole in the middle of those and then tape each pawl into the hole so they don't end up in the trash bin at the P.O.

Randy V

Go, Jerry, go!

Jerry Feather

No, I will still have to do the hole in the back for the ratcheting spring.

I have the teeth fully cut and will be spending the morning, or a good part of it, polishing the bars of material. Then I think I will polish the nose of the teeth with polishing compound in my buffing machine so that they will be less likely to grind the plastic teeth out of the cap, which I think, even with lubrication, they will do over time. That's when I'll be able to cut the individual pawls off the bars. After cutting each one off the bar I have to mill the cut surface of each one; and then I'll be back to where I was a couple of weeks ago.

Mrmerlin

Happy New Year Jerry,
can you put me on the list?
I have 6 caps that need to be updated.
I could also check into borrowing your cap disassembly tool if thats something you could lend out.
Thanks again,
Stan

PS please let me know what your financial request will be

Randy V

There's a tool?

G8RB8

I'm going to try three 16 penny nails driven through a scrap of plywood on mine next time, but I didn't have too much trouble with three screwdrivers.

Jerry Feather

Yes, Randy. At least there is going to be such a tool. There is a thread about its development, and all I have left to do with it is to cut the three-finger piece of the tool into fingers in my mill, varnish the wood bases, and then assemble it/them. I was going to have some of the aluminum pieces anodized, but I don't think that is worth the cost, and they need to know just what the aluminum alloys are to do it and I don't know what some of them are since I was just using material picked up at the scrap yard.

When I get the mill free of these pawls I'll be able to finish up the three-finger part of the tools. Then, aside from sending one of them down to Mark at 928 Int'l for use by him and you guys close to him, I am not sure what is going to become of the rest. I'll be loaning one or more out from here, I'm sure, but the rest are an open question.

Randy V

Right on.

If you could send me a tool with my pawl, I'll use it then send it right back.

Jerry Feather

Stan, I added you to the list, of course; and for you and Randy (and all the others), that is probably what I am going to end up doing with most of the 9 tools that I am making. Otherwise, I am fairly well puzzled about just how to put them into service for the benefit of those needing one just for the short time it will take to restore and/or re-key their gas cap.

Rob Edwards

If you'd consider selling the tools, I'd consider buying one. I only have one cap that needs attention but if nothing else it'd be a limited edition FBA-certified kinetic sculpture.