CA POPPY wrote:
Fabulous news, Kevin! Who knows where this well deserved publicity will take you? Hopefully to great success with your amazing talent and patience! Just as an aside, what does the title of the article allude to?
on edit: Oops, just realized it's a take-off on "Old Father Time." :W
Is that the way Thames is pronounced? I always assumed it sounded like "Timms."
Close, its actually just a reference the river Thames in London. Its pronounced "Tay-ms". Being a Scotsman, i would have rather had a different title ;) .
April Update,
Last time i wrote i was just getting started on the side door area. All the******had been cut out and was awaiting fabricated. So, i started on the inside flooring/wheel tub area.
This section is made up from 4 separate panels, beginning with the easiest bit, i made haste.
Nice simple cut out.
Couple of folds.
Tacked in.
OK, what next, i went for the flooring area around the door.
Folded the repair panel up and tacked a couple bits of box section to make sure the panel was flush and wouldn't try to move when welding it in place.
This is the adjoining piece to the previous one, worked out easier to split it into 2 sections.
That got tacked into place as well.
The wheel tub is a bit tricky. It has a nice curve where it joins the floor section. I got a piece of sheet much larger than i needed and bent it around a piece of tubing.
Then i got another piece of tubing slightly smaller in diameter and done the same to make the curve a bit tighter.
Kept repeating the technique until i got it as close to the original curve as i could.
Then i cut the excess off and folded the lip.
Which inevitably got tacked in place also.
Doh, silly me, i forgot to drill the holes for the plug-welds before tacking. Little tip if you happen to do the same mistake as me. Use the spot weld cutter drill bit to make some holes, cuts a hole in the panel you want and not the other.
That was that area done, now to sort out the upper section.
Once cut off i used it as a template to make the new one. There is actually a lot happening in this panel, quite a few subtle curves and twists.
Lots of clamps to keep it in place.
Welded up.
I had been welding the floor section up at the same time. Doing it in little bursts to minimise distortion and letting it cool.
Then cleaning it up a little.
Third thing to do was the side door opening sill/brace. It was made from roughly 2mm sheet so i decided to go stronger.
Using more of the 3mm plate from work i went to my old work place and used their sheet folder .
Doing this meant i had to cut the remainder of the sill/brace out.
Which meant i could clean up and repair the outriggers at the same time.
Lots of holes for the plug welding. I don't want to be the person to take this off. (hopefully that will never be needed anyway.)
Welded the door latch post piece back on as well and cleaned it up, nice'n'strong now.
Getting there, this little piece was the next up.
Made a couple of sections using the original as a template again.
Then a 10mm strip for the edge.
Looks horrible eh, soon get that sorted.
I put the back piece repair in first on the body using my good'ol chums "the magnets".
Tacked in.
Then a quick skim with the grinder.
Last bit to fabricate was the door hinge brace.
Unfortunately i forgot to take photos as i was making this, so eh, well, here it is finished. Just done the usual, made a cardboard template, cut it out of metal, few taps with the hammer and then its done.
Stuck it in place and tarted it up a bit to look good.
And that was that! Side door area done.
I decided to give myself another little boost and see how the side door fitted after all that. So i cut out the half the diagonal brace on the inside as it was obstructing the door opening at the top.
Bootiful!
It even opens, see!
Then, just to get an idea of it again i placed the side panel in place to get a feel for it.
Looking good, but here's the real test. Can it hold 13 and a half stone of pure muscle?
Apparently so,
That's all for this time. Ive been dragging my heels this month really. I could of had more done but for some reason i just haven't felt that too much into it. Never mind, I'll get my mojo back. To be honest, i haven't got a lot of work left to do to the main body of the van now. Just the passengers door opening and a couple of bits around that area. Then its onto the mechanicals to give me a break from sheet metal for a bit, woohoo!
