Author Topic: Riley Special chassis (Bridget the Riley) (Read 6275 times)

synthpunk · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 November 2020, 10:55:42 pm »

And a sort of sideways view of a load of scribble of what im going to do with the tub sides... definitely going to need more plywood...

synthpunk · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 November 2020, 11:23:05 pm »

Heres a pic of what a Shaker Weave is, courtesy of the rocking chair; a wooden rail framework made of beech broomhandles, 25 metres of black ballistic nylon tape and an industrial staple gun = traditional craftsmanship with hundreds of years of tradition, innit..

synthpunk · « **Reply #32 on:** 15 November 2020, 10:10:44 am »

I think im going to have to build some sort of table to jig this thing up for glueing.... the farm cottage we live in is 300 years old, there isn't a straight line or flat surface anywhere in the house, never mind somewhere with enough flat space to laminate something 8 feet long on....

RhysN · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 November 2020, 11:25:08 am »

If it's any help, I have made a table up from galvanised tubes and key clamps I got from the Metal store. You can then have the feet on any uneven surface, and level the top. It's what I'm building the Morgan on. When finished it can just be all undone and stored till the next one. Cheapish too!

sjc56 · « **Reply #34 on:** 15 November 2020, 01:18:38 pm »

I have found that a good solid wooden bench top would be a door blank, you can get them 7x3’ or 8’x4’ usually flat, also sometimes the likes of Howdens joinery have a damaged one that will sell a bit cheaper.

It looks like you are building along the same lines as I am. I’m going to post my progress later today.

Stuart

synthpunk · « **Reply #35 on:** 15 November 2020, 08:15:39 pm »

I wandered down to wickes and bought an 18mm 2x8 bit of chipboard and 4 bits of 8 foot 2x2 pine and made a temporary bench/jig/datum plane.. itll warp sooner rather than later with the current weather but as long as it stays straight till about wednesday im happy. I glued up the first 3 laminates of one side, its come out pretty well, now drying overnight indoors in the warm. I hate to brag but with 2 laminates to go its already very stiff...( sorry) ;c)

I also did a load more on the seat, im pretty pleased with it so far, its pretty comfortable. Im doing a curved back on it, we’ll see how well that goes!

Tomorrow im going to glue the other side up, trim both rails to finished dimensions, build up the tub sides, finish the back of the seat, drill a million more holes in everything and buy several more dozen boxes of screws and then hopefully ill have the best part of a composite monocoque racing car chassis sitting in my garage by about wednesday...

Apart from the glued up rails everything else is being dry fitted for the time being. Ill glue it all up and start playing with glass cloth and epoxy in a couple weeks.

Ill try and take some pics in a bit, im being pretty lucky so far this evening and missus Synthpunk hasnt quite fully twigged yet that theres a half a small racing car chassis sitting in the front room. Surprise!! ;c)

synthpunk · « **Reply #36 on:** 15 November 2020, 08:31:02 pm »

Pic of the seat - xtra bracing in the bottom, bracing in the back, the beginnings of the curve... and probably over a hundred screws..the side rails are all screwed and glued using countersunk 16mm size 4 screws.

synthpunk · « **Reply #37 on:** 16 November 2020, 06:15:49 pm »

Hooray!

Theres a racing car chassis hiding in my shed. Quite literally; Just what ive always wanted... thanks Cyclekarting!!

synthpunk · « **Reply #38 on:** 16 November 2020, 06:24:54 pm »

Heres a closeup of some laminated wood. Because the rails are glued up from 6mm ply to make a solid run of at least 24-36 mm that runs the length of the car (the rails and tub are full length, and the outer laminate extends to the front but not to the back) so the suspension horns at the front are an inch and a half/36mm thick, and at least an inch/24mm thick everywhere else.. also, a 6mm ply is made up of 3 lengthwise grains and two vertical ones, so in an inch thick you get 12 length wise and 8 vertical, so its stiffer in one dimension by about 25 percent than a piece of ordinary 1 inch ply, which would just have 1 extra lengthwise ply.

Pretty isnt it? Its all going to get hidden under a layer of epoxy glass, 2 pack epoxy truck bed paint and then some white rattlecan paint. Hooray!

synthpunk · « **Reply #39 on:** 16 November 2020, 07:25:15 pm »

And before i forget heres a pic of the seat so far. I had to replace some of the previous battens because they broke when i was experimenting with bending plywood. Its now been replaced by much beefier 1.5 by 2.5 inch pine, and many many many screws.

synthpunk · « **Reply #40 on:** 16 November 2020, 07:26:51 pm »

Forgot pic.
Therell be more layers of either bendy modelling ply or veneer. Ive got loads of rosewood veneer that might be fun to do the insides with. On the other hand, im also debating about covering the vertical inner faces of the cockpit/seat back with some ‘tweed guitar amp covering cloth’, which i have loads of. Like a late fifties Fender champ, or guitar case. Its yellowish when new, but can be aged with dilute stains or washes of shellac, and then sealed to waterproof with varnish or lacquer. As long as the substrate is waterproof with either glass fibre or varnish itll be fine, and look Ace, and very vintage.

synthpunk · « **Reply #41 on:** 16 November 2020, 07:43:16 pm »

Picture of two tweed guitar amps to illustrate- un tinted but sealed on top, tinted and then aged with dilute shellac and sealed on the bottom

jim · « **Reply #42 on:** 17 November 2020, 06:16:39 am »

I like the tweed and think it will make a very period looking interior. Its very similar to the inside of my old Mercedes 500 sec but posher and would go well with a pair of plus fours. Speedy progress indeed mr Synthpunk.

ChrisS · « **Reply #43 on:** 17 November 2020, 07:52:32 am »

This is proceeding at some speed, and looking real nice!

synthpunk · « **Reply #44 on:** 17 November 2020, 10:03:27 pm »

Its proceeding with speed because wood is easy to make things out of as long as you plan the route properly, and also because Screws, and electric screwdriver, which makes things very fast.. Its all going to come completely apart again at least once as i jiggle the design and add the rest of the boxing and skins, and then get finally glued and screwed and then waterproofed internally.
Its technically an English sports car, so that means it *will* go rotten in the sills. Im trying to delay that as long as possible... ;c)

I had been debating about drilling some holes in the hollow parts and injecting them with expanding foam. Definitely wont sink then...

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Author Topic: Riley Special chassis (Bridget the Riley) (Read 6275 times)

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