AmericanMuscleFan

Hello everyone, Just to follow up on yesterday's update, I'm posting some photos of the assembly test to give you an idea of what it will look like on the finished product. I'm relieved, my calculations were correct and everything fits as expected. Calculation is worth the work as my math teacher said! 😊 I didn't add any comments, one (or more) photos are worth a thousand words, I'm very happy with the results! Francis

Thank you Daniel, your work with brass inspires me a lot so we can say that there is a little bit of you in my brake calipers! 😁 Francis

Thanks Scott, I'm very happy to know that I didn't disappoint, I'll try to keep it up! 😉 Francis Thanks Rich, I don't sleep at all, that's my trick! As for the Wilwood logo, I don't know, I would have to paint them red, I wanted to keep them unpainted because I like the gold color of the brass. Braking is important but I intend to make sure that its primary quality is accelerating in a straight line! 😎 Francis

Hello everyone, I spent the last few days available for my favorite hobby working on the rear brake calipers. On my previous builds I usually made them out of aluminum but this time I wanted to make them out of brass. I find more and more advantages every time I work with brass, the fact that it can be soldered is certainly a plus. The technique for machining them is not new to me but the shape I decided to make (generic type) is more elegant than my previous ones if I may say so. I made them to mount on the brackets and the rotor will spin freely inside these as well as passing freely (very close) to the inside of the wheels. This took a lot of calculations and keeping track of cutting measurements but I think it was worth it. In the coming days, I will upload the photos of my assembly tests because just for the fabrication of the calipers there are already a lot of pics. I wish I could have taken even more photos of the process but feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. See you soon, Francis The first part was to determine the maximum external size to free up the inside of the mags and the clearance needed for the wheel hubs. Then I drilled the holes to match those for the caliper brackets. Different view, the holes are more visible. First cuts on the rotary table. The technique consists of doing the front part and the back at the same time, it requires more precautions but it is faster. After a few cuts at different positions and angles, all the main parts are made. Now the brake fluid reservoirs. I had drilled holes for the brake lines, the bleeders and reservoirs are now welded to the rear part of the caliper, thanks to the brass for this great advantage. In this photo you can see the exterior and interior. The three parts are welded together to create the assembled caliper. View of the top portion of the caliper. The brass pins are too long, they will be cut to length and aluminum nuts will hold the caliper to its bracket.

The fuel tank hold down bracket is superb Ian! 👌

My deepest condolences on the loss of your mother-in-law Roger, this is definitely not the birthday present you were expecting, it's a very sad turn of events. I'm very happy to see you back on your BTK, it will certainly do you good and take your mind off things despite the little setback with the stance of the front. Maybe you could make a rounded opening in the fender apron (like a nest for the tire) where the front wheel touches a bit like those who make super-lowered cars?

I love you chassis jig Ian! I've never taken the time to make one maybe because my types of projects don't really require one. One thing is certain, a good house needs a good foundation as a starting point and you put all the chances on your side to succeed, the extra hours invested in the jig will be rewarded I am sure! You learn a lot by following what experts do, especially when they have experience in the real world of car racing! 👍

Absolutely fantastic results Bill! I knew 3D technology could produce amazing things, but this is next level, your mastery behind the computer is what impresses me the most. It's a renewed hope for this hobby and one that could give it a second life, the potential is infinite and you demonstrate it to us brilliantly! 👌

Hello James Anthony, thank you for your kind comments and question! I used slices of 0.015" flexible aluminum sheet (K&S) that I purchased several years ago but should be easily found at your local hobby store. In order to have a nice eyelet, I choose to make these by wrapping the end around a drill bit of the same size as the brass sleeve that I had determined. This way, the folding or rolling is less aggressive if I can put it that way and the aluminum has no recall so it does not require glue to hold it in place. I think the result is quite realistic but unfortunately the leaf springs don't have a rebound effect but that wasn't necessarily the goal even if I would have liked that. Sorry for the delay in responding, I'm working nights this week. Do not hesitate if you need more info, Francis

Thanks Randy! I started working on the rear brake calipers. They will be made of brass, this famous material that you use so well. Your notoriety on this subject is undeniable and you inspire us to use it as much as possible, I find more and more of the advantages thanks to you and the other magicians who inspire me on this forum! Francis

One thing among many others, there will be no shortage of sources of interest on this build! 😉

This is not always ideal but it would be possible that after a few weeks of waiting for the clear coat to completely harden, you could do a light sanding and add a coat or two of clear. Most of the time when paint or clear coat cracks, it is due to paint that has not fully cured (apart from the incompatibility of course). The hood is a separate part so this would be a fairly easy fix and the fact that the kit is white plastic is an advantage in case the sanding is too deep. It's just a small detail and your model is super beautiful, your Grandpa would be proud I'm sure! 👍

It will be a fantastic chassis my friend we can see that the guy knows where he is going! 👍

Hello Mike and thanks for your great question! I don't use any coolant, it's a disaster and I want to keep my work space as clean as possible. I compensate with more small cuts at high speed and always use 2 flute cutters for aluminum. I only use very hard T6 type aluminum because soft aluminum cannot be machined, it produces a very ugly finish. For holes, I almost exclusively use carbide drill bits at the highest possible speed my machine can give me (I think it's about 2800 RPM with standard pulley). You have to stop often and feel the progress of the drill and back off when there are no more chips coming out of the part, it is no worse than breaking a carbide bit in your part, it is ruined and you have to start again. I hope I answered your questions well. Francis

Thank you Tim, on the motivation side I must admit that you put gas in my tank and I am inspired by your work. You can never have too much motivation and examples to follow when you commit to a very long project and I know you know what I'm talking about! I would really like to document even more how I make my parts but I'm short on time and the months are flying by! 😢 Francis