Miller 122 Rear Dr Junior Eight Special

[bisc63]

Phenomenal work. Very interesting process, very cool car!

[absmiami]

Mid twenties open wheelers often used wheels covers -  on the board tracks and sometimes at Indianapolis.  The Junior 8 Special was restored with it’s wheel covers - not certain that they were worn at Indy - but they look cool … these pix were taken at the Brumos Collection in Jacksonville ….  Go.  Just go….  

[absmiami]

Broke out the Sherline and some 3/4’inch alu stock - the outside covers are different than the insides - turningnthe outsides first …

[absmiami]

The covers have to clear the wheel wires - so i have to shape both the outside and inside profiles - which requires  turning a sleeve on the outside that is used to hold the part in the chuck to turn the profile on the inside of the part …

[absmiami]

Slow going - turning 4 outsides and 4 insides would really be time consuming - oh Harold …

[absmiami]

The gear casing for the rear axle …. I found some drawings and big ups to the Milleroffy site - which has 3 very helpful photos …

[absmiami]

The axles are turned from aluminum - the sherline lathe has a removal bar that allows the headstock to pivot  -  which enables the taper …

[absmiami]

This was  the second axle - the first was too short - we’ll call him Junior …

[absmiami]

[Straightliner59]

Excellent work, as always, "Shorty", or not!

[absmiami]

Thanks straight -  but i actually ended up making a third axle a scale inch longer - so i’ve got junior, shorty, and the correct part - here’s a family picture …

[absmiami]

The inside wheel cover has a different profile than the outside - it fits around the brake drums - front and rear - and tapers back to the wheel rim …. These pix show the process of drilling and then using a boring tool to open the part - material is aluminum -  this wasn’t a keeper - 

[absmiami]

As i turned this part - i mis-calculated the needed thickness - 1 sc inch is not wide enough to align with the inside surface of the brake drum - we’ll call this part “slim” …

[absmiami]

The second part uses a more pronounced taper - if you’re playing along at home - careful setting up the tool post - with the headstock cranked over at - about 45 degrees - you’ve got to make certain the  cutting tool clears the chuck  - if it stikes the chuck while turning you’ll have a sad face ..  the finished part is about 2  1/2 inches wide  - that’s about right …

[absmiami]

Ok. Now ive got inside and outside wheel cover patterns  -  i’ll ask Harold to cast these - turning 4 insides and 4 outsides would be really time consuming - although the unfinished alu really looks great … still have to make the pattern for the rear brake drums …

[absmiami]

By the way - RMSothebys is auctioning the Miller 91 fr Drive Perfect Circle indy car - the yellow number 3 car - at Monterey  - this is a big deal - great pictures on the Sothebys site - an awesome Indy car - I was lucky enough to see it at Goodwood 15 years ago - yes I took  photos  …

[Pierre Rivard]

Hold on Andrew, I want to make sure I get it right. You made the most fabulous wire wheels I have ever seen, then you spun beautiful wheel covers front and back...to cover the amazing wire wheels?

Your dedication to accuracy is unmatched. Makes me feel lazy about my modeling techniques.

?

[absmiami]

all credit for those fabulous wire wheels goes to Harold Bradford

they are his creations

currently included in his Miller 91 front drive kit

but will be utilized on my Miller 122

as my Miller is 24th scale - these wheels and tires are about 1 1/2 scale inches too small

per the Dees' Miller bible - 

true scale wheels/tires will have to wait for another day - but you never know ....

 

 

[absmiami]

At the bottom of this picture is a hand wheel that  Miller used on the 122s and the 91s  -

these operated  valves For fuel and oil - all the cockpits that i have photographed had 2 or 3 of these - the dash usually had Two  ..

[absmiami]

The size of these hand wheels is about 2 sc inches diameter - first they are turned on the Sherline - starting with 3/16 alu stock - so the face of the  hand is .80 diameter  -  next ill see if I can drill the holes ….  Gotta set up the Sherline milling machine for this op …

[absmiami]

The MillerOffy.com site has a great photos page- here’s what these handwheels looked like - unrestored - the holes are drilled with a .015 bit - the chuck is placed in a divider - holes drilled at 60 degree increments - 

[absmiami]

The brake drum housings are finned - the Revs’ 122 - the Boyle Special - has exposed wheels - no wheel covers - so I made drum housings for the rear wheels  -  cut from alu stock with a cutting tool that I made years ago the cuts a .012 slot into the metal….  

[absmiami]

The drive shaft was turned on the Sherline from alu - with a seperate housing or collar that covers the transmission end of the shaft 

[absmiami]

The second photo compares what I’ve made with the 25th scale white metal casting in Etzel’s Miller 91 kit…. The last photo is the assembly on the Miller 122 Junior. Special …

[absmiami]

The plug wires on both Millers feed thru a collector pipe that  sits along side the  left hand valve cover - I’ve made one from nickel silver tube that was held in a vise on the Sherline milling table ….  Using .011 plug wire - i can feed 8 plug wires into the end ot the 1/16 thin wall tube with no problem - the holes in the collector pipe were drilled with an .015 bit …. They are spaced 0.120 apart on the pipe - about 3 scale inches …