AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 On 3/20/2024 at 10:06 AM, Keef said: Geez Louise!!! I just….. I don’t have words to describe….amazing work sir!!! Thanks Keith, I don't know the Louise in question but that must mean you like my update so I really appreciate your comment! 😊 Francis 21 hours ago, charlie libby said: thats a really ingenious way to do the u joint. i have to agree with moparman how can you be so accurate .can i use your method? Thanks Charles, on the ingenious side, you don't give up your place and I learn a lot from your updates, all my crazy things are there for those who would like to try them! There is more than one road to get to your destination but there are less bumpy ones, you just have to find them... 😉 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 18 hours ago, Mike Williams said: I'm very happy to view your work, real time. Mike.. I'm really happy to hear from you in "real time" Mike, all brass enthusiasts will benefit from this as well as the wonderful world of scale models! 👍 Speaking of brass I will try to use it as much as possible and your advice will always be welcome, the "real time" aspect will only be an added advantage! 😉 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Coomer Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Just amazing… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 On 3/22/2024 at 9:05 PM, Tony Coomer said: Just amazing… Thanks James! 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 Hello everyone, Back on the lathe and mill this weekend, I started by making a set of leaf spring brackets for the Demon. I have already made the same kind of parts for my GTX '70 but I wanted to add a new detail to them by making a version with CalTracs. This feature adds a more drag racing look to the car and the challenge of making the brackets in one piece was, dare I say, interesting! I will have to make a special attachment point for the leaf springs near the torque boxes because the CalTracs requires a different attachment than the stock ones. The second parts I made were the leaf spring shackles, I could have made some very simple rectangular shaped ones but I wanted to recreate a look closer to the original ones. I made them in brass because I wanted to be able to solder the pins in order to obtain stronger parts and to please die-hard brass fans! 😉 I didn't take many photos during the machining but I think the results are what's important to show you. Don't hesitate if you have any questions, It's always a pleasure to help anyone who would like to embark on this kind of madness... 😎 Francis Leaf spring support in the rotary table after several maneuvers and cuts in different angles. With the rotating table oriented 90 degrees I drilled the necessary holes for mounting the CalTracs and the shock attachment point. Both sides are done and are on their raw rods before separating them definitively. After a bit of sanding and polishing, all that remains is to make the pins for the shock absorbers. Leaf spring shackles early in machining, sounds like mysterious codes to aliens but I'm following my plan. You see where I'm going! Now separated into 4 individual pieces after a bit of sanding. The brass pins are soldered on one side like the real ones, luckily the brass solders quite easily. From a different angle you can see all the components. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moparman18064 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 They look better than the real thing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Those look fantastic, my friend! What do you use to remove the individual shackles? A saw on the mill? Do you part them off, or do you use a miter, of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Well pleased - slitting saw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Lovely stuff, Francis. It's fun to watch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 22 hours ago, Moparman18064 said: They look better than the real thing! Thanks Rich! They would be much more fragile than the real steel ones however... 😉 Francis 19 hours ago, Straightliner59 said: Those look fantastic, my friend! What do you use to remove the individual shackles? A saw on the mill? Do you part them off, or do you use a miter, of some sort? 10 hours ago, absmiami said: Well pleased - slitting saw? Thanks Daniel and Andrew! I separated them on the mill (oriented 90 degrees) with a .030" end mill. They are a bit on the thick side, but I still wanted to keep them thick enough so that the pins would stay straight and parallel after soldering. I have several sizes and thicknesses of Sherline slitting saws but I hate using them, I'm always afraid that they will come apart and fly from one end of my work room to the other... or in my face! 🥶 Francis 8 hours ago, Bainford said: Lovely stuff, Francis. It's fun to watch. Thanks Trevor! Other gadgets to come next week or nearby... 😁 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Truly amazing Francis, I have no idea how you do it my friend. You should be in the jewelry business too. I imagine you could make some stunning custom jewelry. I don’t check in here often enough, but it’s always enjoyable to see the master at work. I always smile, and it’s not unusual for me to chuckle (in amazement) at the artwork you create. Thank you 🙏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 6 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said: Thanks Daniel and Andrew! I separated them on the mill (oriented 90 degrees) with a .030" end mill. They are a bit on the thick side, but I still wanted to keep them thick enough so that the pins would stay straight and parallel after soldering. I have several sizes and thicknesses of Sherline slitting saws but I hate using them, I'm always afraid that they will come apart and fly from one end of my work room to the other... or in my face! 🥶 You're always welcome, my friend! The end mill makes perfect sense. Thank you, for that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Coomer Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 More great work… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Williams Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Oh my! I can only write now, smiling from ear to ear. Wonderful work. Mike.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie libby Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 i was always afraid of sliting saws but i have been using them on this car.i always find new ways to do things by following your incredible work.just learned some to night.thanks francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musclecarbuilder Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Absolutely outstanding! does the car turn over too?😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott8950 Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Wow.... not much else can be said. Amazing work as always Francis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Hi Francis! I recently worked on a 1/1 1970 Challenger for a friend, and I must say your shackles are WAY more clean than the VERY ROUGH Mopar stampings of yore. Which is a good thing! Fabulous! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 On 3/26/2024 at 10:09 PM, Steve H said: Truly amazing Francis, I have no idea how you do it my friend. You should be in the jewelry business too. I imagine you could make some stunning custom jewelry. I don’t check in here often enough, but it’s always enjoyable to see the master at work. I always smile, and it’s not unusual for me to chuckle (in amazement) at the artwork you create. Thank you 🙏 Thanks Steve! I have to admit that many of the parts I create are the result of ideas that come to me suddenly or that have been simmering for a long time. Obviously, I'm limited by my arsenal of tools, the scale and the thickness I can make, but in the end, if it all produces something plausible or not shocking to the eye, I think the initial idea is achieved. In any case, I have a lot of fun making them! 😊 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 On 3/27/2024 at 9:05 AM, Tony Coomer said: More great work… Thanks James! On 3/27/2024 at 1:46 PM, Mike Williams said: Oh my! I can only write now, smiling from ear to ear. Wonderful work. Mike.. Thanks Mike! I can almost see your smile in real time my friend...! 😉 On 3/28/2024 at 7:51 PM, charlie libby said: i was always afraid of sliting saws but i have been using them on this car.i always find new ways to do things by following your incredible work.just learned some to night.thanks francis Thanks Charles! I too am discovering new machining or fabrication techniques with your fantastic projects my friend. Obviously, this forum fulfills its mission and I am delighted! 👍 Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 On 3/29/2024 at 10:36 AM, Musclecarbuilder said: Absolutely outstanding! does the car turn over too?😁 Thanks Will, I'm going to start by putting it on its four wheels and I'll see later! 😁 On 3/29/2024 at 11:00 AM, Scott8950 said: Wow.... not much else can be said. Amazing work as always Francis. Thanks Scott, I can't wait to start making the more substantial parts, I feel like I'm not making progress but I must not deviate from my goal, patience is essential! 18 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said: Hi Francis! I recently worked on a 1/1 1970 Challenger for a friend, and I must say your shackles are WAY more clean than the VERY ROUGH Mopar stampings of yore. Which is a good thing! Fabulous! CT Thanks Claude! I can just tell you that I would not have refused to put this '70 Challenger in my garage regardless of the quality of the original parts. What little I was able to see of the work you did on it was impressive and a testament to your enormous skills. 👌 Thank you for each of your comments, they are greatly appreciated! Francis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMuscleFan Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 Hello everyone, I made some progress in the last few days and I had to go back to making Styrene elements, because I still had to make the attachment points for the leaf springs and the shock absorbers. I needed to have the leaf spring supports made to find the right position, it's a kind of order to follow, one thing leads to the other if I can put it that way! The leaf springs are made from strips of aluminum that I cut individually from a 4x10 sheet and sanded to remove the shine, the collars are brass and soldered using my resistance welding unit. Next, I will continue to make the elements to finish (or garnish) the rear axle (disk brake calipers and brackets) and the wheel bars. Francis Front attachment point for the leaf spring and CalTracs. Brackets for the rear shocks. I realized that the frame is 0.080" (2 inches) and the leaf spring must be 0.100" (2.5 inches). I put some sort of 0.100" sleeve centered in the frame rail to solve the problem. An overview. Sorry, the image is a little blurry because it's difficult to get a good focus in this sea of white elements. Leaf springs made with aluminum strips. I also made center pins and brass bushing at the attachment points. Assembly done. Test fit. View from a different angle. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moparman18064 Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Sweet, loving the leaf springs. You can ship all your extra ones to me😁. Looking fantastic as always! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rigor Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Looks fantastic Francis need an extra leaf on the right side 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 very nice - did you cut the alu strips fr sheet stock ? - thats hard work - and what is the thickness ? - appears 1/32 or thereabouts - ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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