Renault 1929 RY1 Monasix

4 minute(s) of a 217 minute read

Having completed the interior trim backing boards I have now moved onto the windscreen frame. Scratching around in my collection of bits and pieces brass windscreen channel section, left over from earlier projects, I have found sufficient pieces of suitable length to make a "Vee" windscreen frame. I have also found a little plastic bottle with "silver solder flux" hand written on the lid. Looking further I discovered the plastic tube containing two sticks of silver solder carefully put away along with a selection of "usefull things" resting on the floor at the end of my bench.

Work commenced late yesterday afternoon and with most of today available I should just about have the job finished by this evening. As with just about everything that I construct this is being done without reference to books, drawings, plans or photographs but directly out of my head. Measurements are calculated directly from the job. If it looks right it probably is right.

Today being the first Tuesday in November it is a public holiday the famous "Melbourne Cup Day" this to celebrate the horse race that "stops the Nation" and attracts entries from all around the world. This years race has 11 out of the total of 24 starters horses brought from Japan, HongKong, France, England and Singapore &etc.. It is a handicap race over two miles run on the Flemington race course which has a grass track. Again this race attracts people from all around the world and is televised and viewed internationally. Multi-millions of dollars are gambled on the outcome.

While I have little or no interest in horse racing or gambling I, along with the majority of the population of Australia, will probably stop work for half an hour to watch the race on TV. The Melbourne Cup has been run every year on the same "First Tuesday in November" for over 100 years.

Bj.

11-3-2015

Well for all you Horse racing fans history has been made with the first ever Lady Jockey winning the Melbourne Cup but not only the first lady jockey but she was riding a 100 to one winner for the first time in living memory.

No wonder with so much excitement my hands must have been shaking. As a result progress on the windscreen frame has been slow and extremely frustrating. What I would give to have been born the human equivilent to an octopus. even a second pair of hands would certainly make things easier. I have a fair collection of fifty year old clamps and vice grip pliers but still not the right ones. of course working with brass my magnetic "welders friends" are of no use. Like me you will just have to learn to be patient. 

Bj.

Hello John

Thank you for your interest, as you said it was quite an exciting race to watch. Australians have a reputation as great sports enthusiasts and Horse Racing along with the various forms of Football, Tennis, Swimming, Cricket etc has historically captured our imagination, I did make one mistake I said the race had been run every year for over 100 years in fact it was first run in 1861 154 years ago. For as long as I can remember it has been celebrated with a Public Holiday and has captured the imagination of certainly the vast majority of the population of Victoria if not Australia. These days remarkable as it may seem it has become an international event.

Now that it has been run and won, I can go back to work on the windscreen frame.

Just so you can see I am actually making some progress I am including a couple of photographs.

Just one join still to be silver soldered but unfortunately the last is also the most difficult. Because of the Vee shape I cannot lay it flat on the bench and because of the total width I cannot hold it in the vice. It seems as though once again an old saying holds true.

These things are sent to try us!

Bj.