My next project "La Petite Chanteuse"

3 minute(s) of a 82 minute read

Another day and another tiny step forward. Today I have ordered three 1200 X 2400mm sheets of 1.6mm aluminium sheet and paid a deposit on the fuel tank.

Bj.

9-19-2013

Time flies when you are having fun!

First thing this morning the truck arrived with my three sheets of aluminium and four lengths of cresent mould. So on the basis of that there is no time like the present the first side has been roughed out and is ready to start "knocking into shape!" Don't be put off by the lovely marine blue that is simply the protective coating that the mill applies to the sheet to protect the finish. The frame has been removed from the chassis and is lying on its side.

Bj

9-23-2013

No work on the Singer this weekend. We had the Vintage Sports Car Club "Two Day Rally" a competitive road navigation event over about 350 miles of secondary, mainly hill district, roads. Our trusty 1934 Lagonda Rapier performed well for the whole event effortlessly keeping up with the traffic on the freeway on our return home. (60-70mph)

Bj.

9-24-2013

Back to work and I have just discovered that my computer controlled lazer cutter is out of action! As a result I have had to resort to taking my antique "tin-smith's" snips out of the glass fronted display case and go back at least 150 years in time, to cut out the driver's side panel. Fortunately my long term memory is still functioning and I could recall how they functioned using nothing but hand power. First task was to cut out a brown paper pattern using nothing more complicated than a sheet of brown paper, a marking pen and a pair of hand operated scissors. For those unfamiliar with hand tools, the snips are shown in both photographs with two hand operated files and a two "G" clamps acting as temporary paper weights. The purpose of these is to hold the paper in place as there was quite a draft coming from my (open-)air-conditioner. In actual fact, as my entire staff of expert assistants were all absent, and in order to have sufficient room to manoeuvre the 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4') sheet of 1.6mm aluminium single handed, this had to be done outside. "G" clamps are again old fashioned implements using a thumb screw to tighten the clamping pad in order to hold secure the work in hand thus leaving both right and left hands free. These too along with the two "bastard" (correct terminology) hand files, have been temporarily removed from the normally locked, alarmed and hermetically sealed, display case holding my collection of antique hand tools.

Bj