4/2/07
While not strictly KK stuff, John and I did a good day of work today preparing the garage to do some KK engine pulling. The 6” I-beam rolling hoist I installed in 99 turns out to be about 14” too far to the east to center up with the new car hoist. This engine hoist system relies on a single 3” square post welded to the top of the I-beam, and that 5” long post is in turn welded to the steel member which is my center rafter system in the garage. This rafter is an 8” W-40 (meaning it is 8” tall in the flange and weighs 40# per foot). This rafter system holds up the entire garage roof framing as both ridge beams rest on this structure in the middle of the 60' length of the garage roof. All that said, the engine hoist system is welded near the south end using the above described post, and the north end of that system uses three steel straps welded to the top of the I-beam/hoist metal and bolted into three consecutive rafters in the roof system. Getting the drywall off and the bolts out was cake, cutting the I-beam post was not. But, it is done, and John and I are ready for tomorrow to reinstall the thing.
See pictures below for a little more clarity.
Once done, we can pull out the three KK motors, get s GOOD welder in here to do the finish TIG work, and perhaps then send the car to Joe.
Note the 3 motors in front of the lathe, out of the car.
I have spoken with Jamie at Fabtech, and he will be happy to weld as needed for $75 per hour, in his shop only. John and Roy and I will do as much prepping of the weld areas to clean off hot roll coatings, cold roll rust, clean up some of my goober welding as possible, etc., to save having Jamie do it on his more expensive clock.
5/1/07
The motors are out, the garage has a new 32' shelf system, LOTS of things are off the floor, the KK has been up, down, in, out, in, out again, etc.
Rather than go to FabTech, my neighbor, Gary Collier, offered to come andn do the TIG welding. He has put in a couple of weeks of sporadic helping on setting things up, testing the welders, and helping building the shelf system.
Gary has not yet commenced welding the mounts.
In response to some phone messages and a long email to him, Joe Montalto dropped by yesterday and handed ME a list of things to do on the car BEFORE he will do more work on it!
No comment at this time….My intent was for HIM to take the car ASAP as I have PREPAID about $50K of work on it, while I deal with trying to get money from predatory clients, pay my attorney over $10K to do so, etc.
I had a visit from Chris of BrookTronics Engineering, makers of an electroplating system for Zinc Chromate, stainless, etc.
Nice fellow, very informative. Bottom line: about $2000 to get the equipment and supplies to do the yellow-color coatings I want on a variety of parts. I think the kit will allow a LOT of variety of coatings for the Tbird, Graham, etc. as well.
I'm just DYING fiscally right now because of the horrific screwings I'm taking in the construction business.
Brett Hawman came by, a friend of neighbor Gary Collier (Mr. EVERYTHING handy person), and set up the mill and lathe, rewired them for proper rotation, dialed them in, showed me some techniques, and is FAXing me a list of tools I need for both of them. This guy is AMAZING, and self-taught. He enjoys teaching others. Not free, and worth it.
The fastest way for me to learn is to actually make things I need for the cars. I have already done a little bit of that. Brett will return next week o help start the templates on the CV adapters for the motors. I purchased four discs of 6” diameter aluminum 2” thick. The garage is amazingly open now, notwithstanding the still-overcrowded conditions. The shelf was a MEGA improvement.
I need to now make some shelving and storage for machine shop tools.