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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: November 14, 2022, 3:52 pm 
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Joined: May 27, 2022, 2:01 am
Posts: 5
Location: Los Angeles
Welcome back! Nothing matches the feeling of coming back to a project and asking yourself, "What was I thinking when I did this". I was getting worried when your log went quiet for so long, good to see you're getting back on it. Best of luck!


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PostPosted: November 15, 2022, 6:57 am 
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Joined: March 19, 2011, 10:22 am
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Location: Holden, Alberta, Canada
Atta boy Lonnie! Just in time for me to come visit and check on your progress :cheers:

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle


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PostPosted: November 15, 2022, 11:52 am 
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Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@horchoha

There you go, Perry. See you in the very near future.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: November 16, 2022, 1:43 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@AlexNotReally

Thanks so much. Cheers.

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: November 17, 2022, 6:58 pm 
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Location: Holden, Alberta, Canada
Lonnie-S wrote:
@horchoha

There you go, Perry. See you in the very near future.

Cheers,
Hey Lonnie, I'm thinking next Thursday.

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle


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PostPosted: November 17, 2022, 10:20 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
horchoha wrote:
Lonnie-S wrote:
@horchoha

There you go, Perry. See you in the very near future.

Cheers,
Hey Lonnie, I'm thinking next Thursday.


That's November 24th, American Thanksgiving, Perry. My sister will be here visiting me, and a neighbor is having us both over for Thanksgiving dinner with her family starting at 3pm. Well, the drinking starts at 3pm anyway [LOL].

We'll have to pick another Thursday. But, I'll be looking forward to it.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: November 18, 2022, 4:25 am 
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Lonnie-S wrote:
That's November 24th, American Thanksgiving, Perry.
Totally forgot about that Lonnie. Yes will pick another date.

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle


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PostPosted: December 4, 2022, 10:40 am 
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Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Yesterday, I went out and got started again on my build. I just made a couple of little "baby" parts, but they're important ones.

To stiffen up the underside of the LCA flat plates, I envisioned a part like this one done in cardboard on one of my first design ideas.
Attachment:
Stiffener Mockup - small.jpg


The final design is different, but I kept the stiffener idea the same using 1/8" thick flat bar. Part of the challenge of these cars is that you don't always have a way of making what you can design, since were all basically at a 1960's-70's "garage tech" level. I can't roll 1/8" steel and I didn't want to just hammer it into shape leaving a lot of ugly marks. So, I cut a DOM tube scrap in half lengthwise and use the cut half as a pseudo-die in my thick metal bender.
Attachment:
DSC06170.JPG

Attachment:
DSC06171.JPG

Attachment:
DSC06172.JPG


When I fit them up to the actual LCA plates, I wasn't happy with their size. I think they need to be longer to distribute the forces over a larger area. So, today, version 2 of these will be made.

Cheers,


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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: December 4, 2022, 3:42 pm 
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Joined: December 24, 2007, 5:11 am
Posts: 1307
Location: Seattle area
Glad to see you back at it Lonnie! Have always found your solutions interesting and unique.

Stay safe!

Cheers,

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Larry in Seattle


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PostPosted: December 6, 2022, 10:42 am 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I got the larger stiffeners finished.
Attachment:
DSC06175.JPG


They're more realistic now.
Attachment:
DSC06177.JPG


These parts I didn't make. They're from Jack at Kinetic. However, they got a little oxidized from sitting, so I cleaned them up with a wire wheel. Two of them will mount on the LCA plate on the opposite side from the stiffener.
Attachment:
DSC06176.JPG


I'm getting all the components placed and tacked in preparation for the final welding of the LCAs.

Cheers,


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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: December 6, 2022, 6:00 pm 
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Joined: July 29, 2006, 9:10 pm
Posts: 3160
Location: Oregon, usually
Lonnie-S wrote:
To stiffen up the underside of the LCA flat plates, I envisioned a part like this one done in cardboard on one of my first design ideas.
The LCA is a bad place for cardboard parts. Even a splash through a puddle will compromise their integrity.
Lonnie-S wrote:
These parts I didn't make. They're from Jack at Kinetic. However, they got a little oxidized from sitting, so I cleaned them up with a wire wheel.
Thanks for not showing the "before". Life in the Pacific Northwest can bring some speckling to even the nicest of steel surfaces, and I don't know how long they've been sitting at your place, but they may have been a little oxidised before I shipped them. I figure folks will wire wheel and/or sand their chassis after they're done welding, and oiling parts that people are going to weld is worse, so there you have it.

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Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles


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PostPosted: December 7, 2022, 9:05 am 
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Joined: September 22, 2022, 8:04 am
Posts: 4
Great fab work, I really like seeing this come together!


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PostPosted: December 7, 2022, 1:49 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@JackMcCornack
Yup, wet cardboard - she's a no go [LOL].

I think the oxidation was more about our salt air down here.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: December 24, 2022, 10:44 am 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Although I haven't been posting to my build log, I have been busy. The two front lower control arms are finished except for primer and paint. I'll do that after Christmas. I'll post some commentary about the process and what I learned then too.

In the meantime, here are some photos.
Attachment:
LCAs without Ball Joints.jpg

Attachment:
LCAs with Ball Joints.jpg


MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone.


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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: December 26, 2022, 10:35 pm 
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As a follow up to the above photo posting I thought I'd add to the lessons learned folder.

The control arms are way strong enough, the welds are solid and very unlikely to fail, but they're not what I wanted or intended. They're ugly.

When I designed the parts and their components, I had in mind they'd be professionally TIG welded. That didn't happen. The distances between components would be workable for a compact TIG torch, but not my MIG welder. That made welding some areas very difficult or impossible. I had to alter my welding strategy accordingly.

Second, I don't have a good welding bench or workholding system. It was very difficult to get the parts into a good welding position, and especially get them held well and also have a comfortable welding position with a place to brace my arms. It's probably age related, but I find I need to secure my right hand (my welding hand) and rest it on my left hand or arm to maintain good control and produce a decent weld.

I had thoughts of taking a day and designing/fabricating some kind of holding fixture, but also felt self-imposed pressure to "get them done" as soon as possible. I don't feel I have a lot of extra time with my build given how long I've been at it and my age.

In hindsight, that was a mistake. I put a lot of careful work into designing and then making the component parts of the control arms. The visual quality of my welds really diminishes the overall quality feeling of the welded assembly. If the suspension works as well as I expect, I'll probably leave things alone. However, if the performance isn't up to my expectation when they're actually in service, I'll do a redesign and create new ones. I guess this is another example of, "I didn't have enough time to do it right, so now I'll have to make time to do it over."

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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