LocostUSA.com

Hey guys,
I wanted to let you know that since I have so much time on my hands, I've decided to take on custom fabrication work out in the garage.
need something built, just hit me up with your ideas.

Services offered:
Light machining. I have lathe and mill, bandsaw, and plenty of tooling to handle Locost related build tasks.

Welding and Fabrication. MIG, TIG, Plasma cutting, Band Saw, fixturing, etc. Anything from control arms to chassis, to completing a stalled project.

3D printing / prototyping. Just purchased and enjoying playing with a large format 3D printer. print volume XYZ is 300x300x400mm
Modeling performed in Fusion 360, outputs in low medium or high resoultion to Cura 4.6

Sheet metal forming. Need some one off steamroller fenders in aluminum? Give me your specs (width, diameter, and outer edge radius) and I wheel, flange, and shrink to your size.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Hi TooBusy.. Cool that you're able to do this.. I'll send a PM..

thanks-

--ccrunner

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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Sounds good.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Just be aware of the very small possibility that someone "could" have you make some parts for their car. They "could" end up crashing, and their surviving spouse "could" be looking for someone to blame, an ugly but still possible thing. I have a big disclaimer at the front of my book and still wonder about such things...

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I'm familiar with the need for a disclaimer. I used to own and operate a guide service. My biggest fear was a client having a heart attack out on the water.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

You could specify that you will machine custom "garden utensil parts" wink wink.

I know when I had somebody fabricate my 12 gallon gas tank to my design, we agreed that the the invoice would say "water tank" so his liability insurance company would not be questioning it. His main business was making custom NEMA electrical boxes.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

This is 'zackly what I was thinking about lo those many days ago. You got this. You can and do, offer more services than a l;ot of custom parts shops. And you know the crowd.

All the best Tommy,

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Larry in Seattle

You should build a louver press. I used mittler brothers dies. I built frame mostly with scrap and machined a mechanical linkage.
it has a 42" throat and punches 0.062 aluminum easily. You can charge by the louver....$1/ea ??? I think i spent about 30 hrs and $1500
building it

That looks awesome Sean.
Care to share any build details? If not I can draw up my own, but I sure do hate reinventing the wheel.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I used this Joe Hartson design on allmetalshaping.com as a "inspiration pic"

http://allmetalshaping.com/showthread.p ... ght=louver

The mechanical linkage was the tricky part - it has to punch just before going over center. I made 3 sets of linkages in 0.100" increments - the difference in force required between them was amazing! I think it takes about 2000 lbs to punch lover in 0.060 aluminum (1100) When i stand on the frame (190 lbs) it flexes about 0.015" Punching a louver, it flexes 0.150"
My frame is 6 x 6 x 3/8 (from scrapyard) though I would recommend thinner wall but taller - maybe 10" high x 1/4 wall would be a little stiffer. The throat is a little bigger than i need too, which reduces stiffness. I had the gusset plates CNC plasma cut from 3/8 plate - they helped a lot.

The mittler bros die set is really nice They figured out the geometry, heat treat etc. The quill needs to be really tight bc the dies need a tight gap to shear properly. I face milled the quill and bolted it together. I used brass tipped set screws to eliminate free play. On the die set, I had 0.008 clearance before the gussets but was able to reduce to 0.004" once I added them
Make sure you get the whole louver starter kit, not just the die set
https://www.mittlerbros.com/starter-kit ... p-kit.html


Let me know if you need detail pics happy to help
Sean

I never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity I see on this forum!

For the liability thing, spin up an LLC and funnel the work through that.
Someone can still pierce the corporate veil in specific circumstances, but for general spats and sueballs they could only go after the company assets.

Already in process. Locost 7 Builders is becoming a NC LLC.

Sadly, it has no assets as I own the building and equipment and lease them to the company.
The company will get an umbrella liability policy.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Awhile back I had a machinist make some driveshaft adapters for me.. they were .020 and .025 out?!! Vibration-inducing stuff that needed fixing..

I sent the wobbly bits to TooBusy... I so wish everyone worked like this.. lots of back and forth with me to make sure things were being done to my spec.. attention to detail that got the parts just right... his price was super reasonable.. I sent it to him (USPS priority) last Monday (14th) and I got the finished product back just 5 days later (Sat 19th)- He's fast!!..

Super quick turn around allowed me to put the car back into service this weekend and then move onto other things..

I know most of us fab our own stuff, but I don't have a lathe, and I'm not set up to weld aluminum.. TooBusy is set up to do stuff that maybe you can't do yourself (like me).. So nice that these parts are now true.. that driveshaft is spinning just inches from me in the car- of course she'll get driveshaft hoops, but having these bits down to .001 now gives me total peace of mind-

Thank you TooBusy

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

TooBusy,
This is so awesome! I need to bookmark this and remember this for the future. A great service for those of us who just don’t always have the right tools or machinery. You’ve already got me thinking of what I should have sent you and will send in the future .
Thank you,
Eric

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MGiata current build here: https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mga-forum.2 ... n.3898051/