What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Howard Wright]

Hi Colin

Thanks for the correction ?.

Cheers

Howard

[Tony Betts]

Thank you bob 

[Nick Lettington]

This forum just keeps on giving. I have had the aluminium section in my garage for longer than I care to remember...

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

I've just tried a sharper bend on a piece of scrap. With three annealings, the best I could do was a radius of about twelve inches - but that was with a crude wooden jig. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can improve - but it does look as if a metal jig to keep the section flat as well as bendable will be needed for a neat job; probably how it was done originally.

Thank you Tony. I really appreciate you putting in the effort. When I made the hood frame for my ORT, it involved a fair bit of improvisation to find ways to heat flat steel bar for bending flat. I bottled out before trying to bend the aluminium strip I bought at the same time for fear of wrecking it... 10 years later it is still in the cardboard tube in the corner of the garage!

[Tony Griffiths]

This forum just keeps on giving. I have had the aluminium section in my garage for longer than I care to remember...

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

I've just tried a sharper bend on a piece of scrap. With three annealings, the best I could do was a radius of about twelve inches - but that was with a crude wooden jig. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can improve - but it does look as if a metal jig to keep the section flat as well as bendable will be needed for a neat job; probably how it was done originally.

Thank you Tony. I really appreciate you putting in the effort. When I made the hood frame for my ORT, it involved a fair bit of improvisation to find ways to heat flat steel bar for bending flat. I bottled out before trying to bend the aluminium strip I bought at the same time for fear of wrecking it... 10 years later it is still in the cardboard tube in the corner of the garage!

Hi Nick,
Well, I've just had another go at it, using a simple soft-wood former cut to a radius that matched the curve from the back face of the Chummy body to the side face. It was bent by hand with around five annealings and, although it was just a rushed test piece, came out reasonably well. I had to use a hard rubber mallet to tap it flat occasionally. As Ducan said, any resistance stop and anneal again - and do it slowly, a little at a time. Obviously, with the long back strip that has to be bent at both ends, it would be a much more difficult thing to handle. Spending time making up up a jig, with the curve cut in hardwood and five to six closely-spaced (and padded) G-clamps, would be the way to go. I tried annealing and letting the aluminium both cool naturally and in water; I couldn't detect any difference in the resulting softness.

[Nick Lettington]

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

I've just tried a sharper bend...

Thank you ...

Hi Nick,
Well, I've just had another go at it, using a simple soft-wood former cut to a radius that matched the curve from the back face of the Chummy body to the side face. It was bent by hand...

Thanks Tony.

No excuse now. After I get the engine back together following the 3 cylinder wedding trip (don't ask) I will dig out that round tuit..!
This feels like a good job for the Christmas holidays. It may even leapfrog the engine as I'm happily awaiting delivery of a better head.

[Tony Griffiths]

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

I've just tried a sharper bend...

Thank you ...

Hi Nick,
Well, I've just had another go at it, using a simple soft-wood former cut to a radius that matched the curve from the back face of the Chummy body to the side face. It was bent by hand...

Thanks Tony.

No excuse now. After I get the engine back together following the 3 cylinder wedding trip (don't ask) I will dig out that round tuit..!
This feels like a good job for the Christmas holidays. It may even leapfrog the engine as I'm happily awaiting delivery of a better head.

The door and rear side parts are relatively easy. The back section - I'm putting that off until it's necessary!

[Nick Lettington]

This forum just keeps on giving...

Sadly I only have the door top parts. The rest was missing, along with most of the hood frame - though it was sporting one important hoop with wood attached at the rear. But I have photos of what it looks like from TOTIE and now the methodology... happy days!

[Renaud]

As I'm considered convalescent from cataract surgery on my right eye and I'm not allowed any work -they specifically forbid cleaning up for example showing they don't know me very much, nothing troublesome then- I spend time dipping my bucket on this well of knowledge here that Bruce created for us all. Thanks again Bruce!

Though I'm in perfectly good condition and I see much better from the right eye than tuesday 17th I'm stuck in front of my computer for two more weeks. Luckily you're all behind!

So I began reading here from page one some days ago and following. Perfect and learning a lot.

How did you get on with the insurance company Henry? Were you paid out as a write-off or have you been able to make a sensible arrangement? My brother had all kinds of hassle with his 2CV due to chassis damage... they insisted the car be broken not repaired. I think he's finally given up.

When I read the part above by Nick about old vehicles vs insurances it seems we have something good here. When you have a car more than 30 years old you can choose to have th mention "collection" placed on your "carte grise". Following that you are only entitled to a "contrôle technique" every five years, not every two like for your modern.

There is also a less known advantage which is your insurer can't anymore declare the car as write off.

[morrisminor]

Fitted a new steering arm from David Cochrane,  that's another job ticked off the list !
One advantage of having another month off work

[12jslater]

Car running very well then decided to crack a copper fuel line on an island near me that leads onto a retail park, the A5 (west and east bound) and the M6 toll... Just before rush hour on a slight slope...

So not fun, However got home on some cheap Halfords fuel line and petrol drained from the tank.

British ingenuity at its finest ?