Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Hello Mike,

Can you post a photo of your machine speed mod, please?

I think I know what you mean, but not 100% sure. Do you mean one of those gearbox looking setups?

Stitch length is at maximum on the test piece. Doesn't look too bad, really. Does make for a strong join, so that's one positive. Tried to rip apart my first join. It's stronger than I am.

[Private_collector]

download (1).jpg download (2).jpg
Is this what you mean, Mike?

[Grant Bowker]

The box type shown is one type, another is 2 pulleys close located on a mounting post such as http://shop.raphaelsewing.com/index....roducts_id=354 The post mount can be had on ebay as low as $125US while the box type is $220US, but the box type has the advantage of mounting to the table using the standard 3 hole pattern and having the same pattern to remount the motor to instead of requiring you to plan and adapt your motor mount.
Have you had any luck yet finding manuals for your sewing machine? One forum suggests that there are manuals available for the LS2-1130 which they claim is similar.

[hrpearce]

Tony, look at Mike's pictures in post #1516 to see his solution.

[Ian Fawbert]

Tony,
I'm not even sure if it would work but could be explored. I have a mate who clips a lot of beef cattle for parading and showing (EKKA, Sydney Royal, Rocky, Melbourne royal etc). He put me onto the idea of the following to slow the clippers down. Perhaps the same would work?

A piece of board with a female plug which the extension lead plugs into. Mounted on the board is a dimmer switch which reduces the electricity going out to the clippers he has, thus slowing them down to a nice, slow (and quiet!) pace! Perhaps this option would work for your motor? It would be relatively easy for a sparky to make up.

Cheers,
Ian.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Attachment 76621 Attachment 76622
Is this what you mean, Mike?

Ýes that's the idea but I made one myself and you can too.

re the slowing down of the motor, it's a 240V single phase induction motor and if you use one of those light dimmers the motor will heat up and possibly be damaged .

You could use a 3 phase motor and buy a 3 phase inverter , I use them on my lathes and they work great ... they are available on ebay about 150$ for a 3hp unit . The inverter has variable speed control for the motor , basically its a microprocessor controller with software that has many parameters you can change eg ramp up/down speed and much more. The inverter runs from 240 V single phase and generates 3 phase 240V . The most common brand is HUANYANG .

[Private_collector]

Here's the options on ebay. The sewing machine shops may have other items I don't yet know about. I will look into those in coming days.
IMG_20151006_184622.jpg
The gear reduction option above, is available in USA. Including postage it is $433 AUD.
IMG_20151006_184728.JPG
This next type is $190 AUD, including postage. To me, this option doesn't look sufficiently heavy duty to last the distance. The base just seem strong enough to take the strain of a couple of well tensioned belts. I may be wrong, but it's a lot of money to spend on the off chance.
IMG_20151006_184847.jpg
This motor is same type as mine is, but it is only half the rpm. That's a 50% decrease straight off the bat, and may be slow enough for me. The auction for this motor had no Buy It Now price, and if no-one else outbids, it would cost $70. Another similar motor has Buy It Now of $295. It is in Australia (Vic. to be exact), but shipping cost not stated.
IMG_20151006_184946.jpg
This is a speed reducer similar to what was recently mentioned. It is listed at $32.24 AUD, with Free Postage! It comes from Hong Kong, and I have concerns that this sort of device may damage the motor, as I have not found mention anywhere reputable, indicating this mod is an option. If it was a good option, surely somebody somewhere would be spruking the virtues (other than the seller!) I would be very reluctant to try this device without getting the nod from a qualified electrician who is familiar with all the possible outcomes.
IMG_20151006_185115.jpg
This is the kind of motor I was thinking of buying in the future.. It costs $440 AUD, including postage from within Australia. The postage component is actually $18.10. It is a 750w motor, and is speed variable, though the listing does not state to what degree. One of the eBay images shows the data plate on motor, and it says output is 550w, not 750! What IS STATED is that sewing machines with an oil pump (which mine is) should be "run at higher speed on a regular basis to circulate oil". This is something I hadn't thought about, and adds another dimension to consider.

I would not be comfortable with making my own speed reduction device. My welding and engineering skills are very limited. The reality is, I could do more harm than good, and there is a fair chance of that being the case. I'm just not that talented.

The 3 phase thing sounds scary, and a lot of work that I don't want to go to. Far too lazy to reinvent the wheel, or in this case...the electron. I don't mean any offence by this. I'm just not anywhere near as talented as some of you folks are. I need to keep things simple. Sure, I can put a coat of paint on a panel, and apply body filler as well as anyone (though I HATE panelbeating), but on the really clever things I'm often out of my depth, and I need to acknowledge that, so I don't do damage. Eg: My welding has the ability to replicate, in hot metal, a very close resemblence to human vomit, only on a smaller scale! I'm getting better, but nowhere near good enough to weld structurally sound. Therefore, I get someone else to do that for me, then I don't have to worry about catastrophic failure of my own cause.

Getting back to electrons: Two atoms were walking down the street, when one suddenly stops and looks around, then says Oh My, I Think I Have Lost an Electron. The other atom asks Are You Sure? To which, the first atom says, Yes....I'm Positive!!

Why is nothing ever easy?

[Private_collector]

How does the weather always know when to play up? I got the second pair of my 16" wheels back from the local sandblaster on Wednesday, and intended to paint the inner surfaces today. On cue, today was overcast (OK by me.) with slight but transient and unpredictable drizzle from approximately the time I considered getting the wheels out of the workshop. Incidentally, each wheel set cost me only $20 to blast. I think thats a good deal, and unlike the clowns I used in previous years (now gone bum up) they have things finished when they say they will be ready. They don't leave freshly blasted and unprimed parts out in the rain either.
dsc_1265-resized-960.jpg dsc_1266-resized-960.jpg dsc_1267-resized-960.jpg dsc_1268-resized-960.jpg
No matter I can't paint today. I have other things to turn to, including adding footman loops to the front of my fake gun shield, and cutting some of the holes needed. I made the sight apeture sliding door many weeks ago, but only now getting around to making the hole in the shield it covers. I still have to attach a couple of pieces of angle before I attempt cutting the barrel aperture. The extra stiffening will be most aporeciated, I can assure you. Although the plate is 6mm thick, it's aluminium, so every bit of anti-wobble is a real good idea. Having to make a lot of compromises with regards to materials available, but should be presentable.
dsc_1243-resized-960.jpg
If nothing else, I have now found a use for a large bag of footman loops I got cheap a couple of years ago!

The delay with painting my wheels, means a delay with getting welding done on gun trails and some other bits. I need to get my currently unpainted wheels finished, and tyres put on, so I can swap them over with the wheels and tyres currently on the grey truck. The wheels I take off the truck will be going back to the chap I bought the truck from. He lives roughly 4hrs drive away. That fellow has offered to do the welding on the trails (weld sides onto the frames I made) and until the wheels are swpped, I wont be making that journey. Another MLU friend has offered to assist with welding the barrel parts together, and also attaching the breech block. Hello, and thanks, Andy! I'm sure I've mentioned before that my welding looks like vomit, and is about as structurally sound too.

The sunshine roof goes to the blasters in two weeks time. I have taken that week off work, so I can get the roof repaired (1x small dent) and painted that same week. Once painted, it will go onto the cab sitting on a low trolley inside the workshop. It's a perfect height to proceed with the making of the canvas roof. That's what I'm REALLY wanting to get my teeth into!

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

No matter I can't paint today. I have other things to turn to, including adding footman loops to the front of my fake gun shield, and cutting some of the holes needed. I made the sight apeture sliding door many weeks ago, but only now getting around to making the hole in the shield it covers. I still have to attach a couple of pieces of angle before I attempt cutting the barrel aperture.

Hi Tony,

I have gone back and re-read many of you posts but have not been able to locate the details of you FAKE GUN PROJECT. What is it or what number thread should I have gone too.

Keep up the great work and running commentary.

Regards Rick.

[Private_collector]

Hi Rick,

Probably only mentioned it in passing. Just wanted something to drag behind the truck when it's finished. Some aspects are similar in appearance to 25 pdr, but only to a glance. Have always liked those guns as my very favourite, so I had a natural attraction to that style.
dsc_0672-resized-960.jpg dsc_0702-resized-960.jpg dsc_0121-resized-960.jpg
Most things will be made from scratch, including the trails. They will be taken to my welding friend, for him to attach steel plate onto both sides of each leg. The barrel consists of sections from a light pole. Breech block I made myself, and the handle (to be shortened) does open and close the loading mechanism. The oil can holder I threw together over a couple of weekends, after I found a reasonably acceptable can at the local swap. As you can see, nothing is spot-on, but it'll do.
dsc_0069-resized-960.jpg dsc_0103-resized-960.jpg
When I come across genuine parts I can afford, I grab em. Always scanning ebay for anything I can use. Recent acquisitions include the telescope and tube you see above, and a genuine 25pdr seat.

A fellow MLU member took pity and sent me dimensions for the shield. A real 25pdr in a local park gets occasional visits, for me to measure other bits and pieces.

See next post..