Keyser

Pure dumb luck is my guess The mad scientist has supplied made me some HUGE battery packs for one of our electrical projects, they may be yet another attempt on my life Thanks mate To be fair the posts are about 2 weekends behind where I am actually at as I missed a week posting, I usually post one week behind, but as I'm not getting every weekend in the Zed Shed you do catch up from time to time. Last weekend which was basically Sunday morning in the shed will be a very short post It's coming along though and plenty more projects waiting in the wings

Morning all, As is now normal I’ve been to busy to post, I’ve been to busy to do anything! Ended up working this Saturday but got a quiet afternoon on Sunday so took the R8 out for a spin – That was fun, decided to go and find an ice cream in the New Forrest, beautiful surroundings gorgeous weather and I got to drive my toy Meanwhile back at the Zed Shed I am back on The Bug, Still lots to do but you have to start somewhere so I started at the back with the luggage rack as this holds the rear lights which all need replacing, Not impressed with the old light holders and it was more work to modify them than to just start again so they went Gone Bit of metal Number plate for size Mark it out Cut down Cleaned up the metal as I won’t be able to get at it with the sand blaster when the new mount is welded on. Missed some pics but all together it looks like this Then onto the front grill Its hammered So I cut the old mesh out and straightened the frame Then put in a new bit of mesh Now to remove the bearings (they need replacing anyway) and hub from the rear arms before sand blasting Hmm no idea how they come out, lets assume they work like any other hub and simply apply pressure Yup that works I found this crack in one of the hubs It goes all the way through so a new one has been ordered, the fact that it is a different colour to the other one leads me to believe it was also damaged in the crash that this Bug most definitely had at some point in the past. Then I stripped the reverse box Then the suspension strip down, but they are so small my spring compressor won’t fit them Here is a stupid idea, Yes, I ratchet strapped the spring to the top of the 30 Ton press then pushed the shock down Worked though That will let me clean this up Not sure if they will be painted of re-plated yet That’s all for now Keyser - Why is Monday so far from Friday, and Friday so close to Monday?

A very good morning to one and all, I’ve been manically madly stupidly busy! Both with work overload and I’ve managed to get all those projects that spiralled out of control during lockdown back in some semblance of order So sorry I didn’t post last week far too much on, but to catch you up; I took the new shelf and tool holder that I made for the lathe apart I also took the back cover off as it is hammered Then I had to pop out shopping Got the vibrating sand sifter out – worked well I had this old spanner that is the right size for the Lathe tool holder, I thought I’d keep it with the lathe instead of keep taking a spanner from my set and leaving it with the late After blasting And powder coated Came up well, I did lash out on a new powder coat setup though, a proper one, I have been using a cheap Chinese one with OK results up until now but this came up at the right price and I do like powder coating so I thought why not It is so much better than the last one, even coat, better “dust cloud” and the powder sticks a lot better as you can control everything it has settings for recoat etc as well, it does not however have a stand or a back so another project coming soon The finish between the new gun and new oven was very good though! This is the back panel (again) And now Then I put the lathe back together Added the wire tune And the light The finished (at last) project Back on “The Bug” next Keyser - You never realize what you have until it's gone. Toilet paper is a good example.

Morning all, Back to normal with work 5 days a week and only weekends to do all the normal stuff around the house associated with being an adult (I don’t do the adult thing very well ) Did manage to get the powder coat oven finished this weekend I put the top bar in and added stops, so it won’t fall out Then a nice big bolt to keep the doors shut Needed handles but the SMEG ones are different lengths So I cut them down pushed the end fitment out and put it back in the now shortened tube so I have matching handles Installed the thermometer Here she is all in place wired up and ready for a test before I decide if I need to anything else I do want to make some accessories like a middle shelf and some more hangers but nothing that stops me using it. For now, I added a cover That’s so I can sand blast the shelf from the lathe and get it powder coated, that will let me finish another project Keyser - “Facebook just sounds like a drag, in my day seeing pictures of peoples vacations was considered a punishment.” – Betty White

along

Morning, Quick update before work Onto the wiring then Started with a hole for the cables Started laying in wires Took a while but got all the switches wired up in the end I used a plug from the Smeg so the control box can be removed if required Mounted it onto the oven Put the elements in and ran the wiring round The back looks like this now Made up some covers To make it all safe and secure End plate Fits here More covers Go here And finally 2 more Some end covers That just left the light access holes Cover for them Inside looks like this And the lights work Just need to make the middle shelf some covers for the fans – if I decide I need them? put the doors on and add the thermostat and it’s ready I recon another day should finish it off so that’s planned for Saturday as I’m booked solid for work this week, then I can powder coat the shelf from the lathe – remember how this started? Then I can get back to The Bug, I need to put that together so before I can get the Radical in. Be Safe Keyser - “Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.” – Oscar Wilde

Don’t give me any more projects I have 3 on half and 2 more waiting to start not to mention I need to get the Radical in ASAP if we are to have any chance of a track day this year!! Anyway……. Morning all, Managed to get some time in the Zed Shed over the weekend, Saturday morning was spent finishing a job for work (the paid kind) and tidying up then back to the powder coat oven – I really need to get this finished but the little bits take so long but I’ve put so much time and effort into it now I’m not going to cut corners and spoil it at the end! Today I have the new control panel for you, on the first attempt at a powder coat oven I just cut the front of the Rangemaster oven down and bolted it to the top, it saved time as the mounts for the switches are complicated and I couldn’t be bothered to trace all the wiring so I even kept the clock which you have to set every time you turn it on or the elements won’t turn on this time I wanted to do it properly. This is the old one just wacked on the top There was a draw in the Smeg and it was shiny so that seemed like a good reason to repurpose it cut a section out and bent it into a box of sorts MMM Shiny! Made a back from an off cut Then some carefully spaced hole drilling Then I had to sort out a discrepancy in thermostat controls, they come from two different ovens, so of course they are not the same length Nothing an angle grinder can’t solve Next I made these trendy tags up They let me reuse the lights from the Smeg on my new switches Then I mounted the thermostat switchs in the back part of the housing - I said they were complicated - well for a switch they are Had to add notches for the lights etc Tac welded some end plates in Made a top To give us the final control box Even has space for expansion in case I need more elements at a later date and it's shiny Just need to wire it now Hopefully a bit more tomorrow. Have fun Keyser - You know that moment when you get up in the morning, you're full of energy and you can't wait to get to work? Me neither! - Anonymous

Sneaks back in as if nothing happened Morning all Well work came back with a vengeance, we are as busy now as we were on the first week of lockdown! All the work that has been on hold for the last month or two is kicking off and everyone wants in NOW! Add to that a new project (work project not fun project) has snowballed into something bigger than we were expecting and needs to be ready by the 1st of July and I’m back on 12 hour days! I have not managed even an evening in the Zed Shed this week, the good thing is if I’m working hopefully I’ll have some money to carry on with my nutty builds, the bad news is no time to either do them or post on here about them! Here is an update from the end of last week, I welded some support tags onto the inside to give the top shelf extra strength Cleaned these bits of previously used angle iron And put them in the oven for a middle shelf Again, supported to the frame Top insulated and cover on One side Other side And we are here Small door Window was fitted in theis handy hole I made a cover plate but it is held in with self-tappers rather than rivets so the window can be easily removed if required Now this thing is getting blooming heavy! Had to get the heavy lift team in to get it from the Zed Shed to the powder coat room We did it Just need to wire it and push it back against the wall now. Hope to get some time in the Shed this weekend so there may be an update on Monday, have a great weekend guys n gals stay safe! Keyser - “Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.” – Dave Barry

Morning all. Hope everyone had a good weekend So I got a bit done on the oven, Hoping to get these side projects cleared over the next two weeks and then get back to some work on the vehicles, The Bug first though as I’d like to have that in one piece and maybe even get some use out of it in the summer! The mad fire foam has dried So I trimmed that down and test fitted the window frame, On the small door The foam had a big hole in it right where it is most needed, not sure why, maybe it’s because the foam is out of date I’ll stick some more in when I do the last lot on the back. I got part of the old SMEG Cut some strips and ran them through the rollers to make loops Then welded them onto Back plates This was combined with a cut down box section to create mounts for the elements that stand 10 to 15mm off the inside skin of the oven Then an old bit of pipe was cut into lengths Some holes drilled A bit of tube cut to length Holes drilled in the oven Then weld it all together These are the light fittings and the tube is for the wiring The oven seemed very happy with my work! I may have been on my own in the Zed Shed to long, WILSON!!!!!!……………………………… I then added some more box section behind the rest of the areas an element will go through The idea is to create some insulation area behind the elements as on the original ovent they just bolt them to the outside no insulation at all in places I’m trying to increase efficiency and it makes the thin steel stronger in the stressed areas, to that end I used my last bottle of fire foam After that had dried I trimed it all up Added some insulation Then riveted the back on Then I opened all the access holes for the electrics. The back looks like this now Wilson? #staysafe Keyser - “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.” – Emo Philips

I know, I know, Thing is I now I have gone the powder coat route I need the oven done before I can crack on with The Bug but I will post the coplete build when I get to it, should be starting back on that in the next week or so, depends how long it takes to finish the Oven and put the lathe back together, the good news is that after The Bug the next two projects are vehicle

Yayyy it’s Friday Still at it on the powder coat oven, I decided to go the extra mile on the rack for hanging the items being powder coated, I could have just put a metal rack in or just a couple of bars but where is the fun in that? Instead I got some box Marked it up Cut it out a And the obligatory clean up Then I had to drag the lathe off the wall Just to make these Then some plates Lined up and tac welded on Made these And welded them on Some more box And some half inch bar All joined together to make a shelf That rolls out Here are the rollers, I need to add a stop so it can’t fall out I added a second set of plates and they bolt through the inner skin I will weld these outer plates to the frame and weld the nuts on so they become captive so the shelf can be removed and it is not just held up by the inner skin Stay safe, have a great weekend I should have an update on Monday Keyser - “Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else’s can shorten it.” – Cullen Hightower

I'm doing the ones on your Scooby pink mate

Very soon - I have doen them before Happy to practice on your wheels

Morning, Getting less and less time in the Zed Shed now, but we have a weekend coming up so I can keep posts coming for a few more days First I got Mrs K in to help with the next part of the project which is the doors, cutting the big sheets is hard on your own! and always handy to have someone to rivet while you drill After the outside panel was on, we added support bars for the hinges Marked and drilled Hinges on Soon had both doors on and checked But the hinges. WOW! they were a PITA, now I’ll admit the big ones were ones I had laying around and we bought the smaller ones as the same design, they are cheap and designed for gates, that probably went against us, I wanted “cranked” hinges as it allows a lip on the hinge side which helps to get a good seal when the door is shut – keeps the heat in – but the hinges just will not line up, if you hold them flat to the frame the doors won’t close properly. This was the solution The hinges were welded on at an angle to get the distancing correct, mind you if you look at them carefully you can see they are not even round That oval shape may be partly to blame, but welded at an angle has meant the doors work properly now Next I got the triple glazed window out (glass protected by the cardboard for sparks) Lined it up Welded a frame around it Then cut a hole in the door On to the thermometer Now that has seen better days, also as the probe is short I had a recess in the old door, I want to avoid that if possible this time round, a quick search of the inter web found me a replacement thermometer with a 150mm probe for a few pounds so that has been ordered. I built this box for it The idea is that when I add this foam, I acquired as it’s out of date Like this I will be able to drill through and mount the thermometer, the theory is that I will be drilling through foam not rock wool, anyone drilled through rock wool? – it bunches up and wraps round the drill bit, I’m trying to avoid that issue – hope it works. If you look closely at the frame in the pic above you can see the holes I drilled around the frame and filled with foam as well – fully insulated door The sides of the window were done just to stiffen them up. Now that takes a day to dry so ……………………… I got the car cleaning kit out and pulled the toy out of the car port where she has been sat undriven for weeks!! Looks like a barn find Looking better now Now I’m no detailing expert but I was happy with the shine Be safe guys hope work is coming back for you – or not if you are happy chilling at home on furlough More tomorrow (work not withstanding) Keyser - “I don’t believe in astrology; I’m a Sagittarius and we’re sceptical.” – Arthur C. Clarke

There was two Plus I have the ones from my origional oven and I may have bought extras from the bay of E to give me lots of ilumination