Mirror dinghy CNC kits

Sunday, 19th January, todays news!

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2014/01/mirror-dinghy-kit-supplier-in-southern.html

Some time back I was told of a dinghy exhibition to be held at the Zeekoevlie YC on Sunday 19th of January, 9am to 2pm, the Mirror Dinghy will be one of those on display.

There are none in South Africa as far as I am aware, up to now the kits on sale have all been cut by hand? A recent talk with Mirror people says there may be a chance to start CNC production?

With the Worlds being held here at Theewaters YC in January 2015 can we start production and can we build completed boats?

Note, this class does not allow the sale of plans, you can only buy a kit or a finished boat from a
licenced supplier or builder.

We can supply the kit side and have a top quality boat builder with years of experience ready to start but we need the licence to do so first!

Would that be a great thing!

Enquiries would be a useful start to allow me to judge response and possible orders?

Roy

http://www.mirror.org.za/

This is the South African web site, contact them via their links for Mirror Dinghy news.

The next Mirror Dinghy Worlds info can be seen at the link below.

http://www.mirror.org.za/mirror-events/event/1/n4q4jjn0u80nafden7q0u41ijo

Taken from the Mirror class web site on building your own Mirror.

Written by Martin Egan

Saturday, 28 April 2012 15:44

Mirror 70670 being built using the MCA jig "There is enormous satisfaction to ge gained from building and racing your own boat" - a quote by Guy Wilkins from his book "Mirror Racing". When the Mirror dinghy was designed in the early 60's, the Daily Mirror newspaper wanted a boat that in kit form was simple enough for a teenager to assemble with perfetly commonplace tools. The construction method used on the first prototype which Barry Bucknell, a TV handyman, had built for his son, fitted the bill perfectly. Instead of the traditional method of using softwood battens inside the hull where the plywood panels were joined, Barry used one of the simplest and oldest boat building methods know to man:sewing.  The Vikings used it on their ships. The Polynesians still do. They "stitch" the skin of a hull together - then waterproof all the seams. So Barry borrowed the method used by Ken Littledyke to make KL canoes. The edges of the plywood panels were "stiched" together using copper wire. With the panels held in place in this manner, the joints between them were made permanent using glass fibre tape and resin. This method is now commonly know as "stich and glue" construction and is now widely used for wooden dinghy construction.   A frequently asked question is "Can we build it easily and quickly?" The answer is "yes". Thousands of ordinary people have built a Mirror dinghy from a kit. A group of nine schoolgirls completed the hull at an exhibition in eight hours! Apart from a kit (available from a licenced kit manufacturer), these are the things you need to provide as a minimum. A bit of spare time - about one hundred hours - that's a month of evenings and weekends, should see your boat ready for painting. A bit of spare room - a space about 5m X 3m (15' X 9') is the minimum you require A few simple tools - no sophisticated equipment is necessary but, although you don't need an electric drill, it does save a lot of time. If you are tempted, why not have a look at this short video presentation of the building of Mirror 70670 by Ben Hill? Then browse through the building instructions to get a good idea of what is involved.

See also www.ckdboats.com

Hillman Imp disc brake kit

This set arrived today, making it kit number four that has been Imported from the UK to Hout Bay now.

We have the engineering drawing and permission to copy the mount plates but given the ease of placing an order, then waiting for the post to arrive two weeks later, why bother making them yourself?

The  Goodridge hoses are special too, metric one end and imperial the other!

Ford Fiesta calipers, they are early type and for the 12mm thick none ventilated discs.

The new discs are for the Ford KA, so 240mm in diameter, the car we are re building now will retain the 12" steel rims so the discs will be 220mm

Arrived today, they will need a full service before re using.

Used but still fine for the Hillman Imp range, once refurbished by a specialist.

Note, we have a pair of chrome plated Imp disc link plates for sale, suitable for the 13" rims and now
ex stock. The cost is GBP 10 plus postage.


Roy

The first rotary engine?

This came to me yesterday and I have to say its a first for me, rather a frightening thing to have in your engine bay?

This was a mail I sent to yacht designer and sports car restorer Dudley Dix, check out the link!

Ever seen one of these Adams-Farwell  motors, I have not, must be the most dangerous motor yet! The car dates back to 1906.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y0XbqHUAI-0?feature=player_detailpage

Roy

 Dudley sent it to a friend named Hunter who has experience with engines.

These comments from a friend of mine are interesting. He commissioned and is building the prototype of the Didi Sport 15 that I added to my blog and website a few days ago. More pertinent, he used to build and maintain racing Lotus Sevens in Australia and has been around cars and machines a long time.

Subject: RE: The rotary engine!

Most of the early French WW1 aircraft engines were rotary, saps a lot of horsepower and can’t make high revs so it was obsolete quickly.

I believe the biggest problem is the gyroscopic effect of the engine mass affecting the dynamics of the handling of the aircraft.

The air intake on this one is in the center and the inlet manifold is made by capping the top two cooling fins on the air-cooled cylinders and heads.

The intake air comes from outside the engine compartment with a short snorkel arrangement.

I love the Smithsonian air and space museum we should go together sometime.



Subject: Re: The rotary engine!

Isn't the aircraft engine a radial engine rather than a rotary engine? This one the casing spins around the crank rather than the crank spinning inside the casing. And somewhere in the video he mentions the carb, which sits on the top. I mainly wondered about the exhaust gasses getting mixed into the intake air.

DD

Subject: RE: The rotary engine!

Very Interesting.

I have not seen one in person but I kinda recall that they intake through the crankcase and are supercharged and fuel injected.

Think aircraft engines and it will make sense, but I’m sure there are more than one variant, not sure of this one’s origin.

Thanks for that.

Hunter.

Some history:

 

Adams-Farwell Rotary Engine Photograph courtesy of the Canada Aviation Museum, Ottawa

EARLY DEVELOPMENTS from The Early Birds Application for Membership Collection of Cheryl Moore, 2-2-05      1903, associated with Emile Berliner in experimental aeronautic work. The Adams Farwell rotating automobile engine, 5 cyl., 50 hp., variable compression, was remodeled and put into the Moore airplane at Washington and flown at Bennings racetrack by Mr. Moore.      Developed new engine with variable compression which came to be known as the Gyro which was manufactured and marketed by the Gyro Engine Co., of Emile Berlinere, betginning about 1911. Models of 7 cyls., variable compression, 50, 80 and 110 hp were made. Paul Peck made duration and altitude records for America with one of these engines in "Miss Columbia."      In 1913 the engine was demonstrated in England in a Wright B flown by George Beatty, a new 7 cyl. 80 hp engine.      During the war Mr. Moore was consulting engineer for the Air Corps and chief inspector of Rhone engine production and continued subsequently with the Air Corps until 1926 when he went with Aeronautics Branch, Dept. of Commerce, as an engine and airplane construction expert. In 1929, he formed the General Airmotors Corp. and produced a new radial fixed engine with variable compression of 125 hp.

Wanted, Ford Fiesta brake calipers

One pair required now, used and service worthy accepted.

The caliper needed is the type that fits the none ventilated disc, so early Ford Fiesta, was that
around 1988/9

The discs we can buy locally and will be the 12mm thick x 220mm diameter to suit the 12" standard steel Imp rims which are the later Mk2 ones with a 4.5" width.

Cash waiting if you can supply!

Roy

Now sourced and again from Durban but a new supplier this time.
We may accept another pair as a stock item if you can supply?

Hillman Imp body shell turning rig

The car turns out to be a Hillman Imp which was made in Scotland in 1971 but later sold new as a 1973 car on 01/01/1073.

Sounds simple but first the cars width and height needed to be understood.

This is the second Imp we have used the same jig on, the other car was the sprint car we shipped to Scotland in 2012.

This way up the car can really be serviced  and painted correctly underneath, its just so much easier this way up!

The car was originally painted in the rather nice lighter shade of Chrysler metallic blue you can see on the bulkhead, the car will be returned to its natural paint shade again, Rootes code # 145.

We are now into week three of the strip down and clean, all suspension parts were bead blasted and spray painted with DTM gloss black, the underside of the car and wheel arches have been given the same treatment.

Day three of cleaning the engine bay, first the sprayed on tar had to be removed by hand, this far just the cleaning has taken four applications of Castrols engine cleaner, the entitre engine bay will be spray painted back to its original metallic blue.

Roy

Hillman Imp refurbished suspension parts

They can also fit the other brands of Rootes Car Co Imp based cars, Commer, Sunbeam and Singer come to mind.

The painting with DTM gloss black (four coats) was the easy part, just bead blasting the parts took the better part of a week, then I need to mention that some suspension bolts had to be either cut free with a disc or drilled out!

Easy, not this time.

 

Note, a higher standard of finish results from paint application from a high volume low pressure spray gun, the bottom of the car was finished that way at the same time. Paints used so far are 3 ltrs.

Roy
 

Hillman Imp (sunbeam) Road Springs, direct to metal painting

The locally made DTM paint sure saves a whole load of time, its a primer and top coat all in one.
Loose rust and of course any dirt or oils are removed, then you apply with a foam roller or spray gun.

A factory standard finish is easy to achieve, in this case they are standard length and as they had a white stripe on the cars originals I will apply the same to these also.

Roy

CCOTY display setting up

News from Terence Tracey yesterday by phone was that the Jolon Imp was judged to be  given the award for 5th place.

Thinking positively this still got the Imp onto the center stage and in the Go Imp 50 year, what a wonderful acheivement!  Well done toall those involved and a special pat on the back for Geoff and Terence who drove through the Hell Road to Coventry.

This was at the NEC in Birmingham yesterday (friday 15th november 2013)

The event will be the last car display of the year and for all involved one of the most exciting, this time there is a prize, to be named Classic Car of the Year!

I suspect that only one of the five cars on display managed to drive through nineteen countries across three continents, do 14,000 kilometres and in 29 days to be considered to be worthy of making the stand for the last five to be chosen?

The Imp is a winner either way, it made the Go Imp 50 event with just six hours left on the clock, this is just a bonus!

TT wrote on his blog yesterday:

While the Imp Club Chairman Graham Anderson and James Spencer were traversing England with my JoLon Imp on a trailer taking it to form part of the Classic Car Of The Year stand where on Saturday it will be handed its FINAL JUDGEMENT

http://jolonimp.wordpress.com/

The award will be announced at 10.30am on Saturday, so for those in South Africa 12.30pm our time. The results be be posted very soon after and on this blog.

The JoLon Imp is now for sale by the way.

Roy

Hillman Imp rear brake drums

These I have ex stock and with the backing plate and fluid cylinder already fitted.

The rear brake drum set up is fine for most Hillman Imp applications, the liners are 8" and larger than many modern cars by some margin, there is a single adjustment on the rear of the back plate.

The rather long threaded studs are ex Ford Escort and made to fit alloy rims which have a thicker center boss.

Roy

Fitting front disc brakes to a Hillman Imp

It can be a Sunbeam, Commer or Singer also, all part of the Imp range by Rootes Car Co,Scotland.

After a discussion yesterday, we have decided to fit disc brakes to the Sunbeam badged car we are rebuilding right now. This picture shows longer studs to accept the alloy rims by Supalite as fitted to the race imp in 2012.

The spacers and mount plates plus the stainless braided special fluid hoses are on order, we import them from a UK specialist for each application. We are still looking for a spare set of
 Ford Fiesta  front brake calipers though. So if you happen to have a spare set and for sale please let me know soonest!

The car in the picture has the Ford KA 240mm sized discs, they will fit the 13? Supalite alloy rims we used. The car we are preparing right now will have the normal 12" steel rims so use the smaller 220mm discs from the Ford Fiesta. Note the special braided fluid line, it is made with a metric thread on one end and an Imperial thread on the other.

The road springs are the competition Monte Carlo option, the new car will use the normal and longer road springs which with 80 series road tyres do give a softer and more comfortable ride.

This was the front stopping power of all Hillman Imps from 1963 to 1976, unless you fitted discs as made by specialists.

Roy

Henry on the big vice

Henry went where ever we went, this often attracted other similar birds, that's why although Henry flew off one day we still have a pigeon named Henrietta who visits most days.

 

 

We found it impossible to tell Henry from the so called wild pigeons, so placed a white ring on his right leg for ease of recognition, we are still looking for Henry!

 

Roy

Black Cat to sail the Cape to Rio yacht race again

Has the boat done two Cape To Rio races so far, must be as  she has crossed the South Atlantic Ocean four times this far.

The Royal Cape Yacht Club and a new design the Didi 38 by Dudley Dix, this time he was his own client, the boat was a brand new construction idea and the boat was for himself.

 

Since then hundreds of similar construction yachts smaller and larger have been constructed to the same design idea. Sizes now span 23ft to 42ft and larger, they are cost effective and very quick to build, CNC cut we can ship to most places in the world.

 

This really is a design you can build for yourself just like Dudley did!

 

 

Roy

 

New 998cc Hillman Imp news

Well, its news to me and does tie up a whole load of questions and tells us about what we have here.

The South African registration papers give the cars VIN number as one that starts with the letter R , this was taken from the UK registration V5 form that came with the car. The Imp Club say that this
is wrong and the number needs to start with the letters LH, how can this be and who is right?

Note

Note the Chrysler badge. Cars before 1967 had a much larger alloy plate and fitted in the engine bay on the left hand side looking from the rear.

 The car is now straight up for ease of access, all parts are now removed and the next job soon will be the cars black underseal repainting.

Seems the Imp Club are correct as the cars missing VIN plate was found yesterday and the engine/chassis number starts with the letters LH!

The ARCC is now making me a heritage document for the car, with that I may be able to get the licence transfer to my name more easily?  The cars original engine block is now known, its the 998cc engine I have had in rebuild for some while.

How easy was that?

The VIN plate also has other information, E 145/701 the 145 means Electric Metallic Blue and the 701 means black interior, this we had worked out but its nice to have the proof.

ARCC stands for Association of Rootes Car Clubs by the way.

Note, if you own one of the many versions of Rootes made cars you can apply for a heritage document for that car also.

 

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2011/07/hillman-imp-998cc-conversion.html

 

 

 

Roy

Hillman Imp turning jig

The car is badged a Sunbeam but the English V5 papers have the car as a Hillman, they say its a 1973  car but they issued the V5 on 01/01/1973 so the car must have been built in 1972?
The form also post that the car is blue, we have traced it down to a more specific Chrysler Electric Blue!

The Canon G11 shows this more like a brite French Blue, in truth the shade is a darker one and more purple, yuk!

This was under the dashboard and some 42 years on the paint is perfect. We have checked with the Imp Club and discovered that this car left the factory in 1971. The paint shade closest to this is Samcor Ford Aquamarine Blue, the Ford Focus can be seen painted in that colour. We had a 1 ltr sample made up and its really very close to original.

 

The jig we had made to do the same thing on the 1966 Singer Chamois Sport in 2012 is one of the best bits of kit we have when this work comes along.

The car will be restored and offered for sale.

 

Roy

 

Pacer 27 for sale.

We have been asked to offer this boat as a brokerage offer.

Priced to sell, please contact me for more information.

Roy