Slippery Anne update

[Mark Atkinson]

Hello Charles, this is just the garage, you should see my actual dinning room!

I had a rational when building the garage, it had to be heated, and it had to be full of natural light at the workshop end of the building, hence the summer house appearance. I planed on spending a considerable amount of time in it, so imagined something other than a dark, cold and dismal black hole. I also have to look at it from our house, so wanted it to be pleasing to the eye.........I may also want to convert some of it into living accommodation one day! 
From the point of view of a classic car guy, it has proved to be an excellent environment for playing with the toys.

All the best, Mark.

[Ian Williams]

Now you have the wheeling machine it must make it even harder for you to resist over finishing the panels you make Mark. You commented in the past on the conflict you have between authenticity and craftsmanship, do you go back over panels and place strategic mallet and hammer marks to match the original a closely as possible. You do have the benefit of some extremely clear and detailed photos to assist this build, I am aware some of the uneducated observers of the finished car may say "its a pity he could not get that smooth", but who cares about them!

[Mark Atkinson]

Now you have the wheeling machine it must make it even harder for you to resist over finishing the panels you make Mark. You commented in the past on the conflict you have between authenticity and craftsmanship, do you go back over panels and place strategic mallet and hammer marks to match the original a closely as possible. You do have the benefit of some extremely clear and detailed photos to assist this build, I am aware some of the uneducated observers of the finished car may say "its a pity he could not get that smooth", but who cares about them!

Hello Ian,

It does, the wheeling machine produces some very nice finishes, which do not fit with this car. I use the wheel to get the shape of the panel and then refine the finish with a suitable tool. Study of the period pictures is interesting, the same dint almost never appeared on the car from one picture to the next, but a number of the pictures show quite considerable damage to individual fairings, as such I think the cars appearance was in a constant state of flux. So my approach is to just make the panels look 'worked'. I have found that sometimes the wheel may also be utilised to distress the panel; during the wheeling action it is possible to alter my hold on the panel and cause the anvil to cause undulations in the finish, which allied to planishing is quite effective. This effect is almost imposible to capture in a picture, but here goes:

   

Some parts of the car never changed, such as the half pipe panel which fittes around the drivers leg, so I have carefully copied the rather random placement of fasteners onto the very straight flange. This must look insane to some, but the car I know is in the pictures and details like this make it feel like the car I know!
Note: this picture shows that only a couple of small screws are  holding the panel in place, this is because I do not want to drill all the holes until the Irish Linnen is doped onto the ply skin, which may alter the specific sit of the panel onto it.

   

I fully expect that some will some think the car could be better finished, but for me that would be missing the point, in the period pictures the car has a specific nature and feel, which I hope I have captured.

All the best, Mark.

[Ian Williams]

Quote "I fully expect that some will some think the car could be better finished, but for me that would be missing the point, in the period pictures the car has a specific nature and feel, which I hope I have captured."

Indeed Mark, completely missing the point and more their loss, you have, as we have discussed before, been doing a wonderfull job in catching the essence of the car. Knowing how at pain and conflict you have been previously I had to ask, it rather highlights an important but often overlooked aspect of restoration and recreation. More power to you for trying to stick to your principles.

[jansens]

I know what you're thinking, did he use 6 rivets or only 5? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I've kind of lost track myself...

Sorry Ian, couldn't resist

It's an interesting question, if you're recreating a famous car that itself was often changing does your recreation have to remain at what's effectively one fixed point in its history or once it is recreated can the recreation itself then evolve? 

If a museum piece then I guess it remains static but for a car that's to be used, as the original was used, then are future modifications part and parcel of that use?

Simon

[Ian Williams]

That is all very true Simon, but at the same time to recreate something to a standard that the original never was when actively raced seems wrong to me. Take the McLaren austin seven, after Bruce sold it many modifications were made by later owners, it was eventually restored here in NZ and a good deal was rebuilt and recreated to a higher standard than it ever was when Bruce owned and raced it but it at least still had a look of a home built special. That was not good enough for McLaren who then "restored" it again to such an extent it hardly resembles the car Bruce and his Dad built and raced, re writing history and completely misrepresenting the car to those who view it now, I know some will have a different point of view but I consider that a travesty. However I accept each to their own, I am old enough and been around sevens long enough to have a fair idea what is authentic and what is not but seems a shame if newcomers see cars such as the McLaren example as the model to aspire to.

[jansens]

I think the one you mention at McLarens Ian falls very much into the static museum category. Do they ever use it?

[Mark Atkinson]

Ian was discussing hamer forms on the forum the other day, I have just used a similar approach to make the access panel for the off side rear brake adjuster.

I firstly make two essentially identical MDF profiles one of which is fitted to a base plate. From a piece of scrap hardwood, in this instance from an old piece of mahogany I liberated from a builders bonfire, I made the former I wanted to hammer into the MDF profiles, between which I sandwich and clamp the aluminium sheet. The former is then quite brutaly hammered into the metal.

   

The new panel is then offered up to the car for trimming and marking up of the lower flange

   

Once the trimming is complete and the flanges are created, the attachment holes are punched into the metal, then it is screwed in place

   

   

   

I used a 1000 series metal for this component and no annealing was required.

Regards, Mark.

[Mark Atkinson]

Well, Slippery Anne is pretty much finished, I do still have a small number of tasks to fully button her up for the track, not least of which is my still problematic, soon to be replaced, BLIC Magneto. Despite the limitations of the Mag. she is now a running car; VSCC Eligibility is applied for and entries are in for all the VSCC sprints and hill climbs off the forthcoming season. I am not intending to paint the car until she is fully settup and put some events behind her, but, I may silver dope the  Irish Linen fabric covering before her fist event.

One area of the car is causing pause for thought, I am unsure of which oil to use in the 1923 back diff/axel, the mixture of oil and grease recommended in the old lubricating charts sound 'interesting', I have also received words of wisdom that Castrol D140 is the correct one to use - Please may I ask if there is anyone with any experience based advice?

Regards, Mark.


   



   



   

[Malcolm Parker]

Absolutely stunning, Mark, a credit to you.

There is going to be a VSCC track day at Blyton circuit at the end of March.  It would be good to see Slippery Anne in the flesh.