Iain's (Delta Racing Car) Builder's Tea Break 2015

[midgetman]

Bloody auto correct!

[bauble]

Not sure where this belongs, but as any old rubbish gets bunged up here;

Click on the link, and when the picture appears point your mouse on any spot and keep clicking, it is truly scary what 'THEY' can do with technology, that is not available to the public.

Http://WWW.gigapixel.Com/mobile/?id=79995

Big Brother is watching you.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by bauble

Not sure where this belongs, but as any old rubbish gets bunged up here;

Click on the link, and when the picture appears point your mouse on any spot and keep clicking, it is truly scary what 'THEY' can do with technology, that is not available to the public.

Http://WWW.gigapixel.Com/mobile/?id=79995

Big Brother is watching you.

All I saw was a bloke picking his nose in the crowd, but that's the French for you, nothing's private.

[GORDON STREETER]

I've got a problem with my SmartCar with the drivers door, the cable between the inner door handle and the lock has broken. What a palaver to repair !!!! outer and inner door panels and locking mechanism has to be removed just to fit it !
Ok the outer panel is supposed to come off easily but not when it's old and brittle, plastic glue to the rescue !!!!!!!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I've got a problem with my SmartCar.
Ok the outer panel is supposed to come off easily but not when it's old and brittle, plastic glue to the rescue !!!!!!!

Was going to say, thought all the outer panels were changeable! When new perhaps.....

[grantp]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I've got a problem with my SmartCar with the drivers door, the cable between the inner door handle and the lock has broken. What a palaver to repair !!!! outer and inner door panels and locking mechanism has to be removed just to fit it !
Ok the outer panel is supposed to come off easily but not when it's old and brittle, plastic glue to the rescue !!!!!!!

As a matter of interest Gordon, which plastic glue do you use?

I have a plastic structure in my dishwasher at the top of the door where half of it has gone soft and is cracking everywhere. That section seems to be some sort of hidden duct for air venting through the door but it seems odd. In part it also acts as one of the 6 location points for the frame that holds the kitchen unit trim panel on to the door. Not really a great design idea but at least the lower two locators each side fit into metal!

The other side of the unit, that runs right across the top of the door, is fine. No problems.

Of course that side hold the machine's Electronic control unit (no ducting) so although the problem area is just a few pence worth of plastic one has to buy the entire unit (about £240) and in all likelihood they won't sell it for self fit - so an engineer visit as well.

As the only current problem I could see (before I took it apart) was that a metal trim panel that sits on the top of the component had stopped locating itself on one side (T-section in the plastic has broken where the metal lugs would locate on it) the cost of repair seems excessive related to the nature of the problem. (Although now I have seen the problem in full I guess the plastic sections will not last long anyway so other problems can be anticipated).

I'm thinking some attempted glue reinforcement and a bodge for locating the trim panel (cosmetically not a problem) may add a couple of years to the device's life. It's only 7 years old. The rest seems to be OK. German make. Not cheap. They reckon they expect 20 years life.

So I'm looking for recommendation on a plastics glue that can more likely act as a sort of coating too. Warmth and damp (no great heat as far as I can tell) resistant. Cosmetics not important as all will be covered by a trim and it's fully built to a kitchen unit in anyway.

Serious bodging suggestions only please!

[GORDON STREETER]

It obviously depends on what sort of plastic it is, the best sorts are the ones that actually melt both surfaces and bond them together, however you could buy loads of different makes and types before you found the right stuff although two pack would appear to be better than single stuff. Superglue can work on certain applications and is brilliant for gluing your fingers together !
After years of trying I only keep one in stock for plastics to get me out of trouble and that is JB Plastic Weld. I'm not saying it is a fix for everything but it is as good as you can get especially for hard plastics.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

After years of trying I only keep one in stock for plastics to get me out of trouble and that is JB Plastic Weld. I'm not saying it is a fix for everything but it is as good as you can get especially for hard plastics.

Cheers Gordon.

I had come across JB Plastic Weld a week or so back and thought it looked like the right product . but then realised that the medium plastic of the molding was actually going soft rather than brittle. Mostly.

It clearly handles more load than one might expect - door trim panel location lug, a couple of self tap screw positions, the location of the metal over trim panel. Somewhere in the guts of it (undamaged section afaict) if the door "lock" mechanism.

I happen to have a small tube of something that looked vaguely appropriate so tried it and have run a few washes to see if it was adversely affected by moisture. Inconclusive but as a means of holding the bits together for a while under a trim panel it might work. Not sure it will sort the original "loose trim" problem. As things are I would need to permanently bond the panel to the plastic I suspect. Not ideal.

I can think of 2 or 3 other approaches but they are all compromised in one way or another.

At the current quoted prices a full fix is almost as expensive as replacing the entire machine and it's only 1/3 of the way through it's expected life.

However I suspect, having seen what I have seen, that a bodge would not last long. I'm still inclined to try it though. It might be enough to last until a more significant failure occurs!

[GORDON STREETER]

Obviously all glues are subjective and others will probably say that X is the bees knees. What I have found over the years is after applying it leave it for at least 24hrs and even longer if the ambient temperature is cold.
What I also tend to do if possible is reinforce the joint with a piece of thin strip of metal/aluminium and screw it together as well as using a two pack glue.

Also I am lucky in knowing a friend just up the road who is an amazing engineer with a different way of how to repair things, he can't stand having to buy a new "whatever" complete "thing" when it has years of life left in it for the sake of repairing it. Unfortunately in this throw away world not everyone thinks that way and probably couldn't repair it themselves and it wouldn't be cost effective to get someone else to do it for them.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

What I also tend to do if possible is reinforce the joint with a piece of thin strip of metal/aluminium and screw it together as well as using a two pack glue.

I had thought about simply drilling a small hole in the loose trim section and screwing it on .... until I realised just how soft the plastic had gone on places at that end and that there was little of anything to screw into. Part of the structure are front to back tubes into which self tapping screws are meant to be fitted. They hold the unit in place on inner door panel in place and then this thin metal trim screwed from the outside. Share the same "tube" in some cases.

The tubes are cracking up. Where one of them attaches to the rest of the structure the end has broken away. There are multiple cracks especially to the side where the original problem exists. If I attempt to "plate" the T section which is the source of the challenge anything thicker than ally foil will probably mean the trim cover will no longer slide into place. However both sides of the T where the locating lugs would normally end up are broken - hence the problem. Tiny little triangles of plastic gone which is enough to compromise the precision German engineering.

I have considered making a very small metal flat plate brace to screw one end to the metal plate (easy enough) and the other to the plastic - but I suspect the plastic as it is is already too compromised to hold a small self tapper and any "in use" heating and cooling effects or slight moisture content would not help. However it might come to that in the end.

Thanks for the ideas. They all help when trying to work out what might be feasible and whether it would make sense to try certain things.

At the moment I have one place I have used before that has emailed to suggest they can source the unit (presumably complete) at a very much cheaper price. Not cheap but a lot cheaper. I suspect they may have forgotten to add a margin to the buy price.

If it is the right part and the right price I might go for that and try a self fit. If I find there are special fitting needs I do have a neighbour who services domestic white goods for a different manufacturer. He might be persuaded to offer "guidance".

A good crude bodge was my original fall back position - until I realised that upper mounting for the kitchen door trim panel actually slot straight into the most cracked area. If something about that point of fitting is the source of the problem (there is no obvious connection other than proximity) then the bodge will only last for a short time. So I might be better getting a more comprehensive fix or just changing the machine and getting something with a 2 year warranty.

No guarantee it would last though. Apparently many of these things, German brand or not, are produced in China now.

[GORDON STREETER]

Maybe it's time to invest in a 3D printer grantp ?

[Nick JM]

Sorry to harp on about tyres again but how many if you sw either the axle or front to rear tyres on the race car? I've heard conflucting reports-some rotate all others swap left and right on the same axle others say it ruins them if you do anything

What's the answer chaps?

[Nick JM]

First line should have said "swap"

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Nick JM

Sorry to harp on about tyres again but how many if you swap either the axle or front to rear tyres on the race car? I've heard conflucting reports-some rotate all others swap left and right on the same axle others say it ruins them if you do anything

What's the answer chaps?

Don't think there is a definitive answer. Race tyres are there to be ruined, anyway!

But in an attempt to answer the question, first thing is that some race tyres are 'directional', even slicks, so are not so easy to move round car without taking them off wheels and re-fitting. 'L's and ZZs aren't, and can be swapped side to side or front to rear if that is your desire. Some people do, others don't. It's often been suggested (usually by those that can afford to do so) that you get maximum tyre performance by fitting new ones every race, and putting said new tyres through a heat cycle before serious use, not by swapping them around car to eke out more mileage. The heat cycle won't make them faster, but is said to prolong their life, which can be a factor in long races.....

[delta]

My last evening in Cornwall . Mrs Delta sent me off to get a take away . I'm waiting in the pub having a couple of pints . The land lord is putting up Christmas decorations , I've told him I hate Christmas 😄, Had a great last day started of meeting an Hill Climb Racer this morning "Peter Bailie". True gent and we knew a couple of Friends from the 60's racing . Spent a couple of hours with him and realised how Lonely life can be living on your own , been a special day

[MGDavid]

it's gone cold in Spain - well, below 20 anyway - so tomorrow we start to wend our way home via an armagnac producer and the Le Mans museum. Happy days....

[terence]

Saw several hundred Storks and Cranes flying South yesterday.Said to my German neighbours"Winter kommt?". Bloody right it was on its way, about two hours after the birds left! Couple of inches of snow still here but all roads clear.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

it's gone cold in Spain - well, below 20 anyway - so tomorrow we start to wend our way home via an armagnac producer and the Le Mans museum. Happy days....

Below 20? That's tough for you, we hit a max of 3 here yesterday- between the snow and sleet showers. At least the Northerly gale had gone.....

Hurry back, or you'll miss it all!

[midgetman]

I presume he means 20 Fahrenheit Mike. As MGD frequently says, there's no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing, so it must be Arctic conditions to venture back.

Or Mrs D's spirit of adventure failing her.

[Tim Falce]

My daughter is suffering 41C at the moment although she'll have a bit of a shock when she comes back here in a couple of weeks.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

My daughter is suffering 41C at the moment although she'll have a bit of a shock when she comes back here in a couple of weeks.

That's definitely too hot- only time I've seen a Celsius number beginning with 4 was driving through France this summer. Didn't think much about it until I got out of the cab.....

Max, if it's that cold in Spain, I'll spend my winter fuel allowance on keeping warm here! (Dizzy heights of 2 Celsius at mo...)

[Tim Falce]

We had 43C in Spa a few years ago, thankfully an hour before my race the heavens opened for about 30 minutes and the temp dropped considerably.

[GORDON STREETER]

It depends where you are in Spain, we tend to have a "microclimate" in Mojacar, if we don't get north winds the ambient temp is normally over 20c during the day in December and we have seen 25c + on occasions, however it will easily drop 10 + degrees when the sun sets. So Mr Pollard if you read this make sure you bring some winter clothes for the evenings !!!!

[delta]

Going to see the Le Mans making of the film tonight. Will report in tomorrow./ Looking forward to it. Anyone been to see the film???

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

Going to see the Le Mans making of the film tonight. Will report in tomorrow./ Looking forward to it. Anyone been to see the film???

Nope. Not sure saw the original either! Think the documentary is called 'Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans'. Sounds interesting......