The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Experience has shown that the solar heating system for my spray booth is rarely adequate after mid - September. So this weekend it was on with the painting. First job was to mask up the re-chromed petrol tank.Usually, I expect to have to fill rust pits in the tank but this time the problem was blobs of copper under the chrome, a problem I have not had before:
IMG_85736.jpg
The only way to remove them was with a fine file:
IMG_85730 lowres.jpg
Having done that, the next job was to roughen up the chrome with some 60 grit emery cloth to give a key for the paint. No prizes for Charles Falco guessing where the T-shirt came from. But it has lasted well. (22 years.)
IMG_85731 lowres.jpg
The prepared surface looks like this:
IMG_85728.jpg
The following day saw the spray booth in full operation, the photo being taken after a coat of etch primer had gone on:
IMG_85740.jpg
I find an old drawing chair with the back removed and a bin bag placed over the seat is ideal for spraying the tank on. Having sprayed several coats of primer filler yesterday it was rub down very lightly with 400 grit wet and dry paper and leave overnight. Today, once the mist cleared, was good enough for the top coats to go on.
Paul Jameson
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Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Having sprayed several coats of top coat, I like to remove the masking right away, so that the paint doesn't chip when the tape comes off. The end result can be seen below. I will leave it now for 3 weeks or so, then rub down the paintwork with 1200 grit wet and dry before polishing with T-Cut. Then I will paint on the white lining.
IMG_85743 lowres.jpg
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by dave.owen »

Very good
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

I must learn to pay more attention to the words of wisdom which come from my son. Today we met up at the Stafford show to buy the boring but necessary items for our restorations. Think things like tyres, chains and footrest rubbers. Rob said he was surprised that I only bought a front tyre, tube and rim tape whereas he bought for both wheels. I explained that I had a spare rear tyre, having bought 2 identical tyres for the Red Hunter in the spring. But I didn't like the handling so bought a narrower front tyre and fitted that, improving the handling and leaving me a rear tyre spare for the KHA. I was halfway home down the M5 when the thought occurred that whilst I had the rear tyre, I didn't have the tube or rim tape to go inside it !

The forks are now assembled on the KHA following an exchange of a pair of saddle springs for a pair of fork springs with Rob. He is in the lead though, by some distance, on the restoration - but I may yet catch up.........
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

I decided to chronicle the building of the back wheel today, following many delays. It was nearly built a few weeks ago with Richard Thomasson present but we had to give up and build the front one instead when the spokes for the rear wheel proved to be incorrect. They were 1/4" too long with nipples too big for the threads. They had been on the shelf for several years but nowadays I get my rims from Devon rims but my spokes from Central Wheel. Drags also supply perfectly good spokes. The deal with Richard, incidentally, is that I show him how to build wheels and in exchange he shows me how to align flywheels.

Anyway, first step is to put the inside spokes on the brake side into the hub:
IMG_86095.JPG
then its put them into the rim and screw the nipples on a couple of threads:
IMG_86096.JPG
Ariel rims for single sided hubs use 3 and 1 dimpling where 3 of the holes are almost in a line but the fourth is offset. The following photo shows this, with central hole of the three having a nipple in it. The three go on the plain (non - brake) side of the hub.
IMG_86097.JPG
Next, the inside spokes go in on the other side with nipples on a couple of threads
IMG_86098.JPG
After this, at 4 photos, its time for a new post.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

It doesn't matter which side you put the outer spokes in next but I chose the plain side so as not to have to turn the wheel over
IMG_86099.JPG
Followed by the brake side outer spokes, all of which only have the nipples on a couple of threads. This lets you move the rim around to avoid too much damage to your carefully painted and lined rim centre.
IMG_86101.JPG
IMG_86102.JPG
Then I go round with the electric screw driver to take the slack out of the spokes. I find that if I screw the nipple up until the spoke forces the screwdriver blade out of the slot, that will be somewhere near right for taking out the slack. Another approach is to go until the thread on the spoke disappears into the nipple but that is more difficult to control with the electric screwdriver and the electric screwdriver makes it so much quicker and easier.
IMG_86103.JPG
A third post is now required
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Some people have the good fortune to own wheel building jigs. I use the vice, with lengths of aluminium angle to act as soft jaws for the spindle.
IMG_86104.JPG
For rough alignment I use a sophisticated indicator !! It is perfectly possible to true the wheel fully with nothing more involved than this.
IMG_86106.JPG
For final alignment I use a dial gauge but you have to get quite close with the previous technique first. If not, the variations due to the (radially) curved profile of the rim mean that the dial gauge readings are all over the place. They say you should correct radial truth before side to side truth but I find you do a bit of one, then a bit of the other, then back to the first again, etc. I use the dial gauge on the inner bead surface of the rim for radial truth but I have to use the outside of the rim for side to side truth.

IMG_86109.JPG
IMG_86111.JPG
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that I have, so far, ignored the question of offset. So on to the final post
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

I find that by the time I have trued the wheel using the techniques described above, the offset will not be far out. All Ariel wheels are built centrally (apart from pushrod Square Four rear wheels) but it is convenient to measure the offset from the face of the brake drum. Do this (and take lots of photos) before you dismantle the wheel! Remember that if you change from say a WM1 x 20 rim to a WM2 x 19 for the new rim your offset from the brake drum will change due to the difference in width between WM1 and WM2 rims.
IMG_86113.JPG
Pay no attention to the dimension on the ruler as the ruler is carefully propped up rather than measuring accurately. In fact, the offset was only about 1/16" out. This was easily rectified by first slackening all the spokes on one side by 1 flat, then tightening all the spokes on the other side by 1 flat to pull the rim over. I had to do this twice to move the rim to its correct position. On the whole, truing the rim up is just a matter of slackening the spokes holding the rim away from where you want it to be by a flat, or perhaps a couple of flats in the early stages and then tightening the relevant spokes by the same amount to pull the rim the other way. Side to side truing can be a lot easier to understand than radial truing when you are trying to turn an egg shape into a circle.

Having reached the stage where there is a degree of tension in each spoke and the wheel is true, I then go round the wheel tightening each spoke in turn by one flat. Then I repeat the process, and again, until I have reasonable but not excessive tension in each spoke. You don't need a lot. An easy way to judge the tension in the spokes of your newly built wheel is to tap them with the spoke key and compare the sound given with that from a similar spoke on a known good wheel from another bike.
IMG_86115.JPG
I trued this wheel to within about 15 thou, both radially and laterally but you can still see a slight kick where the rim is welded. The size of this kick depends on how well the welding went when the rim was made. I strongly suspect that the size of the kick is the difference between the better "Rolltru" rims you get from Devon Rim Company and the cheaper "Valtru" alternatives they supply. If I remember correctly, the industry standard for truth is 80 thou so I reckon mine is near enough for me.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by Vincent.vanGinneke »

Thanks for all this.
? with pic no. 3 you write :
The three go on the plain (non - brake) side of the hub.
but I thought you started with the first spokes on the drum side.
I copied and saved the topic :D .
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

The "three go on the plain (non - brake) side" tells you which way round the rim goes in relation to the hub. The order of putting the spokes into the hub is the order they will go in. If you put the outer spokes in first, the inner ones will not then go in because they are obstructed by the outer ones.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
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