This week I’ve mostly been making gear leaver knobs. To keep me entertained while I was waiting for my M10x1.25 tap to arrive I did some turning.
This looks a lot nicer in real life, but my polishing isn’t great. I’m just not patient enough.
Here it is fitted,
It could do with counter boring to 14.5 mm to sleeve over where the gear leaver shaft gets wider to drop it down a bit, and reduce the gap between the gear knob and gater.
Unfortunately the largest drill we have in stock is 12mm and I don’t think I can be fussed with making a diddy little boring tool at the mo. Also as I was carrying it in from the car this morning after taking the pic, I dropped it. It now has a few dents, not bad, but enough to dampen my enthusiasm for improving this one. I think I’ll make another longer slimmer one.
My other idea was to make a unique gear leaver knob from a 150ml Schwepps Bitter Lemon can, this currently hasn’t quite gone to plan. I chose the Bitter Lemon because its colouring co-ordinated with the turquoise of my Micra.
Stage one was to remove the bitter lemon from the can, this was done by peicing the base of the can to leave the ring pull in the closed position. I should have known how it was going to turn out when this operation covered me in sticky soft drink. I cut out most of the bottom of the can, but of couse the can was now quite delictate, so I just removed enough to pour the new filling in, with the intension of trimming more neatly later.
The new filling was to be fiberglassing resin, which would then be drilled and tapped to the correct thread for my gearlever shaft.
Not wanting to have to buy new I used some resin, hardener and filler powder that has been hanging around at work. Without instructions. I asked a collegue who was the last to use it, who said that it was 5 to 1 resin to hardener, and just chuck some filler powder in. So that’s what I did.
It would appear that they were not necessarily the correct ratios.
I’ve filled spaces (the smaller piston/con rod trophies from RRG ’08 and RC car bodies) with resin and hardener mix before, using whatever brand it is that Halfords sell. Its always been fine then. I think I’ll use that again. I’m off to purchase a new can of bitter lemon on the way home tonight.
I think this idea could work very well with all sorts of mini soft drink cans, and also with stubby beer cans. I’ll let you know how mine goes on attempt two.
This looks a lot nicer in real life, but my polishing isn’t great. I’m just not patient enough.
Here it is fitted,
It could do with counter boring to 14.5 mm to sleeve over where the gear leaver shaft gets wider to drop it down a bit, and reduce the gap between the gear knob and gater.
Unfortunately the largest drill we have in stock is 12mm and I don’t think I can be fussed with making a diddy little boring tool at the mo. Also as I was carrying it in from the car this morning after taking the pic, I dropped it. It now has a few dents, not bad, but enough to dampen my enthusiasm for improving this one. I think I’ll make another longer slimmer one.
My other idea was to make a unique gear leaver knob from a 150ml Schwepps Bitter Lemon can, this currently hasn’t quite gone to plan. I chose the Bitter Lemon because its colouring co-ordinated with the turquoise of my Micra.
Stage one was to remove the bitter lemon from the can, this was done by peicing the base of the can to leave the ring pull in the closed position. I should have known how it was going to turn out when this operation covered me in sticky soft drink. I cut out most of the bottom of the can, but of couse the can was now quite delictate, so I just removed enough to pour the new filling in, with the intension of trimming more neatly later.
The new filling was to be fiberglassing resin, which would then be drilled and tapped to the correct thread for my gearlever shaft.
Not wanting to have to buy new I used some resin, hardener and filler powder that has been hanging around at work. Without instructions. I asked a collegue who was the last to use it, who said that it was 5 to 1 resin to hardener, and just chuck some filler powder in. So that’s what I did.
It would appear that they were not necessarily the correct ratios.
I’ve filled spaces (the smaller piston/con rod trophies from RRG ’08 and RC car bodies) with resin and hardener mix before, using whatever brand it is that Halfords sell. Its always been fine then. I think I’ll use that again. I’m off to purchase a new can of bitter lemon on the way home tonight.
I think this idea could work very well with all sorts of mini soft drink cans, and also with stubby beer cans. I’ll let you know how mine goes on attempt two.
