Making a ifting roof on a 110
- Thread starter wuntenn
- Start date
France has many horses and (horse boxes). And many buses. And lorries too. Material suppliers to all these manufacturers are your best bet. Or any aluminium extrusion companies. I used John Adams Coach Supplies - they stock industry standard aluminium profiles which I would expect to be standard across Europe. Hinge - shop around but beware of rip-offs - I got stainless steel, 25mm closed, 50mm open. 2.5mm thick material with 7mm pin and 1.8m long. It is a work of art.
I phoned a few places and got silly quotes. How about £65 for the hinge, add £30 for the holes (!) and then £45 delivery to Scotland PLUS 20% vat. £170? Nah.
Tried a few more, some didn't even reply, and finally called Cooke Brothers and joy of joys - sensible people! And very helpful.
Yes sir stainless hinge to suit your needs - how about £35, Oh you want holes? er....um....that'll be £39. And delivery - £12, anywhere in UK. Total with VAT £61. And it was made to suit, just for me by the craftsmen at Cookes in-house = made in one day, posted the next, arrived the day after next.
It is a work of art, literally lovely workmanship. Smooth action, perfect finish, countersunk perfectly and just exudes real 'class'. I can recommend heartily.
Seals - everything you can possibly need is here at Seals Direct - very helpful - I figured out what I might need and asked for samples - they arrived two days later with a full catalogue and I was able to actually try the sample in my intended locations to see if it would work and peruse the alternatives. Bingo worked perfectly.
Folding - go to any sheet metal fabricators - if you have all the dimensions sorted and explain exactly what you want them to do and how it will work it should take about 10 minutes to bend. I made a plywood template - a simple angled piece about the size of an A4 sheet of paper with the sloping angle, the return for the hinge and the upstand, using the gutter line as my fixed reference point.
What YOU MUST DO FIRST is get the blank piece of aluminium and fit that to the roof curve above the windscreen and curving down into the gutter on either side, then establish the fold lines from the gutter up. The folders then have your template and angles to transfer to the aluminium when folding it and use as a guide. for the angle.
See this image:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192580&d=1382477394&thumb=1
And in this one you can see the cut-out which fits over the roof curve.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192582&d=1382477451&thumb=1
Then fitted:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192583&d=1382477488&thumb=1
I'll take some photos of the ply angle template so you can see what I mean.
More later.
I phoned a few places and got silly quotes. How about £65 for the hinge, add £30 for the holes (!) and then £45 delivery to Scotland PLUS 20% vat. £170? Nah.
Tried a few more, some didn't even reply, and finally called Cooke Brothers and joy of joys - sensible people! And very helpful.
Yes sir stainless hinge to suit your needs - how about £35, Oh you want holes? er....um....that'll be £39. And delivery - £12, anywhere in UK. Total with VAT £61. And it was made to suit, just for me by the craftsmen at Cookes in-house = made in one day, posted the next, arrived the day after next.
It is a work of art, literally lovely workmanship. Smooth action, perfect finish, countersunk perfectly and just exudes real 'class'. I can recommend heartily.
Seals - everything you can possibly need is here at Seals Direct - very helpful - I figured out what I might need and asked for samples - they arrived two days later with a full catalogue and I was able to actually try the sample in my intended locations to see if it would work and peruse the alternatives. Bingo worked perfectly.
Folding - go to any sheet metal fabricators - if you have all the dimensions sorted and explain exactly what you want them to do and how it will work it should take about 10 minutes to bend. I made a plywood template - a simple angled piece about the size of an A4 sheet of paper with the sloping angle, the return for the hinge and the upstand, using the gutter line as my fixed reference point.
What YOU MUST DO FIRST is get the blank piece of aluminium and fit that to the roof curve above the windscreen and curving down into the gutter on either side, then establish the fold lines from the gutter up. The folders then have your template and angles to transfer to the aluminium when folding it and use as a guide. for the angle.
See this image:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192580&d=1382477394&thumb=1
And in this one you can see the cut-out which fits over the roof curve.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192582&d=1382477451&thumb=1
Then fitted:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=192583&d=1382477488&thumb=1
I'll take some photos of the ply angle template so you can see what I mean.
More later.
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Antichrist
Expedition Leader
Very nice. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished roof.
Hi i am just 15 miles west of glasgow, maybe see your landy on the road when i am up north with my 110
cheers
Dave
Here's the ply template - simple. Angle for the slope of the windscreen>new roof easily prepared and with the check out at top for the hinge location. This is what the alloy folders used to establish the height to make the fold at.
And this is the offcut from the stainless-hinge-thing-of-beauty which I felt guilty taking the chop saw to!
And this is the cut piece of it in its proper place, fitting snugly.
This morning's adventure was to find a way of fixing the lower part of the new roof down without bashing holes through the side of it. Decided on folded angle brackets made out of the scrap. They'll be tack welded on in the inside and then I drill through the old roof and bolt them to the remaining 'curve' of the roof which I'm not removing.
These little bent brackets are going to enable some degree of flex. I'll drill a 10mm or 12mm hole, stuff a rubber grommit in the hole and then fasten with a thinner bolt and two big washers through the grommit with a piece of old 750x16 rubber inner-tube between the old roof surface and the bracket. This old inner tube will stop creaks of alloy against alloy and provide some rubber-damped flex ability with the grommits.
There may appear to be a plan here but in truth it's not that organized, I'm making a lot of this up as I go along and encounter each stage, once I can actually physically see the issues I've to overcome it becomes easier.
And this is the offcut from the stainless-hinge-thing-of-beauty which I felt guilty taking the chop saw to!
And this is the cut piece of it in its proper place, fitting snugly.
This morning's adventure was to find a way of fixing the lower part of the new roof down without bashing holes through the side of it. Decided on folded angle brackets made out of the scrap. They'll be tack welded on in the inside and then I drill through the old roof and bolt them to the remaining 'curve' of the roof which I'm not removing.
These little bent brackets are going to enable some degree of flex. I'll drill a 10mm or 12mm hole, stuff a rubber grommit in the hole and then fasten with a thinner bolt and two big washers through the grommit with a piece of old 750x16 rubber inner-tube between the old roof surface and the bracket. This old inner tube will stop creaks of alloy against alloy and provide some rubber-damped flex ability with the grommits.
There may appear to be a plan here but in truth it's not that organized, I'm making a lot of this up as I go along and encounter each stage, once I can actually physically see the issues I've to overcome it becomes easier.
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This is where it's at now.
And gently lifting it to show the upstand behind, which will shed weather, and onto which the lower edge of my fabric sides will be attached. This will be via a robust 'pocket' sewn into the lower edge of the fabric and doubled up in thickness for a few inches up the fabric so that there's some abrasion-resistance where it folds inside over the edge of the upstand (if that makes sense). I'll simply slip a long length of thin alloy flat bar into the pocket and bolt that through into the upstand with some silicone sealant behind.
And there you go - all level and ready for tack-welding in brackets and subframe box section shown in previous posts. and then the sheet can go on to the top and be glued and pop-riveted on.
And gently lifting it to show the upstand behind, which will shed weather, and onto which the lower edge of my fabric sides will be attached. This will be via a robust 'pocket' sewn into the lower edge of the fabric and doubled up in thickness for a few inches up the fabric so that there's some abrasion-resistance where it folds inside over the edge of the upstand (if that makes sense). I'll simply slip a long length of thin alloy flat bar into the pocket and bolt that through into the upstand with some silicone sealant behind.
And there you go - all level and ready for tack-welding in brackets and subframe box section shown in previous posts. and then the sheet can go on to the top and be glued and pop-riveted on.
ersatzknarf
lost, but making time
Wonderful, speedy progress. Very glad for you !
Thank you again for sharing your design and construction.
Amazing that it's all being done while still being able to use the vehicle.
Great stuff.
BTW, love the "I'm a real Scot" sticker on the door glass.
My mother would like that...
Thank you again for sharing your design and construction.
Amazing that it's all being done while still being able to use the vehicle.
Great stuff.
BTW, love the "I'm a real Scot" sticker on the door glass.
My mother would like that...
Thanks Frank! And glad to share.
It was important that the vehicle still be usable whilst doing this. When I get the whole thing welded I'll lift it all off, turn the lid 180 degree and can then get inside it easily to put in the insulation and various bits of wiring for LED lights etc, and then the ply sheet screwed on top. After that, and when I've sealed it all round - which will be silicone sealant on the roof gutter and builders foam on the inside - I can contemplate cutting out the unwanted section of the old roof.
My mate has a big shed I can get it into for painting - a good rub down with wire wool, aerosol spray etch primer seems the easiest at the moment, and then some sort of top coat.
It was important that the vehicle still be usable whilst doing this. When I get the whole thing welded I'll lift it all off, turn the lid 180 degree and can then get inside it easily to put in the insulation and various bits of wiring for LED lights etc, and then the ply sheet screwed on top. After that, and when I've sealed it all round - which will be silicone sealant on the roof gutter and builders foam on the inside - I can contemplate cutting out the unwanted section of the old roof.
My mate has a big shed I can get it into for painting - a good rub down with wire wool, aerosol spray etch primer seems the easiest at the moment, and then some sort of top coat.
ersatzknarf
lost, but making time
Most of us would have to take it all off the road for months and months. That your design incorporates that fact is really great stuff.
You're one heck of a design engineer !
And fast, too !
You're one heck of a design engineer !
And fast, too !
Thanks Frank. I'd be three weeks further ahead but I'm working at the pace of the lad who's doing the smart welding for me and trying to fit me in around his other more pressing work. I can weld but not had much alloy experience and don't want to mess this up. The slow progress is fine - it gives me time to tinker and contemplate! I'm hoping he can fit me in this Saturday morning to do the few bits I need doing to get the lid on. After that I'll have a bash at anything else that's out of sight with my little MIG unit.