Practically Classics Forum

I have used a diamond lap-plate a couple of times now and found them really useful. It's only the size of a credit card (you can get larger ones) but to flatten of metal surfaces or thin down small items it has been invaluable (woodruff key too thick!). Easy to control and not so easy to angle in like a rasp/file so stays flatter to the surface you're working. Got mine via fleabay

Soot from a candle is used by gun makers.

Bob

History wrote:Soot from a candle is used by gun makers.

Bob

what do they do with it?
i have an interest in guns & killing small fluffy bunnies

Gun smiths hold the metal in the flame which condenses the black soot on the surface of the bit. Then they fit the bit and slide it around. Where the soot is rubbed off is the high spots.

For stuff like manifolds engineer's blue is easiest and a shoe polish sized tin is about a quid and lasts for years.

Another use for engineers blue is the eye piece of tracking gauges so the next user had a black eye after. We got the service reception guy. After he spent 10mins talking to a customer about his tracking with a blue ring around his eye. The customer didn't tell him.

Incidently. Ford on some engines fitted exhaust manifolds with no gaskets or paste. If the manifold had to come off then gaskets were fitted. Usually when the cam had to be replaced. Pinto.

Bob.

Serves the guy right for using such a "hit & hope" method of setting up the alignment! (You can't get a black eye from scuff plates and they're accurate..)

BL didn't use exhaust manifold gaskets on the 8 valve version of the modular engine as fit to the Dolomite, yet the Saab 99, the Stag and the TR7 did use the gaskets. Maybe weight was a factor? The Dolomite's hockey stick manifold, with slots to mate up (approximately) with the ports was pretty light, though necessary as there was so little space under the head of the Dolomite, but the other makes and models that used these engines all had complex manifolds rather than a length of scaffold pole with a hole at the back end. As with Ford's engines (can't remember which, but only the 1600cc and the 2 litre Pintos didn't always have them from the factory, 1300 and 1800 Pintos did), the BL books stated that once the manifold had been out, they should be put back up with the gaskets.

Many years ago I had a Vellocette LE noddy bike 200cc water cooled horizontally opposed side valve. The right head gasket blew so I faced both heads on my lathe and fitted without gaskets. It ran fine and it can't blow a gasket because it hasn't got any.

45 mph great little bike.


bob

Velocette LE

Pictures of this would go down well with many of us, please may we see the machine in all its glory?