Experimenting would get costly quick.  But I'd be dumb enough to try a metal blade on my ban saw.   Set the depth guide @ 1/2 and make an L shaped piece to go on the square (so your material being cut rides up on the lip of the L)  Never used on anything as thin as 30ga, but have cut thin plexi strips like that.  Seems like copper would resist bending and cut fairly well, while moving very slow. Can't leave me hangin....how did ya cut it??? 

1 hour ago, JUSTA6 said:

Experimenting would get costly quick.  But I'd be dumb enough to try a metal blade on my ban saw.   Set the depth guide @ 1/2 and make an L shaped piece to go on the square (so your material being cut rides up on the lip of the L)  Never used on anything as thin as 30ga, but have cut thin plexi strips like that.  Seems like copper would resist bending and cut fairly well, while moving very slow. Can't leave me hangin....how did ya cut it??? 

You’re on the right track buddy! I have a long 24” square, so I scribe a straight line JustA off the edge. Then move over 9/16” and scribe another line. I use a very fine, 24 tooth, band saw blade and yup, cut slow! 
Then comes the pain! I put it in the vise, like you see it, only with jaw protectors, and start filing the edge, 6” at a crack moving it and overlapping with each movement to get the edge smooth and straight. Than I flip it to the other side and repeat, but this time I use my calipers measuring the width incrementally to make sure it’s parallel and the right width. When I get really close I trial fit to see where it’s hitting, then mark it, measure it and file it till it fits properly!

Edited July 15, 20205 yr by Last Indian

Awesome work!

13 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Fun he says! You make things look so easy. Id be ripping my hair out at some of the things you do lol. Lookin good bud!

LOL - I'm ripping my hair out just thinking about doing the things he does! 😄

 

Also, as of 5am today (started at 4a), I have finished wiring the dash camera in the van to be ignition controlled. Interior fuse relay center is under the driver-side dash (i.e. next door to the steering column). Really, the most time consuming, hardest and most painful part was, even with the driver seat moved all the way back (I considered removing the seat altogether), for someone of my build size, it was a very cramped area to work in. Literally kneeling outside on the floor, right side laying on driver foot-well all the while having to twist my upper body to the left to try and get a view of my work area *whew*. At least it's done, looks clean (i.e. factory), and all wires are secured away from chaffing and moving parts (i.e. steering shaft, hydraulic brake pedal and mechanical brake pedal).

Once done this morning with the camera, I was able to continue the exterior detail on the truck... almost done with the exterior!

Edited July 15, 20205 yr by Stewy

14 hours ago, Last Indian said:

You’re on the right track buddy! I have a long 24” square, so I scribe a straight line JustA off the edge. Then move over 9/16” and scribe another line. I use a very fine, 24 tooth, band saw blade and yup, cut slow! 
Then comes the pain! I put it in the vise, like you see it, only with jaw protectors, and start filing the edge, 6” at a crack moving it and overlapping with each movement to get the edge smooth and straight. Than I flip it to the other side and repeat, but this time I use my calipers measuring the width incrementally to make sure it’s parallel and the right width. When I get really close I trial fit to see where it’s hitting, then mark it, measure it and file it till it fits properly!

More patience than I will ever have.

22 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Ok this has been really tedious! Where’s a shear when you need it?

JustA try to take .030 thick copper flat sheet stock, cut two pieces off it .500 wide 22” long and keep both sides parallel to each other to fit in a 1/2 milled slot! Fun! Real fun!

 

you must have good eye sight Last Indian!!

 nice job

how do you hold the copper in place ?🙄

20 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

you must have good eye sight Last Indian!!

 nice job

how do you hold the copper in place ?🙄

Yes I can still see pretty well for an old fart! I think I had mentioned before that I had  been a tool and die maker first, than a R&D machinist for a number of years before doing the engineering?! Those two crafts require very good measurement perception to accomplish. You need to be able to differentiate down to at least .010 of an inch.

I hold the copper in place with 3M emblem tape. It has fairly high resistance to heat! And since these will be seeing engine heat I’m a little hesitant to use an epoxy adhesive and a press fit without a shear to cut the copper is out of the question!

 

still need to polish up the copper.

Edited July 16, 20205 yr by Last Indian

I got a call from the repair shop on the Roadmonster yesterday. I took it in for a variety of things. AC not working, battery drain, temp gage isn't working, front end sags, driver door sticks, rear drive side window doesn't go all the way up.

AC is low on refrigerant. However, the compressor is getting noisy. So I may want to consider replacing it eventually.

Battey drain is caused by a map light that was left on. Doh! 

Temp gage isn't working because the sensor on the engine failed and the pigtail wire is burned up. So that needs to be replaced.

Driver's door and passenger door's still need to be taken apart from the inside and inspected.

Front end - well it's completely shot. It needs new springs, shocks, 2 out 4 ball joints, one tie-rod end, and sway bar end link is bad. So essentially a total rebuild and front end alignment. 

Oh yearh the anti-lock brake pump has failed too. It needs to be replaced with a remaned unit.

All totalled - it's about a $2500 repair bill.

42 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I got a call from the repair shop on the Roadmonster yesterday. I took it in for a variety of things. AC not working, battery drain, temp gage isn't working, front end sags, driver door sticks, rear drive side window doesn't go all the way up.

AC is low on refrigerant. However, the compressor is getting noisy. So I may want to consider replacing it eventually.

Battey drain is caused by a map light that was left on. Doh! 

Temp gage isn't working because the sensor on the engine failed and the pigtail wire is burned up. So that needs to be replaced.

Driver's door and passenger door's still need to be taken apart from the inside and inspected.

Front end - well it's completely shot. It needs new springs, shocks, 2 out 4 ball joints, one tie-rod end, and sway bar end link is bad. So essentially a total rebuild and front end alignment. 

Oh yearh the anti-lock brake pump has failed too. It needs to be replaced with a remaned unit.

All totalled - it's about a $2500 repair bill.

Pocket change! 

Picked up a 2015 GMC Arcadia for the wife.  Finally got into SEC State and plated.  New windshield installed in her old ride, all detailed inside N out yesterday, gettin ready for sale.  Exhaust came in today for my truck.  WOW...in mid typing, my neighbor came over to let me know he wants the Ol Escape if I'm gonna put it up for sale.!!!  Gonna pick up the exhaust and hope to geter done before the temps hit the 90's. UGH

I think you will find that Marsha will like the Acadia a lot. I drove one all over Yellowstone and Utah about 10-11 years ago. My wife ended up with a '11 Traverse. Very verstaile vehicle.

1 hour ago, Last Indian said:

Pocket change! 

Yup. Small price to pay to go 'WHALING" around.

 

After a wrong doughnut gasket.... finished the truck exhaust and saved over $300.00 from the exhaust shop quote.  Too dang hot out.

Yesterday I put Ren's new registration sticker on her plate. This morning I put the new registration sticker on T.C.'s plate. B.T. got a new registration sticker a few days ago. Yay for being legal for another, little over, 365 days. 🤪 On top of having four vehicles that all renew in the same month, I also had to renew my driver's license this year. I actually lol'd a little when I opened the letter from the SEC - at the top of the license renewal form it literally said "Let us be the first to wish you a happy birthday". So I thought, "it's my birthday and YOU'RE the one getting the gift (i.e. the $$)?!?!?"

At least the plate on the motorcycle is a historical one so I only have to renew that every 10 years. The cost of playing the game, I guess.

7 hours ago, Stewy said:

Yesterday I put Ren's new registration sticker on her plate. This morning I put the new registration sticker on T.C.'s plate. B.T. got a new registration sticker a few days ago. Yay for being legal for another, little over, 365 days. 🤪 On top of having four vehicles that all renew in the same month, I also had to renew my driver's license this year. I actually lol'd a little when I opened the letter from the SEC - at the top of the license renewal form it literally said "Let us be the first to wish you a happy birthday". So I thought, "it's my birthday and YOU'RE the one getting the gift (i.e. the $$)?!?!?"

At least the plate on the motorcycle is a historical one so I only have to renew that every 10 years. The cost of playing the game, I guess.

Happy Birthday.  Have my DATE with Sec State coming up soon. Appointments are into Oct now.  Thinkin of trying the new satalite SEC STATE @ Krogers.  Suppose to give you your tabs right there.  Still need to get ID complyant on the DL.

23 hours ago, Stewy said:

Yesterday I put Ren's new registration sticker on her plate. This morning I put the new registration sticker on T.C.'s plate. B.T. got a new registration sticker a few days ago. Yay for being legal for another, little over, 365 days. 🤪 On top of having four vehicles that all renew in the same month, I also had to renew my driver's license this year. I actually lol'd a little when I opened the letter from the SEC - at the top of the license renewal form it literally said "Let us be the first to wish you a happy birthday". So I thought, "it's my birthday and YOU'RE the one getting the gift (i.e. the $$)?!?!?"

At least the plate on the motorcycle is a historical one so I only have to renew that every 10 years. The cost of playing the game, I guess.

Keep that dough coming in boys, someone has to pay my salary! LOL! I am a state employee!!!!

16 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Happy Birthday.  Have my DATE with Sec State coming up soon. Appointments are into Oct now.  Thinkin of trying the new satalite SEC STATE @ Krogers.  Suppose to give you your tabs right there.  Still need to get ID complyant on the DL.

Thanks 🙂. Another trip around the sun. For the SEC, I don't even try to schedule an appointment (like you said, out until at least October!). For most things I've done lately, I just do online. Even though there is a "convenience fee" when paying for their online services (which is I think give or take $2), at this point in life it's worth it to not have to wait until Christmas to get into an actual office.

 

18 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Keep that dough coming in boys, someone has to pay my salary! LOL! I am a state employee!!!!

Hey, some of us have to actually work for our hard-earned cash! 😁😁😁. All kidding aside, I have a couple close contacts who are software developers in Lansing (which, whom, fall out of favor with me whenever I get frustrated trying to use the SEC / state online system - not sure if that's even a project they work on - but they're the scapegoat 😁).

It’s not what I did, JustA what it was! Today, actually the 28th, last Indian turned 20 years old! Wow! How old am I! I owned the “69” Z for 35 years and now the Indian for 20!

I think I need to lie down! 

I worked on Lucy some more yesterday. I totally pulled the instrument cluster out. This was a momentous day. This was the last day she would have her original clock she was born with. I sent this clock off to be quartz enhanced about 20 years ago. It's run great. Now it's time for Lucy to have a tach. So I pulled the clock and installed the tach in it's place. No problem - easy peezy.

I grabbed the new tach wiring harness - that's when the trouble began. The wiring harness and tach don't line up. The wiring harness is looking for a pair of electrical connection whereas the tach is looking for two individual connections. Huh. How about that. Okay ai will just cut the ends off and put new ends on. Wrong - I didn't have any butt connectors so I had to run up to AutoZone. By the time I got back the sun was setting. Agh.

I will try again next weekend.

Last look with the old clock

Old clock and new tach - side by side

Okay I think I ordered the right wiring harness

It looks good .... until

You look at the back of the tach....ouch! There is no way that black connector is going to work.

The red connector goes to the fuse block and the other connector goes to the coil.

I only got time to empty out the chassis car and then the boss had me building her planter boxes and spent all sunday fill them with dirt!🙄

3 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

I only got time to empty out the chassis car and then the boss had me building her planter boxes and spent all sunday fill them with dirt!🙄

Spouse tax is applied to every purchase.  Worse than the gov and waaay more expensive.  But ya can't live without her.

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

I worked on Lucy some more yesterday. I totally pulled the instrument cluster out. This was a momentous day. This was the last day she would have her original clock she was born with. I sent this clock off to be quartz enhanced about 20 years ago. It's run great. Now it's time for Lucy to have a tach. So I pulled the clock and installed the tach in it's place. No problem - easy peezy.

I grabbed the new tach wiring harness - that's when the trouble began. The wiring harness and tach don't line up. The wiring harness is looking for a pair of electrical connection whereas the tach is looking for two individual connections. Huh. How about that. Okay ai will just cut the ends off and put new ends on. Wrong - I didn't have any butt connectors so I had to run up to AutoZone. By the time I got back the sun was setting. Agh.

I will try again next weekend.

Last look with the old clock

Old clock and new tach - side by side

Okay I think I ordered the right wiring harness

It looks good .... until

You look at the back of the tach....ouch! There is no way that black connector is going to work.

The red connector goes to the fuse block and the other connector goes to the coil.

Now might be a good time to find the vert top switch..if ya haven't already.

7 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Spouse tax is applied to every purchase.  Worse than the gov and waaay more expensive.  But ya can't live without her.

 

Haha, soooo true Justa !!! sooo true 

13 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Spouse tax is applied to every purchase.  Worse than the gov and waaay more expensive.  But ya can't live without her.

Now might be a good time to find the vert top switch..if ya haven't already.

I took it off so I could get the dash out. The problem with top is the hydraulics. They leak. That's next on the repair list once I get the heater core and dash back together.

19 hours ago, Frosty said:

I worked on Lucy some more yesterday. I totally pulled the instrument cluster out. This was a momentous day. This was the last day she would have her original clock she was born with. I sent this clock off to be quartz enhanced about 20 years ago. It's run great. Now it's time for Lucy to have a tach. So I pulled the clock and installed the tach in it's place. No problem - easy peezy.

I grabbed the new tach wiring harness - that's when the trouble began. The wiring harness and tach don't line up. The wiring harness is looking for a pair of electrical connection whereas the tach is looking for two individual connections. Huh. How about that. Okay ai will just cut the ends off and put new ends on. Wrong - I didn't have any butt connectors so I had to run up to AutoZone. By the time I got back the sun was setting. Agh.

I will try again next weekend.

Last look with the old clock

Old clock and new tach - side by side

Okay I think I ordered the right wiring harness

It looks good .... until

You look at the back of the tach....ouch! There is no way that black connector is going to work.

The red connector goes to the fuse block and the other connector goes to the coil.

The gage fits the dash though right? Are you JustA going to tape up the old wire setup and the do new wiring? If not what? 
 

When you get to the top cylinders and lines take some good pictures and maybe we can help you get where you want to be.

12 minutes ago, Last Indian said:

The gage fits the dash though right? Are you JustA going to tape up the old wire setup and the do new wiring? If not what? 
 

When you get to the top cylinders and lines take some good pictures and maybe we can help you get where you want to be.

I plan to cut off the black connector and install a pair of ring terminals and run them to the back of the tach.

 

I know precisely where the hydraulics are leaking. At the bottom connection on the passenger side - where the line meets the ram. I suspect the line is not going all the way in. I am not sure if the threads are gald. I plan to try to tap the threads. If that doesn't work, I have a new line and a new ram. 

I had to do that same kind of thing on my GP when I rewired it Frosty. I did crimp and also solder all of my connectors. I don't trust a JUSTA crimp, but that's JUSTA me. Good luck bro!