The Restoration Merry Go-Round
- By:Col Croucher
Restoration of old Classic cars is a wonderful pastime enjoyed by
thousands of people. But, car restoration can at times test the
patience of even the most dedicated restorer.
The joy of transforming a run down, rusty, vintage car into a
glossy new vehicle with lustrous paint and sparkling chrome, provides
great pride & enjoyment for enthusiasts who spend countless hours
dismantling, inspecting, cleaning, polishing & refurbishing cars of
the 30s, 50s & 60s era.
One of the many problems encountered by restorers of all
things old, is that a great many parts will be corroded &
deteriorated, or simply missing, the constant search for replacement
parts can be a real headache, not to mention the time lost in trying
to source or locate that small, but absolutely vital part necessary
to complete a restoration project.
If the elusive part happens to be an item which was originally
machined, then the old part can be measured & used to create a new
part either by the restorer, or by a professional machine shop.
If the restorer has the required workshop skills & equipment, then the
remaking of any special parts can be easily undertaken in the home
workshop for the relatively low cost of materials only, as time, etc, is
not generally considered to be a cost factor.
But, what if your "vital missing part" is made of, aluminium, brass or
bronze, and can't be made by machining alone.... what then?
It would appear that the only thing to do would be to visit your
local foundry jobbing shop (if you can find one), to get them to make
a pattern from the old part, and have the foundry recast a new component
for you, which will still require machining and finishing, before it's
ready to fit onto your restoration pride & joy.
The cost of this professional exercise (pattern, casting, machining)
can be significant to say the least, many people will simply
accept this as part of the restoration cost.
The budget conscious restorer may not wish to pay for professional
work of this nature, which will devour the cash in your wallet at a
rapid rate.
The Alternative is:
Do It Your self, it is possible to carry out a complete self
rebuild or remake of most "cast" parts required to rebuild old car
parts etc.
Metal casting in the home workshop is the answer.
The skills required to remake wooden patterns of small parts is not as
difficult to learn as you might expect, old damaged parts can sometimes
be used as "the pattern" as this will save you from having to make a new
pattern. With some practice using basic foundry skills, it is possible to
make good sand moulds.
Melting metal and pouring into sand moulds can be learnt by most
people who possess the ability to absorb and learn the basic skills,
as well as the skills required to fabricate the simple tools & equipment
required to carry out hobby foundry work.
Metal casting in the home workshop can complete the picture when it
comes to classic restoration projects, be it of cars, old engines, or
old machines etc.
Your home foundry can save a lot of time & money while undertaking
restoration projects.
Imagine not having to spend countless days scrounging around swap
meets looking for that illusive or unobtainable part...you'll be able set
to and make it your self.
Items the home metal casting worker will be able to make, range
from small handles, various knobs, wheels, bushings, bronze
bearing shells, badges & nameplates, covers... the list of remake items
is limited only by your imagination.
A free ebook download is available from our web site, which allows
people to read at their own pace to see if metal casting is "for them"
or not.
There are also other free ebook downloads that contain old time
formulae and hints, which could be quite handy when working on old items.
myhomefoundry.com have been helping many people all over the world,
to discover how easy it is to utilize hobby metal casting, to reproduce
almost any part required for vintage car, motorcycle or machine restoration
projects of all kinds.