Thread: 1930 Ford Model A Roadster - Slow WIP

While the rear axle is soaking, I quickly glued up the basic chassis.
Doesn't look too bad.
(The rear axle is almost done - another 15 min and it comes out of the ebonising solution.)

For the next part after the axle etc is attached, the steering-gear¹, I could really do with the bandsaw but will have to do it by hand. Hopefully not too much longer to get the bandsaw sorted out.

¹Steering-gear will be for right-hand drive, an Oz model.

Gluing up: -
Attachment 211993


After drying: -
Attachment 211994

Attachment 211995

Peter, (_fly_), and I did some research last night on Model A's.
My real aim was to make a 1928 Model A Roadster, even though the plans are labelled 1930.

We discovered a few differences between the 1928, (40A), and the 1930 Deluxe, (40B).The plans are for a 'Deluxe' 1930 Roadster, which has two spare wheels, one on each front mudguard, whereas the 'Standard' 1930 and all 1928's had the spare on the rear end, like this: -
Attachment 212065

On top of that, there are changes to the cowling behind the bonnet and just in front of the doors.
The 1928 radiator is smaller and a slightly different shape, too.
A couple of other little differences, but they're the main ones.

Looks like I'll be modifying the plans as I go, to turn them into a 1928 40A Roadster.
The rear end will be interesting, but at least now I only need 5 wheels and not 6.
(I need to modify/add to the rear of the chassis, at this point, to make a bracket to hold the spare. Gotta work out how to solidly attach the shorter bumpers on either side, too.)

In my searching, I found a few RH drive 1928 Model A's, so they did exist here, at least.

Very cool Steve. I have almost as much fun researching my builds as I do making them.

If you don't mind could you PM the websites you are getting your info from? I am trying to find as much info about the 1932 Ford 3 window myself.

Bret

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Very cool Steve. I have almost as much fun researching my builds as I do making them.

If you don't mind could you PM the websites you are getting your info from? I am trying to find as much info about the 1932 Ford 3 window myself.

Bret

Hi Bret,
no need to PM. I'll put it here for everyone. A lot of my info comes from the images I sent you and others found on Google Images. I did a search for 'Australian 1928 Model A Ford' last night and found heaps of pics of the one I need, including the RH drive versions: -
Attachment 212070

All the good technical stuff comes from here: - 1928-1931 Ford Model A Specifications & Identification Page
(Covers virtually everything.)

hi steve great bit of imformation on the model a ford i did start to make it myself but only got has far as the chassis rails and the wheels after seeing yours and flys wip maybe now i will carry on with it

Originally Posted by kelrob@blueyond

hi steve great bit of imformation on the model a ford i did start to make it myself but only got has far as the chassis rails and the wheels after seeing yours and flys wip maybe now i will carry on with it

Three at one time! That'd be a record, wouldn't it?

I encourage you to do so. We can all work together to a degree, and I'm sure I'll learn something by seeing your approach.

I reckon that both you and Peter will be finished way ahead of me, but I'm not in a rush.
Still sorting out my bandsaw issues, that's slowing me up a bit, as well as being a complete newcomer to woodworking. Got a whole 4 months under my belt now.

That web-page is good, isn't it? Just brimming over with A Model info.

Aside from the spare tyre on the '28, this is a bit of a pain: -

Wow Steve doing well

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Wow Steve doing well

Thanks Ray. Slow but sure.

I got the bandsaw sorted out today, so work will progress a little more quickly now.

I made the steering pivots yesterday, without the bandsaw, so I used the Dremel router for the shaping. Much cleaner. I cut it in half afterwards, to make two pivots: -
Attachment 212409

Also, I found that the permanent marker I plan to use on the dowel and bamboo can leave small unshaded spots where the grain cracks are deep, whereas ebonising blackens those areas but leaves the rest pale, so when I ebonised the steering pivots I also pre-ebonised the other bits, ready for the permanent marker ink. I got more Sharpies, and will pull them apart, cut open the ink tube and rub it in: -
Attachment 212410

Then I can glue up the axle, brake rod, radius rods, tailshaft and handbrake rods, followed by the rest of the steering gear.

Only the wheels then and I finally have a rolling chassis. (Not scared of wheels any more.)

This project is temporarily on hold, for a bit longer.
Now that the workbench is half-finished, there's no room to move in the shed, to do anything else. I've got bits and pieces done, but that's all.
I'll concentrate on the bench and finish it ASAP, then continue with the Roadster.

Edit: I did at least resaw the timber for the floor, since it's been playing on my mind.
The bandsaw came to the party and did a good job.
It's NG Rosewood, resawn to 8mm thick, still needs taking down to 6.3mm: -
(I've finally decided that the body will be NG Rosewood and Camphor Laurel, with Silver Ash for chrome and glass highlighting, along with the ebonised Blackbutt for the black bits. Ordered some nice, plain, unfigured Camphor Laurel yesterday. All my current stuff is figured and wouldn't suit.)

Nice work Steve.
I'm viewing on with interest the ebonising processes you're going through. Already getting ahead of myself and bought some steel wool... and I haven't even selected any timber to start the car yet.

Originally Posted by Hermit

Peter, (_fly_), and I did some research last night on Model A's.
My real aim was to make a 1928 Model A Roadster, even though the plans are labelled 1930.

We discovered a few differences between the 1928, (40A), and the 1930 Deluxe, (40B).The plans are for a 'Deluxe' 1930 Roadster, which has two spare wheels, one on each front mudguard, whereas the 'Standard' 1930 and all 1928's had the spare on the rear end.

On top of that, there are changes to the cowling behind the bonnet and just in front of the doors.
The 1928 radiator is smaller and a slightly different shape, too.
A couple of other little differences, but they're the main ones.

Looks like I'll be modifying the plans as I go, to turn them into a 1928 40A Roadster.
The rear end will be interesting, but at least now I only need 5 wheels and not 6.
(I need to modify/add to the rear of the chassis, at this point, to make a bracket to hold the spare. Gotta work out how to solidly attach the shorter bumpers on either side, too.)

In my searching, I found a few RH drive 1928 Model A's, so they did exist here, at least.

Why not finish it as a 1930 first, then modify the plans to suit a '28?

One of my "Gunna" do projects is to make a stock one first, then a Hot Rod version...

Originally Posted by Yonnee

Nice work Steve.
I'm viewing on with interest the ebonising processes you're going through. Already getting ahead of myself and bought some steel wool... and I haven't even selected any timber to start the car yet.

That's sort of the way I did things. I played with the ebonising first, found that my Blackbutt blackened best, so it became the timber for the black bits.
Then, since machining the first rim from Camphor Laurel went so well, I decided to make all of the light-coloured body parts from that.
Silver Ash for chrome and glass, just because it's so white, then NG Rosewood for the darker parts of the body, simply because I've got heaps.

On the general topic of blackening, I found that the new Sharpie pens that I bought are no good for the purpose - they've modified the ink recipe so that it doesn't soak right through paper. Trouble is, it doesn't soak into timber either and just dries on the surface.

Every cloud has a silver lining, so they say. Since the Sharpies wouldn't do, I went back to the drawing board with ebonising. After a little experimenting, I found that the ebonising powder I made a few weeks ago can be made into a paste and rubbed into the dowel. Seems even finer than carbon and really gets into the surface. After drying, the surface is still powdery, so I used two coats of wipe-on poly as a fixative, then sanded with 1200 and burnished to a gloss with a cotton cloth. Worked well.
(Unfortunately, I had to cheat with the bamboo and paint the toothpicks representing the handbrake rods with black paint.)

Why not finish it as a 1930 first, then modify the plans to suit a '28?
One of my "Gunna" do projects is to make a stock one first, then a Hot Rod version...

Only because this one is for my mate, (sort of an unofficially adopted father), and he was born in 1928. When I started, I thought both models looked the same and was going to stick closely to the plans, but once I discovered that the '28 was a little different, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't keep it faithful to the original.
N.B. Jack doesn't know anything about it yet. His wife does, but she's sworn to secrecy under threat of death.

My second one, soon after this one, will be the 'fancy' one, I hope. It'll be an original 1930, but with as much extra detail as I can manage. I'll keep that one for myself. I hate seeing all of my projects leave home.

Edit: To get over the dowel and bamboo ebonising problem, I think that in future I'll make the dowel myself, from timber that ebonises successfully.

Since I can't do any more of the workbench until tomorrow, I've been doing a bit on this.

Glued up most of the chassis last night and have almost finished cutting out the rims today.
I'll roughly cut out all rims, tyres and hubs, then finish them all together assembly line style.

The steering pivot dowels aren't glued yet. I'll blacken their ends first, with ebonising powder/poly, along with the steering rod pivot dowel-ends, then I can finish gluing up the basic chassis.

Should be a rolling chassis before long.