MG TD TF 1500 Brooklands wheel again BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net

MG TD TF 1500 - Brooklands wheel again

Finally started working on the rim of the TD brooklands... over the last few years i have done about 20 wheels and run a band saw around the outer edge of the 'plastic' and twist off the bits a few inches at a time with pliers...when i get to the spokes, i have to pick at all the places between the spokes (just a bit labour intensive)... anyway, the brooklands has an extra inch or so of plastic molded around the individual spokes...and was also on there like 'stink'. Was in at the shop with one of our props builders yesterday who was refinishing a set of TR6 wheels (he got them from 'rust' to beautiful silver in one day...sheesh)... anyway, i'm struggling away with the wheel in a vice and me with an air sander trying to get at the plastic without touching the spokes that show... he walked by and said 'ever tried the torch'.... hmmmm.... couple shots with the little butane and the bits pulled off soooo easily!!!! 'duh' Then i thought of all the car fire photos i've seen...yep...just the steel rim bar showing. Anyway... a hint for anyone redoing their wheel!!!

gblawson (gordon)- TD#27667

Now for the wood rim...another few weeks...

gblawson (gordon)- TD#27667

Ok I am back home. It rains, so no TD - I go only with hood down, never any windwws! In the picture you see what a great job that gentlement from California can do. I forgot his name, but you can find at the Southern California Vintage MG Club. Actually his work is even better if done on an original unmodified frame - center, spokes and outside rim. In my version, the spokes were replaced by 4 mm stainless steel rod threaded at both end, the outside rim was drilled and tapped, and the center hub was cut and some material replaced by hard plastic, drilled and tapped, as you can see in the next message. The six outside spokes are connected to the rim with short brass tubes drilled inside, this ensuring stability and electrical connection. The six inside spokes are electrically insulated and can be connected to individually, which thus gives a total of six switches, to be easily activated thanks to rings on both my right and left hand. Switching devices could be built such as those bars found on Brooklands wheel, Bluemel I think. Now go to my next message.

Denis L. Baggi

Here you can see that area where the spokes come in has been removed through electroerosion and replaced with hard plastic, with four holes which have been threaded. It's there even though it's been painted over with the hub color. The spoke which protrudes the more is ground, electrically and mechanically to the the wheel outside rim. Then you see six other spokes that will act as switches. Since I do not favor the idea of a protruding six leads cable that comes out of the wheel, I will use one of those remote command circuits similar to those in your key fob or to open a garage door, generally at 433 MHz. All ready to go, and in my case for six encoding. I am planning to use the switches as follows: upper right, horn; upper left, one headlight flash as we do on highways acting as horn; lower right and lower left, direction lights; right vertical spoke, maybe some Italian horn with a melody forbidden in Switzerland; left vertical spoke, don't know, ideal would be to use to fire a missile at those who don't drive MG's but I would need an awful supply! I am at your disposal for further info. No, I have not completed this project yet. Denis

Denis L. Baggi

This thread was discussed between 18/05/2008 and 25/05/2008

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