MTFCA Forum

otrcman

A treasured photo of my Grandfather, Martin Fischer (Newhall, CA), from the 50's when he first acquired the car. He worked on the F-104. My guess is that this photo was taken at George AFB in Victorville, CA.

Ken Fischer

otrcman

My brother, Brian, and I sadly post news that our father, Dick Fischer, passed away this week after a period of declining health. Dad really enjoyed this forum over the years. As many of you know, he was a true engineer, and nothing he liked more than talking technical. This is a great place. We are...

otrcman

I have watched the various videos for removing the rubber stem from an inner tube and installing an original type metal stem. My question is: has anyone yet done that job on one of the new Blockley inner tubes ? Tubes are a little expensive to be experimenting with and I would prefer to hear somebod...

otrcman

Pat,

Please contact me by email.

Dick(dot)Fischer(at)mac.com Note: for exact address, make all capital letters lower case.

otrcman

I found that same page as well, Frank. But I can't seem to drill down into their website to look at the regulator itself. Probably just not computer savvy enough.

Have you tried to look into the catalog to see details for ordering from Ford Garage ?

otrcman

I'm sure the Model A guys are having the same problems. I have a Model A myself, but had previously installed a Fun Projects regulator before the business was sold. It's always worked great and I'm sorry that other T and A guys are now unable to buy from FP any more. It has crossed my mind that the ...

otrcman

One person's perspective: My Dad acquired a fully operational 1912 T Touring in about 1962 and by 1980 had restored a Model A Coupe. My Mom drove the T occasionally, but really didn't care to drive it. When Dad got the A going, she just climbed in and drove it effortlessy. Mom had learned to drive i...

otrcman

Just realized that I should have added one more thing: I don't know that linseed oil is the best thing to seal the ends of the spokes, but it's the only thing I know of that can seal wood and yet not increase the dimensions of the spoke ends. I'd be perfectly happy to use epoxy resin as a sealer, bu...

otrcman

I'm going to make a bit of a contrarian statement here, so don't say you weren't warned. Unless you seal the end grain at both ends of the spokes, it really doesn't matter much what finish you use. Here's why: Moisture is the worst enemy of any wooden structure, not just from organic growth, but pri...

otrcman

For putting a new hose on a new rdiator inlet, it's hard to imagine that you have any pits to worry about. I started using a finger smear of grease on both the hose and the inlet, then install hose. That really ended my leak problems and the hoses are sooo easy to remove next time. Old mechanic tric...

otrcman

Rob didn't really turn the music off half way through the video; he just switched off the Wagner music so you could hear the Ford & Yoder music !

Dick

otrcman

I wasn't sure whether this belonged in the regular general discussion section or in OT. Because it's not really original Model T. But it's certainly pertinent to other discussions of black paint that we have seen on the site. Now, THIS is truly black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz_m_DlYz8E&t=317s

otrcman

I have used boiled linseed oil on gun stocks, but not raw. The boiled linseed is rubbed on a surface with a cloth moistened in the stuff until it's nearly a dry surface and then set aside. It gives the wood a beautiful surface. I used multiple applications about once a day for several days. It makes...

otrcman

We all learn something new ever day. Hopefully, that is. Frank B. and John K. informed me on something I didn't know. That is, that the Reagan (Fun Projects) regulator doesn't have the third (overvoltage) function. It never occurred to me that the Model T generator already has the third function bui...

otrcman

I am seeing the words, "cutout" and "regulator" used rather interchangeably in this thread. You need to know that they're not the same thing. Model T's originally had cutouts, which are nothing more than a reverse current relay to prevent running the battery dead when the engine is not running. A vo...

otrcman

Question for Tim Juhl:

I like the way your spokes are finished under the hub. Did you put some sort of sealer or preservative in the areas where the spokes come together at the center and on the end grain at the rim ?

Thank you, Dick

otrcman

Not mentioned yet is Alder. Alder is a hardwood which I have used for sand casting patterns for some time. It's very stable, easy machining, and really stands up to abuse by the foundry guys. I don't know about predatory insects, but I have had sand casting patterns that have been used on and off fo...

otrcman

I was born in 1942, so my memories are of other children of the war years, but also of the older veterans when I joined the workforce as a young adult. Lots of memories of those people of both generations, including my father and three uncles who served during WWII. But perhaps my favorite smiling m...

otrcman

I'm with Steve J. on the use of grease rather than a sealant of some sort. I've been told that most any heavy bodied grease will work, but I still have a can of water pump grease, so that's what I use. The beauty of grease is that the hoses go on easily, but they come back off just as easily. No nee...

otrcman

With the skills like your daughter has, she might intimidate some insecure young men. But for the right kind of guys who are secure in their own skins, she will be irresistible. We have one daughter-in-law who was raised on a farm. She will tackle (and succeed) in just about anything that comes alon...

otrcman

Neal, People have already posted who have far more experience with model T's than I do. But here is my experience with a 1970's automobile. I was having a problem where the car was usually flooded after a short rest, but then started up just fine after sitting overnight. What I eventually found was ...

otrcman

Whenever I hear this discussion of photo resolution I think back of the Dick Tracy comic strip where Sam Ketchum looks at a photo of a street scene in the newspaper and (with a magnifying glass) reads the time on a pedestrian's wrist watch to solve the crime.

Yea, right !

otrcman

Looks like a good repair, Jim. Puts the load through the welds in shear rather than in bending. That's as good as possible given the all-aluminum construction. I'd still keep the joint on my inspection list, but I'm confident that it will significantly outlast the original design. And the welds them...

otrcman

Jim, Glad to hear that you are getting your trailer back to being roadworthy. I would caution, however, that you are still vulnerable to repeat failures in that same area. 6061 aluminum can be about twice as strong as 3003. But you should be aware that the superior strength of 6061 alloy depends ent...

otrcman

Not saying that aluminum is a bad idea for a trailer, but there really are a bunch of special considerations when using aluminum as a structural material. I could simplify it all by saying that aluminum is far, far weaker than steel in this application. But for those more technically minded here are...

otrcman

The best part of this photo to me (and something I love about the 11/12 cars) is the parallel lines formed between the fenders and some of the body features. Notice how the top flats of the front fenders run parallel to the hood lines. Then notice how the downward slope of the front fender exactly p...

otrcman

Greg, I can't tell you for a fact how Ford wired their inspection pan bolts, But I can tell you that there are well documented instructions for correctly safety wiring airplane parts. Whether the airplane guidelines really do apply to automobiles is probably up to you. The aircraft guidelines govern...

otrcman

Alan, In many period texts on laminating there is a note to swap successive layers end for end and to turn them over in order to discourage a split or other weak spot from progressing beyond any one single layer. That's pretty obvious, but I notice some people don't do that, but it's a good idea. I ...

otrcman

The Mrs in the picture has a proud, pleased smile on her face that says the car is brand new. She's thinking right now about all the trips she will be able to make into town and how she won't have to drag her cart along behind her. I wonder how pleased she will be to keep those tires as clean as the...

otrcman

Just to be clear, I believe Scott and Rich are saying that the fault in Bob's bow is that the grain of the laminations is running the wrong way. Think of it like a laminated archery bow. The grain in a laminated archery bow always runs from TIP TO TIP, and in that orientation a bow (archery AND Mode...

otrcman

My first free start came the first time I ever tried to start a Model T. I was new to T's and had never even heard of such a thing. I had jacked up the rear wheel and pulled the crank through to prime the engine, then walked around to turn on the switch and begin cranking. As soon as I turned the sw...

otrcman

My paternal grandfather, Martin Fischer, loved to recount the story of his epic drive from Fillmore, California to Paris, Arkansas and return with his wife and six children. The time was summer, 1923, and the car was a 1921 Sheridan touring. Preparations for the trip included the purchase of two bra...

otrcman

When traveling, I try to remind myself at each stop to lightly touch each tire (and hub cap if accessible) to check temperatures. When I first started doing this I was surprised to realize that the tires on the sunny side of your vehicle will be slightly warmer than the shady side. I wouldn't have t...

otrcman

Regarding the fender mounted mirror: My brother has a 1932 Pierce Arrow Brougham with mirrors attached to the sidemounts. Absolutely useless. They vibrate constantly and never seem to be pointed in the direction that you need for them to be. If the mirrors vibrate too much on a 5200 lb. luxury car w...

otrcman

We'll let this sit on the Model T forum for a few more days to give the T guys a shot at them and then I guess I'll move over to a wider-reaching tool site if someone could suggest such a site.

Dick

otrcman

Sorry 'bout the lack of images. I've done it successfully before, but somehow the latest revision to either my computer or to my brain has voided whatever I knew about posting images. Note, computer is a Mac.

Dick

otrcman

OK, here is a deal that (hopefully) will be too good for somebody to pass up. I have been storing a 1 lb. coffee can full of collets for about 40 years, hoping that I would either find a need for them myself or find a person who needs them. Maybe somebody on this forum will be the needy one. The mar...

otrcman

Mark S wrote:

"Old bottles of hot fuel proof dope are sold on Ebay, that's where I got mine.

"

Dick writes: " I never thought of that Mark. Good idea. That Klass Kote costs more than liquified diamonds."

DF

otrcman

Unfortunately, "model airplane hot fuel proof" dope is a thing of the past. As a long time model builder, I can remember when butyrate dope was truly hot fuel proof. But no more; the most you can hope for is to be able to resist a quick splash of fuel and an equally quick wipe with a clean, dry rag....

otrcman

Mike, I agree 100% with your prior answers. But I do like to provide direct answers to questions: You asked in your original post: "Is this normal or does this point to some issue?" My direct answer is: "Yes, the condensation on your intake manifold connection is absolutely normal and to be expected...

otrcman

To add to George M's historical context comments, I should point out that 1904 was an election year. Just ten weeks after the Malcomson non-vote meeting, an election was to be held. Teddy Roosevlet had assumed the Presidency in 1901 as the result of the assassination of William McKinley. The electio...

otrcman

Are there records of any discussion on this topic, Rob ? I know discussion is supposed to follow the motion second, but in this case maybe there was some prior discussion. I'm wondering if the lack of support for Malcomson's motion was due to some sort of show stopper, such as lack of funds for the ...

otrcman

Steve,

The reason why it wasn't starting, and the reason why it does start now may not be fully understood yet, but it does start and run. And there are lots of us out here glad for the good news. Congratulations !!

Dick

otrcman

Hank,

Thank you for your time with us here. I'm sure I speak for many others in saying that I learned a lot from your posts and pictures.

Dick Fischer

otrcman

Ditto on the brass-over-steel construction of the support rods. One of my rods has a crack in the brass which is a real finger slicer if you're not careful. The rod's not structurally compromised, so we just have learned to be careful. Not sure how to repair it other than to glue it down with some s...

otrcman

You'll be the envy of every other kid at the meet, Rob. I'm not even there, but I envy you already.

Dick

otrcman

Picture #7 from the top:

"You'll have to drive yourself to school Suzie. The rest of the family has covid and the newspaper said we're locked down and can't leave the house."

otrcman

Another horse & Grandpa insight: My Aunts and Uncles used to commiserate over the fact that Grandpa never looked for traffic before he pulled out onto the county road. In retrospect, I'll bet he developed his habit from 50 years of riding or driving a horse. Horse did the looking and listening for h...

otrcman

Ron C's comments about replacing the horse with a tractor struck an old chord with me. My Grandfather (1887-1963) farmed oranges all his life. I think he bought his first tractor in the late 1930's. But it seemed like it was his sons (also farmed the same property) always drove the tractors. In late...

otrcman

Thank you for the follow-up, Kevin. I had pretty much forgotten that I had asked the question and certainly never expected a reply by now.

One of Uncle George's grandsons still has the 1917 Pathfinder and lives quite near to you.

Dick Fischer

otrcman

I hsve been following this Flanders thread ever since Mark began posting. Not because I'm a particular fan of Flanders cars, but because it's different, I didn't know much about it, and I was curious over just what the differences were. And I do enjoy seeing ingenuity at work in solving problems. Al...

otrcman

Robert, Get her one of those little plastic trigger/handles for spray cans. She'll think you are the smartest dad ever (she probably already does). Best two bucks I ever spent. Dick https://www.bing.com/aclick?ld=e8hGfkeW-CLii2zRK-EGcN8TVUCUy9m-NjEzybdXmRXGQiF8VvLzAG8qxDCJBKItnYHNpfC2KIFFVnZXx-gcVSm...

otrcman

Gloss Black for exhaust manifolds seems to be the holy grail of colors. I have been trying to find such a coating for one project or another for 40+ years. So far, no real successes, but plenty of failures. Of the "paints" that I have tried, most have flaked off under operating temps almost immediat...

otrcman

Tom,

You must be feeling pretty good right now. I hate taping and papering, but I love to peel it off after the paint is done and the guns cleaned up. (And have verifed that there have been no masking leaks.)

Dick

otrcman

Tom, Your pics showing ready-to-paint wheels look great. I do have one question, however: Do you seal the spokes under the hubs or will the wood remain bare in those areas ? Below is (I hope) an attached picture of one of my rear wheels with the hub removed. To the best of my knowledge, no work has ...

otrcman

"FUNCTIONAL ART"

Boy, truer words were never spoken.

Dick

otrcman

In the mid-50's, we lived on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. The locals there thought "out West" started somewhere in Conneticut. Some adults had never been across the Bourne Bridge, which separated the Cape from the mainland ,,,,, and proud of it !

otrcman

The bad news is that if all cars used these fantastic gas saving devices, gas stations would have to become dumping stations. Every few hundred miles you would have to stop to drain out all the excess fuel. The dumping stations would charge by the gallon to drain your tank. To meet EPA disposal stan...

otrcman

Robert,

Can you tell us what type of sealer you used on the woodwork ? Varnish, clear lacquer, shellac, linseed oil, etc ?

Dick

otrcman

When I was a kid my Uncle George (B.1908) called them "Antler Rattlers". I was an aduIt before ever hearing the proper name. To this day I have to be on guard to not say, "antler rattler". It just slides off the tongue so smoothly. I'll bet he wasn't the only one who called them by that name. Dick

otrcman

Was it Bud who was archiving engine serial numbers and body number for early T's, or is that somebody else?

I recall sending my numbers to somebody sereral years ago; not sure who. If it was Bud, I hope his data has been saved and that someone else will pick up the task.

Dick

otrcman

Hard to believe that the Hyatt's in Model T size were still avaliable until 1989.

I'm only speculating, but it's possible that our particular size Hyatt went out of production much earlier and only some other sizes were still being produced.

otrcman

Luke's original post for this thread asked a question that I don't think has been addressed so far. That is: what about the legal and ethical implications of someone else making a regulator that produces the same beneficial result ? I'd like to try to respond to his question. First off, I'm not a la...

otrcman

Rich, To add to your comment regarding how late the in-fender headlite feature of the PA cars continued, Pierce continued with that trademark design right to the end of production in 1938. Today, the national Pierce Arrow Society employs a profile of the unique fender/headlite shape as it's club log...

otrcman

I, too, have a similar starter on my '50's street rod with flathead Mercury engine. I had previously been breaking Bendix springs regularly with a standard starter which had been converted for use with 12V. The conversion didn't seem to protect the Bendix at all. When I purchased my modern starter I...

otrcman

Brings a whole new meaning to "I bought a Ford dealership"

otrcman

My paternal grandparents and their 6 children made an epic cross-country trip from Ventura, CA to Paris, ARK in 1923, camping along the way. I had no photos from their trip, so this photo collection helps me to better visualize what it looked like. Thanks for the photos. My family's trip was made in...

otrcman

Yep, "Rides like a lumber wagon."

I hadn't heard that expression for years.

otrcman

Some good answers here. Maybe we have enough collective experience to say the risk is very remote. Another variation on the pacemaker/magneto theme occurred to me: What about using a hand cranked magneto tester ? In that case, the magneto is completely unshielded and the operator's body is very clos...

otrcman

A year or so ago there was a discussion of the possible effects of a Model T magneto on a pacemaker implant. That should be a subject of interest to any T'er who has a pacmaker. I did a quick search of our archives and did find the thread. It was somewhat informative, but not conclusive. The essence...

otrcman

RV,
If well wishes promote a cure, you will be on your feet in no time at all. Get well quick !

otrcman

As Allen suggests, you could try the compatability somewhere inconspicuous That's the only way to know for sure. The one thing I would suggest is to omit your primer step. If the existing paint is sound, then it's probably the best primer you could ever have. The only caution is that you should clea...

otrcman

Not specifically Model T, but driving with a disability just the same. My late uncle, George Berrington, Jr. (b. 1922) was born with club feet. When WWII broke out, he wanted badly to serve but was rejected as 4F. One day he read an article in the newspaper saying that the Army needed experienced tr...

otrcman

Steve, Moisture absorbs readily into wood, especially end-grain. The wood expands with moisture. Seasonal swelling and shrinking eventually causes the laminations to split. That's what we are seeing in your car. Unless you really seal the end grain, the failures will continue to happen if you just g...

otrcman

Well, the good news there is that John is still alive and well. Shame that the new owner hasn't kept up with John's excellent product line.

otrcman

I hope John Reagan chimes in here. He's a real expert. But I can give you the basics. If you connect a generator straight to a battery, the spinning armature will generate voltage and try to charge the battery. But if you shut off the engine, the battery will try to spin the generator. If the genera...

otrcman

........But how hot is hot enough? How hot ? The idea we're working on here is that metal expands when we heat it. Even heating from 72° to 73° causes some expansion. So the question becomes, "how much expansion do you need to make the hub turn loose?" And nobody knows the answer to that question u...

otrcman

Bill Hoffer asked, "What do you guys think of using a small tip torch to heat the hub in small areas, then letting it cool?" Bill, I could certainly be wrong, but I think that spot heating as you describe will tighten the hub on the shaft, not loosen it. I have used spot heating to shrink local spot...

otrcman

Just to bolster your optimism, Steve, here is my story: When I took my rear wheels off a couple years ago, the regular puller worked like a charm on the first wheel. The second wheel was a different story. I tightened the center bolt on the puller until I was afraid that I'd strip the threads on the...

otrcman

One of my senior friends (RIP now) taught me to put a light smear of water pump grease on the inside of the hose at each end. The grease allows the hose to be easily installed and removed without damage to the hose. It also allows the hose to seat nicely, providing a seal for tiny leaks at the radia...

otrcman

This is a collection in the California desert. All I can say, is that they're all in very dry storage and some day there will be a huge additional supply of cars going back into circulation. And lots of purple glass in the making for Burger. Kinda brings tears to my eyes. https://www.youtube.com/wat...

otrcman

Here is an article out of Fine Woodworking Magazine which talks about numerous finishes, including shellac. I was recently faced with the same dilemma for finishing the wooden window trim for an antique airplane. I ultimately chose to use shellac with no further topcoat. It looks beautiful. The plus...

otrcman

A bit of encouragement for Erik: My son works as a respiratory therapist in the local hospital. You can bet Brian in one way or another deals with every covid case that comes through the door. He tells me that to date their facility has seen a number of vaccinated people with covid. The worst cases ...

otrcman

Some great choices for a ride ! About 20 years ago I was attending the Grassroots Fly-In at Brodhead, Wisc. There was a fellow there giving Model T rides in a nicely restored 1912 Touring. The car had a Ruxtell, which I was curious about as I had never actually seen one in operation. The owner very ...

otrcman

The top picture (with the four ladies) shows a door handle on the driver's side. Being a '12, it would have had "Fore Doors", but I've never seen a Fore Door with a handle installed. In the text below the image there is mention of some images having been retouched. Now I'm wondering if the car reall...

otrcman

Steve J. said: "The infuriating part is being so d--n fumble-fingered clumsy. I used to start a nut on a bolt without looking. Now even if I'm looking right at it sometimes it gives me trouble." Dang, Steve, I've been blaming it on the low quality threads on those cheap imported nuts & bolts. Now yo...

otrcman

I'm not a Laycock expert, but doesn't it use a separate sump for lubricant ? If so, you might learn something by taking one oil analysis sample from the Laycock and another sample from the differential, then send both in for a lab analysis. When the results come back you should have a pretty good id...

otrcman

[/quote] Thanks for noticing , slotted screws are not easy to find anymore. Some hex nuts used will be replaced at finish, correct square nuts with radiused side with shoulder (built in washer) and flat side are not easy to find ether. [/quote] A marvelous source of antique style nuts, bolts & screw...

otrcman

I did a quick search on the computer and saw that some waxes dissolve readily with vegetable oil. Never tried it, but you might do some reading on the topic and then give it a try if it makes sense to you. After the veg oil treatment you can do a soap and water clean up.

Dick

otrcman

Sounds like Matt is a real pro and easy to work with.

Dick

otrcman

Thanks for the fast I.D. Dan. Do you know if it's meant specifically for a Model T, or is it a generic ?

Dick

otrcman

I have no idea what this device is. It was in my father's garage. Dad was a T guy, so I'm hoping it is some sort of T item that someone can identify. The overall length is about 10". It does no fold out straight. The two pics show the full open and full closed positions. Thanks in advance for looking.

otrcman

It's been my experience that, if it came from John Regan, it's good stuff and performs as advertised.

Dick

otrcman

"Not exactly my preferred sort of behavior."

No, nor mine Wayne. But it did give some insights into another time and another place, where Stan's environment was a lot different than ours.

Dick

otrcman

Anybody who was around Stan for more than a few minutes knew that he was a great story teller. I'm going to take the liberty to repeat a story that he told me at the Bakersfield swap meet about four or five years ago. The story wasn't recorded, so I can't give it to you word for word. But I'll tell ...

otrcman

This is really interesting, Tim. I'm assuming that the necked down areas were directly under the gasket at both ends ? The copper-nickel tubing seems to be very successful for brake lines, so the only reasonable explanation has to be vibration, however small. This is a real warning for anyone contem...

otrcman

UNPRR,

Did you receive my reply to your Private Message a few days ago ? If not, could you please email me at dick(dot)fischer(at)mac(dot)com.

Dick

otrcman

"...........what else can I try." George Shotgunning an electrical problem can be time consuming and frustrating. Here are a couple of quickie tests to help you eliminate or discover a lot of problems with very little effort: 1. Depress the starter button for around 3 seconds. As soon as let off th...

otrcman

Lots of things to like about a Model T. That's like asking my favorite flavor of ice cream. But maybe the thing that makes me the happiest is the quiet thrumming sound that the car makes while cruising along on flat ground at 15 or 20 mph. It's kind of hard to describe, and I really don't know what ...

otrcman

Isn't it interesting that you often pick up on a mistake in a photo that you missed with your naked eye ? I don't know whether the camera presents a different viewpoint than your eye had, or maybe you are taking more time to study the photo. One way or the other, looking at a photo is sorta like hav...

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