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Lola T70 LoungeSpider and coupe talk, replicas and real.
Thanks Johan!
Though being right in the middle of preparing ...my own... wedding I sent a mail.
(Please, donīt you ever tell her that while she is hassling around getting the whole house ready
Iīm sitting in a silent corner chasing after Lola parts,...)
Chassis build is progressing rather slowly at the moment as my wife and I have to look after my father from time to time who is suffering serious cardiac problems and underwent surgery (bypasses) recently.
Nonetheless, I managed to do some work on the radiator housing and here are the freshly fabricated panels, still need to flare the holes:
Sooo...after having treated myself to some thorough lessons in riveting by professional metal aircraft builder Mathias Lenz (www.lenzair.de) we started assembling the radiator housing.
It took us much longer than expected, we had to spend two full days. Here is the outcome:
Nice work Marcus my project is on hold until the tubing bender and notcher arrives. I may pay a visit to the local aircraft supply and buy some clecos and by looking at your work 25 is not enough, looks like I will start off with 50. I hope mine turns out as well as yours. Looks like I may get a press and flaring dies also. The rear mold is done as of today so now I can save a bit of cash and start building.
Dave
itīs the same with me...having to stop the work when finding that there is no further go without the one or other specific tool,
One thing I quickly came to realise is that you can NEVER have enough clecos, be it 2,4 mm for pre-drilled rivet holes of 3,2 mm for finally-drilled holes. IMHO a starter package of 50 each is a good idea.
BTW, Iīm watching your build thread with a lot of interest, too.
There is an important question for which Iīd like to ask for your knowledge, all you aircraft professionals, master riveters and Lola tub magicians out there:
When you get to certain areas which are hard to access even for your buddy holding the bucking bar, wouldnīt it be a good alternative to use cherry lock rivets? Any advice highly appreciated.
To my knowledge they can carry at least the same loads as normal rivets and they can be fixed by one man alone. Lola seemed to have used cherry lock rivets in certain areas, see below pics of SL 76/147īs original chassis:
For your intended usage. you can certainly use Cherry rivets.
Make sure you use a cherry depth gauge so you don't waste rivets.
Last time I checked they were better than $2.00 a shot, although I must admit I don't pay attention to their costs, as we have drawer upon drawer full of them in the hangar!
From the pictures you have posted (resolution/close-up of the Lola) it is difficult for me to identify the type of pull rivet they really are.
On a separate note, I am concerned with the curved angle you have made in what looks to me as your radiator inlet. A more appropriate way, would have been to use a "shrinker/stretcher" to put the curve in that piece of angle. All those holes so close together have removed quite a bit of strength and may cause cracking between holes/angle itself.
On a separate note, I am concerned with the curved angle you have made in what looks to me as your radiator inlet. A more appropriate way, would have been to use a "shrinker/stretcher" to put the curve in that piece of angle. All those holes so close together have removed quite a bit of strength and may cause cracking between holes/angle itself.
What I think I am seeing there are holes that were placed at the ends of the cuts to essentially "stop drill" the end of each cut and allow him to form the bend with a flange. While that will work for a low stressed area, a "shrinker/stretcher" would be more appropriate if the stress is higher.
Re: LOLA T70 scratch build... 
