VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Aussie tourer wood work

Hi all,
I'm replacing the wood in the panel between the front and rear door. I notice that the wood I'm replacing is morticed and tenoned with a dowel in each corner but there is no sign of any glue. Does anyone know if orginally the frame was glued or not? I was intending on glueing the joints so that the frame is stiffer as this frame is attached to the front seat.
Some have suggested that the frame is not glued to allow flexing of the frame. I haven't looked at other bodies to see if they were glued or not.
Any ideas appreciated. Cheers peter.

G'day Fellas,

Peter, I glued and screwed my joins, I also did not get to fancy with the morticed and tenoned and a dowel in each corner pruely because I just could not physically do them myself through lack of woodworking skills, but a skilled lad like yourself it should be a walk in the park :)

As for the non glue to allow for flexing of the frame, well my thought on that is I do not intend to travel on such rough and unsealed roads like there would of been many years ago with big pot holes that our cars would of had to roll through, our roads and freeways are very smooth and easy going which is much less wear on them, just my two-bobs worth.
I made my timber frame work nice and tight, it feels rock solid on the road, the doors all shut well and there is no slop anywhere, so time will only tell I guess and if something does break then I am confindent enough now to just fix the bloody thing myself.....

Hey Grant,

Just as long as your passengers dont fall out, meaning me.

Cheers

Ray

Gidday fellas,

Ray - Who? what? falloutta where?....... anyway that'll be one less coffee I'll have to buy ya

Dear Mr Fangio, sorry Fowler

The way you country kids drive you will need every bit of my 105 kilo ballast to hold Monty on the road.

So, after a good feed at the Yaragon bakery, and a few cakes and coffee's the trip home will be a lot smoother.

Your concerned riding mechanic

Ray

Don't know about Holden but for bodies in USA the joints were held by screws and brackets. Some parts were finger jointed which required glue. Precision fitting and screws produce a frame just as stiff as less precision and glue. Besides it is much easier to repair if glue was not used.

That being written, most all wood joints are glued and screwed during modern replacement or restoration. Just make sure you have it put together correctly before gluing.

In Aus, the Chevs timbers were glued and screwed, some old blokes told me the clue was made from horses hoofs. Not sure about that, but those old glues didn't last long, and our rough roads rattled the joints apart. One thing you must remember is that the tourer bodies flex a lot, so I'd use some 'elastic' glue.

A good point to remember, it caught me out years ago in my 27 tourer. NEVER sit you arm on top of the join between the door and the centre panel when driving, if you do you'll live to regret it.

Another good point for Aussies who live in our hot climate, I've had many skin cancers cut out of my right arm, funnily none from my left arm.
Chris

Hi,
I installed a wally brown wood kit 25 years ago.Glued and screwed it using the original steel bracing as well.I then marine varnished the wood to stop it absorbing moisture.
Some of my local roads are rough as guts,with large pot holes and are of clay or gravel.No problem with the joints breaking and there is a fair amount of chassis flex at times.

Hi,
Thanks for the replies, The timber frame I have actually dove tailed instead of a standard mortise and tenon. I will glue it up with a flexible glue (sikaflex 11FC) and shove a dowel in each corner for good measure.
Before glueing the frame I need to do some work on the front door hinge I have had it welded and will drill it out to suit the pin in the door hinge to take out the slop in the door. I will also need to do some bracing in the door itself to pull the twist out so they align correctly. I believe a diagonal positioned threaded rod pulled together should do the trick.
The old fellow I did my joinery apprenticeship with told me as a lad his job was to start work a hour before the tradesman so he could heat the glue up on a fire he said the glue was horses hoofs I forget the correct name for it at the moment will think of it later.

I think that the glue used back in the 20s was hide glue, made from by prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue. It deteriorates, getting brittle with age.

Hi Rusted,

There is a name from the past, Wally Browm.

What a shame for us OZ Chev guys that he is no longer in business.

Or is he?

Cheers

Ray

He is not in the business any more but all his timber patterns and the re timbered parts are still available. There was a strong rumour when Wally closed that his wife burnt all the patterns. This is not true a CSIRO scientist Ross Meakin bought the lot and he lives in Bankstown in Sydney and builds parts and kits on order part time. In the past few years he has made a set of main runners for a 25 Oldsmobile and a full timber kit for a 28 sports roadster that I know of.

Thanks for that Jim,

Good to know timbers can still be obtained for the OZ Chevs.

Cheers

Ray