MAKING A TOY AUTO TRUCK (_Continued_)
THE DASH-BOARD—THE SEAT—ASSEMBLING THE TRUCK—SPRINGS—SOLDERING
THE WHEELS ON THE AXLES—STRIP WASHERS
=The Dash-Board.=—The dash-board is the next thing to be made, and then
the seat. The hood, dash-board and seat are then soldered to the frame.
Four imitation springs are then made and soldered to the bottom of the
frame; holes are punched in these for axles; the wheels and axles are put
in place, and the chassis of the truck is finished.
The dash-board may be formed in two ways; one way is to use part of a
rolled-rim can, the rolled rim forming the top, and the other way is to
fold over three edges of a piece of tin and form this into a dash-board.
The first method looks better, but the last method is easier.
Select a large rolled-rim can, measure off 5¼ inches along the rolled
rim and from each end of this measurement, run a line 2¼ inches down the
side of the can. Then mark a line around the can 2½ inches down from the
rolled rim and cut the can down to this line exactly as you would cut a
can down to any line, see Fig. 63.
Then cut out the piece 2½ by 5¼ inches including the rim. Use the
flat-nosed pliers and break away the tin next the rim where the can was
first opened with the can opener, just as you did when making a pail.
Hammer down any tin left next the rim and then place the piece of tin on
the bench or flat anvil and flatten it down, rolled rim and all.
[Illustration: FIG. 63.]
Use the dividers to mark off ¼ inch along the two short ends of the piece
at right angles to the rim, then use a file to cut off ¼ inch at each
end of the rolled rim. Cut in on each of the darkened lines _A A_ to the
lines _B_ just under the rolled rim, Fig. 64. Then fold the metal in
between the lines _B_ and _C_ to give a rounded edge to the sides of the
dash-board, as shown in Fig. 65.
Place a piece of round bar iron or a pipe about 1 inch in diameter in
the vise and round over each end of the dash-board so that the folded
edges are inside as shown in Fig. 65, and then round over the ends of the
rolled rim with a flat file to make them smooth and the dash-board is
finished.
[Illustration: FIG. 64.]
[Illustration: FIG. 65.]
[Illustration: FIG. 66.]
[Illustration: FIG. 67.]
To make a dash-board out of a flat piece of tin, cut out a piece 2¾ by
5¼ inches. Set the dividers to ¼ inch and scribe a line ¼ inch inside
three edges of the piece. Cut off two corners at the top and fold in the
flaps to the dotted line as shown in Fig. 66. Round over the ends of the
dash-board as described above and to the same dimensions.
=The Seat.=—A very simple seat may be made for the truck out of three
pieces of tin. Use a piece of tin with the rolled rim at the top as in
making the dash-board. Cut a piece of tin 3¼ by 3½ inches, fold in two of
the sides exactly as you did for the dash-board and cut off the rolled
rim until it is even with the sides after turning and round over the ends
of the rolled rim with a file.
Use the dividers to mark two lines parallel with the rolled rim, one
line 1 inch in and the other 2⅛ inches as shown in Fig. 67 by the dotted
lines. Bend the piece over a block as shown until it is shaped like the
seat shown in Fig. 68.
Cut two pieces of tin 1⅜ by 1¼ inches. Mark a line ¼ inch in from the
ends of one of the short sides of each piece and bend this part at right
angles, Fig. 68, _A_. These two pieces are to be slipped under each end
of the seat and soldered to it and then trimmed off with the shears until
the whole bottom edge of the seat rests flat on the frame where it is to
be soldered.
The two side pieces or supports are made too long purposely so that
they may be trimmed off after they are soldered to the seat. The hood,
dash-board and seat should be soldered in place.
=Assembling the Truck.=—Set the dividers to ¼ inch and scribe a line ¼
inch in from the front end of the frame. Place the front of the hood
parallel with this line and see that the hood is set exactly in the
middle of the frame; that it is set at the same distance from the side of
the hood to the side of the frame on each side. Solder the hood in place.
[Illustration: FIG. 68.]
[Illustration: FIG. 69.]
When soldering the hood to the frame, it is better to rest the frame on a
block of wood so that the block supports the frame that is directly under
the hood when soldering the hood to the frame.
The block will prevent the tin from bulging down from the heat of the
copper and from the pressure of the hand when holding the hood in place
to solder it.
Set the dash-board in place back of the hood and see that it fits snugly
in place against the hood and also the frame and then solder it in place.
If every joint is made to fit snugly before attempting to solder it, no
trouble should be experienced, but sometimes a crack will develop owing
to the expansion of the tin under heat of the soldering copper. These
cracks may be filled in with solder by feeding a strip of solder against
the point of the hot copper when soldering. This causes a lot of solder
to run into the crack and fill it.
Solder the seat in position so that the front of the seat is about 1 inch
from the ends of the dash-board.
=Springs.=—Holes may be punched through the sides of the frame and
the axles run through them if a very simple truck is to be made, but
imitation springs may be easily made from part of the sides and bottom
of a can. These springs raise the frame of the truck above the axles and
give it a more realistic appearance.
Cut two three-inch cans down to ⅜ inch in height. Turn these cans bottom
up and place the ruler across the rim of each can bottom in turn in such
a way as to measure 2½ inches from rim to rim. Then measure off another
2½ inches on each rim as shown in Fig. 69. File through the rims at _A A_
and then cut straight down the sides of the can at _A A A_ which should
give you three springs from each can.
Solder two springs to the bottom and side of the frame ½ inch from the
front end and the two rear springs should be soldered 1 inch in from the
back end.
Use an ice pick to punch a hole in each spring to receive the axle and be
sure that these holes are all the same distance from the top of the frame
(use the dividers to determine this), and also that each hole is square
across from the opposite axle hole (use the try square to determine this).
The axle holes should be punched through with an ice pick and be made
somewhat larger than the axle wire so that the axle wire fits very
loosely in the hole, but be sure to have all the holes the same size.
=Soldering the Wheels on the Axles.=—The wire axles should be cut long
enough to go entirely through each wheel and across the frame and to
allow a distance of ¼ inch between the frame of the truck and each wheel.
The length of the axles may be easily determined by placing the frame
of the truck flat on the bench and placing the two wheels in position,
each wheel to stand out ¼ inch from the side of the truck. Measure the
distance with a ruler from the outer edge of one wheel to the outer edge
of the other and add ⅛ inch to this distance, see Fig. 70. Cut the two
wire axles to this measurement and see that they are perfectly straight
after cutting.
Place one end of an axle through a wheel until the end of it projects
beyond the outside of the wheel about ⅟₁₆ of an inch. Put some soldering
paste on the end of the axle and on the wheel next to the axle and use a
well-heated soldering copper to solder the wheel to the axle.
[Illustration: FIG. 70.]
[Illustration: FIG. 71.]
To do this, place the wheel flat on the edge of the bench so that the
axle hole is just over the edge and so that the axle may be held against
the side of the bench. Hold the wheel and axle firmly in this position
and lay the hot soldering copper, well charged with solder, on the end of
the axle wire just above the wheel.
The end of the axle will heat up very quickly and the solder should run
down and form a puddle about the axle when that part of the wheel next
the axle is heated up to the flowing point of the solder. The end of
the axle should not project more than ⅟₁₆ inch beyond the wheel and the
soldering copper should be heated thoroughly and be well charged with
solder, see Fig. 71.
The wheels need only be soldered to the axle on one side of each wheel if
the holes for the axle fit it very snugly.
Another method of holding the wheel in position on the axle while being
soldered is to drill a hole exactly the same size as the axle through a
fairly thick block of wood and to push the axle through this hole until
just enough of it projects so that when the wheel is slipped over it ⅟₁₆
inch of the axle will project beyond the wheel. The wooden block may then
be placed in the vise and the wheel slipped over the axle and soldered to
it. The hole drilled through the block must be drilled at right angles to
the face of the block where the wheel is to rest. A hole may be drilled
at right angles to a wood or metal surface by using a bench or post drill
if you have one. Wheels may be set on the axle very accurately by this
last method.
When one wheel is soldered to each axle lay them aside and make some
washers for the axles before the two remaining wheels are soldered on.
These washers are placed on the axles between the frame and each wheel to
keep the wheels from running against the truck.
=Strip Washers.=—These washers may be made from narrow strips of tin
wound around the axles like a tightly coiled clock spring.
Cut a strip of tin ³⁄₁₆ of an inch wide and 8 inches long. Take a pair
of round-nosed pliers and bend one end over at a sharp curve that fits
about the axle wire. Hold the curved part of the tin to the axle with the
flat-nosed pliers and wind the tin around the wire in a right coil taking
fresh grip on the tin strip with the pliers each time the tin is wound
around. Wind the tin about the axle four times and then cut the remaining
tin away and use it to make the other three washers, see Fig. 72.
[Illustration: FIG. 72.]
[Illustration: FIG. 73.]
Slip one washer on one of the axles next to one of the wheels soldered
to it; then push the axle through the axle holes in the springs and then
place another washer on it before placing another or second wheel on the
axle.
The washers are not soldered in place but simply left loose on the axle.
The second wheel is placed on the axle and soldered to it as the first
wheel was. The truck may be placed on its side to bring the second wheel
into a convenient position for soldering. Be sure that the axle turns
easily in the axle holes and that there is plenty of room for the washers
between the sides of the frame and the wheel before soldering the second
wheel in place. The second wheel may be soldered on the second axle in
the same way and then the chassis is finished and ready to run, see Fig.
73.
Various bodies may be placed on the rear of the chassis and a steering
wheel, crank and lights may be added when it is thus far successfully
completed, and these will be described in the next chapter.
Do not be discouraged if you have managed to get more solder about the
truck than seems necessary, as it may be scraped away as described in