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New Pages Added

New page added: Cast Rubber Block Strakes Version 2

Outlines Version 2  design for the cast rubber strakes idea. Still to be added drawings, photos, details etc of this idea plus commentary on readers comments on Version 1.

General Build Progress

Rubberising Wheels

Exceedingly frustrated with the difficulty in sourcing materials and services to enable me to put rubber on the wheels.

I’m running with several options but so far have drawn a blank with each of them:-

1. Traddional rubber tyres such as those supplied by BH Leake in UK. This was my first attempt but I received no reply to my enquiry.
2. Similar solution by a firm on Bangkok, Thailand, suggested by my friendly local machione shop Teera. They had provided similar treament to some bending rolls (for use on stainless steel) for Teera. No reply from that company either.
3. Machined rubber block strakes.  I found a source of rubber blocks in China on a Thai website called Lazada. Made some CAD drawings and discussed with our little Little Samson Traction Engine group and with Teera.
   1. A couple of experienced members of our LSTE group advised that this approach would’t work being to rough and bouncy resulting from the gaps between the strakes. Also seems difficult to me to drill/cut the blocks to the desired profile. Teera confirmed this.
   2. Teera suggested casting the rubber strakes. He had (another) company in Bangkok cast some vibration isolation blocks for him. He did emphasise that the main cost would be in the moulds (a left hand and a right hand version being required).
   3. In reaction to the mentioned comments from our LSTE group I redrew my CAD drawings (Version 2 ) to allow the casting to cover the gap between the strakes and discussed with Teera. Teera produced a fine 3D CAD drawing which he sent to Bangkok for a quotation. No reply.
   4. Out of frustration, made a steel mould myself and made two trial castings, one from expanded PU foam (failure) and one from car body (epoxy) filler. Latter being successful but a tad oversized in one direction. Took the mould and casting for discussions with Teera.
   5. Teera asked if I had received his quotation for the castings yet. When I said “Not yest” he promised to senf it by email that afternoon. Two days later still no quotation.
   6. At that neeting Teera also said he would send photos of my mould to the company in Bangkok. I left the mould and casting with him, but two days later still no reply. No quotation, no information.
   7.  Seems like that company in Bangkok is giving Teera the run-around and Teera is giving me the run-around,
4. At ther same meeting last Thursday I also showed Teera new CAD drawings for my fall-back idea. This is for rubber sheets in two layers glued and bolted to a rolled steel ring which Yreera would make to fit my wheels. No problem he said.
   1. No problem except that I can’t obtain the rubber sheet nor the glue here in Thailand,
   2. I had already ordered some pre-cut rubber blocks from Lazada as nentioned above to experiment with – drilling screw holes and cutting to size. Their store said they could supply and sizes – just contact them. So I tried that and guess what? No reply.
5. Getting really frustrated now. Judging from my success with the expoxy casting I made it seemed logical to make my own castings using a puring rubber which is available all over the world – except here! Ditto rubber-rubber and rubber-steel glue!

Summary of Rubber-Wheel Options

Option Description	Problem
1) Tradditional rubber tyres by UK company such as BH Leake,	No reply from Leakes regarding my quotation request.
2) Similar process by company 1 in Bangkok, Thailand, through Teera.	No reply from regarding Teers’s quotation request.
2) Solid rubber block strakes machined from solid.	Impractical to machine rubber. Rubber blocks very expensive.
4) Solid cast rubber block strakes from company 2 in Bangkok through Teera.	No quotation received from Teera.
5) Using my mould(s) self-cast solid block strakes.	Can’t optain pouring rubber.
6) Sheet rubber glued and screwed to steel ring (ring by Teera).	Can’t obtain sheet rubber nor rubber glue.

And that’s where I am at the moment.

Canopy Received – Painting  Job

At last some posive news.

On the same day as my last Teera meting (Thurday 23 Nov 2023) I collected my showmans canopy from the carpenters and very nice it is. (I don’t think I even showed you my CAD drawings for this)

Anyway it’s now sitting in the painting bay awaiting – painting!

All you guys who love painting are gonna be envious about this one. The canopy’s 3′ wide by 8′ long, thats’ 24 ft² per side X 2 = 48 ft² (4.5 m2) of wood waiting for painting plus the cross bearers. You’d love that job.

I’d better get on with it before it starts going rusty!

That’s all for mow. heck of a lot to do in the workshop and here on the website recording it all as fast as I can.