Home Made Radiator Part 1
I am still waiting for the container ship to arrive with my latest restoration project, a 1929 Scott Flying Squirrel. Till then I have started work making a new radiator for the bike as the one that is supplied is bashed and has the addition of modern honeycomb. I will document all the stages of the work and give costs for materials as I work through the process so others can also make one if required.
Last week I ordered and received 1400 pieces of 7mm diameter brass tube, I only need 1107 but I though I would order extra just in case I needed spares as this will be the first honeycomb radiator I have tried to make myself. I ordered these from Alibaba online and the factory will cut them all to length saveing about a day on the circular saw slicing up tube.
Today I managed to find time to use a friends lathe and milling machine and spent a total of 4 hours machining up a tool so I can swage the ends of the tubes ready for assembly and dip soldering, I produced the tool using two slabs of aluminium that I pegged together and can then be tighten in a vice or G clamps with several lengths of brass tube sandwiched between. 7mm holes were drilled down through the centre of the 2 slabs and then an 8mm end mill was used to widen each end of the hole making a former for the swage. I turned up a punch that is then hammered down into each end of the brass tubes swaging them out exactly to 8mm. Each tube end needs to be annealed first so this process will take some time and I will complete over the next few weeks.
Material costs so far.
Brass tubes with extra 169 pounds Sterling
Aluminium blocks 15 pounds sterling
Total so far 184 pounds Sterling
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