"Paul didn’t hesitate. He walked into his machine shop and a couple weeks later sent photos of the finished piece looking as though it was cast by Harman & Collins themselves. Problem solved like it never existed." Amazing. Isn't it cool to know there are people like that to go to when our own skills come up short? Real wizards do exist!
This is cool on every level. Pics are fine art, beautiful. Looking at them makes me want to just hold that magneto in my hands.
It looks really good Ryan! When I talked to Tom and he told me he was handing over his business to Paul I was skeptical as well, But after seeing this post I am going to call Paul first of the week and send him one to be gone through.
@Ryan, that is a work of art, I managed to zap myself with a tractor mag while explaining how they work to an apprenticeship parts cl***, we may have veered off topic for a minute or two….
This whole photo operation was held together with hope, physics, and a very loose definition of safety. The entire set consisted of a stool d****d in a black sheet and on top of that sat a lazy Susan, because I wanted to spin the perspective without moving the magneto itself. Also, I wanted a double exposure... one frame with the cap on, one with the cap off, stacked together in the negative. A sort of Rex Burnett move, only with cameras instead of a pencil and a lot more electricity in the room. To make this circus work, I had to clamp the lazy Susan down, take a shot with the cap on, and then remove the cap with monk like precision, absolutely no movement allowed. One hand was glued to the back of the magneto to keep it steady, while the other hand handled everything else, pulling the plug wire, backing out the two tiny screws that hold the cap on. Some cruel joke of timing put the mag right on top of a lobe or something equally malevolent, because there was no way I could have touched the shaft without the drive installed. Then, just as I was repositioning that now free plug wire, the thing slipped off the lobe and lit me up like a pinball machine. A full on electrical ambush. For one split second the pain was so violent I didn’t care if the magneto launched itself off the stool and shattered into expensive regret. Then survival instinct kicked in and I lunged, grabbed the mag before it hit the floor, and saved it by ruining everything else. That tiny movement was enough to kill the double exposure. Film doesn’t forgive. You get one shot at that kind of nonsense and that’s it. Here’s the resulting image. It’s not awful. But it’s not right either.
Also, note the screwdriver is only in these shots... It's not actually a prop. I laid it in front of the mag and had it pointing on a mark just off frame on the outside of the lazy Susan. Idea being, if the lazy Susan inadvertently moved (optimistically, I thought that was going to be my biggest problem), I could always spin it back to the same mark. Good god, my stupidity amazes even me at times.
That's a beautiful piece of hot rod history! Those magnetos are a lot less complex than the Harmon and Collins "dual coil" distributors for the flatheads. I know a guy with a beautiful H&H built flathead running a Harmon & Collins dual coil, and for a couple years more often than not it was running on four cylinders. He ended up buying a couple more of them for parts, and I was able to finally put one together for him that works OK.
The HC mags are a thing of beauty . . . just a wonderful design and casting. I recommend that you set your timing to 24 degrees BTDC as there is no advance mechanism. Then, wire a kill toggle switch to your dash and kill/ground the mag when you're first turning the engine over, pumping some fuel into it at the same time. Then hit the mag switch to turn the ignition on while it is spinning over. This is a lot easier on the starter than to have the mag turned on and having the starter having to work against the advance. I even do this with my Vertex mags - makes the starter last a lot longer! Also, having a good bit of fuel already in the motor tends to help it start the first time and not backfire onto the starter (which tends to bend the shaft if you're using an original style starter).
Man I know nothing about photography but it looks good to me. I too amaze myself with my own stupidity, when I got bit I was happily explaining the operation of the mayo a room full of young adults eager to expand their knowledge of the inner workings of an ignition system when I spun the shaft to demonstrate while holding said device of torture. After a few very choice words and the realization i hadn’t in fact pissed myself, we carried on. I’m not a religious man but I felt as though I had been struck down by the hand of god himself.
Good advice. I have to do the same proceedure on my inline six, 14.3:1, Vertex fired locked in at 30 degrees.
I remember reading your first thread on how it got stolen and how it even pissed me off glad it worked out for you in the end that mag is truly a work of art.
Patiently waiting for photos of mag installed, are you going to sell prints of the mag? Boss sorry I laughed at your electrically charged mishap with the mag, no that’s a lie, it was a good laugh hope you were laughing afterwards. A while back while breaking in a cam on an OT engine I was adjusting the timing to where I wanted it at 2500 RPM. While moving the distributor I touched a plug, these wires don’t have boots at the plug. Zzzzzzap. My two brothers who were helping me almost pissed themselves laughing so hard. I didn’t quite get enough advance, you guessed it Zzzzzzap. Now the brothers are in a full on meltdown laughing spell. Damn that hurt. Dan
Great photos, looking forward to seeing the end results. I will say I am a little bummed, when I saw the ***le I thought someone caught the SOB that stole the mag from your mailbox.
Great pics and story. Interesting on the photography too. On the maintaining positioning during the photoshoot I wonder if a laser level might have been useful. I like the word an***hesis! Chris
Great pics, great story, great friends, and great community. Always good to see someone pursuing their dreams with the support of those around them.
When I attended A&P school they had a bench that must have been built by a mischievous mackerel It had an aluminum angle attached to the top edge where your elbows would rest when leaning forward. This bench was used to do practical applications on magnetos, and it taught you to respect the Magneto and don’t trust your buddies.
Dan, charge up a condenser with a battery charger and leave it on a bench. When your brothers are around ask one to get it for you. Karma. Lol
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