Well here is the final part of my tail light tech. Thanks to all you guys for the great comments. It is real enjoyable to be a part of such a awesome message board. In this part I will show how I made some real simple buckets. Hope you find it to your liking. My simple light buckets start with these little stainless steel cups. You can pick these up at Walmart. I have also found them from time to time at the Dollar store. They cost a $1 for 4 of them. I have bought a bunch of them to use just for stuff like this. I just take a standard tail light socket and cut out the cup bottom so it fits. The socket I used has little tabs that hold when you twist it. Thats why the bottom looks like it does. I had to use a dremmel and small cut off wheel because the stainless is pretty tough. This is what I am using to mount the cup into. Just a piece of 20 gauge sheet metalcut to the shape of the tail light housing. The little tabs that I left at the top and bottom slide into slots cut into the rim of the cup. Holds it just fine and is a simple way of fastening it together. I will have to paint it yet. Might try Tmans suggestion from one of his past techs and use white paint. Here you see the socket and bulb set into the cup. This is my low tech approach to a light bucket. As you see the tabs are bent over to hold the cup and the little tab at the top is to screw the housing to. I would have liked to not use a screw at the top but I really didnt make any allowances for fastening on the inside of the casting. Aw, maybe next time. You will have to bare with me and pretend that the pine board in my new rod, cause I havent started on it yet. (Well just in my mind) Ah finally! The completed tail light from scratch. Not the best polishing on it. I really hate polishing. Still need to cut out rubber gaskets to fit between the body and the housing too. Total time for this endeavor was maybe 5 evenings out in the shop. I have a few more tail light styles that I have drawn out that as soon as I make time I want to try. And of course, the money shot. Thanks, Smokey
[size=+2]I am always SOOOO inspired by the likes of you. It is so nice to see high dollar application in a low dollar environment. It looks fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing your "trade" secrets with us. Reverend Jake[/size]
Now that's what I call craftsmanship. When folks talk about what's "traditional" they need to be looking at this work! You've done a fantasic job of taking what was available to you and making it into something that couldn't be bought in any store for any price. Well done!
Superb! I took metal shop in Jr. High and we did sand casting, but all I got to make was a dumb ash tray, and when I was a kid, Mattel made a miniture vacuum former for making little toys. The thoughts of both of these processes has never left my feeble mind and now you have really me thinkin again about it.Great job, this should have been in tech week.
Those things will leave the gold chaines thinking. I love it when people do stuff like this, you could have just gone down to a shop a bought something cool. But instead you took that extra step and made something even cooler, and individual. If you make some more I would buy a set. Seriously I love them.
Yeah, but are you going to make the mounting screws, too? Just kidding, I'm speechless. It's something like this that most of us would never even think of as possible. Incredible!!
First-rate design, execution, and shared info! I look forward to the alternate designs, although this one is really sweet!
Thanks again to all for all the inspiring comments. To answer a couple of the questions. Rustyparts -The size of the tail light is 3" wide, 6" long, and they are out about 1" thick. 4t64rd - I am putting some info together for you. Deuceguy - Well the radiator is still on the bench. Never got around to finishing it. I am always doing too many things at the same time and some(as the radiator) loose out and dont always get done. Arther - There was a parts 1 and 2 to this tech and they would do a better job of explaining than if I tried to here. I was just looking at the post again and my photos are really grainy, sorry. Think it is time to get another digital camera before the old one bites the dust. Smokey
So how deep of a draw can you make without the lense getting thin? How do you know what thickness of plastic to use? I ***ume that the sharper or more pointed the plug is near the top (first contact point of the plastic) the thinner the plastic will be in this area? Am I wrong in thinking this? I'm thinking of making some 55 Packard type lenses and they are kind of thin and deep. Any suggestions on making this proccess work on that type of taillight?
OLD TECH, winters coming and for those in Norther climates, a home forge might make the perfect winter project I'm NOT sorry I brought up this old post. I just won some small jewelry casting tools on the auction site who's name we dare not mention, and was wondering if anybody else is planning on casting their own parts anytime soon? I have a jewelry kiln that goes to 2K degrees and I'm going to try a few small pieces first before I lay anymore time and money building and buying bigger equipment. Anybody?
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