PREFACE
Its really Bobby and Donny Allison's fault. As a young engineer I worked for a WWII hero that flew Thunderbolts in Europe and was also the owner of Birmingham International Raceway, Tom Gloor. A fine man. Friday nights the seats were filled, 8000 people crowded to see NASCAR drivers fight it out with locals Friday Hassler, Donnie Anthony, Neil Bonnet, Red Farmer, Alton Jones and many others. Dad listened at the "The Y" café in Hueytown as Allison's planned Friday at BIR then Nashville Saturday and I was enamored. More on that.
Here is my entry:
Three parts which comprise the lead-shaft half nuts housing of my JET 13X40 GH lathe. So what is so special about these three parts? There is background here ending with:
Prior to my purchase of the PM 9X49 mill (no surprises here) I owned a JET 18 PF mill-drill. This mill had more moves than a Hawaii Hulu dancer even with 400 lbs of lead attached. So I called MSC (that was before I knew about Hobby-Machinist) and asked "milling tech" about a vise they had on sale. He recommenced the shown item a Gibraltar on sale 35% off, only $200. Wow. That is it now with gage block and 0.008 feeler gage at heel. Three days ago I asked "milling tech" to replace this vise with a higher quality. He said all he could do is replace it same with a reduced price. Gimme a break "why do I need 2 boat anchors?". I passed. They stonewalled and said "some of these have quality problems. Says I "the description did not say
quality inhibited" you moron. Needed some constraint here.
So I decided to repair. Milled top slots flat and opened holes such that they would allow 1/2" clamp bolts and added a class I toggle clamp to support heel:
I remember Jimmy Carter espousing "trade agreements will reduce our costs tremendously" obviously like Billy beer. The Class I toggle clamp only reversed the rotation since the heel had been milled with reverse slope to compensate for the clockwise rotation. So disassemble and mill heel 90 degrees to face. Japanese products were once "haphazard" at best but now are well made. Once we Americans get tired of "unfinished" tooling, the entire scheme will change. To purchase 90% of all Chinese products yields work to be performed by the buyer with no consequence to the SELLER, a continent away. Foul, Jimmy Carter.
I haven't proven my point yet, have I?
A NEW BEGINNING
This entire chronology started at Pensacola Speedway in December of 2005. After a year of preparation, the #23 late model began practice sessions and since tires are limited (you can only buy 10) the shoes were old and practice times were 18 flat I knew we were competitive. This is one of the most prestigious late model races of the year, $25k to win and if you make the race, you have made money, well almost. Kyle Bush showed up with a 10 man crew and a hauler that had a hauler, a house and 3 extra cars.
My team was not quite as grandiose. A mopping bucket, 4 extra wheels, 2 lounge chairs, a tire changer and my wife. We did arrive in an enclosed trailer. (The #23 originally was previously driven by Gary Nix. He turned 20.0 sec around BIR in that car and he is still racing today.) Practice laps with unproven car is carefully initiated; however, you can't be a hazard so with 5.23 rear quick change gears, you let off at 7000 rpm and then turned left slowly picking up the pace and then using little brakes to slow to corner.
The engine was rented from Keith Watts from Holly Pond, Al. Unlike my race engine, this engine was an SB2 block painted black to look like a 350 and made about 700 hp on the dyno @ 8000 using my legal 750 Holly carburetor. About 10 laps the fluids were up and coming into turn 1, let off at 8000 and simultaneously applied binders and the 23 uncharacteristically swapped ends and hit the Turn 1 wall .....wham, wham, wham. Yep 3 times. An hour later Sue said "they're calling for qualifying, can we fix this thing that looks like a pretzel?" and held up the drive shaft. I said "look in the bucket dear."
Days later I discovered the Wilwood caliper on the left front was a RIGHT REAR caliper. The young dummy thought my old left front caliper should be replaced with a new one. Well it had a few thousand laps on it and old is bad. Right.
THE #23 REBUILD
The free time the succeeding months until Memorial Day of 2006 were spent improving 23. Any improvement would be better than the wall tap condition. Didn't make it. Contracted a disease called "farmers lung" the Monday after MD weekend. After my blood pressure dropped to 40/20 racing was not on the list and shop work is difficult while on a ventilator. By the latter part of 2007 I was one of the 10% that normally survive. Recovery was not a cakewalk and wiser learned physicians opted to perform a lung biopsy to ascertain medication effectiveness. The risk was low, only they forgot to tell the surgeon. He used the wrong Allen wrench and I, once again, was in HIS hands. Just "one of those things" they exclaimed. Wow fooled me. New tires won't help. Five years later I could walk. The #23 LM is covered in dust.
Then came the JET lathe. Rebuild or start with new equipment? Eventually I decided new for the simple reason "if new it has warranty" and in America we have rights. Yeah, I know. Me and Thomas Jefferson and the "new" syndrome. And really, how hard can it be?
After shipping from Tennessee it stayed on the loading dock in Birmingham for over a month, frustrated I hired Apel Machine to locate it and drop it at the shop Remlap, Alabama. Sometime during the 1880s there was a Baptist Church at Palmer, Al, Jefferson County. Some dispute occurred and brothers began un-churchlike attitudes or maybe needed an adjustment. One of the parties moved north along old Highway 75 just into Blount County and named the Church R-E-M-L-A-P Baptist Church. So the little town became Remlap with a US Post Office.
The Two Year Warranty
Finally my 13X40 got here, that was 4 years ago. Those were 2 difficult years. I had discovered a 5" bar chucked and turned full length would be 2 different diameters. I read, studied, researched and with the help of Tony Wells and Richard King found the headstock was not parallel to the ways. That was two years later and very close to the warranty expiration. After this period of limited response I was at the "charge mentality" and let rough end drag. Shoot Tonto, Kemo Sabe is right behind. Tony finally convinced me to "just fix it" after listening to my "but I have a warranty", they can't so that. Surprise, if the Flintstones don't think it is possible, then chuck it.
The JET Representative
Finally, some response from the US distributor. Man I was elated. We are talking about a Superbowl touchdown celebration here. Scheduling and planning happened quickly to my surprise. Honestly, the rep had a long drive and arrived in a big turbocharged Dodge diesel pickup (JET nowhere on the doors) and the bed was filled with tools. He shows me his indicators (8) and I produce my 3 Shars specials with non-Noga holders. All the work we did is not worth describing. However, at the end of the day, the rep showed me how foolish my approach had been. You see, when you turn a bar that is a truncated cone you have not used a large enough "cheater" on the chuck wrench. The appropriate size is a 10" crescent wrench. This guy was so sure of himself, it was like Patton headed to Rome. So after his demonstration, I mentioned how late he was going to be getting back to Tennessee. So my 2 year warranty expired that night. Enlightening to say the least.
The 4 Jaw Chunk It Episode
Having some reservation, I erroneously decided a 4 jaw chuck was needed. (all it needed was to have the jaws reground. could have sent it to RayC.) One of the local machine shops here used Rohm chucks and some 20 yrs old. That was enough to convince, so out with the card and one is on the way. Top gear. Then I promulgated Richard King's "headstock to ways" alignment procedure, not easy.
Well, it wasn't. So after 90 days of haggling, Rohm returned my investment. I discovered the chuck
jaw mis-grind after rechecking my "test-bar". That was in 2013. I now own a Bison 4 haw independent; however, the head needs to be realigned and the jaws checked before that process is initiated. THEN THE LATHE HOUSING FAILED. That was in 2014.
