[KensRedZed]

Jason,

A few urethane and steel washers were also sent. You'll see them on every car I make. They allow body float.

Trouble is I prefer 4-40 threads, and these are made in 2-56 size. So I add a 2.5mm washer to prevent the urethane washer from slipping through the 4-40 hole.

Here are the parts before the body posts are epoxied inside the body.

   

The posts are screwed directly to the chassis and tested for body height, and adjusted several times until the body sits the way you want. Then the posts are epoxied in place. No washers are used. This makes sure the chassis and brass inserts are perfectly level with each other.

   

Then the washers are added. Steel washer - cup side down to the chassis. Then the urethane washer - also cup side down to the steel washer. This brings the body 0.7mm higher than without the washers. Remember to adjust your body posts 0.7mm lower than the target height when you epoxy them in place. The urethane washers conveniently hold the steel washers and screws in place whenever the body is removed. One might think this was planned? Nope, fluke.

   

Then re-attach the body and the posts should look like this.

   

The body screws should only be snug enough to make the body return to level. It takes a bit of effort, but the body can float quite far to either side and always has self correcting characteristics.

   
   
   

The improvement in handling with urethane washers is like night and day.

[Fluff]

Hi Ken ,the chassis is a work of art ,very nicely made ,way beyond anything I could achieve.

Jason ,I know exactly how you feel about outside in the shed ,my resin casting has stopped for the time being ,everything takes an age to go off ,and they also seem to be more brittle .
Lloyd may be the one to have a chat with as all his bodies slush cast .
Best of luck with it all . 

[BAracer]

I've held back till now as I realise I'm not really qualified to read this thread...

Could someone briefly explain slush casting to me?

[JasonB]

Jason,

A few urethane and steel washers were also sent. You'll see them on every car I make. They allow body float.

Trouble is I prefer 4-40 threads, and these are made in 2-56 size. So I add a 2.5mm washer to prevent the urethane washer from slipping through the 4-40 hole.

Here are the parts before the body posts are epoxied inside the body.



The posts are screwed directly to the chassis and tested for body height, and adjusted several times until the body sits the way you want. Then the posts are epoxied in place. No washers are used. This makes sure the chassis and brass inserts are perfectly level with each other.



Then the washers are added. Steel washer - cup side down to the chassis. Then the urethane washer - also cup side down to the steel washer. This brings the body 0.7mm higher than without the washers. Remember to adjust your body posts 0.7mm lower than the target height when you epoxy them in place. The urethane washers conveniently hold the steel washers and screws in place whenever the body is removed. One might think this was planned? Nope, fluke.



Then re-attach the body and the posts should look like this.



The body screws should only be snug enough to make the body return to level. It takes a bit of effort, but the body can float quite far to either side and always has self correcting characteristics.





The improvement in handling with urethane washers is like night and day.

Looks great Ken, thanks very much.

[JasonB]

I've held back till now as I realise I'm not really qualified to read this thread...

Could someone briefly explain slush casting to me?

Slush casting is when you have just a mould of the outside of a body, and you pour in resin and swirl it around until it sets, to build up the wall thickness.

As opposed to having a two part mould for the inside and outside, which is obviously a more reliable way to define the wall thicknesses, but it's more complicated to make the moulds.

[BAracer]

Ah...it was the mold that was missing from my understanding. Thanks.

[JasonB]

I have just received a wonderful parcel from Canada. Woooohoooo.

As I'm sure you're aware the J-Van body was coachbuilt in France by Monsieur Steadman, but the chassis has now been transported from a distant land nearly 6,000km away, and what a beauty it is.

The photographs you've seen before are a fair representation I suppose, but I promise you Ken's chassis looks a whole lot better in the flesh, and more importantly every part of it is so well engineered.

I think my humble delivery van might well be taking some victories. Yes, the chassis looks that good.

[KensRedZed]

Jason.  I'm glad it made it safely.  Thank you for your kind words. 

Canada Post said delivery Jan 18.  It left Monday night, and got there Thursday?  Wow.  Someone must have borrowed a Star-Trek transporter. 

The new 2021 GordKenJason J-Van! 

[Gordon Steadman]

The body took two weeks to get from France to the UK!

[JasonB]

Yes, amazingly quick delivery. My wife said a parcel had arrived, and I was trying to think what it could possibly be, not even considering that it could be the chassis.

It was only when I saw Canada Post on the package that it dawned on me.