El Frazoo posted:As to the milling machine, a half decent drill press and properly applied C-clamp might also work. There are many things I could accomplish with unlimited money and space.
It would work in a pinch but say good bye to the arbor -shaft bearings as they weren't designed to take a lateral load .
Regarding holsesaw wobble:
If you're having trouble, drill the pilot hole first (without the holsesaw on the arbor). Put the holesaw on the arbor, and spin the drill backwards. Once you've made it through the gelcoat and into the glass about 1/8" or so, reverse the drill to run forward. DON'T PUSH ON THE DRILL very much at all-- let the bit do the work. you'll get a little breakout on the back, but you won't chew up the front surface, and the saw won't "walk".
El Frazoo posted:Oh, dem fu#!ing hole saws. Ask Drake about those . . .
There has to be a better way.
There is. Regarding my good friend Cory's toy holesaw-- the holes he drilled look like a beaver chewed them because he bought the world's cheapest holesaw with a single knife orbiting the pilot like a sputnik satellite. The ones on Ed's bench are Lennox, which are pretty close to the best in the business. Morse is OK, and I've used some diamond-impregnated bits for drilling ceramic/porcelain tile, but that's not the appropriate tool for the job. Getting the right tool for the job is the key to doing a good job.
I still have a set of babbit bearing scrapers and some shim packs. I use one of them as a de-burring tool....Repurposing ?.............Bruce
Stan, we tried to tell him, but he doesn't listen with those ears on his head....
When I was down there, he tried to get me to drill a hole in his diamond plate floor with a cheasy harbor-freight-looking corded drill and some cheap hole saws that might work once, in thin wood. I declined.
fwiw, @Stan Galat, the 4-inch saw seems to be ovaled slightly. It's not "walking." And my issue so far is getting clean and accurate holes in this 24(ish) gauge aluminum sheet, not the 'glass. Still, good tips. Hole saws require more finesse than I at first realized.
The way forward, I think, is for me abandon the scrap pile and crack the wallet for some thin aluminum plate, as the job requires.
Sounds good, Ed. The gauge panel I have is a little thicker than what you are trying to use in your pics. I believe it's also laser cut. I know Greg has them(and they really aren't that expensive: $75?), but the holes may need to be enlarged if you're using original diameter gauges.
Ed, that fuel filler is one of the few things on my new car that I wish were different. Looks great!
I hear you on the "ovaled" holesaw. It's likely round, but with the arbor hole slightly off-center. If that's the case, take it back to where you bought it, and get an exchange. As you said, they aren't cheap tools.
BTW: I'm loving the progress reports. Good job, sir.
I had one that wobbled, turned out to be an undersized bit and when the Allen screw was tightened against it , the bit would be slightly off center.
Paging Dr. Clock!
Oh, that's funny.
Alan. We were posting at the same time. I actually found the undersized bit one earlier. This one I'm using the same arbor for all three holes. The best-looking 4-inch saw wobbles just a bit. Fortunately there's another 4-incher in the box that spins truer.
Yeah, I thought that was pretty neat - equal heat for both pilot and co-pilot and adjustable, too! I suppose you could use it as a resin speeder-upper, too....Jus' sayin'.
Very thoughtful, Ed!
Ed: I had a set of hole saws from Lowe's/Kobalt that had that off-center arbor, too. took them back and complained mightily to the store manager of the day about how much time they wasted me and he gave me an equivalent exchange set of Rigid saws (which go for more $$$). Those are great. Usually I'm cheap-ish on tools, but all of those I paid dearly for are still with me.
I have found that hole saw wobble can be significantly reduced by drilling the pilot hole first and separately. Then installing a piece of 1/4 inch drill rod (or almost any plain steel 1/4" steel rod) in the hole saw. There are chip removal flutes that are on a regular hole saw pilot bit. Those chip removal flutes are what cuts the pilot hole larger as you are drilling due to side thrust. There's a lot of that on a large hole saw ! Even then, I think you still get a crude, rough hole, so I always go one size smaller and finish with a half round fine file or a cylindrical drum sander. Especially when the finished product is a show piece. I have pretty much found that hole saws always give you a larger hole that what the size is that's stamped on it ..............Bruce
Thanks, Bruce, and Gordon. I do pre-drill the pilot holes. But the idea of using a piece of smooth rod in the saw hadn't occurred. Good thinking.
As for taking it back.... well, it was one of Alan's, part of a box of used tools and stuff I paid not so much money for. So I don't think I'll be hollering at him too loud.
Bruce: Exactly!
A few years ago, I made a pinion nut wrench for rebuilding my transmission. It is like a sprocket, it has 16 teeth and 16 low spots the same width as the teeth. Inside diameter was metric, but close to 1 7/8". I cut the tool by drilling 16 holes in a circle(homemade circle jig), then cutting out the center with a 1 3/4" bit, as the wobble makes a bigger hole. Ended up hand filing the teeth to get it to fit, after lathing the inside diameter to the correct size.
whelp,
Definitely a little tighter fit than the original, but the very best I can do with the materials and tools at hand. I don't think too many passers-by will point and laugh.
Also, 
Ed, if you had not told me, how would I know? A millimeter here, a millimeter there, who's going to get all over that?? Looks like a good job to me. As to hole saws, there are hole saws and then there are bi-metal hole saws, so I learned just the other day. Bi-metal teeth seem to work much better. Also, using a new one is the ticket too. Had to drill a 4-1/8 in. hole through a double 2x10 band plate to vent a dryer. Use new saw, drill pilot first, go slow. Let the tool do the work. All will be good.
"Oil filled heating system"?? AKA "an engine"? There is so much gee-whiz stuff going into this build, its hard to keep track.
@El Frazoo scroll back and check out the free standing radiator ( under dash) Ed stole from his Grandmother's house.
More rivets. The interior aluminum is now done. Also dry-fit the pedals one last time to make sure it all fits. Propped up the Empi gas pedal as a possible dead pedal but I don't think so. The dipper switch works good.
All the bulkhead-to-frame tube plates are done now, including those in the footwells. Rivets on rivets, but they look cool. Unlike that Empi gas pedal/footrest.
Yesterday I spent time fiddling with the fuel filler.
Sits a little low so I shimmed up the whole tank. But I didn't like that so I made a 3/16th steel flange for my buddy to weld to the top of the tank over the sheet metal he spent a lot of time welding earlier.
Also test fit the headlight buckets. I'll be damned! They fit nice. 
Ordered some H4 halogens to fit in them.
Also today I got my rear latch cover plates:
One I locate those I'll be all-but-done with the drilling of the holes on this car. After these it's down to the license light, switches and emblems.
Speaking of switches...
This is next. The car's pre-wired but two of those already-wired switches are marked "lights." An adventure, this is.
Please..... No EMPI dead pedal. 
Empi dead pedals
Why don't you try one of my folding foot pegs ? It's out of the way when not needed.
I'll sort out the dead pedal later, guys. Thanks.
A dead pedal that is fabbed up by you to match what you already have is the only way to fly.
Car is looking good. Coming together nicely.
I totally agree with Gandalf. Home Brew something cool.
Bruce, that's a very clever design. Simple and totally does the job.
I see Ed doing something more in the "Steam Punk" vein - Something that will take, surprisingly, HOURS to complete. Kind of like my hand-tooled, polished Stainless Steel, driving light brackets that took about a day each:
Didn't work on her the last couple days. Power outage Friday afternoon lasted until noon today, and had to do some maintenance on the wife's DD.
Did get the fuel tank back to the welder with instructions on how to get the flange on it. Also roughed-in those rear latch covers.
Guys, I'm looking for the door striker bolts now. I don't seem to have any in my boxes of parts & still not exactly sure where the correct part is from. Seems to be a single bolt, about 1/2-inch thick, with washer. Any help appreciated.
Trying to make proper clam stay now.
Gonna do it again tomorrow out of pressboard and make the frame side mount for it too, then adjust before doing it in aluminum. If there's any interest, I may produce a scale drawing of these parts as well when I'm done.
I also knocked-out the brake cooling ducts today because, well, why not?
Somebody asked me a while back what-all my spare-tire carrier frame weighs. The answer is 8 pounds, three ounces. With fasteners we'll call it eight-and-a-half.
And that includes the bracket for the clam stand-off.
@edsnova Very cool! Thanks for sharing all these progress pics, Ed! Very informative. 
edsnova....Very good pattern and prototyping ! I appreciate the time you are taking to photo your projects and progress. Makes for interesting reading and looking at the details.....Bruce
I'll be filing today in the hope that this first try will actually work. So far it looks good.
If it does work I'll trace everything onto paper and include measurements so future builders can just cut them out or, better yet, have someone do it for them on a waterjet.
Wow! That is amazing craftsmanship!!
Drawing's available to SOC members.
Drawing's what? 
Drawings of the rear clamshell holder-opener-thingy. Not applicable to you Speedster peeps.
