How to make a Rover rotator

[Barten]

I got a new mig welder (Kemppi 180 adaptive) for my 50th birthday. Great gift and it inspired me to do some serous welding. I met an old car friend when i was out shopping for some trolly wheels. He offered me free galvanized steel rods (4x4 cm, about 2 mm thick) and 2,40 m long. I wanted to make a rotator, found some pictures on the internet and set to work. Took some 15 - 20 hours I reckon, but it is a very practical tool, and allows me to trolley the car aroud in the workshop, making room for another old car when I'm not working on the Rover. The welder works very well, and is easy to control. I use 20/80% Co2/Argon shield gas. It is possible to use the welder on Aluminium too, but that requires pure Argon gas.

regards, Barten

Here are the pictures:

 

[v8guy]

Hi Barton,

That looks really good, nothing like a home made piece of equipment

 

[unstable load]

Nicely done!

 

[GrimV8]

Looks great but that workshop needs some oil spillage and some aerosols testing on the wall in strange patterns alongside some girlie calenders

 

[webmaster]

You can't even see the P6 in my garage, never mind the girlie calendars

 

[JVY]

Good job Barten. I assume that working outside in Norway during winter months is not an option. So having a nice big workshop and keeping everything inside is kind of essential.

In terms of your "rotator", am I right in understanding that you can lift the car high enough to fully rotate the the car so that it is underside up? Was it just the standard bumper mounts that you used to attach the car to your rotator? I guess this might be even more useful than a ramp for certain applications?

 

[Barten]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. It is good to have a varm garage to work in now that the autumn storms has set in. And I do have at least one old calender with a girl on, posing with a white Volvo 544. Hot!
I have tried successfully to turn the car upside down. It works well and I am able to turn it myself by hand. Using the bumper iron bolts ensure the car is well balanced, but if I want to leave it at 45 or 90 degrees, then I must support it well. I also support it with axle stands when I work inside it. Don't want to risk anything.
I see the rotators one can buy come with a jack on each side. That would be good, but it seems hard to find long ram jacks for sale, compared to all the cheap £10 jacks available with only 4" stroke. The one I use here lifts about 20".

 

[mrtask]

Ooh, lovely, I wish I had one of those, soooo much easier removing old underseal with the car rotated for much easier access. Looking at the engine bay in the first photo, are you fitting the Australian chassis stiffening plates?

 

[restojon]

Nicely done, nothing like a bit of satisfying home building.

A note of Caution, if you are welding Galvanised metal of any sort you should use some sort of Breathing Apparatus or extraction, it gives off toxic fumes which will give you a bad case of "Galv Flu" or Zinc poisoning. Read this below:

http://www.ukwelder.com/forum/lofiversi ... t5034.html

Not only can it make you as sick as a dog it contaminates the weld and weakens it, so if you don't get sick the car may fall on your head. I don't fancy either of those things personally. I'm genuinely sorry for being the "bad news guy" here but we all must stay safe in our hobby.

Stay Safe,
Jon.

 

[quattro]

They are soooooooooooo useful, I certainly couldn't have done what I did to Sparky without one.

I bet it's even better with those wheels :shock:

Nice one

Richard

 

[Barten]

To mrTask; Yes, I have welded on the Aussie kit, and will have to redo the engine room paint job! Òne other modification I have done is to make the bonnet slam panel removable. My original slam panel was in a bad state, and I got hold of a good one that was cut off a donor car. I carefully removed the spot welds and modified it so I fasten it with 6 bolts. Should be very difficult to spot when it is all painted, and it will make engine-out operations much much simpler.

RestoJon : Yes, I know galvanized steel shouldn't be welded, so I grinded off where I planned to weld first, secondly I was doing all the welding in the garage door opening with fresh air all around. I didn't know how dangerous the fumes are, so thanks for that. Didnt't feel anything special during the job, so hopefully I got away with it!

Quattro : Reading your thread was a great inspiration. Of course I should have made this rotator many years ago when I actually did the welding on the sills etc, it was a nightmare to weld from underneath. Now it will ease paint and underseal application, and also installation of suspension, brakes fules system etc. The wheels make it very flexible to use the space smart, and the rod between front and rear stiffens up the whole assembly a lot. I was also thinking I can wheel out the whole car and paint it outside if weather conditions are favorable.
Also, I have to other P6's that requires attention after this one is finished.

 

[DesmoDuke]

Hi I made my own tilter from some channel iron I got free from work and some box section and 2 trolly jacks I already had so it only took seconds to elevate and turn with a handle and cog mechanism the cog is a auto starter ring and bendix it made my life very easy when doing the welding and spraying.
Regards Ray.

 

[Keith Coman]

Well done Barten - I'm envious!! \

100% on making the bonnet slam panel removable. I did this on my TC and it makes engine removal a piece of cake. This work around was a common practice in the 1950's when monocoque body shells hit the streets and caused problems trying to get engines out and in against the clock.