Modifications requiring engineering works

It all started with a decision to purchase a new boarding plank and after measuring up it was found that it wasn't going to fit the roof furniture, it needed to be wider. This is where I come in.

This is what I did:-

Remove the furniture from the roof sealing the holes with CT1 sealant, and take to my workshop.

Removed from the roof to my workshop.

Start with removing the rubber gasket from the feet using a scraper and a file to get any burrs removed. This will help to seat it flat on the fixture.

Clean and deburr the feet.

Make a fixture using a piece of mild steel. Drill and tap four holes M8 through the steel and attach the furniture using four M8 cap head screws.

Drill...

...and tap M8 through.

This ensures hole centres remain the same after extending the upper part.

I later changed the countersunk screws for cap heads to provide a little flexibility.

Next I milled the spacer blocks I'm going to use to extend the framework.

Mill this end to clean and mill the rebate, then mill opposite end to length and rebate.
(For the eagle eyed, I did square them up in the vice before machining).

  Cut the feet off with a hacksaw leaving them attached to the fixture, and then cut the remaining part in half.

There's no going back now!

Mounting upside down in the machine vice, mill the cut face to clean and then mill a rebate to match the block. Then do the same on the other half.

Machine a rebate to match the block.

This is how it should fit together:-

It's ready for soldering.

 Set it up in a make-shift fixture for soldering:-

Silver soldering the joints.

The metal is so big it acts as a heatsink so butane/propane wasn't going to be hot enough. Enter MAPP gas. If you don't know, Google it.

First two joints made.

Another make-shift fixture required to solder the top bar to the feet whilst the feet are held in the spacing fixture.

L/H joint completed.

 

R/H joint completed.

And here it is, just needs a bit more cleaning and polishing and a coat of lacquer.

The (nearly) finished item. 

 Now I have to do it all over again for the other one. 😉