Morris Minor Owners Club

Although not original, would it be feasible structurally to replace traveller wood with marine plywood sheets screwed and glued together until thick enough then jigsawed into the correct shapes?

I was just thinking that the 8'x 4' x 1" sheets are pretty cheap and tough for what they are.

well laminated ply or timber is stronger than solid timber any way.
you will not get a very good edge with plywood, unless you make templates and use a top bearing guide cutter in a router or a spindle moulder.


also the waist rail would not be a good idea to do in ply anyway, as example where the glass runners are.
over a few years the edges of the pply lamination may tend to lift if , as normally these edges would not be exposed to the elements, but in the travellers case they would be

Hmm, I take it the glass doesn't run in a metal channel then? As not original anyway, I'd be inclined to do that or make the windows non-opening or even opening in a different way.

I've noticed that the wood seems to be a very expensive part of a traveller restoration and wondered if there was an alternative that would make a restoration more financially viable.

I was thinking hand file to curve the area likely to be splintered by the jigsaw and also to make the edges curvier to stop the varnish or paint rubbing off so easily.

Hello Dp,

I didn't think that marine ply is that cheap, but certainly a lot cheaper than replacement wood. I see no structural drawbacks, probably it will be stronger. I would think that a power sander will take care of any rough edges. To my mind the only drawback will be visual as if you use varnish the frame will evidently be plywood.

Alec

It will look absolutely horrible and the car will be worth far less as a result. Please don't do it! If you're short on cash use 2nds from Travellers timbers (£180 a side). Plus the laminated wood will rot out far quicker that solid timber.

It will also take a huge amount of work to glue and shape the marine ply, far easier to just buy new 2nds or cheap 2nd hand new wood from ebay etc.

Hello John,

marine ply is a very durable material, far better than standard plywood, and also I suspect much more durable than ash.

Alec

But it will take a lot of work to shape and will look awful when done.

Hello John,

I have no argument with that view, as I said on my 07.46 post earlier.

Alec

One of the properties of the original ash is it's slightly flexible so can "absorb" some of the shocks that will be transmitted to it due to road conditions.
Marine ply might produce a more ridid structure but the result could be cracking at the joints due to the lack of elasticity of the wood.

Paul Humphries

Why not try a piece, and see how it looks. A well varnished laminate can look awesome in my humble opinion
John

Yes, Paul is right! Ash has been used in vehicle frames for very good reasons. Possibly the only good alternative might be oak.

Hello all,

an interesting thought, but I suspect that ash was used more for ease of working, availability etc. by the old coach building companies and probably was a tradition from horse drawn days. Every material has its drawbacks and that is where the design comes in. After all wasn't the Mosquito bomber of World war two made of plywood (and Balsa), and without the benefit of modern adhesives?

Alec

Alec wrote:After all wasn't the Mosquito bomber of World war two made of plywood (and Balsa), and without the benefit of modern adhesives?

Alec

My father in law was an aircraft mechanic during WWII and based in Middle East (Libia)
He says they had all sorts of problems with Mosquito's such as warping and delaminating.
He reckons the ones they stripped of the useful parts and were then dragged into the sandunes will still be there if you dig down far enough !
Speaking to an old pilot he confirmed they were a wonderful aircraft but the warping could create interesting flying characteristics.

Paul Humphries

I know it is a bit random but I went htrough a short period of time considering making the frame from aluminium box section. OBVIOUSLY the none quare section pieces like the rear pillars etc would have to be hand fabricated. Polish it up and add a bit of a modern twist to the whole timber issue.
cheers, michael.

aussiemike wrote:I know it is a bit random but I went htrough a short period of time considering making the frame from aluminium box section. OBVIOUSLY the none quare section pieces like the rear pillars etc would have to be hand fabricated. Polish it up and add a bit of a modern twist to the whole timber issue.
cheers, michael.

I rather like that idea.
Alloy is a bit dear at present (a friend had a shock when buying some last week) so what about stainless ?
At least you can weld stainless with MIG instead of TIG that would be needed for alloy.
Brushed, as well as polished, would look neat too

Paul Humphries

I don't have a traveller so it's not an immediate plan, I was just wondering for the future or just generally if it might keep a project viable on a budget.

Hello Paul,

i do some occasional work with stainless steel and it is harder to work than aluminium, more expensive to buy than aluminium and also aluminium can be mig welded.

Alec

Alec wrote:Hello Paul,

i do some occasional work with stainless steel and it is harder to work than aluminium, more expensive to buy than aluminium and also aluminium can be mig welded.

Alec

It was just an idea.
To be honest I prefer working with alloy as I find stainless difficult to cut / drill and haven't much experience of welding it other then a few practice attempts.
At the local metal mechant I was buying a 8'x4' sheet of 16g galv sheet. I spotted a similar sheet of stainless - cost was over £300 compared to under £60 for the galv !
My brother in law is foreman at a large window manufacturing company.
Shall I see if he can get a quote for having Traveller backs made in wood effect UPVC

Paul Humphries

use 2nds from Travellers timbers (£180 a side).

Hi John, Is that a company your refering to there that do second hand Traveller timber ??

Just a thought.
Can Ash be pressure treated ?
A quick read shows pressure treated timber can last up to 10 times as long as untreated timber.
To me, if possible, pressure treated Ash frame then coated with a modern breathable finish should be the ultimate way of preserving a Traveller.

Paul Humphries