Today’s post falls in the class of “just because he can”…  You know, “just because he can” – you have the skillz; the artistic “gift”.  And my cousin Jim falls in that category.

In today’s featured image you see the trunk lid on the 1940 Ford that Jim is building.  Jim is a bit of an “artiste” and he wanted something unusual, something unique, something “just because he can” on the 40 Ford’s trunk.  How about those trunk hinges?

What we have here are “hands” made from a slab of aluminum.  Carefully machined, filed, trimmed, polished and etched.  No CAD mind you.  Just Jim’s trusted Porterfield milling machine and plenty of filing.  This, my friends, is “old school”…  Add to that the trunk on this 1940 Ford: it is all aluminum made from scratch.

I realize this is not for everyone.  Matter of fact, who would want this, right?  All I can say, is “just because he can”!  Jim told me about the “hands”…

• They are made from a slab of aluminum milled on the Porterfield, the “old-fashioned way”.
• Lots of hand-filing…  A file!  What is that??
• The “hinge” part was the most difficult part; the pin through the three-piece hing took some doing.
• The trunk lid has curvature – it is not flat.  Therefore the entire “hand” has a bit of a curve to it and the pin mentioned before had to be made to fit.
• Check out the fingernails.  Yes, there are fingernails on the tips of each finger!

And here you go…  Each “hand”!  Just because he can…

Happy Independence Day weekend, everyone.