[TR] TR3A Windwings

[terryrs at comcast.net]

Hello, everyone.  

A while back I ordered some TR windwings from Moss, installed them, and within a week had a broken bracket dangling from the wing.  Apparently these brackets, as others responded on the List, are made of a cheap pot metal.  I have to testify this is true.

Disclaimer:  Absolutely no reflection on Moss.  The supplier for this part seems to be universal for our parts houses, again as List members report.  

Anyway, when I called Moss, they gave their usual terrific customer experience (my experience, anyway, both with them and TRF), by sending me not the replacement brackets I'd asked for, but a whole new set of WindWings complete with brackets.

But that still left me with the original problem, poor quality brackets.  ...So, for those of you who are interested, I went to the local hardware store and purchased four 1/2" x 1/2" x 1 1/2" steel machine keys.  These I used as blanks.  With original brackets for a pattern, I cut the key down to 1 1/4" length using Vise Grips as a clamp to hold the key steady on my table saw set up with a metal cutting blade.  Then I cut the slots down the center, taking several slow careful passes.  Last, I drilled the holes for the set screw in the same location, and tapped same for the inset screws I purchased at the saem time I got the machine keys.  Drill all the way through both "legs."

After light sanding for a smooth finish, I painted with Rustoleum primer and Rustoleum Metalic Finish.  Results are impeccable.  They look great and are sturdy enough to crank as hard as you want on the set screw without ever breaking again.  

Hmmm... but now I have an unopened package of windwings to send back to Moss, as soon as I ask them if they'll credit me the postage.

Terry Smith, '59 TR3A (TS 58667)
New Hampshire