Dash Box developments...

Right, interesting developments and a couple of follow-ups. The latter first, I think...

As promised, here are the links to those two items I mentioned yesterday.

The red phone mount from the previous posting:
Ulanzi ST-03 Metal Smart phone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount for Microp... https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D4D3XND/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_6.1QCbW99F6GZ

Double ball joint armature from the previous posting:
Zhiyou Mini Magic Arm Friction Articulated Ballhead Arm for Monitors Led Li... https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077HR66X5/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_..1QCbX2EJM66

In conjunction with todays developments, this could get really rather interesting - and handy, to boot.

Today, I was woken, five hours earlier than I wanted to (today's a work day), by the postman. He delivered five Meccano parts from a specialist Meccano parts supplier here in England, imaginatively called "Meccano Spares". These guys are incredible: I ordered on Saturday, expecting maybe to get the bits later this week. They arrived today!

The four yellow plates are p/n 53a "Flat Plate 9x5 UK Yellow Original".

The aluminium doudle edged U bracket is p/n 1019 "Channel Girder 19 hole 1x3x1 Zinc"

The yellow plates are to provide a large surface with which to bolt the underside of the box to the dashboard panelling; the idea is to use these inside the box to spread the load under tension, preventing the box from breaking (it's a plastic case) under the stress of the bolts pulling it against (or certainly towards) the dash top surface. Two of these plates will go in the case. The other two, if needed, will be used underneath the dash, to do the same for the dashboard material (also, to prevent the vents that I'll be threading the bolts through, from being pulled out by mistake!).

Now, the girder came as a tad of a surprise - I thought it would be shorter between the upright 'arms'. In this case, it measures roughly 14mm x 40mm x 240mm. I got my sums wrong, it seems, when I calculated the measurements from the description on the website. Now, it might seem that I'm complaining: Far from it - this size opens out a couple of unexpected options for me.


The idea of the girder was to raise the front of the dash box and get it relatively horizontal, given the dash curves down front to back from the windscreen. I currently have my Amateur Radio control head mounted on the top of the dash console (the only bit of hard surface on the dash, the rest of it being that weird spongy surface that's an utter sod to work on, as can be seen in this photo.

The odd black coloured thing behind the radio head is my temporary phone mount, which slides all over the shop, as it can't get a good grip on the dash (one of the reasons for this project).

I'm now thinking of using the girder not only to fix the front of the Dash Box in place (screwing both edge strips down, one side to the base of the box, the other to the strip of console where the control head currently sits). I'll then, I think, be able to mount both the control head bracket, and the new angle phone bracket (see previous post), to the front of the girder.
This will give me all the space I need on the front panel of the instrument case that will become the Dash Box, for such things as stitches and accessory power sockets (and a car battery voltage monitor), future proofing myself for when I get a front winch and the associated lighting that will be installed at the same time as the winch.

Now, this all hinges on the new height of the front of the dash box (as propped up by the Meccano girder) not obscuring my view to the front of the car. More testing is required, but that won't happen today, as it's a work day.

More to follow, obviously...!