Your welcome DW.

MoparX, I just simply hammered finger grips at the most, two times each while using the original wart holes as a centering guide. The trick was controlling my applied pressure to the swing. Sought of like knowing how much pressure to apply to a hand shake. You don't want to menacingly crush the other guys hand nor do you want to be fleetingly soft.
I guess now thinking about it afterwards, I could have easily fabricated a hammer stop sandwiching the ring on both sides to act as a yield.

The steel round bar was some left over piece from a grommet maker I had laying around which is hardened and the hammer was a rubber mallet. I didn't want to crush the wheel ring or I'd be out a cool whopping $16 dollars.LOL.
I have formed quite a few things using found, discarded shaped objects that serve well as a tool.

Here's the wheel as it was taking preliminary shape as far as the two leg cross bridge now replacing the original tripart bridges. I beveled the ends as to make way for more weld material with the ring. Joe welded both on top and underneath to come up with a solid weld.
Here it sits naked next to its stock sibling at just a tad under 15-3/4" round. Also weighing a tad under 2 Lbs.
The images forthcoming will show how the bridge itself started to take solid shape with add on gusset material to mimic the factory bridge and make it super strong.
I have a tidy workbench, don't I?

This was a Mickey Mouse way of finding center for the main shaft, but it worked. Necessity is the Mother of..........

That's a work of art. How much weight did it save?

Thank you.
Just on the wheel itself, saved 3-1/4 lbs.
The horn ring is whole other madness in lard shavings and forming relative to what it weighs which isn't that much. I'll post those when I find 'em.

Here's a close up of one of the side bridge gussets. It does add some rigidity and strength, but it serves more as a visual effect to help mimic the look of an thick injection molded cross bridge. Note how thick the aluminum weld beads are before they get hand filed flush to clean it up and look more eye appealing.

Here's a little tunnel vision to the gussets. Note the drilled injection mold pressure purge hole more or less like the stock wheels.

Here's a rough wheel before going under the file and sand paper.

What a few aggressive and fine files along with grades #100 through #600 sand paper can do with a little patience.

Kick ass man............are you going to paint it?

Already painted and working on the horn ring. Have to get new flicks. The horn ring is the real diamond and a true sculpture in itself. It will be detachable just like the original to expose the center retaining nut for the wheel. Here's an old mock up of the horn ring and wheel looking from underneath.

Cool! Awesome job man.

I remember when you brought the start of what became the horn ring to that meet out on the Island, what, two summers ago? I believe there is actually a pic in this thread from that day. We all looked at you like, "what the heck izzat?"

Nice to finally see it getting completed!

FMJ, that is sick

FYI, something was rattling in my dash, the ignition key stuff was rattling. Boom another 10oz of wasted weight

Looked for that pic,,,,,,found these,,,,,,,,

Hemi-itis, his condition is fully blown, but Sixpackgut, your condition has been fully shown. You have walked off the edge of insanity. LOL.
Do you know that a limited run of lightweight aluminum ignition keys were stamped during the 1963 year. I know for sure because Special (K) showed me a couple of sets that he has in his collection. Hemi-itis, you should get a set.
LOL

Thanks fellas.
Wait till I spring out the door jam strikers in T7075 aluminum.

I have some of the aluminum keys too.

Is 63 when the keys switched over? My 62's have aluminum keys with the Forward Look symbol on them.

IIRC, Special K told me they stopped them in 63'
They are indeed unique cause one can loose them easily because you can't even feel them in your pockets.

Is the engine the same as was described in the magazine article? If so, you could save a ton of weight right there without too much work. Some of it would cost some money, but you're spending a lot of money in other places for a lot less weight savings.

Andy.

Are you referring to internals such as rods, crank, valves, rockers etc.
As far as the block, I never cut off the mounting ears and or machined the excess stuff off, also I'm staying iron all the way especially with the talk of shift and clearance jumps associated with aluminum.
Do you have any pointers?
Admire your approach to built ups over the years.