The Ford Barn

Jim Kroeger · 10-21-2014, 11:09 AM

My 1930 Town Sedan sounds like birds in a cage as I drive down the road, especially when I travel over bumps. This noise is coming from the floorboards. I know there is a fabric strip around the edges of these boards to keep them snug and eliminate the heat but boy do they make noise. Does anyone know of a way to eliminate this bird chatter?

Girl with wrench · 10-21-2014, 12:02 PM

Jim - Very funny "bird chatter"

I had the same problem.

Found the guilty floorboards had spots where the cloth tape had chaffed through so the surfaces were wood-to-wood.

I replaced worn tape where needed. Then gave all edges a good brushing to get rid of grit. Finally, dressed the tape with paraffin wax.

To do that: you can find paraffin wax at hardware or grocery store. (Don't use an old candle - that wax is too hard.) Dip a bar of the wax in warm water until just slightly soft, not melted, then rub softened wax along all the taped floorboard edges. You'll need to re-soften the wax a few times as you go.

I had great results and have had no bird chatter for the last two driving seasons. Good luck.

BRENT in 10-uh-C · 10-21-2014, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Kroeger

My 1930 Town Sedan sounds like birds in a cage as I drive down the road, especially when I travel over bumps. This noise is coming from the floorboards. I know there is a fabric strip around the edges of these boards to keep them snug and eliminate the heat but boy do they make noise. Does anyone know of a way to eliminate this bird chatter?

How do they "chatter" if they are screwed down tightly?? Also, is the fabric correctly installed?

Rowdy · 10-21-2014, 12:24 PM

Sounds like possibly you are getting noise from where the mitered edge between the boards come together. Try some friction tape between the floorboards. Rod

Tom Wesenberg · 10-21-2014, 01:07 PM

I was also going to suggest wax. Toilet rings are soft wax. I think they may be beeswax, but I'm not sure.

H. L. Chauvin · 10-21-2014, 01:08 PM

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Never heard of floor boards chirping; but have experience with constructing vibrating wood panels to work in amplifying sound for guitars, violins, base fiddles.

Add cushioning material to the wood panel connections, & all sound transmission is muted.

I had no birds, no rattles, & no squeaks, but I applied about a 1/2" wide continuous strip layer of sound deadening material on top of the metal recess which receives the floor board, (in addition to the perimeter cloth tape), mainly for a tight air infiltration weather-stripping seal after the plywood is securely fastened with bolts.

The birds, "rattle" snakes, squeaking mice, roaches, ants, moths, & the north wind Winter Monster blowing in cold air & engine smells at 50 mph or so really despise this type of tight floor board gasket seal.

BILL WILLIAMSON · 10-21-2014, 04:58 PM

Well, The Dog takes care of the "RATTLE" SNAKES & the MICE, Raid takes care of the rest.
A friend inlaid OLD THICK shag carpet, even clean up the firewall, for the COLD AIR! He laid it OVER the starter button & the throttle & it was a RIOT, watching him "STOMP AROUND" to get going. Another guy fabricated really nice floorboards, from 2 layers of PERGO FLOORING, they looked very classy! Saw a pic of a Coupe, with STAINED GLASS 1/4 windows. Model A's are SUPPOSED to be FUN!
Bill W.

1931 flamingo · 10-21-2014, 05:24 PM

You might ck the body mounting bolts for tightness. FWIW

Paul in CT As stated earlier, are the screws tight?

Doug in NJ · 10-21-2014, 09:38 PM

I used the tarry fabric strip that the vendors sell. I noticed that it was sticky, and stuck enough to the sheet metal and the wood that it could make a squeaking or popping noise. The cure was what others mentioned: work some soft wax into the tape.

Doug

BILL WILLIAMSON · 10-21-2014, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug in NJ

I used the tarry fabric strip that the vendors sell. I noticed that it was sticky, and stuck enough to the sheet metal and the wood that it could make a squeaking or popping noise. The cure was what others mentioned: work some soft wax into the tape.

Doug

Doug,
During my High School days, some of my friends that had old Model A's didn't even have screws in the floorboards! It made it QUICK, for needed repairs or a battery change. Battery theft was quite common!
Seems that no one was disturbed by Model A noises, as long as that dude got you to school & back home again. Auto Shop was a godsend, when you needed to fix problems. BUT, along with all the silliness, we learned a lot of valuable car repair skills. The last semester of our Senior year in Auto Shop, was dedicated to body work/painting & we learned how to do leading & one idiot chopped his top!
Bill W.

Girl with wrench · 10-22-2014, 10:39 AM

Tom Wesenberg, toilet ring wax is an interesting idea, but might it be too soft, even gummy, and make a sticky mess?

BILL WILLIAMSON · 10-22-2014, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Girl with wrench

Tom Wesenberg, toilet ring wax is an interesting idea, but might it be too soft, even gummy, and make a sticky mess?

Be sure to use a NEW one
Bill Plumber

Girl with wrench · 10-22-2014, 11:42 AM

Yeah, Bill! That's an important detail.

10-21-2014, 11:09 AM	#1
Jim Kroeger Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 47	Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? My 1930 Town Sedan sounds like birds in a cage as I drive down the road, especially when I travel over bumps. This noise is coming from the floorboards. I know there is a fabric strip around the edges of these boards to keep them snug and eliminate the heat but boy do they make noise. Does anyone know of a way to eliminate this bird chatter?

10-21-2014, 12:02 PM	#2
Girl with wrench Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 55	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Jim - Very funny "bird chatter" I had the same problem. Found the guilty floorboards had spots where the cloth tape had chaffed through so the surfaces were wood-to-wood. I replaced worn tape where needed. Then gave all edges a good brushing to get rid of grit. Finally, dressed the tape with paraffin wax. To do that: you can find paraffin wax at hardware or grocery store. (Don't use an old candle - that wax is too hard.) Dip a bar of the wax in warm water until just slightly soft, not melted, then rub softened wax along all the taped floorboard edges. You'll need to re-soften the wax a few times as you go. I had great results and have had no bird chatter for the last two driving seasons. Good luck.

10-21-2014, 12:24 PM	#4
Rowdy BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gothenburg Nebraska Just off I-80 Posts: 4,893	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Sounds like possibly you are getting noise from where the mitered edge between the boards come together. Try some friction tape between the floorboards. Rod __________________ Do the RIGHT thing - Support the H.A.M.B. Alliance!!!!

10-21-2014, 01:07 PM	#5
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? I was also going to suggest wax. Toilet rings are soft wax. I think they may be beeswax, but I'm not sure.

10-21-2014, 01:08 PM	#6
H. L. Chauvin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,179	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Never heard of floor boards chirping; but have experience with constructing vibrating wood panels to work in amplifying sound for guitars, violins, base fiddles. Add cushioning material to the wood panel connections, & all sound transmission is muted. I had no birds, no rattles, & no squeaks, but I applied about a 1/2" wide continuous strip layer of sound deadening material on top of the metal recess which receives the floor board, (in addition to the perimeter cloth tape), mainly for a tight air infiltration weather-stripping seal after the plywood is securely fastened with bolts. The birds, "rattle" snakes, squeaking mice, roaches, ants, moths, & the north wind Winter Monster blowing in cold air & engine smells at 50 mph or so really despise this type of tight floor board gasket seal.

10-21-2014, 04:58 PM	#7
BILL WILLIAMSON Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: FRESNO, CA Posts: 12,560	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Well, The Dog takes care of the "RATTLE" SNAKES & the MICE, Raid takes care of the rest. A friend inlaid OLD THICK shag carpet, even clean up the firewall, for the COLD AIR! He laid it OVER the starter button & the throttle & it was a RIOT, watching him "STOMP AROUND" to get going. Another guy fabricated really nice floorboards, from 2 layers of PERGO FLOORING, they looked very classy! Saw a pic of a Coupe, with STAINED GLASS 1/4 windows. Model A's are SUPPOSED to be FUN! Bill W. __________________ "THE ASSISTANT GURU OF STUFF"

10-21-2014, 05:24 PM	#8
1931 flamingo Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: new britain,ct 06052 Posts: 9,393	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? You might ck the body mounting bolts for tightness. FWIW Paul in CT As stated earlier, are the screws tight?

10-21-2014, 09:38 PM	#9
Doug in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Princeton, NJ Posts: 965	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? I used the tarry fabric strip that the vendors sell. I noticed that it was sticky, and stuck enough to the sheet metal and the wood that it could make a squeaking or popping noise. The cure was what others mentioned: work some soft wax into the tape. Doug __________________ My '31 S/W sedan project:http://31ford.dougbraun.com My restoration diary: http://dougbraun.com/blog

10-22-2014, 10:39 AM	#11
Girl with wrench Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 55	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Tom Wesenberg, toilet ring wax is an interesting idea, but might it be too soft, even gummy, and make a sticky mess?

10-22-2014, 11:42 AM	#13
Girl with wrench Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 55	Re: Squeaking Floorboard Remedy? Yeah, Bill! That's an important detail.