$50 mod thread

[tWistedWheelz]

I posted this in the 1-800-CAFE-HELP section, but I guess it quilifies as a $50 mod as well. So here it is.....

Home made baffles....

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=11248.0

 

[my94f2]

hmm that led light thing gives me an interesting idea.. It started as an aftermarket thing for bimmers (cars), but eventually bmw actually adopted the styling putting "angel eyes" on cars from the factory. They look like halos around the circumference of the light housing. Im pretty sure when I get around to cafe'ing a bmw Im going to give this a go as I think it would be a cool update.

some pics

(note, these are not cheap (probably a few hundred just for the angel eyes) so this is not a $50 mod!, just an idea that popped into my head after checking out jrk's led head light post.)


edit: actually after looking around it seems that you can get kits for pretty cheap, but I dont know the quality. I might end up giving this a shot on my current build though.. Ill update if I do.

you can make angel eyes for less than $20. i used clear mini blind rod. make sure to use the solid kind. got the diameter and heated the rod up with a heat gun and wrapped around it. then took my dremel with a cut off wheel and put grooves in it so the light transfers. put an led in both ends and wired it up.
http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/~satoshi/mod152en.html

 

[tWistedWheelz]

+1 on the home made angel eyes! WOW

 

[Blake]

$2 license plate sidemount:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=11246.0

 

[JRK5892]

I used that same angel bracket on my wifes liscense plate but i added a trailer stop/brake light to it that i bent some alum to hold... took no time at all and she has a custom side mount brake lite set up on her scoot... I LOVE THE HALO EYES MOD!!!

 

[Swagger]

Strong and light 'glass/CF parts without an autoclave.

There are a few kats in our community that may want ot whack me with a stick over this but really....most of this is for DIY guys anyway...

Everyone is looking for a nice seat, headlight cowl, etc etc etc.....made of fiber glass or CF.
It's pretty easy (if messy) to do it yourself, but generally without some fairly high end process tooling your piece is going to be fairly heavy once done. As well, if you're working from the inside out, there's a shit-ton of filing/sanding/ swearing, bondo filling, cheese grating, most sanding...a lot more swearing etc etc et all, to get it smooth and clean. What a pain.....

I just thought of a way to make nice pieces without an autoclave. Tried it last night, seems to work well.

Make a 'master' of the shape you want. Plaster works well and can be primered and waxed to a very smooth surface. Once there a female mold can be taken from the nifty male blank.
(Don'tcha love the whole male/female dichotomy when it comes to things like this?)
Build up the outside of the mold and resin it into a box or add some 'legs' or other structure so it'll lay on the bench with it's opening (I'm going to hell huh?) facing up, needs to be solid and stable.

Coat your new feminine mold with release so it'll be slippery, slop in a few layers of glass mat/chop...whatever your preferred combo is...

here's the cool part......
use a black garbage bag (thin and cheap is best), cut it up to make a sheet.
Lay that into the mold and then fill the entire thing with **warm** sand. I only fooled around with a small box shape I had on hand but it was shockingly easy and the end result is really uniform, light and really strong. No air voids, no really thick parts etc. I'm pretty stocked at how easy it was and how nice the piece came out. I'm going to make some larger bits for a bike this weekend but I have no doubt that they'll come out really well. Give it a shot.......


**was pointed out to me that HOT sand would melt the garbage bag. That's bad. I warmed the sand I had in the oven at 300* for 1/2 hour, the working temp by the time I got it out to the garage and ready to pour was probably closer to 110*-120*

 

[msimm43]

Easy polish for Chrome and Aluminum.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Polishing,-Mythbusters-Style/

My Brother sent me this link today. I have yet to see the results in person, but I am going to try it out soon.

 

[tWistedWheelz]

msimm,
Be wary of this method, I have not done this before myself, but IMO this may cause surface scratching from the foil itself, then you will be back to polishing the old fashioned way anyway!

 

[Swagger]

msimm,
Be wary of this method, I have not done this before myself, but IMO this may cause surface scratching from the foil itself, then you will be back to polishing the old fashioned way anyway!

Not a problem. Chrome is very hard, something like rockwell 56 (?) and aluminum foil is nowhere near that, it's probably too soft to measure on the rockwell scale. Anything you see left on the surface will be deposited aluminum and only if your work piece is really really rough.

Coke and a foil ball is a decent method for freshening up chrome stuff that's getting a little flat looking. If you're dealing with big pits of flaking plate then you have larger issues to worry about.

So....go to it.

 

[tWistedWheelz]

Swagger:
Cool, good to know! But aluminium was also mentioned in there, would the same be true for that application?

 

[Swagger]

I just skimmed that 'ible and didn't see aluminum mentioned other than the foil.
I don't think I'd use this method on aluminum. It's by nature a soft metal, even 7xxx series is pretty easily scarred. As well, aluminum has a nasty habit of galling and pressure welding when two pieces are rubbed together. I could imagine that you could possibly actually create extra roughness by depositing and galling/pressure welding the deposit right to the surface.
I see it now and again where two pieces of scrap aluminum in the bin will contact or rub against each other with enough force to create all manner of ugly lump shite. Just a heads up...

You're best served to polish aluminum the old fashioned way. Sand any rough bits down, starting around 320 grit and working up to 1500 or so, then start with a light cutting compound, follow up with jewelers rouge and finish it with a good wax buff.

Flitz makes an interesting polishing ball thingie that's for use in a power drill etc. Sold primarily to car guys for wheels and such but could be used on other parts. I hesitate to call it polishing as it just kinda smooths over the imperfections in the surface without actually removing them, it does a credible job brightening aluminum surfaces up pretty well. Most will see it and think..."wow nice polish" so...it's up to you how much you care about it.

 

[Wee Todd]

Can you's take one of thems Halos and stick rights on tops of your heed (with a power soorce),,,,,,,,,JJJJJJJEEEEEZZZZ I'd bee in mass every friday night with the vicker winking at me,,,ands I'm sure heed have other toughts,,, just a nodder tought...could installs them in a outdoar shitter,,,just below the lid......dump visions,,,,,,,

 

[Staffy]

...could installs them in a outdoar shitter,,,just below the lid......dump visions,,,,,,,

Hahahahaha!!!!!

 

[Wee Todd]

and you figured it out Staffy .....I could thinks of other places to put thems tings,, :

 

[Staffy]

I thinks my wifey might like it when the lights off at night if you know what i mean

 

[Swagger]

Hey Mods, can we get the garbage cleaned outta this thread?

 

[Wee Todd]

Whats mods are yous pissed at..staffy's and me's were tinking about allluminatings the under side of the cape breton and or newfie hunting camp shitter,,,,,,,,other than screech and dat tekillyas stuff......what in christs!! what would these glow goodies,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be good for?????????????.........somebody on the mainland would mount;s thems on a velocipede,,or a step off scooters.....thay comes with lights on the front and bachs?????????? buy flouresants or kneeons,,,,or just duck tape a flash lite under its.....who would monts this to any bike I can'ts understans

 

[hillsy]

Whats mods are yous pissed at..staffy's and me's were tinking about allluminatings the under side of the cape breton and or newfie hunting camp shitter,,,,,,,,other than screech and dat tekillyas stuff......what in christs!! what would these glow goodies,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be good for?????????????.........somebody on the mainland would mount;s thems on a velocipede,,or a step off scooters.....thay comes with lights on the front and bachs?????????? buy flouresants or kneeons,,,,or just duck tape a flash lite under its.....who would monts this to any bike I can'ts understans

Dude - what the hell are you smokin??

Pass it this way, whatever it is..... ;D

 

[Swagger]

Whats mods are yous pissed at..staffy's and me's were tinking about allluminatings the under side of the cape breton and or newfie hunting camp shitter,,,,,,,,other than screech and dat tekillyas stuff......what in christs!! what would these glow goodies,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be good for?????????????.........somebody on the mainland would mount;s thems on a velocipede,,or a step off scooters.....thay comes with lights on the front and bachs?????????? buy flouresants or kneeons,,,,or just duck tape a flash lite under its.....who would monts this to any bike I can'ts understans

Wow....I rest my case.

 

[Wee Todd]

stop programming for a minute .......find the humour..........umm not smokin a damn thing,,,,,,,,,but,,,,could fall off the wagon,,,,some time soon,,,,,,or laters :