My name's Scott and I have a problem
- Thread starter scott_jangers
- Start date
scott_jangers
Active Member
yorkie350 - Thanks, and you're so right. I made the decision early on that I would buy a welder and learn, instead of pay someone else to do it. Again, this may prove to be another unwise decision, but I was giggling uncontrollably when I first got it arcing. I haven't blinded or burnt myself yet and my welds are slowly improving. I'm currently working on a weld bead beer matt.
emptyHead You sir, are a true gent.
emptyHead You sir, are a true gent.
scott_jangers
Active Member
It's Halloween weekend and Mrs Jangers has taken the kids to her folks for the weekend for a family shindig, which allowed me the privilege of having tonight all to myself. Obviously any normal guy would've made some arrangements to hook up with his mates and taken advantage of the many parties happening around town. Me...? No. I put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and spent the evening welding the rear loop onto the frame.
The ID of the frame and the loop were different, the frame being 15mm and the loop 18mm. I used two pieces of tubing, one which I cut lengthways and bent in the vice to reduce the diameter. I welded them together and tapped them into the loop.
I clamped the loop and tacked it and then went back inside the house for another cup of tea and some much needed chocolate biscuits. It was tricky welding the frame. You can only weld a short amount before your wrist has to turn quite sharply and your head can't see the front of the puddle. I found it was easier to weld a small bead on each side, move the frame, lay another small bead, move the frame again, and so on until I had found my way back to the start again.
After checking that that the neighbours were still out on the town enjoying themselves, I powered up the grinder and cleaned up the joints. I'm pretty happy with the results considering it's my first time using the welder on anything but scraps.
It's been a massive learning curve, from buying an abused welder, fixing and servicing it, practising my first welds, developing my techniques on bits of scrap to then actually fabricating something successfully. There's a real satisfaction in completing a task from start to finish. There's also a better appreciation of a nice cold bottle of beer after the job is finished. In fact, I'd quite happily say that this bottle of beer tastes much better than any pint I could've had at any bar tonight.
The ID of the frame and the loop were different, the frame being 15mm and the loop 18mm. I used two pieces of tubing, one which I cut lengthways and bent in the vice to reduce the diameter. I welded them together and tapped them into the loop.
I clamped the loop and tacked it and then went back inside the house for another cup of tea and some much needed chocolate biscuits. It was tricky welding the frame. You can only weld a short amount before your wrist has to turn quite sharply and your head can't see the front of the puddle. I found it was easier to weld a small bead on each side, move the frame, lay another small bead, move the frame again, and so on until I had found my way back to the start again.
After checking that that the neighbours were still out on the town enjoying themselves, I powered up the grinder and cleaned up the joints. I'm pretty happy with the results considering it's my first time using the welder on anything but scraps.
It's been a massive learning curve, from buying an abused welder, fixing and servicing it, practising my first welds, developing my techniques on bits of scrap to then actually fabricating something successfully. There's a real satisfaction in completing a task from start to finish. There's also a better appreciation of a nice cold bottle of beer after the job is finished. In fact, I'd quite happily say that this bottle of beer tastes much better than any pint I could've had at any bar tonight.
scott_jangers
Active Member
Thanks hurco550. I once calculated how many hours of my life I had spent watching TV and I remember it was very scary that I had nothing to show for it.
scott_jangers
Active Member
I have recently enforced a new regime in our household, which now consists of a timetable of available free time and a rationing of TV. With a ban on channel surfing and blocks of free time allocated to each of us. Yes, I may have made a horrible (or good depending on your inclination) totaliterian dictator of a small communist state, but actually it appears to be productive. S**t's getting done my friends, so the means justifies the ends.
Anyway, in the provisional plan I get Monday mornings and Tuesday evening and this week I managed to get some work done on the rear mudguard. The plan is to use the bike as much as possible, regardless of the realistic possibility of it raining for half of the year, so mudguards are not optional, they're a must.
I junked the original bits of plastic Mr Honda had deemed acceptable and bought an 18" universal chrome jobby off the internet to cut up. I made a little jig for marking a curve with a Sharpie that ran perpendicular with the upper curve of the mudguard and then sparked up the grinder.
The process was fairly straightforward - cut close to the line, grind up to the mark, work out the uneven edges with a flap disc and then sand the edge round by hand. I finished one side first, then traced it on some card and used that as guide for the opposite side.
I'm going to use the bike as a commuter to work and, due to the fact that me and the Missus run our own business, she has expressed her desire to hang off the back of me (only when the weather's pleasant I'd wager), so I've pushed the rear loop as far back as the stock seat. Ideally, I would've preferred it being closer to the tank but hey, sharing is caring. The repercussion of which is that the end of the loop, seat and mudguard are past the rear hub and almost at the rear of the tyre. It should line up with the exhaust though, so I'm imagining that it will still make sense when everything's bolted back on.
Next week, welding the mounts for it and then I can see what room I have for a battery box. Long live the regime!
Anyway, in the provisional plan I get Monday mornings and Tuesday evening and this week I managed to get some work done on the rear mudguard. The plan is to use the bike as much as possible, regardless of the realistic possibility of it raining for half of the year, so mudguards are not optional, they're a must.
I junked the original bits of plastic Mr Honda had deemed acceptable and bought an 18" universal chrome jobby off the internet to cut up. I made a little jig for marking a curve with a Sharpie that ran perpendicular with the upper curve of the mudguard and then sparked up the grinder.
The process was fairly straightforward - cut close to the line, grind up to the mark, work out the uneven edges with a flap disc and then sand the edge round by hand. I finished one side first, then traced it on some card and used that as guide for the opposite side.
I'm going to use the bike as a commuter to work and, due to the fact that me and the Missus run our own business, she has expressed her desire to hang off the back of me (only when the weather's pleasant I'd wager), so I've pushed the rear loop as far back as the stock seat. Ideally, I would've preferred it being closer to the tank but hey, sharing is caring. The repercussion of which is that the end of the loop, seat and mudguard are past the rear hub and almost at the rear of the tyre. It should line up with the exhaust though, so I'm imagining that it will still make sense when everything's bolted back on.
Next week, welding the mounts for it and then I can see what room I have for a battery box. Long live the regime!
iatethepeach
Coast to Coast
There's nothing like a good totalitarian dictatorship when it comes to getting things done (especially one that's pro motorbike).
I like that Sharpie jig.
I like that Sharpie jig.
scott_jangers
Active Member
Thanks iatethepeach. It is a pretty cool jig. I still have the blueprints and a few spare components lying around. I could easily make a couple more if there was enough interest. I'm sure with a little modification I could make different models for other purposes, say bobbing CB750 front fenders?
scott_jangers
Active Member
Finally said goodbye to 2015. Thought it'd never end.
Heres the story so far for January 2016...
Made a battery box.
Made mounts for the rear indicators.
The next item on the agenda is making a seat base out of fibreglass so I can work out where to add any mounting points, if necessary.
P.S. - Apologies for the lateness of this update
Heres the story so far for January 2016...
Made a battery box.
Made mounts for the rear indicators.
The next item on the agenda is making a seat base out of fibreglass so I can work out where to add any mounting points, if necessary.
P.S. - Apologies for the lateness of this update
scott_jangers
Active Member
Thanks Hurco. I have been busy. Got distracted by building my own vacuum forming machine to build a battery box out of plastic... but failed miserably.
scott_jangers
Active Member
DohcBikes said:
I'd been wondering the same thing. It's at the same height as the stock fender and I ratchet strapped the rear down one side at a time to see how low I could get it and it didn't reach.
What would you suggest? I could raise the mounting points and then fibreglass over it to make a domed seat base?
scott_jangers
Active Member
scott_jangers said:
I take that back. I dug out an old photo of the stock fender and it's clearly higher.
I'll get the angle grinder out then....
DohcBikes
Fuck You.
You need to get the plasic way hotter, and when you are forming parts with square corners you need to prestretch it as well. Sorry but i'm investing real time and money into this process so i'm not going to tell you how.scott_jangers said:Thanks Hurco. I have been busy. Got distracted by building my own vacuum forming machine to build a battery box out of plastic... but failed miserably.
It takes a more complicated setup than you have there. Cool to see others trying this.
scott_jangers
Active Member
I did try and get it hotter but ended up melting it over the missus lasagne dish...
You're all good. I have realised DIY vacuum forming is not for me.
You're all good. I have realised DIY vacuum forming is not for me.
scott_jangers
Active Member
DohcBikes said:
Luckily it cleaned off pretty easily, but the acrid smell of fried polystyrene that stayed in the kitchen for the next day didn't go down so well.
Thanks for the nudge in the right direction.
If the table in your vacuum box doesn't have enough holes and if it doesn't seal really well, you won't get enough vacuum to get a good image, especially with sharp edges. If you're trying to use a shop vac, sometimes one isn't enough. A really good vacuum makes a difference.
