so, I have had this bike on my possession since I was 16. It belonged to my fathers youngest brother who was killed in a pLane crash before his 19th birthday and the bike remained in my grandparents basement until it became mine. The bike is very nice and original with exception to a tank full of bad debts that as legend has it happened the day uncle Gary bought it. seems a guy in town pulled out in front of him in a 1949 Pontiac causing him to dump the bike and have these scars evet since. I've been looking for a replacement tank for almost 20 years now with no luck,there are repop said available from India but at almost $600 I thought I would be just as well off learning. How to fix it right,right enough that it can be chromed so no popping em out close and filling them with body filler! Took it to Pugsy's metal meet last year and everyone was sacred to offer any suggestions so home to came and I looked at it again for another year. Last week I said screw it,I can do this! I took it apart at the seam that was actually two layers(lower tank and outer skin) hand welded together,simply ground the lower 1/16" off and separated it, I have been bumping the dents out,Planishing with a low crown anvil and now hand planishing and filing to get where it can be welded back together,tested for leaks then sent to the chromed to get the final shock with the expense of that.. After that gets done,I will bring it home and apply my hand striping and painting skills to get it where it looks right again...
-- Edited by Chris Stapley on Saturday 22nd of August 2015 04:06:07 PM
Here is where I am at today.lots of filing yet to do but the basic shape etc.. Is coming very well! Not all stretched out of shape ,this is the part where I need to decide if I am going to steel weld with the oxy acetylene and hope my skills are what they once were when I used to do this stuff a lot,or if I will hire someone to tig the two sections together again...
Looking good Chris, I would derust that tank and have someone TIG it back together. I have found Evaporust available at CTC works well, but it's expensive.
Watching you get all these projects done makes me wish I was unemployed. (with an income of course)
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Custom CNC plasma cutting. PM me for your custom parts.
Speaking of which, even though he is employed, Lightspeed Mike finds time to do the most amazing flame cutting. The other night we started Dog Spit and the roller rockers were hitting the valve covers. At seven in the evening I show up at Mike's door with a valve cover and a gasket and by the next morning he has patterned into his CNC and cut me two perfect spacers. These are not the first pieces he has made for me. I only bring this up here because you two exemplify true artisans.
As far as de-rusting , I'll run it through my bead blasting cabinet and give it a light dusting,this will make her shine inside like a diamond,the tig is still a sore spot though, I have done enough tig welding to say I've ruined a few tungstens only,lol.. Besides, I don't have one here either, If I get someone else to do it,then I didn't do the whole job, I'm sort of goofy that way.. Wuga, I full agree about Mikey too,this man has done some pretty amazing stuff that a lot of our readers have no idea that he can do or has done already! I need to use his services a little more, I recall the man begging for input on projects for the plasma table and I of coarse have never come back with any great ideas yet... I love my stainless steel shelf brackets that you mad Mike,they just have yet to be used in the right spot yet..
Mike, being unemployed had nothing to do with me getting stuff done, I finally afte 14 years of living here have made my shop useable and have sort of gotten off the lazy train after cancelling the sattelitte dish around Christmas time... Still no income. Though,lol.
-- Edited by Chris Stapley on Sunday 23rd of August 2015 11:08:13 PM
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Buying selling and trading garage toys and big kid stuff.
