Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Page 6 of 32 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ... LastLast
Results 51 to 60 of 314

Thread: 1974 XS/TX650 rebuild

  1. #51
    Supporting Member th62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 503 Times in 168 Posts

    th62's Tools
    Here's how they were made. i started with two strips of 3mm ally, 50mm x 230mm. worked out PI for 34mm fork legs and did two 90 degree bends Pi apart. I used a bit of angle iron with the edge radiused for the bends as this aluminium fractures if bent to acutely. I then bent the ally around a 34mm dolly, bringing the 90 degree bends together with a 3mm gap between when clamped tight. Of course I had to stuff it all up when I shaped it, didn't I, made two right handers instead of a right and a left. The joys of getting old. Oh well, soon as I make a lefty I'll shape, drill and polish Some polishing was done beforehand for the areas I won't be able to get to after bending.. I'll post pics of the completed brackets when finished. . i started with two strips of 3mm ally, 50mm x 230mm. worked out PI for 34mm fork legs and did two 90 degree bends Pi apart. I used a bit of angle iron with the edge radiused for the bends as this aluminium fractures if bent to acutely. I then bent the ally around a 34mm dolly, bringing the 90 degree bends together with a 3mm gap between when clamped tight. Of course I had to stuff it all up when I shaped it, didn't I, made two right handers instead of a right and a left. The joys of getting old. Oh well, soon as I make a lefty I'll shape, drill and polish Some polishing was done beforehand for the areas I won't be able to get to after bending.. I'll post pics of the completed brackets when finished.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-11.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-10.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-12.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-13.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-14.jpg  

    1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-15.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-17.jpg  

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    Last edited by th62; Jan 9, 2021 at 02:48 PM.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to th62 For This Useful Post:

    asterix (Jan 12, 2021)

  3. #52
    Supporting Member NeiljohnUK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Posts
    614
    Thanks
    59
    Thanked 229 Times in 162 Posts

    NeiljohnUK's Tools
    Interesting issue with the side case polishing, granularity from a cold spot during casting perhaps?

    I have a fellow BMW boxer owner nearby who polished his engine (R80 sand cast casings) over a winter, had to repolish annually. Though the Ariel Red Hunter owner I met who did the same went so far the casings became porous and wept engine oil, ended up having to paint the inside with epoxy which stopped it to a degree, but as the metal was full of oil it didn't stick too well in some places. Modern water based engine paint is rubbish, my F800 has corrosion under all over, starting at any sharp edge where it's thinnest it creeps until it flakes it off, coat regularly with ACF-50 now to stop it getting any worse!

    2000 Tool Plans

  4. #53
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,549
    Thanks
    679
    Thanked 2,627 Times in 705 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by NeiljohnUK View Post
    the Ariel Red Hunter owner I met who did the same went so far the casings became porous and wept engine oil,
    They didn't become porous they started life that way. It was a legal requirement for Brit bikes of that era to leak oil.

  5. #54
    Supporting Member th62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 503 Times in 168 Posts

    th62's Tools
    This afternoon I taught myself to mig aluminium. The key was finding the right volts, wire feed, stick out, speed and watching the heat build up, that had me stumped for a bit, wondered why each successive run was worse than the last - heat build up!. Oh, a steady hand also helps, but that's beyond this old codger now, hence the wobbly runs. Excellent penetration too, after welding an external edge joint, I ground it down flat then belted the hell out of it trying to separate the joint. Not too bad for an hour or so practice. A whole new world of aluminium fabricating has opened up now, should have taught myself to weld aluminium year's ago. Talk about messy though, splatter everywhere. And I burnt the crap out of my arm from flash, the flash is 10 times brighter than when welding steel.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-101.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-102.jpg   1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-103.jpg  

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to th62 For This Useful Post:

    olderdan (Jan 17, 2021)

  7. #55
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,549
    Thanks
    679
    Thanked 2,627 Times in 705 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by th62 View Post
    This afternoon I taught myself to mig aluminium. ........... Not too bad for an hour or so practice. A whole new world of aluminium fabricating has opened up now, should have taught myself to weld aluminium year's ago. Talk about messy though, splatter everywhere.
    Are you using the inbuilt wire feed or do you have a spool gun?
    I am surprised at the dirty surrounds and splatter, are you using pure Argon or is Aluminium wire available with flux in wire like steel is? Although I have welded aluminium over 6 decades with Oxy/Act and TIG over 2 decades I have only used MIG for steel. I have seen some videos of Aluminium MIG but those showed a cleaner finish.
    You have done a great job with such a small amount of practice. I relate totally with your comments on wobbly runs, being fairly ancient myself I am starting to have the same problem particularly with TIG where I have to hold the gun with one hand at least with MIG I can use both hands.

  8. #56
    Supporting Member th62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 503 Times in 168 Posts

    th62's Tools
    No spool gun, so I set the machine to operate properly without one: I used 5356, .8mm wire and drilled out the tip to 1mm, threw away the liner recommended for ally as too much birdnesting and used a steel liner, installed a ribbed feeder wheel and loosened off the wire reel preload.

    I have tried before using a disposable argon cartridge with dismal results - not enough pressure.

  9. #57
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,549
    Thanks
    679
    Thanked 2,627 Times in 705 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by th62 View Post
    No spool gun, so I set the machine to operate properly without one: I used 5356, .8mm wire and drilled out the tip to 1mm, threw away the liner recommended for ally as too much birdnesting and used a steel liner, installed a ribbed feeder wheel and loosened off the wire reel preload.

    I have tried before using a disposable argon cartridge with dismal results - not enough pressure.
    Years ago I replaced the standard spiral type liner with a teflon version sold for Aluminium welding, I was welding steel but I thought that being teflon the wire would slide nicely. It did that OK but it only lasted about 1/2 day because the wire wore off a fine amount of teflon which formed a thin insulating layer in the tip preventing current flow. That was the second of two of life's lessons about teflon flowing.

  10. #58
    Supporting Member th62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 503 Times in 168 Posts

    th62's Tools
    Coming together slowly, still a lot to do, should be finished in around another 20 years at this current momentum.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1974 XS/TX650 rebuild-141580229_3969542359757869_1152195615792581725_o.jpg  

  11. #59
    Supporting Member jdurand's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation
    Posts
    1,456
    Thanks
    126
    Thanked 742 Times in 416 Posts

    jdurand's Tools
    I like the vise on the front disc, I'd never thought of that.

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to jdurand For This Useful Post:

    asterix (Jan 27, 2021)

  13. #60
    Supporting Member th62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 503 Times in 168 Posts

    th62's Tools
    Saves on pads!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 4 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 4 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •