Monday, November 6, 2017

A Bit of Motorbike Progress

Not much exciting around here lately. I've just been working off the list. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to get any shorter, though. I have gotten a lot of homeowner type stuff done. There's still lot's more to do but now if I see even the littlest thing that needs some attention, I jot it down in the little notebook and try to get to it in a reasonable time frame. It does seem to be paying off. So that's a good thing.



I did make it out to the shop and hit a little lick on the motorbike project. The top photo has the pieces for the pedal chain tensioner plus a piece of threaded rod to fix my cheap paper towel dispenser in the wood shop - that's the kind of thing I've been doing. Instead of struggling with things or thinking I'll get to that one of these days, I've been trying to just knock them out as I come across them.

The bottom photo shows the tensioner clamped in place. I'm finding the little magnetic clamps to be pretty handy, especially if I'm TIG welding parts. With the MIG or stick I can hold a piece with one hand and tack it with the other. Not so with the TIG. One hand for the torch, one hand for the filler rod, means no hands left for holding. Next up will be tacking a few of the parts in place and then I need to install a small tube through the top frame tube for the throttle cable to pass through and a chain guard for the pedal chain. Shouldn't be much in the way of fabricating after that.

After I get that done I need to decide if I should try to get it running and make sure everything works as designed or just trust that it will and tear it apart and get it painted. The paint job will just be rattle can Regal Red from the hardware store. Nothing fancy, so if I need to fix something after it's assembled, I should be able to touch up the paint without making it look too trashy.

Have a good week. Write if you find work.

3 comments:

Rich in Ky said...

Work finds me lately, but I'll comment anyway. :-)

Breaking in a new 20-ton press by pressing new ball joints into the Ford, a.k.a. 'Blackie'.

Did you get that old Ford dump bed truck?

Shop Teacher Bob said...

Didn't buy the truck. I really need to finish up a few more things before I drag anything else home. I'm rather pleased with my progress of late, however. The hardest part for me is to keep from falling back into my old habits before I had the heart attack. I'm not real good at setting priorities as to what gets done or finding the middle path between getting things done and taking on too much. I still see a farm truck in my future, though.

You shouldn't have much left to fix on your truck project. Sounds like you've repaired/replaced about everything now.

Rich in Ky said...

I'll be looking forward to see what you get for a farm truck.

Well I've been promising myself I'd stop fixing things on blackie, but as it always happens, I get it apart enough to fix something important, and fall into the "while I'm in it this far" trap. It still looks like a clapped-out truck, but mechanically it will be mint. And that will make me drive happy.
Took the grandkids for a little toot around the farm with them in the bed. They love it. Had them put their signatures on the rear bumper... which I have yet to put back on. :-)