Couple new details

Just a couple pics of the ironhead project progress.

mini led video

There's a SPCL'79/Barnstorm Cycles ChopCult Metal Shop feature here on making a mini led tail/brake light right now. The video here shows a majority of the steps involved, as the video included in the feature just touches on a couple of the steps. Props go out to Gabe Kajimura @ After Hours Choppers for the construction ideas and inspiration.

My wife rules

My Christmas gift was extremely unexpected. 2 nights in Boston, The Black Keys and Bruins vs. Sabres. Best wife ever.





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Merry Christmas to all!

I hope everybody's holiday season is as awesome as this photo.

Thanks to all that take the time to check out my metal mashing and read my ramblings.

Roland Gaucher's Bentley BR2

Roland recently came into the shop to share his hand machined scale model of a functioning Bentley BR2 rotary airplane engine. The work on this beautiful piece of machinery is absolutely staggering. It took him 2 years/1500 hours to produce the complete engine and the only thing he didn't make was a few of the nuts used. He even made the spark plugs! Talent like this always inspires me.

Clint on a knuckle

Was over at Cap'n Bawb's house for some Holiday cheer with a chunk of the 50wt crew and ended up watching a couple of Mr. Eastwood classics including "The Gauntlet". I completely forgot about the bike scenes in this movie, since I hadn't seen it in 20 years. Knuckles, pans, and shovels, mmmmm.

Narrow buckhorns

Made a set of narrow buckhorns for a customer. I liked them so much, I made a second set for back stock. They look wider in the pics than in person.










You can see by the look on Jake's face that he really likes these bars.

Back to it

Back to making some stainless mini apes for sale in 8" & 11" heights with different sweeps. These bars were always a pain in the ass because of tubing bender limitations, but I've got it figured out now.













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Just playing

Spent Saturday morning playing with a set of cast risers and some bends.

More aluminum work

Jake's welding, my finish work. Getting close.

Location, location, location.

Filler cap tucked out of the way, yet accessible to even the most plump fingers.

Modified

Jake cut up the cam cover for the sportster project today. One more thing off the checklist.

Where it will go in

The oil, this is where it will go. Now it needs to find a home on the oilbag.


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Operation mounting earl bag

Rubber mounts. 2 each, top and bottom.




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Hammerform part 4: the back side

Something I haven't talked about is annealing the aluminum before you try to form it, so here goes.
-use a dirty acetylene only flame to put a layer of soot on the surface
-change the oxy-acet flame to a neutral flame and heat the entire piece until you make the soot disappear and reveal nice clean alum
-let the alum air cool, and it's annealed








I decided to hammer the back panel of the oilbag, so it's back to the buck.




Fitted





Welded





Top mounts

Italian eye candy

I have a soft spot for Guzzis

Hammerform part 3: oilbag side/top

Starting to bend the annealed sides to the form.




I drill some holes in the sides of the oilbag, screws/washers help hold them to the form while tacking together.



Grind a bit of the hammerform away so as not to dirty the weld tack areas with charred mdf.



Mark the tacking areas with the sharpie.




Fully welded.



Cleaned up.



Another mocking.

Acme springer

We just got the Acme narrow springer in for a customer's pre-unit build, and its totally bad-ass. If you've never seen one of their springers before, I can't even tell you how nice the machining/design/fabrication is on them.

Hammerform part 2: operation ironhead oilbag

Roll a few beads on what's to be the top of the oilbag.



Top support to hold the aluminum to the hammerform without marking it.





Line up and make an mdf and alum sandwich.


Start hammering. Go slow and even as you make your way around, taking extra care at the corners. Use a plastic faced mallet (or some other non-marring hammer) to keep from marring the surface of the alum too much.





Finished top piece.



Next I'll be tackling the sides.