Sunday, November 27, 2011

Process: making a hammerform

Take the shape you have in your head (of the piece you want to make out of metal) and make a template on some thin cardboard. Use the template to transfer your shape to some 3/4" mdf and cut it out. In this case I cut multiple mdf profiles out because I want a top hammerform and a wide edge profile to help shape the sides of the oilbag.





Make your first mdf profile nice and smooth on the edges with a sandpaper/block, palm sander, belt sander, whatever you have to do the job. This is so you can easily clean up the rest of your rough cut mdf profiles using a router and a flush cut bit riding on your first clean mdf piece, making them all exactly the same (if you want to be picky). You can hand duplicate these with simple tools, the router just speeds the process up.





Change the router bit to the roundover profile you want and rout the top edge of your top profile. You can hand rasp/sand to round the edge over if you don't have a router.




Screw all you pieces together and you have your finished form, ready to hammer on.


Hmmm

Re-makes

Fred @ Fulton Paint Works bought a set of bars from me that ended up being too short, so I made him a new set. Looking forward to seeing how they look on his bike.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, November 24, 2011

15 hours

That's around how long it took to get the electrics box to this point. I know you're saying "finish that thing already and take pics of something more interesting", but I'm documenting my path into forming and welding aluminum. I find myself welding steel mostly, and aluminum tig welding is, to say the very least, different.









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

My dream

Spotted this in a parking lot on the way to the shop on Sunday. Absolutely mint.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Die, die, my darling

Had to make a set of dimple dies for the press so the nut serts would be recessed in the panel side of the electrics box.















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Hammer time










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, November 18, 2011

Puzzle pieces




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mocking

Got some cardboard and masking tape fabrication done on the electronics box to determine shape and scale. I think this is pretty close to what the aluminum box will look like.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Mounted...

... rubber, that is. Ironhead is one step closer.









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, November 11, 2011

Work van

Came across this beauty while walking around downtown Brattleboro, VT. Such a perfect work van, I'd never seen one before.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

BCM parts



If you haven't figured it out already, Mr. Kim Boyle designs/produces some really nice stuff. Go to his site, buy some of his parts, support a craftsman.

Family break

Time to see family. I'll be back to work soon.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Todd's build

Built some bars for Todd, here's a pic of the build progress he sent me. Thanks man!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Flight time

Killing time, feeling creative.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

working on stuff

Got a couple new products we're working on here @ Barnstorm Cycles and SPCL'79 Fabrication. 304 stainless battery boxes (2 sizes) in welded or kit form and 39mm narrowglide stainless headlight ears for Bates style side mount headlights. Both are still going though a little more r&d, but are pretty close to being available.