I hate Scott and Ian. I’m not sure which one I hate the most, Scottie probably has the edge. In the last exciting episode you may remember we had a discussion about paintwork when I was reminded firmly but politely about this budget that I had allegedly agreed to. The outcome of that conversation was that I should do the paint in a single colour and keep the price down. So like a good little girly swat I complied and set about my least favourite task – repairing the petrol tank with it’s compound curves. I have never sworn so much in all my life – I am now about 10 or 11 hours in to the bitch of a bloody thing and I still can’t get it right. I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I have now got to the stage of saying it’s as good as I can get it. If it needs to be better than some other wizard or practitioner of the darkest of arts can sodding well do it. I want to get on with welding things and making engines run – the stuff I am good at.
I do like the tank we found though, it’s probably a wee bit small to be truly practical but it will probably give us about 50 or 60 miles between fills, maybe a bit more because it is coming out incredibly light. All I can see is that if you ever see the bike finished, please view from about 10 or 15 feet away and if it still looks shit then, technically, it is Scott and Ian’s fault. Thank you.
Anyway, here it is with three coats of red on it – this is Renault Carmen Red. Why that colour? I hear you ask – it’s because I had two cans of it that I got at some time or other for a job that I never got to. In the spirit of the cheapo build it seemed the right way to go. The paint job cost about 30 quid – that’s for the fillers (knifing and P38), wet and dry, a sanding block and the can of primer.
It still needs to be rubbed down and then blasted with a coat of 2 pack clear as that’s the only stuff that seems to be petrol proof these days. I have some in stock – 300ml should be more than enough for a mist coat and two good coats.
I went to have a look at the ammo box to see how high the spacers need to be and think I may have to rethink it slightly. With the chain stretched tight the lower part of the box is still in the way, I must have messed up the measuring. I may have to extend the slot in to the bottom of the box to make sure I have enough clearance. It’s no big deal but a bit puzzling as to how I messed it up.
I have fitted a set of carbs off a Bandit 600 that I am breaking and now realise that I have a lot less room than I thought. My plan was to have 4 pod style filters but the middle 2 won’t fit without hitting the frame. I have three choices as I see it. First is to build a custom air box – a lot of work and quite hard to do in a home workshop but definitely an option. 2 go to foam air filters that will deform and fit in – this is probably the easiest option but the least elegant. And thirdly to have the ones for numbers 1 and 4 coming straight out and fit 90 degree elbows for the two middle pots. I shall raid my stash and see what I can find, as with everything else on this project cost will be a major factor.
I have hit another bandsaw related stumbling block in that one of the guide wheels decided to explode a bit yesterday. I was cutting a bit of 1 ½ inch square tube for the ammo box spacer and I heard a load bang as the remains of the bearing hit something across the other side of the workshop. They are a really weird size – 9mm middle, 26mm outer by 8mm thick. I have found a supplier so I have ordered a new set of 6. the machine must be a good 12 years old and has done a hell of a lot of work – I think I have been through about 20 blades on it so it’s done well. My new hacksaw blades have arrived so I will have to resort to that until the new bearings arrive.
Next time I will finish the ammo box and with a bit of luck the material I ordered for the footpegs will have arrived and the bandsaw will be back in commission. Tata till then, Dave.
Article provided by David Powell of Boston Bike Bits.
