Rookie wanna-be weldor starting to make some cool things!

[Toysrme]

cool forge!

[kirkster70]

Originally Posted by phreakingeek

I meant to post these pics months ago when we finished the project...but time got away from me.

My son and I picked up some material from Kirk a long time ago and used it to build a coal forge and an anvil stand.

Here's a pic of my son's first time using a welder:



Finished anvil stand with tool hangers




First fire in the new forge:



The new coal forge is hot enough for us to make Damascus



thanks again for all the metal! we had a great time using it to make some cool stuff.

I was wondering how you guys were making out. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I see! Very creative use of scrap. Your anvil stand looks factory made. Very nice, indeed!

The look on your son's face is priceless! Very nice!!!!!!!!

You need to post up some piccys of what you two are making. I'm excited to see your craftsmanship!

BTW, I have more steel whenever you need some more. There's only about 12,000 lbs or so tucked under the building now.

I also just scored several thousand feet of 1/2" liquidtite conduit. For those who don't know, it's a water tight, outdoor, direct burial or exposed, flexible electrical conduit. Great for feeding a heat pump, spa, water fountain, pole light, etc, etc... Free to ADVers... I only took about 1% of what's available. It will all be trashed at work soon, so I took about as much as my little 10' x 10' building could handle. Just hate seeing stuff like that go to the dump. It's used, but I have it stored in neat rolls ranging from 20 to 50 feet in length. PM for details...

[Zombie_Stomp]

Holy Christ! I just read this entire thread from the beginning. I've enjoyed (a little enviously) watching you build your shop and tools. The last fab job I undertook was going to be a screenprinting press, but i ended up scrapping the entire project after losing access to the welder I was using, after revising the design a few times. I would not admit how sad a day that was, I was just loading crap in the truck trying to gain metal money.

But quickly, I will show the projects I had success with. A rear rack and pannier braces for mermite pannier cans I made before traveling coast to coast.








Inspired by Kubiak's flat bar design.



It had a simple straight crossbar installed at this point. This pannier hoop was also later scrapped. And the mermite cans too. Oh well. Big, dumb boxes served me well while I had them. Had some sway and flex since they were not attached to a lower forward point like the XR650L has on the frame. All this stuff started happening around page 55 of my XL600 rebuild thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242358
And the cross-country trip takes place in ADV format on: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=375864

I'm about to do it again on this '87 XT600. I'm back from Portland in N.C. again, ready to take the west coast land voyage in 6 months. I have a love affair with mid-80's big thumpers, I guess. This one's special though. And unlike the XL which had no racks and was hard to find any rack for at all, I got a top rack with it, and there are pannier racks available in Italy made for it. I will probably buy those, but if given the opportunity, I would love to make the roadtrip up to work in your shop for a few consecutive days just to have the creative input on the rack that I make for the bike. I want to make my own soft bags this time around, mainly because I am heavily into bag making and some leather working at this point. My favorite idea is to get the italian pannier racks


and then cut them up to install these BRmoto loops into them;

http://brmoto.com/racks/diy-side-rack-parts.html
and fab a crossbar and go from there with the textile works. Even if I have to make my own cable nets to protect them from theft.

Hope my creativity is stimulating the same brains that enjoyed this thread as much as I have.
Cheers to all who have contributed.
Joel

[kirkster70]

Excellent work, Joel!!! Those are some fine looking racks that you made.

I like 80's era duallys myself and so do thousands of others here.

I dream of making coast to coast trips like you are doing. Maybe I'll get a chance to in the near future.


By all means, come on up. I'm generous with my playtoys.


...and I have some more goodies in the mail! I just upgraded my JD2 bender to full electric over hydro and have a 2" shoe on the way so I can attempt to fab a deerslayin' bumper for my Tundra. I also ordered up a bunch of 3/16" and 5/16" al. plate because I'm going to try to make it light and strong. Pics when the big brown truck starts showing up.

[kirkster70]

Another quick little weekend project to throw into the mix...


My daughter wanted a super deeee-luxe Piggy Paradise guinea pig cage. Sure! Gotta keep the womenfolk in the house happy.

Plus, I've been itching to use the shear on an actual project. After taking some measurements, a few quick stomps, and I was ready to weld! Suh-weet! No edges to dress with a grinder. Coolio.





My weld uniformity is getting better by the project. I'm fortunate to have a co-worker who's a Certified Weldor. He also used to be an instructor. One day last week, he had me run a couple beads while he watched. He told me I was introducing filler wire way too early, I was moving a bit too fast, I didn't have enough heat to get the toes of the weld wide enough onto each side of the weld, and finally, that I was bouncing when I advanced the torch - almost like a leap frog. Whew!!! With all the new thoughts in my mind, I tried to correct all my mistakes at once. Thanks for the help, Jim! I'm getting better already with the advice and help you gave me!

Base complete. Now it's time for the super-deeeee-luxe high rise portion. My daughter drew it all out how she wanted it, so now I just need to make the customer happy.



And here's the Bambi smack...



Not terrible for 60mph, I guess. It's pretty well confined to the bumper. If I find any other damage underneath, SF will cut me a supplemental damage check.

I can't wait to get crackin' next week when all the goodies show up. I think now's a good time to break down and buy a JD2 tubing notcher as well... Monday.

[EvilGenius]

Those welds look much better!

[kubiak]

added fuel capacity to my xr650l from 2.8 gallons to 7.2 gallons by welding bigger wings on the stock tank.

[kubiak]

heres a finished pic.

[kubiak]

cant seem to get the pic to enlarge on the last pic but heres a pic of another tank i made before the last one, it was 6.2 gallons.

[kubiak]

found a pic of the 7.2 gallon tank.

[kirkster70]

Originally Posted by EvilGenius

Those welds look much better!

Thanks, EG!

I've been having fun working on the Piggy Penthouse today. I love the smell of argon in the morning.

[kirkster70]

Originally Posted by kubiak

cant seem to get the pic to enlarge on the last pic but heres a pic of another tank i made before the last one, it was 6.2 gallons.

Without a doubt, you are a master craftsman, Kubiak!

Honda needs to give you a job in their R&D department. Your bikes wouldn't sit in the showroom for long!


Do you have to make a crossover tube to get all the fuel out of the wings?

[kubiak]

Originally Posted by kirkster70

Without a doubt, you are a master craftsman, Kubiak!

Honda needs to give you a job in their R&D department. Your bikes wouldn't sit in the showroom for long!


Do you have to make a crossover tube to get all the fuel out of the wings?

thanks kirkster70! yea i weld in fittings for the wings so i can get every last drop of fuel. on the 7.2 gallon i even installed a fuel pump so the carb would not starve for fuel when getting low.

[Zombie_Stomp]

Originally Posted by kirkster70

Excellent work, Joel!!! Those are some fine looking racks that you made.

I like 80's era duallys myself and so do thousands of others here.

I dream of making coast to coast trips like you are doing. Maybe I'll get a chance to in the near future.


By all means, come on up. I'm generous with my playtoys.


...and I have some more goodies in the mail! I just upgraded my JD2 bender to full electric over hydro and have a 2" shoe on the way so I can attempt to fab a deerslayin' bumper for my Tundra. I also ordered up a bunch of 3/16" and 5/16" al. plate because I'm going to try to make it light and strong. Pics when the big brown truck starts showing up.

I'll help you out with whatever projects you have going on too. I miss being in metal shops, and yours is really coming along. If you can host or let me pitch a tent, I'll gladly be able to come for 3 days so a project can get finished. I'm in Carrboro, N.C., I'll have to see where you're located to figure out riding time, etc. PM me some time about it.

Looking forward to the truck bumper. We've got a lot to discuss about leather work too. 'Bout to make a seat cover for my XT when I get the industrial walking foot sewing machine in a week or so.

[phreakingeek]

Kirk,

where do you get your DOM tubing?

When you're welding frames and racks on your bikes, do you do anything with the electrical systems first? I wanted to make a rack for my DR, but was worried about damaging the electrical system.