I’m making progress but taking it slow, trying desperately to not end up with something misaligned. “Measure twice, cut once”, as they say (or in my case, “Measure as many times as … Engine mount fabricationRead more
Year: 2021
Aluminum-cutting saw blade
To aid in fabricating my engine mounts, I attempted to order a press brake for my hydraulic shop press. When I learned that it was backordered indefinitely, I had time to consider … Aluminum-cutting saw bladeRead more
Initial engine mount mock-up
I like to say, “Mistakes are easy to make, so make them as easily as possible.” In that vein, I’m developing my engine mount with a series incremental mock-ups, using easy-to-fabricate materials. … Initial engine mount mock-upRead more
Spot-welding the frame
I used my HF Titanium 125 to tack The Bride’s frame tubes. It was my first time striking an arc with the thing and, for FCAW, it works surprisingly well. It’ll never … Spot-welding the frameRead more
New Retroblaster Tank
When I’m frustrated by not being able to spend time in my shop, I cruise Ebay for parts. I bought a fuel tank for the Retroblaster-KTM-Bobber-Thing. For $55 shipped, not a bad … New Retroblaster TankRead more
Installing frame tubes
I have successfully bent The Bride’s new frame downtubes to fit. Now I need to make slugs for the joints with the existing frame. But how do I go about inserting a … Installing frame tubesRead more
Hacking the KTM frame
This is me being disciplined, sticking to my prioritized task list, and NOT getting distracted by the newest trinket I bought. Actually, I told myself that I needed to go ahead and … Hacking the KTM frameRead more
Origins – Retroblaster
It’s official: I’m an irrational parts hoarder. I picked up yet another frame that I don’t have room for. I’ve had a hankering for a long while to create a lightweight retro-bobber-cruiser-sorta-thing, … Origins – RetroblasterRead more
Bending frame tubes
Working on the frame,I started first with test pieces, bending cheap conduit. It took me three tries to get the proper shape. Confident of my dimensions, I ordered a couple lengths of … Bending frame tubesRead more
Engine cradle chopped!
You know that whole part about swapping the engine in without cutting the frame? No matter how I reoriented the engine and torque converter, something ended up bumping into the frame somewhere: … Engine cradle chopped!Read more