EXAMPLE THREAD! - The Yellowjacket Speedster - Page 2

**Yellowhand** · 04-09-2007, 12:34 PM

I don't know what Matt is going to do to that engine...it's for his Fox Campus chop...

**Yellowhand** · 04-10-2007, 01:19 PM

I spent about an hour working on the Yellowjacket yesterday...

Pic 1- I thought since the theme of the bike is 'Yellowjacket', a type of hornet, it should have a stinger on it, so I fabbed a stinger rear fender, clevis-pinned to the frame for easy transport to the emergency room...I won't have to take the entire frame with me...

Pic 2- The stinger follows the line of the rear seatstay...

Pic 3- I've started fabbing other spikes for the frame from 1" square steel rod, 1 1/4" steel round rod, and 1" aluminum round rod. The steel spikes will be welded on, and painted along with the frame...the aluminum spikes will be polished, and threaded onto the frame as accents.

Pic 4- I disassembled the wheels...I haven't decided yet what finish they'll have. I could polish them, or paint or powdercoat. This one needs repair...had a nail through it.

minidragbike · 04-10-2007, 02:16 PM

Wow no one better not run into the back of him.

**Yellowhand** · 04-11-2007, 06:52 PM

Fabbed some more spikes this afternoon...

Pic 1- I've been looking at some pics of other square-tubing frames you guys have posted, and the look is starting to grow on me. I may use this frame as-is, if I can pretty it up a little. I really don't like the way the square tubing under the engine looks...the way it just stops in a cut-off end.

Pic 2- I didn't want to just plug the ends...I wanted something with some more shape to it...so I started fabbing with the two ends I had originally cut off the lower frame rails...really junk.

Pic 3- I want 5" long spikes, so I draw the area to be cut out with a chop saw...

Pic 4- The handheld 4-1/2" chop saw with composite blade removed the material quickly...the heat generated has warped the ends into this crown shape, which I kinda like...

Pic 5- But I want spikes, so I bent the prongs inward with a needlenose and small hammer, and welded the seams together with a flux-core MIG set at 90 amps...

**Yellowhand** · 04-11-2007, 07:12 PM

Continued...

Pic 6- Another angle grinder fitted with a flap disk cleans up the welds, blending them together with the tubing material so they disappear...

Pic 7- After cutting to 5" overall length, the spikes get tacked to the frame rails. I think these spikes give the square tubing used for the lower frame rails a 'heavy' look, or the appearance that the rails are solid rod instead of tubing...maybe not a good look for a frame to have. We'll see...

Pic 8- The frame also got a 'stinger' front fender to match the rear...

Pic 9- Fabricated from this junk...

I use blacksmithing techniques to fabricate and heat-treat a lot of the parts I make...if you're interested in making things this way, there is a forum where knowledgable blacksmiths will answer your specific questions, and offer free advice on metallurgy. The forum is here...

www.abana.org/resources/discus/messages/2/2.html

minidragbike · 04-12-2007, 04:06 AM

Hey do you do aluminum welding and fab work also? I might need you to do something for me for my next project.

**Yellowhand** · 04-12-2007, 11:30 AM

Yeah, I fab with non-ferrous alloys as much as possible. I make aluminum and copper fuel tanks and body panels for custom bikes, especially cafe racers.

minidragbike · 04-12-2007, 03:02 PM

Fuel tanks that gives me another idea???
I need a couple of tanks like I have on my avatar minibike.

But I was thinking of tunnel porting my racing head. I don't know if you ever done this before. It's basically taking a aluminum intake manifold and welding it to a aluminum head. But it won't be at the factory angle. It would be a much better straighter angle for more flow.

**Yellowhand** · 04-12-2007, 07:24 PM

Fuel tanks are fun to fab...I make those half-gallon Moon replicas a lot...they're cool little tanks for minis. What do those cost in LA?

I don't modify engines much anymore...my job at Cushman was machining engine and drivetrain components, so for me it's a lot like coming home from work and doing more of the same thing I already did all day long. I'm familiar with most porting techniques...machined heads and siamesed a lot of valves in the 70's and 80's..made intake manifolds in different shapes...a lot of the Cushman guys were into quarter-midget racing.

Check out some of the stuff my family makes now...mostly specialty tools.

www.cappsmanufacturing.com

www.gunsmithing-tools.com

minidragbike · 04-12-2007, 08:15 PM

I don't know if I seen a half moon tank. Can you get a picture of one?

This is somthing close to what I'm trying to do.
LOL, I forgot you have dial up.