Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Fabrication - I take my hat off...

To people who can bash metal.
While I'm trying to make a new seat base (lost interest in the first one) to match up with the tank and tail unit, I decided to try and get the side panels in place so I knew what I was working with.
Over-thinking one aspect while knocking out another is slowing me down, but it's a learning curve I have to travel. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.

So, I'd already cut out panels from 3mm aluminium to fit in the side of the bike. They were a good fit and stayed in place with masking tape, but that's no good for the finished bike. I needed a method of holding them in place, and also to blend them into the top of the frame. I cut out some more pieces to hang over the frame, on rubber mounts, and set about attaching them to the side panels.

Here's a pic of the basic righthand panel. Both sides started like this, being bent to suit the angles of the frame and fitting flush.