And for my next trick ....

Well, I had another idea and tried rotating the mounting plate for the rearset round the front mount. And yes, it can be made to work .... I bodged up a dog-leg bracket from some doodah the builders left behind (I'm currently sitting in the extension :)) and lo! Something workable! Well, that's not entirely proven yet but if this works out, I'll sort out something a bit nicer.
RH peg is now somewhat lower


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And here's the gory details
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Downside is I need to lift my foot off the peg to operate the brake, but I can live with that. And yes, the angles aren't ideal, but I think it'll work.
Tomorrow I'll have a crack at the other side, then the acid test will be riding. Weather's crap right now so that may be a few days away, but it's Spring and things will only get better :D
 
Yes, and the pedal and lever arm to the linkage have a vernier-like adjustment too, with 6 holes in one and 7 in the other. The limiting factor though is fouling the exhaust when applying the brake.
The whole shooting match is lower than I was aiming for, and if this doesn't work out I'll have to make a replacement mounting plate. Or get younger legs :laugh2:
 
Well, I realised I hadn't asked myself quite why there was so much brake lever travel, do after adjusting out the slack I could reposition the lever a tad lower.
And here's the LHS, tight clearances again
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All I need now is a change in the weather, then I can see how this works in practice. All good fun, eh?
 
It's a fact that not all experiments succeed, and this one didn't. Went for a ride and it's clear that the pegs are a bit low but the big problem is the levers are far too high, even when set as low as possible to still clear the exhausts.

Never mind, it cost nothing and was worth the try. Next, I'll set them up again as before and just have to put up with a bit of discomfort until I can sort out some replacement mounting plates. C'est la vie.
 
Here we go, then. Rather like going back to school
20200405_151447.jpg

First prototype in MDF had the pegs too far back and didn't work, but you can see where I'm going with it
20200405_171609.jpg

I finally got where I wanted to be. This shows the footpeg height reduction and the proof before committing to metal
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Some clearances are a bit tight and a bit of easing is needed by the swinging arm nut
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Now to make it real ....... note my amazing workshop facilities :laugh2:
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After a few hours with the hacksaw
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A bit more butchery and then ready for the filing to start
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And eventually after more hours, and beers, a visit to the polishing studio
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Not perfect by any stretch, but not too bad either. Now all I need is to turn centre punch marks into holes. I need to find a friend with a pillar drill ...
Almost there :D
 
Here we go, then. Rather like going back to school
View attachment 164171
First prototype in MDF had the pegs too far back and didn't work, but you can see where I'm going with it
View attachment 164172
I finally got where I wanted to be. This shows the footpeg height reduction and the proof before committing to metal
View attachment 164173
View attachment 164174 View attachment 164175
Some clearances are a bit tight and a bit of easing is needed by the swinging arm nut
View attachment 164176
Now to make it real ....... note my amazing workshop facilities :laugh2:
View attachment 164177
After a few hours with the hacksaw
View attachment 164178
A bit more butchery and then ready for the filing to start
View attachment 164179
And eventually after more hours, and beers, a visit to the polishing studio
View attachment 164180
Not perfect by any stretch, but not too bad either. Now all I need is to turn centre punch marks into holes. I need to find a friend with a pillar drill ...
Almost there :D

Very nice work! You’re doing this old school, using just your sweat and determination. I like it! :thumbsup:
 
It seems none of my friends that I can get to have a pillar drill/drill press, so I bought a small one and a vice to go with it.
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I've never drilled anything this thick before, and poking around on the web suggests WD40 would be a suitable lube but I'm unsure about pilot hole/going up in sizes approach, so some advice from you guys with REAL engineering experience would be welcome as I don't want to bugger things up! So, if you had to drill 12mm and 17mm holes in 10mm aluminium plate using the kit I have available (drill speeds 500-2500 rpm), how would you approach it?
 
WD40 is a DIY recommended cutting fluid for Aluminium. I have not drilled beyond 12mm on my benchtop drill. Like yours it is 350W so even at 12mm I would have to use a slow speed to stop the drill stalling. You will need to ensure there is very little flex in the system when drilling so make sure the vice is bolted down securely and then pack wooden blocks under that adjustable table or it will flex when pressing the drill down causing the holes to drift towards you.

As to drilling by stepping up through different drill sizes, that is what I would do due to the 350W power issue. I usually drill at 4 - 6mm then go up in steps of 0.5mm or 1.0mm. Drilling 17mm is the difficult one for me?? Practice on some of your scrap pieces first to see what works best for your set up.

Get as many ideas as you can from others and UTube then practice first. For example I have been told by my machinist friend that drilling is easier if you use Aluminium specific drill bits, but I have never tried them.

Is there a local workshop that could do it for you, but just be prepared to fix a few scratches and re-polish?

Just a thought: For plastics I have used those stepped drill bits. They work on sheet metal and may be the way to go. Due to the way they work they self-center, but you still need to eliminate flexing to keep the drill hole in position.
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My experience is.........a small pilot then the large bit...........on the 12mm a 1/4" is plenty for the pilot and for the 17mm as well or could go slightly bigger but not to much............. If the hole is to close to the size of the drill bit it will grab............Being aluminum it is best to use plenty of speed with slow down force.........the bits need to be nice and sharp......also drill a bit back off...add cutting fluid...repeat

But then i am ham fisted.

WD40 or could add some oil to it, car oil to thin it..........i buy my WD40 in 4 liter containers, cheaper.
 
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+1 on what Paul said about using a block of wood to support the table. It looks to be stamped instead of cast, so It'll flex a bit. And +1 on the stepped bits. I love 'em. Small pilot and step up to what you need. I use a sharpie to mark just above the step I want to stop at so I don't have to worry about counting steps... or losing count.
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For aluminum I use light-medium pressure and med-high speed. In all my years of aircraft work, I can't recall ever using lubricant on aluminum.
It's always best with a new tool to grab some scrap to practice on, so as to get a "feel" for it.
 
Fresh from the Garage: I just searched out my 4 - 12mm stepped drill. Took some 3mm Aluminium, drilled a 4mm hole then shifted to the stepped drill. It made very light work all the way up to 12mm. I was very surprised at how well and quick the drill worked. From now on this will be my #1 choice for drilling big holes in Aluminium.

The stepped drill cost me £1.89 on Ebay including postage.
 
I was very surprised at how well and quick the drill worked. From now on this will be my #1 choice for drilling big holes in Aluminium.
My wife bought me a fairly expensive set back in 2001 (memories of 9/11). I've gone through many sets now and they've been my go to ever since. Aluminum, steel, composites... plexiglass. Works good on many materiel's.... wood being an exception. Another nice feature is the next step up works great to de-burr the holes.
 
Jim, I used that deburr feature when I drilled my 3 different polycarbonate experimental windshields. The other day I showed my daughter just how tough that polycarbonate is. I put a scrap on the ground and hit it full force with a hammer and it just laughed at as. Pitty it is marked so easily, even rubbing with fingers will leave a hazy patch.
 
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