The wheel is from an XS500. I did a write up on it here: http://www.xs650.com/threads/18-18.30089/#post-521402
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What have you done to your XS today?
- Thread starter I am Carbon
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motorbikerx
XS650 Addict
Wow yeah looks good...thought it was a triple at first look with that tank.
Suits the cafe look for sure and sidecovers in bare metal do too.
Ya gonna bare metal the tank?
Or Silver?....silver cars first came about in an effort to get that bare metal polished alloy look.
Suits the cafe look for sure and sidecovers in bare metal do too.
Ya gonna bare metal the tank?
Or Silver?....silver cars first came about in an effort to get that bare metal polished alloy look.
Probably. That is what I did with the stock XS650 tank. The difficult part will be getting the rear cowl (which is fiberglass) to match a bare metal tank. I am going to use some Honda silver I have leftover from another project on the rear cowl and see how that looks.
Thanks for all the nice comments fellas. What I have done so far would not have been possible without the help from this forum.
Here’s a thought for “chroming” the rear cowl: Monocote RC model airplane film.
Model aircraft are usually covered with plastic films that have a heat-activated adhesive layer and are shrunk on with a small heat iron (sort of like the iron used on clothing but smaller and without the steam). They are very strong, yet flexible and can easily go over compound curves with no kinks or folds. They are waterproof and very tough (you’d be hard pressed to poke your finger through this stuff) and a 36” x 72-96” roll costs around $15-20.
These films come in a wide array of colours - including a very authentic metallic chrome finish which people who build 1940s-50s USAF aircraft use.
Hmmmmmm.
Pete
Model aircraft are usually covered with plastic films that have a heat-activated adhesive layer and are shrunk on with a small heat iron (sort of like the iron used on clothing but smaller and without the steam). They are very strong, yet flexible and can easily go over compound curves with no kinks or folds. They are waterproof and very tough (you’d be hard pressed to poke your finger through this stuff) and a 36” x 72-96” roll costs around $15-20.
These films come in a wide array of colours - including a very authentic metallic chrome finish which people who build 1940s-50s USAF aircraft use.
Hmmmmmm.
Pete
Pete,
I think this would be a great time and place to show us an item from your RC model airplane collection.
I'd love to see something.
.
I like it Pete... I like it a lot.
Monokote is somewhat translucent so you would probably have to paint the cowl silver first, and although Monokote does do compound curves, that cowl might be a bit much.. Still, even if you had to do it in two pieces, put the seam down the middle and hide it with a nice pinstripe. I think you're on to sumpin' there...
Hi Jim:
There are a lot of model AC coatings available and some are translucent, but the type of Monocote I’m thinking of truly is pretty solid. You may be thinking of one of the polyester cloth-based coatings which are usually used to replicate fabric covering on older airplanes and on WW-II aircraft control surfaces. The chrome Monocote is a thermoplastic coating which is not translucent. Having said that, painting the cowl silver first wouldn’t hurt - although it would be important to be certain that the paint adhered very well to the fibreglas.
Back to the motorcycle: I’d simply sand the cowl molding (you’re looking for a smooth uniform surface with no dimples or bumps - not a mirror finish). This is important because the coating adhesive needs something to which it can adhere. Then get the dust off it with a tack cloth and try the Monocote - wrapping the coating around the bottom edges of the cowl by at least 1/2-3/4” to ensure that it stays put. When I finish a part like this - I sometimes seal the edges (which are wrapped around and thus not visible), with glue to ensure that the coating doesn’t come adrift. I’ve got several planes which are decades old - and the coatings are fine - although they don’t live outside everyday and very seldom see rain.
The hot iron will help get it around the compound curves - and you might need to do it a couple of times to get it just right and note that the Monocote film is sort of a one-shot deal. So, if you have start over, you'll need a new piece - but this stuff is dirt cheap compared to automotive paint and the cost is microscopic compared to real chrome plating.
Now, I haven’t flown in several years, but since Dude asked, here are a couple of photos of my planes. I like 1920-30s racing planes (often referred to as Golden Age aircraft). You are undoubtedly familiar with the famous Gee-Bee Model R aircraft which was very rotund and had tiny wings. There was an entire cadre of racing planes and pilots that were on a very active national circuit. The premier races were in Cleveland OH but they occurred all over the US AND Europe. These contests were extremely exciting with frequent crashes and deaths. One of the aspects of my hobby which is a little different is that I don’t (or didn’t) fly very many foam aircraft. I build them from scratch or from kits - or I buy old models at swap meets and restore them with crash damage rebuilt and often new coverings and markings as well as radio systems, power trains and servos. Anyhow, enjoy!
Those look awesome Pete. I'm coming over!
C’mon down - the BEvERages (and damned near everything else) are cold!
Nice Pete! That's pretty cool. There's a club that flys near my house on the weekends. It's always fun to watch.
Nice collection Pete!! I had a similar collection that I got rid of over 20yrs ago. I always regretted that....
About 2 months ago I was digging around in the basement for something and ran across this.....
An unopened, still in the box 1/7 scale Top Flight Mustang that somehow escaped my "purge" of 20 yrs ago. I went ahead and built the wing and covered the top. I'm waiting to order some retracts for it before I sheet the bottom in. I guess this summer I'll find out if I still remember how to fly one of these things....
Wow Jim - that’s a nice one! TopFlite planes always fly well. In the old days, you would have likely used a pneumatic retract system but nowadays, everyone uses electric retracts. They’re light, reliable, programmable and inexpensive.
Model aircraft are like motorcycles:
The standard response is: “it IS a real airplane - it’s just small”.
Pete
Model aircraft are like motorcycles:
- Lots of cool technology and history;
- Endless variations within the hobby (although I am in a tiny minority in that I still use wood and glue rather than simply buy a box of foam with the electronics pre-installed);
- A wide range of skills are required to be a “total” practitioner;
- The community has great people (and a few a-holes);
The standard response is: “it IS a real airplane - it’s just small”.
Pete
Boy this thread just reminded me of this one tucked away and forgotten on the gotta get round2it someday list. Long list, should start numbering things.
Damn bikes keep getting in the way of all this other stuff.
Damn bikes keep getting in the way of all this other stuff.
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Time management Robin. Easier said than done aint it?
Those Guillow's kits are fun to put together. With today's tech, you could easily make that electric.
Ain't that the truth Jim.Time management Robin. Easier said than done aint it?
Good to know. I was wondering about that. Boy oh boy. A whole other trip down a brand new rabbit hole!
YA!
I gotta kit that was made during the war.1944 or so. It's not balsa wood but bass wood. One of these days I'm going to take it to one of those business supply place and copy the plans and the wood pieces and use balsa to build it. It's a P-51 Apache (not Mustang)
A British P-51. Wohoo
You can put real mini Jet engines in models now! Maybe with afterburners! Can you imagine...like a 1/4 scale F-14D with working swingwing and flaps/slats?! With JET engines screaming around!
I built a balsa wood Messerschmidt (?) with my dad back in the late 60’s. It was great fun.
You've put together a Museum Quality Collection, Pete.
