That’s why I try and only do one project at a time. Now, I just said that and I am looking at the two saya I need to finish for a couple of rather old Wakizashi that I have been working on for over a year now.
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
One Mans Junk.... '72 CS5E (RD200) Build.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Like you, I been ridin' and fixin' up orphans since the 60's. And also like you, I can't resist a damsel in distress. If it has one
I got so many projects that if you asked me to name 'em all without looking, I prolly couldn't. I like it that way. Get bored or stumped (or broke) on one project, an' there's always another you can work on. I like that.
And like the unteachable idiot I am, I'm fixin' to start another....
It’s like the old commercial for Jello: “there’s always room for more”. I used to be able to sell off bikes when I was finished/bored with them. Now I can’t bring myself to get rid of them as I worry if they will go to a good home.Like you, I been ridin' and fixin' up orphans since the 60's. And also like you, I can't resist a damsel in distress. If it has onefootwheel in thegraveyardjunkyard, I instantly fall in love with it.
I got so many projects that if you asked me to name 'em all without looking, I prolly couldn't. I like it that way. Get bored or stumped (or broke) on one project, an' there's always another you can work on. I like that.
And like the unteachable idiot I am, I'm fixin' to start another....
Sounds like me! Besides my four XS650s, there are orphans... a KE100, a TS125 with a TS 185 engine, an SP100, two Rupps, and then there are the boys bikes! Haven't begun to list the other projects... tractors, boats, cars, engines and so on. More than enough to fill my lifetime. I'd be unhappy without them, whether they ever get completed or notAnd yet another thing in common... poor little orphans...
'Zackly!!
Coz you don't really want to get to the end of your To Do list, do you now?
Nice!
Never shot big flake out of a gun, but Ive used it in Surfboard laminations… 6 weeks later your still sweeping it off the shelves haha.
Maybe not so bad with paint.
Never shot big flake out of a gun, but Ive used it in Surfboard laminations… 6 weeks later your still sweeping it off the shelves haha.
Maybe not so bad with paint.
I've washed my hands dozens of times since I shot it. Still finding flakes stuck to my fingernails....
Remember the time you said to yourself "Man, I am never washing this finger ever again"???I've washed my hands dozens of times since I shot it. Still finding flakes stuck to my fingernails....
View attachment 354555
Me, it's the mustache. Probably you too, Kevin!Remember the time you said to yourself "Man, I am never washing this finger ever again"???
2 weeks... Soup was a really good lunch...
Well crap... go to bed in 2023 and wake up the next morning in 2025. Yeah, it's the only excuse I could come up with... pretty lame huh?
I've finally been building out the basement workshop and this little bike has patiently sat there on the floor the whole time. That's a polite way of saying I trip over the damn thing every time I turn around.
Finished tearing the frame apart, then wire wheeled and sandblasted my way down to bare metal. Bonus; under all that crud was very little in the way of rust. Pretty surprising actually. Also cut off a few tabs here and there that I won't be needing.
... and I'm yet again impressed with my little 20 buck Harbor Freight sandblasting gun. Thing does amazing work!!
View attachment 354363
View attachment 354364
Didn't get a shot of it, but I cleaned up the nasty Yamaha welds a bit. Nothing crazy, just took down the high spots, then used J B Weld to smooth over all the welds. Again, nothing too crazy, just wanted to eliminate all the spots where dirt gathers... and you can't reach. Then a full wet coat of grey epoxy primer.
View attachment 354365
And here's where it getsweirdinteresting... I've always wondered what it's like to shoot metal flake... never shot it before. I picked up a 2oz packet of this stuff off Amazon...
View attachment 354366
This turned out to be a love/hate relationship. First off, it's claimed it'll shoot through a 1.4 nozzle. It won't. Even at 100psi at the gun () it refused to do anything more than an occasional flicker of glitter. Luckily I have a 1.8mm nozzle for one of my guns. That worked. More of the "hate" side in a moment....
This stuff gets mixed with clearcoat. Stir it in, mix it up, put your left foot in, then your left foot out.... and it's all sunk to the bottom, just that fast. Fuck. I found through trial and error that you shoot it for about 10sec, then shake the shit outta the gun for about 5sec. Rinse and repeat until done.
You're supposed to shoot this stuff over a black base. Supposedly gives it more depth. You can also use a silver or gold base. I've got all three bases, but none of them were what I wanted. What I wanted was a light(ish) gunmetal grey color that sparkles. That make sense?
So, I shot it over the grey primer.
And sumbitch if it didn't work. Worked a treat actually. It came out just as I wanted, albeit with a lot more work than I expected. Once you shoot this stuff, it leaves a rough finish. Think sandpaper rough... yeah, sandpaper. So then you have to go over it with clear, again and again...
Anyway... the end product was well worth it. The camera doesn't really do it justice, it really pops in person.
View attachment 354367
View attachment 354368
View attachment 354369
View attachment 354370
Even with all those coats of clear it still came out just a tad rough. Not bad mind you... acceptable, but I think when it's done I'll do a quick cut-n-buff on all the exposed parts. Yeah... even more pain...
So here it is sitting in my new to me workshop next to it's brother, the Aussie Mutt.
Now what?
View attachment 354371
That's a real nice effect I like the rough textured look
Yeah, it looks textured, but it's not. It's actually fairly smooth, but because of the sunlight hitting the flake at different angles, it looks rough.
And yeah, I like the look of it too.
And you're still trying to convince the Missus that it didn't come from the "Gentlemen's" club too.I've washed my hands dozens of times since I shot it. Still finding flakes stuck to my fingernails....
View attachment 354555
Absolutely not! What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis? We all know that the To Do List is a wholly dynamic thing. Mine evolves almost daily.
Minor update...
There's a bracket that attaches to the bottom of the frame. The sidestand and foot pegs attach to that bracket.
The three 8mm holes on the bottom for the foot pegs were stripped.
Drilled 'em for helicoils and bedded 'em in with JB Weld.
The bent 3/8" carriage bolt (X3) and nuts were holding the pegs. Yeah... wobbly as hell. Anyway, fixed now and I can press on with cleanup and paint. Since it's on the bottom of the bike and out of sight, I think I'll just shoot it with grey primer and a coat of clear. I don't see the need for glitter down there.
I'm sure I've pointed this out before, but to make sure you're hole is squared up, use your drill press to start the tap 2 or 3 threads. Then you can crank on it by hand to finish thread cutting. Don't forget to loosen the drive belt first so you aren't trying to spin the motor too.
There's a bracket that attaches to the bottom of the frame. The sidestand and foot pegs attach to that bracket.
The three 8mm holes on the bottom for the foot pegs were stripped.
Drilled 'em for helicoils and bedded 'em in with JB Weld.
The bent 3/8" carriage bolt (X3) and nuts were holding the pegs. Yeah... wobbly as hell. Anyway, fixed now and I can press on with cleanup and paint. Since it's on the bottom of the bike and out of sight, I think I'll just shoot it with grey primer and a coat of clear. I don't see the need for glitter down there.
I'm sure I've pointed this out before, but to make sure you're hole is squared up, use your drill press to start the tap 2 or 3 threads. Then you can crank on it by hand to finish thread cutting. Don't forget to loosen the drive belt first so you aren't trying to spin the motor too.
...to make sure you're hole is squared up, use your drill press to start the tap 2 or 3 threads... Up to 3/8" threaded holes or so, I usually take it further and just manually turn the chuck to cut the threads all the way through. Beyond 3/8" threads, gets a little harder to do, so the chuck key can be used to add grip/leverage on the chuck.
Probably the easiest engine install ever....
All new, polished stainless hardware. It's funny, the prices at Boltdepot.com for stainless hardware are cheaper than most places for zinc plated steel hardware. The other day I sat down and ordered about 75% of what I'll need for the whole bike. Came to a little over 35 bucks.
All new, polished stainless hardware. It's funny, the prices at Boltdepot.com for stainless hardware are cheaper than most places for zinc plated steel hardware. The other day I sat down and ordered about 75% of what I'll need for the whole bike. Came to a little over 35 bucks.
