Builder Spotlight Cliff (23tbucket)

            Hello to all you wrench spinning grease monkeys out there in cyber-land.  I think we are all aware that one of the biggest hurdles in any build is hitting the wall.  Getting what I call builders block.  This  happens for lots of reasons not the least of which is just flat out running short of inspiration.  See building anything a bike a, a car, or hell even a coffee table is an exercise is an artistic expression. What you need to do this is the will to create and the inspiration to drive that will.  So I think in that line of thinking we can all use a swift kick in the ass to knock the cobwebs loose.  That kick today comes in the form of our first builder’s profile.

  As many know we are two guys that met on a site called HondaChopper.com.  This place rocks I could go on and on but that is a different story.  Anyway, I am or have been active on three forums over the years.  HC.com, The Chopper Underground (another must for the chop-o-hollics out there), and Deuces Wild, which caters to the late model dohc Honda motors much the way HC.com caters to the sohc crew.  During this time I have gotten to know several people. Among the ones I have had the honor of getting to know is Clifford or to the forum guys 23tbucket.  This cat is like the mad scientist of choppers, creating some of the coolest rides you will see.  In honor of his motor building madness we have decided to make him our fist builder spot light.  I was able to send some questions via cyber space deep into the frozen lands of Canada and get our north of the border brethren to shoot a few answers back to us.  So just sit back relax and get inspired. 

Wrench Junkies: I think it is important that people begin to see the how all forms of building and wrenching play off each other.  With that in mind how did you first get into wrenching?

Clifford:  Believe it or not, I first started my working career as a carpenter and later as a cabinet maker. My Grandfather was a carpenter...my father was a carpenter...and two of my Uncles were carpenters and had a construction company that I worked for when I left school. I did carpentry work for several different companies until Proctor & Gamble build a big pulp mill close by. I hired on and first started working in their welding shop, then went on to repairing machinery. I spent 8 years as a Millwright for them. Then the oil boom hit our region back in the 80's...got hired on as a Millwright repairing gas compressors and engines for several different companies. During my time fixing engines, I also went ahead and got my Heavy Duty Mechanic's license.

I am a licensed Journeyman in 4 different trades:

    1: Journeyman Carpenter with Interprovincial Red Seal.

    2: Journeyman Cabinetmaker

    3: Journeyman Millwright with Interprovincial Red Seal

    4: Journeyman Heavy Duty Mechanic with Interprovincial Red Seal

Each Journeyman certificate takes four years of apprenticeship. To get Red Seal certification requires another separate final test. The Red Seal would be similar to a teaching degree in the USA.

Junkies: All I can say is wow.  Any one of those accomplishments is enough to make anyone proud. When did you make the first step towards motorcycles?

Cliff:  I got my first motorcycle in 1964. I was just 14 years old. I have always had a bike of some kind since. I was riding a Honda CB750 back and forth to the Proctor & Gamble Pulp Mill for a couple of years, until I met and married my wife. In the winter I would car pool. The 750 got sold and an old Ford was purchased instead. I didn't do any custom bike stuff until just a few years ago.....raising a family takes all of one’s money and effort. Once my children were grown up and on their own, we (myself and wife of 40 years) seemed to have a bit more money left over each payday and way more spare time. I love internal combustion engines and I like to keep busy with things, so a jump to building bikes was inevitable.

Junkies:  I think lots of guys out there can relate to your story.  Many of us are raising families now.  I think one of the important things to realize here is that it is never too late to pursue an area of interest.  As long as the passion is there chase that dream.  What do I find the most rewarding about motorcycles and wrenching in general?

Cliff:  I think, just the building part of the bike gives me the most rewards. 2nd would be the first time you sit back with a coffee and a smoke and carefully study the freshly painted and clean build. 3rd would be the very first time the engine fires up and continues to run. 4th would be the first time the build is taken out on the blacktop. This is also the most concerning part of any build. You wonder if this was tightened...did I miss this step...what is that sound...what is that vibration...I am sure you know what I mean.

Junkies: What was the most challenging?

Cliff:  I would have to say doing the first electronic fuel injection on the Blue Turbocharged bike. I waited over a year until the Microsquirt ECM was perfected and released to the public. When I finally got the package, I looked all them wires and thought to myself "there is no way", but one wire at a time (like eating an elephant) I had the bike wired up in one short weekend. Then came the programming......believe me, it was very difficult...but I stumbled my way

through the programming....managed to get the engine started....then got the engine to idle smooth...then the rest seemed a bit easier. Having a turbocharger on my first electronic fuel injected engine added a lot of extra programming stuff...a natural aspirated engine is way easier to program.

Junkies: You have some very impressive builds to say the least I gotta ask which is your favorite bike?

Cliff:  The Blue Turbocharged, Fuel Injected DOHC 750 bike is my favorite. It kicks some serious ass when the boost comes on. The Supercharged, Fuel Injected SOHC750 probably would out-do the DOHC in a quarter mile race...it's just that the power is always there with a supercharger rather than giving you the 'seat of the pants' rush that a turbocharger does. I do like the trike, but find it hard on the arms on a long haul.....you are always fighting with the crown in the road. The trike gathers quite the crowd.....well, I guess all my bikes do, but the trike more-so....there is just something about trikes.....

Junkies: One of our goals here is to inspire and inform.  Meaning give people that push to start something new and at the same time perhaps in part small bits of knowledge that will help along the way. Considering that from the perspective of a seasoned mechanic and builder what would you tell someone just getting into this are the five tools you gotta have?

(Assuming they have the basics covered ratchets, sockets, screw drivers, etc.)

Cliff:   For myself the first would be a machine lathe...second would be a milling machine. I bought myself a small lathe and mill-drill many, years ago.....they have paid for themselves many, many times over. Third tool(s) I wouldn't give up are the several small angle grinders I use daily. A person could get by with one, but I like to keep zip blades for aluminum in one, zip blades for steel in another, sanding disc in another, flapper wheel in another, grinder in another etc. etc.

Forth would be a tossup between my sanders. I have a 12" round dual plate sander, 1" wide belt sander/grinder, and an oscillating sander with drums from 1/2" to 4". Fifth tool is a tossup again between my four different welders. Oxyacetylene, 220v stick, 220v tig, and 110v mig. I got to add a sixth one in here...work tables.....I have several strong work tables...all built to the same height...all with casters. It is so nice to be able to shift tables around.  Another thing a good working place should have is good lighting.....and a partridge in a pear tree!!!

I would like to say thank you to Cliff for taking the time to answer our questions.  Below are some pictures of a few of Cliffs Rides and Restorations. 

Till next time keep chasing those dreams Wizard.