June Garage Girl

This month we salute welding.

May Garage Girl Veronica Gomez

Getting Ready to Roll

Hello guys and gals it has been a minute since I was able to post.  The life of the weird and wonderful wizard at times gets a little too weird for even me lol.  But I digress I sat her pondering what to write about and it came to me.  As most of our country shakes or has shaken off the chill of winter it is time that we will all be hitting the road.  As you know our main focus is the build but we all need to remember that a huge part of riding, building, and enjoying motorcycles is maintenance.  Oh there it is that dirty word.  Assuming that you did what you need to do in order to protect your scoot for the winter there are a few steps to take to make sure your first trip out you spend more timing riding the bike than pushing it home.  Now is the perfect time to do those little checks.  No matter how much prep you did winter is always the perfect time for those garage gremlins to get at your ride.

1.       New gas.  This is a no brainer in particular with the ethanol in it now if you have much of winter at all the gas that set is gonna be funky.  Also not a bad time to spend the extra buck and get a new fuel filter.  It is amazing how many times a gummed up filter will leave you on the side of the road.   

2.       Fluids, check that brake fluid if you happen to rock a liquid cooled check that coolant too.

3.       Tune up.  In the weeks leading up to riding weather take the time to tune it up spark plugs, oil change with filter. 

4.       Check them tires and lube that chain.  Not only is it obvious that there is danger involved if either of these fail your ass is doing the walk of shame. 

5.       Cables this is often over looked but for a few bucks you can get some stuff called cable lube and trust me you spray it in there your cables work better and last longer  the good folks at http://cycleonemanufacturing.com/ carry it < and most anything else you need, its good stuff.

6.       Brakes.  Ckeck em for warping wear and function.  Riding is only fun if you can stop when you need too.  Injuries aside many a pair of clean skivvies have been ruined by bad brakes.

7.       Ok so assume everything checked out good on these basic steps if you are a home builder now is also the perfect time to double check nuts and bolts.   I know we all roll to the shop born to be wild playing our head and think we are the next Indian Larry but guys we all forget shit.  One missed bolt now is the difference between hmm I wonder how I missed that and fubar city.

I will leave it at that and say that soon I plan to do a write up on a few of these things.  Some guys might say oh come on it so basic but you got to remember we all learned at some point and no one is born knowing everything.  Until next time keep those sleds tuned and show them some love they will love you back. 

Wizard

Shop of the Month Wabi Iron Works

Hello to all you greasy gremlins out there in garage land.  This month I want to bring you a builder / shop profile that is a little different.  This one is different because the builder has no clue he is being featured.  One of my best friends and fellow Honda Chopper Head Clint Ward better known as Motorhead in the HC.COM community has start a new business venture called Wabi Iron Works.  Clint has taken a huge leap so many of us dream about but are too big a chicken shit to actually do.  He is a solid guy and I think that he definitely has the skill to make a go of it.  In fact the killer bars on my trike happen to be the first bars that he made for anyone other than himself.  The discussions about these bars were how we got to know each other and become friends.  Yall remember that when he becomes a internationally known build I have the first bars lol.  So in the spirit of giving a brother the props he deserves as well as bringing you info about the coolest up and coming shops around I present Wabi Iron Works.  You can check them out on the web at  wabiirionworks.com or if you are local to the NOLA area give him a call he will hook you up with everything from parts to complete builds it is up to you.   I hope to bring you future updates and eventually a feature on his first shop build.  Oh yeah I put that out there so he can’t say no.

Till next time keep those wheels turning and wrenches spinning.

Wizard

March Garage Girl

I thought this month we might do a little pin up style art for the garage girl

Dished Tank

Hello to all you grease cover gear heads out there across our fine but frigid nation.  In keeping in line with our hands on tech I decided to document my latest project.  Now I think we can all safely say that a dished in gas tank is pretty cool.  They have been around for a long time and found resurgence when Indian Larry featured them on some of his iconic biker build off bikes.  It is really one of the easier things to accomplish and there are a few ways to go about it.  One is to cut the sides out and flip them right to left weld em back and there it is.  The other way and the one I chose was to hand hammer in the sides.  This in and of itself can be done in several ways this is just mine.  I need to start by saying also that this can be done with crisp lines or a more gentle rounded transition.  I wanted the more curved and round look and I will say also that was not as easy as it sounds it takes a lot of patience to make sure that rounded edge stays round particularly in the corners.

So first things first I started with a single cap mustang style tank.  Pretty much one of the standard issue chopper tanks out there.   

The actual process would be much the same if you were doing this or if you wanted to do something like knee dents in a café tank. 

I start by covering one side of my tank in painters masking tape be sure you overlap the pieces this is important later and draw out my desired shape.  I go through a few sketches in pencil then trace my final design in sharpie. 

Once this step is done cut the shape out with a razor knife.  Since we made sure to overlap we can now remove it in one solid piece and presto we have the template for the other side. 

  At this point trace the inside edge of the original masked side so you have a good out line when the tape is removed. 

I take a soft measuring tape the kind your grandma used when she was sewing and measure some key locations along the pattern.  I like to measure form the tunnel and lay out reference marks.  This allows you to make the corresponding marks on the opposite side and line up the pattern.  Once all the marks are in place lay you template on the tank and trace.  Now both sides are marked.  Remove your tape and head outside. 

This next part is just what you would think start hammering away.  I start with a large rubber mallet in the center and work my way out to the marks.  I like to do my finish work with a variety of ball peen hammers.  Just take you time work slowly and use a firm hand but don’t overdo it.  You are shaping a tank you are not the Mighty Thor defending Asgard.  Pretty soon it will take shape.  Then flip it over and do the same.  

 At this point you have a couple more options.  You can some body filler and work the sides and make it smooth as glass or as I chose you can leave the pings visible.  I am going for a very gritty feel over all so that works well for me.  That’s it pop the top on some rustoleum blast on a coat or ten and you are good to go.  Here are a couple of shots of where mine is at the moment.  It will be getting far more work ( think pinstripe)  but this is the start of a patina look I am doing. Most of the time I am not a fake finish kinda guy however on this project I am using lots of old parts so I want to match things rather than mix them. 

Remember any project is doable as long as you get up and do it.

Till next time keep on keeping on Wizard.

February Garage Girl

This month we bring you Masuimi Max.

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.