Excalibur ‘09

[Mr.B.]

Thanks again fellows!!!

About the badge...

-I sculpted the ‘tooling model’’ with a hobby shop product named Sculpey- It’s like modeling clay made of plastic that you bake in a oven to harden.

-After it was baked I mounted it to a scrap of board and made a Sculpey "dam" to contain the silicone.

-The Silicone mold material was simply high temp gasket sealer from a auto parts store, comes in a tube.

-I globbed it on, tapped it down, forced it into the detail as best as could with my fingers, and tapped again. I would wet my fingers before touching the silicone to help keep it from sticking to me.

-I melted a old roll of solder wire with a propane torch to fill the mold, It actually took a few tries to get a good cast. And it still lost a good bit of detail compared to the model, soft edges, shrinkage, etc...

Having said this I’ve since discovered that “Premol” sculpey comes in color including some that look like metallic silver, brass, copper, bronze, etc...

Next time I make a badge (Excalibur ‘03 perhaps?) I’m just going to use it straight up! Less work, better detail...

-Kirk

 

[feelyx]

Here is a metal that melts in boiling water, and should show the high detail of your mold. Real easy to use...
http://www.rotometals.com/Low-Melting-Alloys-s/21.htm

 

[harry76]

Thanks for the explaination Mr.B, i must admit im still a little confused.

Just to be clear, did you bake the clay then did your design, or did you do the design in the clay then put it in the oven to harden?

You also said "Having said this I’ve since discovered that “Premol” sculpey comes in color including some that look like metallic silver, brass, copper, bronze, etc... " im a little confused about this too. Whats the benefit of colored Sculpey? Do you mean you would actually make a headbadge out of Sculpey rather then using the lead???????

Looking forward to seeing your updated Thumper pictures....... You mentioned maybe a future Excalibur 03, could i suggest a boardtracker. Boardtrackers are by far my favourite bikes yet your Excalibur is by far my favourite bike on this site, id love to see your version of a boardtracker, i just know the detail would be amazing. I know your builds take a little longer then most but thats because of the brilliant details you include.

Thanks again Mr.B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mr.B.]

Yep, I sculpted it before baking, the original Sculpey product is just white and it gets a little scored looking when it’s baked.

I wish I could of just painted it but paint reacts badly to this stuff.

This new Premol Sculpey is suppose to keep it’s color after baking, so if it works well I would use it as is.

Although, feelyx that low melt stuff looks interesting, perhaps I should try it first in my existing mold...?

I have been slowly collecting parts for a possible Excalibur ‘03.

I have tall 1970’s Raleigh 10 speed frame with scolloped lugs- Very Edwardian looking and also a nearly complete 1947 Wisconsin model AK engine.

The cylinder head is broken and I'm thinking about making a new one that’s a little more turn of the century looking anyway.

The idea with this one would be to be freshly painted and shiny.

Board tracker...? I don’t know, I might save that look for a future Yamaha XS 650 project I have on my to do list.

-Kirk

 

[Mr.B.]

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

A snapshot from Monday’s parade...

-Kirk

 

[silverbear]

I like the tail light.
SB

 

[charliechaindrive.]

Happy halloween indeed! The x is looking sharp mr.b, very sharp indeed

 

[truckd]

Happy Haloween!
One question ...where did you get the gloves? I need a pair as well as a pair of leather shin gaurds, but the glves are a must!!

 

[Mr.B.]

Thanks.

Hat, googles, pants, and gloves are antiques picked up at flea markets/antique shops over the years...

I see those old black leather military shin guards all the time and can usually be snagged for $25- I didn’t wear mine as the crop pants already fit tightly around my calf's.

-Kirk

 

[truckd]

I've acually have 3 pair of the vintage cropped riding pants and repop goggles but the gloves and shin gaurds are a key piece,keep an eye open for me we don't see that stuff to often in Calif.

 

[Mr.B.]

With out actually researching perhaps a pair of Cavalry gauntlets would work?

Check sources for Civil War or Wild West reenactors replica gear...

-Kirk

 

[Mr.B.]

Quick search for gauntlets:

http://www.crescentcitysutler.com/sashes-gauntlets.html

I’m sure there must be others too...

-Kirk

 

[Ludwig II]

Information on silicon rubber casting from a source requiring a high definition and good release properties:

http://paleo.cc/casting/silsum.htm

And this is one company that will sel you some:

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/rubber/rubberprocess/


One thing to be aware of is that some of the silicones will stand a good heat, so you might get away with casting in solder or similar alloy staright into the mould.

 

[Ludwig II]

Happy Haloween!
One question ...where did you get the gloves? I need a pair as well as a pair of leather shin gaurds, but the glves are a must!!

What about horse equipment suppliers? I have a pair, but they were from the estate of a dead friend and nobody's getting them.

 

[curtisfox]

How about welding cloves..........Curt

 

[Mr.B.]

Thanks for the links!

-Kirk

Information on silicon rubber casting from a source requiring a high definition and good release properties:

http://paleo.cc/casting/silsum.htm

And this is one company that will sel you some:

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/rubber/rubberprocess/


One thing to be aware of is that some of the silicones will stand a good heat, so you might get away with casting in solder or similar alloy staright into the mould.

 

[Mr.B.]

Announcing my next motorized bike...

Excalibur ‘04, the Tri-Car.

A 1910 Indian shown for reference...

I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while and setting some parts aside:

A 70’s Raleigh frame, I really like the antique looking scalloped frame lugs. It will keep the straight top bar but I’ll have to stretch it a bit to fit the engine. I’m going to build a new longer rear triangle: heavier, bumped out for a large pulley drive, and with screw adjustable rear facing drop outs.

The tank will be a simple period shaped rectangle.

The Engine is a 1947 Wisconsin model AK. This was a well used spare parts motor that came with the first one and I’ll likely have to rebuild the insides. It has a broken cylinder head and I’d like to attempt to make my own with a much more antique looking rounded sunburst fin design.

That heavy duty reduction drive will go and I’ve already found a correct side cover to replace it.

It turns opposite to the engine so I think it might make a nice “jackshaft” for a future build with either a cylinder facing backwards or width issues.

The old wicker chair was a recent Craig's List find and really is the lynch pin to this Tri-Car concept.

Unfortunately my bicycle builds seem to move in slow motion compared to others I’ve seen. And this one might take even longer than usual as I'm first going to customize a ‘73 Yamaha TX650 this winter and also a couple of other long neglected house restoration projects-

-Kirk

 

[curtisfox]

Way to go thats going to be AWESOME and can't waite to see your progress. Let us know here if you start a new post on it..............Curt

 

[silverbear]

Wonderful! Another tri-car... this will be quite a one of a kind project, Kirk. Yes, it will take some time to accomplish, but just think of how it will be when done. The wicker chair will be perfect and the Wisconsin is a good choice. Your other one sure worked out. Start a thread on it as soon as you want. Nobody will expect it to fly along and that way we get to see it slowly come into being. Steve's Indian and my Hiawatha have not exactly assembled themselves. I'm already about a year behind where I though I'd be by now. So what? That's why we vintage tri car guys will always be a small club. So glad you're taking this on!
SB

 

[truckd]

Soooo! Cool! Can't Waite till it's done,Love the Chair, I have wicker chairs with metal tubing in the leg's and backing for strentgh do yours? and if not how will you mount them ?