Bike builders that have machine tools/shops

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Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
Hey Dan, no apology required as I resemble your remark.
It comes to all that don't kill themselves first.
Enjoy the thread.
I started it to sniff out other MotorBicycle enthusiast's who produce parts for themselves or in my case have traded work for parts from vendors.
In my last photo, if you are wondering how that crockpot fits into the scheme of things.;) There have been threads on this and the other forum. Discussing wax impregnation of drive chains. And wax recipes. All require chains immersed in a molten wax bath. Wally World has these three qt. crockpot's for ten bucks. It is still an experiment.
Tom from Rubicon
 

Tony01

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Nov 28, 2012
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sf bay area
Dan, I have cooked #41 and #35, neither one has meat to bother with. My recipe has shown some degree of durability and no slinging. My machine has no chain guards. O-ring chain would be nice.
Tom from Rubicon
My experience has been that chains do not like to go fast if they are not in an oil bath. Most people running a dry chain primary do not put the miles in. The people I have known that ran high miles with a minimum of drivetrain maintenance were guys with belt primaries. The best deal for a dry system is a belt primary. Much can be learned from lawnmower racers about high hp and v-belts. Also low tooth counts as found on most modern clutches absolutely kill chains in short order. I think a belt primary with clutch on the jack shaft like the whizzer is the way to go. Maintenance becomes easy unlike on the engine you must change the spring to get a smoother lockup. But on the jackshaft after an approx 1.4 reduction you can run a stock mt clutch and it will lockup at the right rpm for our needs and keep the bike slim; could even shorten the crankshaft.
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,782
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
My experience has been that chains do not like to go fast if they are not in an oil bath. Most people running a dry chain primary do not put the miles in. The people I have known that ran high miles with a minimum of drivetrain maintenance were guys with belt primaries. The best deal for a dry system is a belt primary. Much can be learned from lawnmower racers about high hp and v-belts. Also low tooth counts as found on most modern clutches absolutely kill chains in short order. I think a belt primary with clutch on the jack shaft like the whizzer is the way to go. Maintenance becomes easy unlike on the engine you must change the spring to get a smoother lockup. But on the jackshaft after an approx 1.4 reduction you can run a stock mt clutch and it will lockup at the right rpm for our needs and keep the bike slim; could even shorten the crankshaft.
Have you ever rode a Sportsman Flyer Tony? Pat sets up the Bully clutches such that my bike "engine" brakes. I bought a EZ-Q and chose not to use it.

If chains wear out every hundred miles, not a problem. My Flyer is also getting steel receiving and out-put sprockets on the reduction drive. 7075 T-6 aluminum has approximately the same properties as low carbon steel
Regarding oil bath primaries. That is a ideal that at high chain speed (I'm not saying I would not give it a try) would be a drag on torque. Harley did until the Evolution Engine have a oil drip in the transfer case to lubricate the primary chain. That is why they (leaked).
In the mean time I am giving the wax base lube a trial.
Tom from Rubicon.
 

MEASURE TWICE

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Jul 13, 2010
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I ask you all what work gloves can there be attained that I can use that prevent metal slivers (very small can't nearly bee seen) from getting inbedded in the glove an eventually going through and into hand and or fingers. I like some I got at HF Tool for cheap about 10 bucks I think. They have more than just fabric, but not completely covered with stuff that stops this from happening. Cleaning can it be done to get the slivers out, or is it just time to toss them in the trash, as I did? I can grab em back out, but don't think it is something to clean.

Just want to clarify that I did not get stuck initially with the slivers. I probably handled some magnetic stuff that had the tiny metal slivers stuck on the surface and in went into the outer side of the glove. Took a few wearings of the gloves later and then ouch, seemingly for no reason. Now I know why. I guess I will try to be more careful for this time the gloves did not really seem that much worn. I got 1 year out of them, but I can see it happening I throw out gloves way too often if I forget about how magnets pick up these almost invisible splinters.

I think at least I could try to remember to use some old rags to pick up the splinter metal fragments and toss the rag immediately after. Then and only then do I use the gloves on something that has hopefully had a significant amount of these fine metal splinters already gone to the trash.

I remember doing what I mentioned in the immediate above paragraph some time ago when this happened before. I forgot I was just using a long magnet that I keep for finding lost magnetic hardware dropped on the ground. When not cleaning the magnet afterward, that is where I suspect all my troubles started again. May have to put a label on that magnet to remind to clean immediately after use!

Any suggestions?
 
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indian22

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Dec 31, 2014
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Oklahoma
Pretty common problem MT and I've not found a sure fire way to prevent it, but I use deer skin gloves that are quite supple, especially in the winter. In a commercial shop they don't last long, 6 months or so $20. My biggest problem is taking gloves off though and that's when metal really bites! Especially when you get old and the skin gets thin, lol.

Rick C.
 

Tinsmith

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2009
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Maryland
Well, for whatever it's worth, these old, thin skin hands worked milling machines and lathes all day for years and never wore gloves using those machines. I always felt that was a safety hazard. Wore gloves fabricating sometimes and welding most of the time. The hands were full of little black sliver specks but rarely bad enough to have to dig them out. Burns and cuts handling the metal was always my reason for wearing gloves. Still have 8 of my fingers and a couple thumbs. Just lucky!

Dan
 

Greg58

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May 1, 2011
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Newnan,Georgia
I have a supply of order picker gloves from my son in laws job, cloth back and rubber on the palm side. They are form fitting and fairly durable, I have used them for everything but welding, I like real leather for that.
 

Greg58

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May 1, 2011
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Newnan,Georgia
Speaking of safety I know a lot of people (me) are older and need glasses when working with machine tools, do you wear regular glasses or safety glasses? I have bi-focal safety glasses at every tool that you should wear them at. That way I don't have an excuse to risk getting flying debris in my eyes. I have dodged a bullet twice in my life and not lost a eye doing stupid stuff, I was buffing exhaust valves when I was about 20, I took off my glasses because it was too hot. No more than five minutes later a piece of wire came off the wire wheel and stuck in my eye, I could see it between my pupil and nose. I ran to the restroom of the machine shop and looked in the mirror, the wire was sticking straight out. Being young and stupid ( I'm old now) I pulled it out. Lucky for me it didn't have a barb on the end, I had blurred vision for several day but no damage.
 
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javy mcdees

Active Member
Jul 30, 2018
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Speaking of safety I know a lot of people (me) are older and need glasses when working with machine tools, do you were regular glasses or safety glasses? I have bi-focal safety glasses at every tool that you should wear them at. That way I don't have an excuse to risk getting flying debris in my eyes. I have dodged a bullet twice in my life and not lost a eye doing stupid stuff, I was buffing exhaust valves when I was about 20, I took off my glasses because it was too hot. No more than five minutes later a piece of wire came off the wire wheel and stuck in my eye, I could see it between my pupil and nose. I ran to the restroom of the machine shop and looked in the mirror, the wire was sticking straight out. Being young and stupid ( I'm old now) I pulled it out. Lucky for me it didn't have a barb on the end, I had blurred vision for several day but no damage.
similar thing happened to me but a piece of metal was stuck in my eye would not come out, after some thinking under duress I found a rubber glove a magnet for picking up bolts stuck the magnet in the rubber glove and rolled around my eye and like 16 shards of metal came out my eye. Good trick I learned.
eye-see.jpg
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
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Newnan,Georgia
On a side note, after working with the tools we've all talked about for over 40 years or so I started having trouble with my foot, the Dr. sent me for a MRI, the first thing the asked me when filling out the paper work was was I a machinist, they sent me to have head x-rays to make sure I didn't have metal in my eyes. They told me that the magnetic power of the MRI would either pull out the metal or the eye.
 

MEASURE TWICE

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Jul 13, 2010
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Thanks for all the responses! I guess I will look for some new gloves with better palm face sides, even if they seem a bit stiff. The talk about eye protection I took notice about and am one of those who was told early on to use eye protection. But as kids I had near misses just like ones mentioned. I use goggles and sometimes a face shield. The face shield does not protect the neck, although I had no issue there checking out a lawn mower where some gravel was. Kill switch on lawn mower was in operable too. I got some small pebble that hit around my mouth, but only made my lip sore. I could have said I was in a bar brawl I suppose.
 

EZL

Well-Known Member
May 13, 2016
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Chenoa, Illinois, USA
similar thing happened to me but a piece of metal was stuck in my eye would not come out, after some thinking under duress I found a rubber glove a magnet for picking up bolts stuck the magnet in the rubber glove and rolled around my eye and like 16 shards of metal came out my eye. Good trick I learned. View attachment 101137
A face shield affords some protection along with glasses or safety glasses. I've had to have steel taken out of my
eyes twice by a doctor, NO FUN! A strong magnet has also worked. A friend of mine who is a gearhead working
on a HP '67 Dart once had to got to a eye doctor to have metal removed from his eye. He was using safety
glasses but after working on some metal grinding it he removed the glasses and wiped his hair. He rarely wears
a hat and he had long hair at the time and he told me that he wiped his hair with his hand and that was when he
noticed some of the grinding metal had gotten into his eye. I guess the best solution is to wear a head covering
and wash your hair after grinding on metal. I know why professional industrial welders always wear a skull cap
since they are aware of these problems. If you want a real strong magnet remove a rare-earth magnet out of an
old hardrive or order one off of Ebay. Regular eye glasses won't protect you like a set of goggles or a face mask.