Another new fork in the works

[trackfodder]

I just completed the fork I turned backward and put the Honda 50 spring links on, but it doesn't look old enough. My thinking now is to copy the Pierce fork. It was on a four about 1910. All it takes is 2 balloon forks with a coil spring on the front stem working against a top stem plate on the rear fork similiar to a Schwinn springer. A heavy bolt working up and down through the plate with a bushing with a head on it and a rubber cookie to rebound against. A domed cap on top would keep fingers out of trouble. So far I know my Norton outer valve springs are a force fit on the 1" stem. I will have to get the spring and do some calculations as to where to put the axle and front fork so the action is right. Stay tuned. Trackfodder

 

[trackfodder]

Today I begged a couple of valve springs from a friend with an automotive machine shop. With the snubbers removed they are a nice free fit on the fork stem and the length is perfect. I stepped on one on the bathroom beam scales and it deflects about 1/4" at 100 lbs. and maybe an inch at 200 lbs. I think its' ballpark to what I need. I will have to calculate further to decide where to put the axle(fulcrum) to get the best action--soft ride but not over compressing. The links will be 1/4" plate with threaded 7/8" rounds screwed in and silver soldered in place and drilled 1/2 and be 1/2" thick to receive 1/2X1/2" shoulder bolts with 3/8" thread for pivots. The axle could be foreward of the spring legs if I need to for action. I will make a 1/4" thick plate to go over the main fork with a key to register with the fork notch and another 1" hole for the front fork to travel in with the race nut and top nut with a rubber cookie to snub rebound shock. I can put a cap on top with a bolt extending into the moving tube immersed in STP or something thinner for a shock. Here's where I could use advice. Would it give me quick plunge and slow rebound if I make the bottom of the plunger pointed and the backside flat? Visualize an inverted candy kiss on a pencil. I don't want to get into checkballs etc. I could maybe go with a sliding sleeve behind a vented plunger??? Your opinions, kind sirs. Keith (trackfodder) Williams (Go google 1910 Pierce motorcycle and fourth picture down on "how stuff works" to get an idea what I am up to)

 

[jak stoll]

Today I begged a couple of valve springs from a friend with an automotive machine shop. With the snubbers removed they are a nice free fit on the fork stem and the length is perfect. I stepped on one on the bathroom beam scales and it deflects about 1/4" at 100 lbs. and maybe an inch at 200 lbs. I think its' ballpark to what I need. I will have to calculate further to decide where to put the axle(fulcrum) to get the best action--soft ride but not over compressing. The links will be 1/4" plate with threaded 7/8" rounds screwed in and silver soldered in place and drilled 1/2 and be 1/2" thick to receive 1/2X1/2" shoulder bolts with 3/8" thread for pivots. The axle could be foreward of the spring legs if I need to for action. I will make a 1/4" thick plate to go over the main fork with a key to register with the fork notch and another 1" hole for the front fork to travel in with the race nut and top nut with a rubber cookie to snub rebound shock. I can put a cap on top with a bolt extending into the moving tube immersed in STP or something thinner for a shock. Here's where I could use advice. Would it give me quick plunge and slow rebound if I make the bottom of the plunger pointed and the backside flat? Visualize an inverted candy kiss on a pencil. I don't want to get into checkballs etc. I could maybe go with a sliding sleeve behind a vented plunger??? Your opinions, kind sirs. Keith (trackfodder) Williams (Go google 1910 Pierce motorcycycle and fourth picture down on "how stuff works" to get an idea what I am up to)

wherea are the freaking pictures dude
take care
JAK

 

[trackfodder]

The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

Tonight I made and profiled the link plates and top plate. I still need to get shoulder bolts. At this time it is held together with 3/8 and locknuts. I found it would work with the Schwinn drum brake and I think if I don't bolt the arm down like on the yellow bike and allow it to centrilize, it might be good. I will fill in the slots so the bolts can't escape , or just use safety lug washers. The big suprise came when I realized I can suspend a damper plunger from the gooseneck and put an oil seal under the top nut on the fork. A 1" o.d. x 1/4 id seal will be a snap to find. I can put a vented head on the end of the plunger with a floating sleeve to shut off the reverse flow on the rebound. I really don't think I will ever appreciate the damper, but I gotta plug the hole with SOMETHING> An O-ring is my rebound cushion at present. It will take some contriving to put a fender on it. I don't like the short fork steering tube, but I will probably just recover it and do a whole frame from scratch as soon as I decide on a motor. The rear fork is a 24" and I don't have any others, so I'm stuck with it. The fork is copied from a PIERCE, not a Pearce Cheers to all,
email.jpg (4KB), picasaweblogo-en_US.gif (3KB), picasaweblogo-en_US.gif (3KB), email.jpg (4KB)
Notice I finally got some jpg courtesy of Picassa 3. I told Snapfish to get off my galaxy If you can't make it work, back to the drawing board. Sound off

Keith

 

[jak stoll]

Re: The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

Tonight I made and profiled the link plates and top plate. I still need to get shoulder bolts. At this time it is held together with 3/8 and locknuts. I found it would work with the Schwinn drum brake and I think if I don't bolt the arm down like on the yellow bike and allow it to centrilize, it might be good. I will fill in the slots so the bolts can't escape , or just use safety lug washers. The big suprise came when I realized I can suspend a damper plunger from the gooseneck and put an oil seal under the top nut on the fork. A 1" o.d. x 1/4 id seal will be a snap to find. I can put a vented head on the end of the plunger with a floating sleeve to shut off the reverse flow on the rebound. I really don't think I will ever appreciate the damper, but I gotta plug the hole with SOMETHING> An O-ring is my rebound cushion at present. It will take some contriving to put a fender on it. I don't like the short fork steering tube, but I will probably just recover it and do a whole frame from scratch as soon as I decide on a motor. The rear fork is a 24" and I don't have any others, so I'm stuck with it. The fork is copied from a PIERCE, not a Pearce Cheers to all,
Keith

this is a picture of the first one I have done
as you can see I just hacked up 3 forks & sorta welded them together
it works pretty well tracks nice, steers a little slow so it feels really stable at speed
take care
JAK

 

[trackfodder]

Re: The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

Jak- I only see 2 forks and what looks like fork legs headed for a triple clamp-? What hub is that? Looks good and ought to be real stable. Send me your email and I'll show you whats happening here. I think next I will mount the chrome Hodaka Ace 90 tank on the 3-speed yellow bike. The gas guage cratored on the Jiang Dong and left me a 1" hole in the top. I was going to use a peanut tank but it is rusted out. Keith

 

[trackfodder]

Re: The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

I checked Fastenal for the shoulder bolts and they say 4 is worth $26 ! This fork will get short pieces of 1/2" stainless tubing instead. KW

 

[jak stoll]

Re: The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

Jak- I only see 2 forks and what looks like fork legs headed for a triple clamp-? What hub is that? Looks good and ought to be real stable. Send me your email and I'll show you whats happening here. I think next I will mount the chrome Hodaka Ace 90 tank on the 3-speed yellow bike. The gas guage cratored on the Jiang Dong and left me a 1" hole in the top. I was going to use a peanut tank but it is rusted out. Keith

the rear fork is made of two
the upper with the tripple tree
the lower legs are from a red fork I bent
the forward fork is the third
take care
JAK

 

[trackfodder]

Re: The 1910 Pierce type fork takes shape

Did you ever have a shop session where you could do no wrong? I just did. I was stuck with a lightweight 24" frame for the Pierce type fork as it was the one with a short steering tube that would fit the forks I had. That decided me that this one would have a rear spring suspension as well. Tonight I got to considering options for the peddle shaft hanger and the swingarm one. I ended up pulling in a Sears unisex bike to supply a standard shaft hanger. I was worried about alignment for awhile until I discovered the Flying O lightweight had 1.14" tubes and the Sears had 1". The Flying O has gorgeous lugging, The seat tube of the Sears was the same diameter as the seat stem of the "O". Also, the down tube of the O would fit over the Sears downtube. SO! I bobbed the O downtube at 2" and removed all its piping around the seat bracket lug. I slipped the seat tube of the Sears thru the lug of the O and adjusted the front down tube of the Sears to just enter the O at the steering area. No alignment problems. Then I liberated the English-style little shaft hanger from the O to be my swingarm pivot. I kept rudimentary downtube and seat tube stubs to keep my options open in case I needed to mount a center stand or likesuch. I left about 3/8" of the rear bottom fork protruding out of the hanger lug. Then I decided I did a dumb thing bobbing the downtube as I realized I could invert and reverse the hanger bracket and the seat tube would triangulate to the seat tube on the O ,which is the seat tube in use.I lucked out, as the tubing from the Sears slipped inside the O hanger bracket stub and a quick trip to the milling machine and I had it scooped out at an angle to saddle the seat tube. The swingarm hanger has the stubs of the rear fork up against the rear of the Sears crank hanger. Alignment is a snap. A block of wood tells me the 2 hangers are parallel and the dial caliper tells me the length of the stubs are rignt on the top view. I was worried about the unisex tube that will leave a hole in the seat tube, but again, I can slip some larger tubing over and reinforce the area, and I might use quite a bit to let the China Doll mount on something substantial. I know this is all confusing, but I can see it clearly myself. When I get it welded up and come up with the swingarm and top spring fork, I will shoot pix. Perhaps also the Silent Grey Fellow style tank. That will pretty fill the frame over the engine. Promise.

 

[trackfodder]

Well there are up days and down days. Today reason crept in and after welding the swing arm shaft hanger in place, reason told me<"You ain't gonnna peddle this thing. There is no room for the peddle shaft. If I stuck a sprocket out there to clear, it wouldn't line up with anything. The HT is no longer a candidate, but I have a 6ft. version of the Atlas Van Lines unlimited hydro with the Allyson V-12 that has a backward turning Quadra 2.2ci. with 2.2hp and a rope starter that was WAY inadequate for the boat. Been waiting for a butt-kickin' chainsaw to come along I could upgear with Gilmer pulleys and belt. I don't want to get started with 1/4 scale boats. Anyhow, I can put the necessary sprocketing in the front shaft hanger and use that engine Also there is a Kawasaki snow blower mill that I stuck a weed eater centrifugal clutch on that also has a rope starter. It was too rpm limited for the 1/4 scale Crackerbox boat. About 32 cc. At least it's cute.
EVERY MAN HAS AN IDEA THAT WON'T WORK