Croatian Boardtracker

[perichbrothers]

Cool dule -
Also if you set up all those FG sheet"facets" of the tank from the outside,
(the form is good to make cardboard templates over)
using masking tape or a hot glue gun with wood or whatever to make the shape,
you can use 1-2" strips of fiberglass from the inside to connect it together.
Then you trim with a razor blade and a light rasp file to clean off the sheet overlap,
then bondo up the edge, alot thicker and stronger.
(opposite of trying to get the edge to match the flat, which weakens that joint, and alot more grinding)

Talk to ya later.

TP

 

[dule]

hehe nice to have U as a personal FG adviser tnx a lot man

 

[Cannonfish]

This is a great thread, I'm enjoying watching the progress on your tank as I collect the pieces to do a similar project.

A question for you guys with fiberglass experience - anybody ever use KBS tank sealant over polyester resin? I've read that polyester resin dissolves (slowly) in gasoline - of course I didn't discover that until after I'd already purchased the polyester stuff... So then I looked for a tank sealer to use on the inside of the tank, and I found that KBS Gold claims to bond to fiberglass (Kreem apparently does not).

hHis project is getting more expensive than I'd thought . The cheapest I could find the KBS sealant was for $45 online (including shipping). Is there a better epoxy resin to use for these tanks, that wouldn't dissolve in gasoline?

 

[dule]

a friend of mine uses epoxy resin for the inside the tank if the tank is FG

 

[dule]

Cool dule -
Also if you set up all those FG sheet"facets" of the tank from the outside,
(the form is good to make cardboard templates over)
using masking tape or a hot glue gun with wood or whatever to make the shape,
you can use 1-2" strips of fiberglass from the inside to connect it together.
Then you trim with a razor blade and a light rasp file to clean off the sheet overlap,
then bondo up the edge, alot thicker and stronger.
(opposite of trying to get the edge to match the flat, which weakens that joint, and alot more grinding)

Talk to ya later.

TP

damn seems like my englidh isn't good enought, whole day today I'm trying to picture this in my head and my brain is constantly reporting error on that part about rounding edges :/

 

[perichbrothers]

Make cardboard templates of all the flat parts a little oversize.
If you taped them together from the inside,
they would be at a slight curve, not necesarilly a sharp right angle.
Well when you fiberglass with a small strip of fiberglass from the inside,
it usually wants to make a light curve,
almost what you have sanded on the foam.

It's really difficult to make a sharp edge with the fiberglass.
If you're lucky and you made the templates the right size,
you can use the natural curve and trim the excess fiberglass sheet and it should be almost perfect,
with very little need to grind or sand that much.
The fiberglass will probably want to bend at a 1 cm radius curve or so.

The most important thing is to connect the fiberglass flat sheet to the foam mold,
hot glue would work ok or 2 sided tape,
than use some packaging tape and tape all the pieces together from the outside on the edges.
you might have to hot glue some wood strips or something to make it hold its position.
Than remove the foam mold,
and make sure you pay attention that it holds the shape you want,
especially that bow on the side.
(a 2 layer fiberglass sheet is flexible enough to follow that contour)

Anyway it may take 2 tries but when you are satisfied with the shape,
than you can start the actual fiberglass procedure.

Its true that a picture is worth a thousand words but don't have any!

It's really easier than it sounds.

TP

 

[dule]

hehe yes I'm shure it is, tnx think i got the picture now...will have to wait and see

d.

 

[Whizzerd]

Hi Dule, you ,sir, are a true craftsman. Your redo of GF's bike is exquisite w/ wood accents. I'm watching this thread too as you do the FG tank. I'm thinking too that epoxy won't 'eat' your EPS mold like some polyesters might. You guys w/ experience please, do you use a mold release agent on the foam mold and if so what? Thanks

 

[dule]

well I've learned a few tricks of the trade from a friend!

to avoid "eating" the EPS with the resin my friend usually wraps the EPS in wide scotch tape and than puts a coat of kitchen alu foil, afterwards (to keep low on budget) he runs it a few times with an old type (not so healty) wood floor wax/protection to act instead the mould relese (1/10 of the price and tripple the size) afterwards he applies resin and FG in "normal" way, and if he uses the FG to make a tank (like me) than he washes the tank halfs with kitchen soap and warm wather, dries it, FG bound it in whole tank and than purs in epoxy resin and soaks it well - the ecces he just pours out!

so, I'll try too do the same

 

[diegom]

I've been reading a lot online about the fiberglass-and-foam method of casting a gastank

watch out... fiberglass and modern fuel (expecially in the USA) don't mix well at all

diego

 

[diegom]

hi dule,

your ride is coming along really hot, I love it!! and you have a great taste, I love the wooden accents on your girlfriend's bike!

few days ago my new old grips arrived with a "reversed" controls - hopefully I'll manage to fix them with the clutch and throttle

I love the idea of the reverse levers... the clutch makes perfect sense, but please explain, you intend to control the THROTTLE with one lever?! how do you operate the brakes then??

let me know because I'm thinking of fitting reverse levers to mine too, but for the clutch and both brakes... for the throttle I was thinking of getting an internal throttle... and one on the other side to operate the decompressor...

thanks and keep up the good work!!

ciao from Italy

diego

 

[dule]

well that's the reason why to put epoxy resin inside

and BTW

F I N A L Y! ma engine kit arrived! It took "only" 3 and a 1/2 weeks and too much cash for postal fees and taxes but the kit is here - it seems that everything is ok, it a silver 66cc streight head kit from boy go fast.... damn ugly grips thou...all in all nice gift from me to myself on my b-day (today is my 31st hehe)

@ diego

one side will be fot the clutch and the other for front brake, the throttle will probably be standard issued in the kit (unfortunatly) but maybe I'll manage to figure sth out on the way

first i must sort the frame - hide the welds and smooth it out, that make the offset motormounts because of ma 24x3 rear tire (that I MUST keep because I love it), and after that easy in nice work - paint and maybe even some pinstriping... and than assambley and hopefully first ride for the 1st day of spring

 

[dule]

I've been working a bit (it wasn't so cold this last week)

took a piece of pipe from a near by scrap yard and turned it into a motormount (for now just the front one). Because I'm keepin' my 24x3 I needed offset so I did it like it's written on the AMPT bikes site - 5/8" (about 1.6cm). I've made the mount all by hand still needs some cosmetic touch ups (but for thet I'll use electric grinder hehe) and maybe they'll be chromed dunno just yet... today I'll try to make the rear one (still not sure because we have a snow blizzard here today so it's not nice on my balcony/workshop)

here are some pics (bad quality because those were taken with mi mobile) of how the mount looks like (made out of a two pice of steel pipe (3x3cm)

from under the bike

one from the side with the mock up tank

I have one more question about the gas tank cap - I'm not quiet ok with the idea of cutting up the tank that I got with my kit and I'm thinking of machining the cap from aluminium - but is it neccesary to make it vented?!? because I don't know how to make it like that...what would happen if it's not vented?!? every now and than I should open it and close to let the air in? could it happen to not let the gas out from the tank and into the carb?!?

 

[silverbear]

I've been working a bit (it wasn't so cold this last week)

took a piece of pipe from a near by scrap yard and turned it into a motormount (for now just the front one). Because I'm keepin' my 24x3 I needed offset so I did it like it's written on the AMPT bikes site - 5/8" (about 1.6cm). I've made the mount all by hand still needs some cosmetic touch ups (but for thet I'll use electric grinder hehe) and maybe they'll be chromed dunno just yet... today I'll try to make the rear one (still not sure because we have a snow blizzard here today so it's not nice on my balcony/workshop)

here are some pics (bad quality because those were taken with mi mobile) of how the mount looks like (made out of a two pice of steel pipe (3x3cm)

from under the bike

one from the side with the mock up tank

I have one more question about the gas tank cap - I'm not quiet ok with the idea of cutting up the tank that I got with my kit and I'm thinking of machining the cap from aluminium - but is it neccesary to make it vented?!? because I don't know how to make it like that...what would happen if it's not vented?!? every now and than I should open it and close to let the air in? could it happen to not let the gas out from the tank and into the carb?!?

Yes, the tank needs to be vented either at the cap or elsewhere. A little vent line running from the upper rear end of the tank could go up under the seat. Without venting you won't get far before needing to give it air somehow. I had a stock tank with a cap which plugged up at the cap vent and learned that one the hard way.
SB

 

[Motorbike Wanabe]

VERY ingenious front motor mount Dule! I like it a lot!

Keep us informed on your build. It's great that we can learn from each other on sites like this, even so many miles away!

 

[Alajoyn]

How cool is that bracket, not to mention the tank and Bike!!
Made from traditional square stock. Shows how creativity and regular hand tools can form ingenious items from mundane things.

Way Cool. Can't wait for more pix.

Alajoyn

 

[perichbrothers]

Good job Dule.
You have to take a picture from outside your building and point out where you're working.
Maybe even your view from the balcony.
Keep it up!
TP

 

[dule]

a few days latare here are the pics of the new steps made on my MB

TP you can also check my balcony and the view from it

last weekend I've made both sides of the tank, cut up the orininal inlet and outlet and prepared them for fitting inside the plastic, yesterday I've made a tunnel piece (just took a mould of the center tube of the bike).

during the week i've managed to fit the rear sprocket (after polishing it - you guess - on my balcony hehe) and made a quick test fitting to check the clearance of the chain and the rear tire - my dog was the judge! also had to make a new headtube for the fork because the threads on the original one was too rusty to work

the polished sprocket during instalation

and installed (painted those 3 little metal pices black)

testfitting with the judge (in the dinnig area - outside was too cold)

 

[dule]

and also last week I've made a seat post with a little help of a friend - tnx to Henk

right side view

left side view

balcony side view, viewed from inside the room LOL

and one close up of the engine area

any advices hor to make sparkplug wire longer? I'm thinkin of puting the ignition (is it ignition in that little black box hehe) under the engine and for that I need longer cable...

oh almost forgott - also painted the cylinder

 

[silverbear]

For longer cables I went to my local auto mechanic and asked for his throwaways from doing a customer tuneup. Got six of them for nothing. Th two I've used so far work fine. Or you can go to any small engine shop and they can make up a cable any length you want.
SB