Indian Tadpole

Ha!

Don’t forget to schedule a couple of weeks after your “final completion” date to figure out the tweaks, adjustments, and why the h*ll that didn’t work the way it was suppose to’s...

"-)

-Kirk
 
I've been hard at it as time and feeling good allows getting thing ready for bike camp. Silverbears bits for the Hiawatha have been checked and packed away and now it's a general gathering up of the tools needed and the finishing of the tri car parts.

The machinist will be working on the parts this week and then it's assembly time.

Dug out the Indian transfers for the gas tank and found out that if you leave them in the garage for 9 months they don't release from the backing very easily. That was a head scratching moment then I held the backing onto the shade of the desk lamp until it warmed up and used a razor knife to help free them so they came off.

There is a sticky surface paper that the letters are supposed to stick to as you pull it of the plastic paper backing. It all worked out as you can see but I was running scared for quite a few minutes.

I bought the transfers from Classic Transfers in England. If you Google them you can see the many transfers that they have for motor bikes and motorcycles world wide. Very reasonable and really quick shipping for mine.

Steve.

 
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That is a sweet old camel tank you made. I like the lettering. I used a gold paint pen when I lettered mine. I used old school carbon paper to transfer my design to both sides. And though it came out just fine, I sweated bullets trying not to smudge it or botch it. With this, you just stick it on. That idea's growing on me.
 
Hi Allen Wrench,

Thank you. That is the second tank I made. The other one was too small but when I saw a photo of the first Indian prototype it was a perfect match. They must have come to the same conclusion.

When you mentioned gold paint pen and carbon paper I started sweating. I judge everything as to whether or not it's Steve proof. If there is no chance that Mr. Ham Fingers can ruin it, I'm in.
This transfer was the perfect match for me even though I left it lying around the garage for months as I said and I believe that is part of the reason it didn't pull off like it should have. Just pull it off the backing and set it on the tank.

I looked up the cost and it was $24.00 Canadian (13 British Pounds) landed on my door step. I know when I saw the price I thought it was mighty reasonable. They shipped it the next day.
Not as much fun as having done it yourself but for me it worked out well.

Steve.
 
Hey Silverbear,

I'm going to get what I need to mount it when I go out tomorrow. As I told you the gas here is getting expensive so I save everything for one trip. To let everyone reading this know, 4 liters of regular gas or 1.057 U.S. gallons is $5.26 U.S. dollars.
Not European expensive but my camper gets 10 mpg and with a 36 U.S. gallon tank when you fill it up when it's near empty it gets your attention.

Every time I went out to cut some steel with the chop saw it started to rain again so I'll have a busy day tomorrow if it is dry. If I do get the badge mounted I'll get some photo's posted.

Hope your leg is getting better.

Steve.
 
$5.26 for a gallon of gas... ouch! I thought what we are paying in the U.S. was bad. Lotsa money to get from B.C. to bike camp in Minnesota and then on to Vermont... and then back again. But... it will be a great summer, my friend!
Leg is healing up nicely, thanks for asking.
SB
 
Hi Rick,

Thank you. I haven't tried it yet. Finally found a small machine shop to cut the key way in the motor and get the jack shaft together and I'm waiting on them to finish it. Hopefully this week since time is getting short.

What do you have going in your shop?

Steve.
 
Put the head badge on the tri car today. It didn't sit on the tube evenly so I made washers to sit under the bolts to try and give it an even draw as I tightened the bolts. Just as I tightened the lower bolt to snug it up a large part of the red background popped off.
It was so thin I don't think it could have be tightened up and not have damage. Nice art work but not a lot of practical use. Lesson learned.

Steve.

 
Steve,
I know you probably felt heartsick seeing the chunk pop off, but believe me when I say that it is still an awesome head badge and a thing of real beauty. Any chance of gluing the piece back on or painting over the missing part with red enamel? Or leave it as is and consider the missing part as lending the bike more patina and giving evidence that it is indeed a very old machine.

I know how meticulous you can be with your work, my friend, but while your eye may go to what is wrong and less than perfect the rest of us are seeing all the things that are right. The details of the headdress and facial features are what draws my eye and appreciation, not what is missing at the bottom of the badge. In short... wow!
SB
 
The machinist called Thursday morning to say everything was done. He had to pull the crankshaft out to machine it properly and when he went to put it back together one of the clips that holds the needle bearings in the connecting rod had gone astray and they had turned the shop upside down and it was nowhere to be found.

Silverbear offered the motor he had but shipping would have be expensive so I asked him if he could pull the bottom off the motor and pull the bottom bearing apart and just send me a couple of the clips just incase there is a problem and he also added some of the bearings.
I'll replace the motor when I get there and the motor he has now will become parts. The plan is if my motor in the tri car works he will swap out a motor in one of his builds.

He is sending them to my mail drop off in Blaine WA. and I'll pick them up there to save waiting for customs.

The meaning of "Best friend" redefined once again.

Steve.
 
Thanks Silverbear. The enamel was fired on in a kiln and is melted glass so it just shattered. I did what I could to try and prevent it but what the heck as we all know **it happens.

I kind of look at it as you say. It's one of many knocks the bike will have and since I never planned to trailer the bike where ever I went, what the heck, it is still a nice badge.

Steve.
 
"Thing of Beauty"??? That headbadge is AWESOME! I'm something of an artist too, and even I would be sweating it to pull something like that out of my hat. Nicely done.
 
Dang!

But if these were easy, we would be building a new one every month...

Oh wait, some folks do... Ha!

At any rate you’re so close now, don’t let the little things get you down (and a little touch up paint might just dress that up badge to were it's hardy noticeable...).

-Kirk
 
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No, not easy by a long shot, but we're getting there and the end is in sight. I drove into town this morning and sent off a little parcel containing two wee clips and six even smaller needle bearings. I chose the fastest which is two day, but of course they don't say two days from when, do they. Don't need to sign for the package and it is insured for a million dollars or less.
I suppose they looked inside the motor for the missing clip, eh? Good luck, Bud...
SB
 
Thanks, Allen Wrench,

Now that the "Not again" has worn off I can see that it does indeed look pretty nice. I have a repair plan in mind.

Steve.
 
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