Merkel Board Track copy
- Thread starter Goldy
- Start date
Goldy
Member
Ok, got the seat upholstery done...waiting for the leather dye sealant to dry. Here's what we've got so far.
truckd, didn't you attend elementary school? Around here, we call it orange...relax, just kidding
...couldn't resist you know. On the serious side, that particular shade of orange is from the Sikkins book, you should be able to get it at just about any automotive supply store. I will try to track down the number for you.
truckd, didn't you attend elementary school? Around here, we call it orange...relax, just kidding
...couldn't resist you know. On the serious side, that particular shade of orange is from the Sikkins book, you should be able to get it at just about any automotive supply store. I will try to track down the number for you.
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truckd
Well-Known Member
Ha!Ha!Ha! It's deffinately a good color for the Merkel, there are so many different orange colors, pearl, sunburst, tangerine exc. exc. and is that a decal or did you get the"Flying Merkel" logo painted on? I was supposed to get the decals sent for my bike but I after 7-months I beleive the guy stiffed me for $50.oo, I tried to get ahold of the guy and he won't return my calls,tried to get a hold of his associates and even they won't get back with me on the guy's where abouts, sad to know that there are some people out there in this business who don't give a sh-t about you, just another way to con some one out of there money.
sportscarpat
Bonneville Bomber the Salt Flat record breaker
Hi Goldy,
Very cool build. Nice job.
Pat
Very cool build. Nice job.
Pat
Goldy
Member
Thanks guys! Yes, for Heavens sake whitey, copy anything you want...they say it is the sincerest form of flattery! Truckd, the colour is from the Sikkens solid colour book Page 415 #C6....Herm did a lot of starring at the computer and prints to try to figure out the best shade to paint the machine...and worst of all we have been forced to the dark side by government regulations and can no longer get the standard lacquer or enamel based paints around here...this stuff is water borne....harder to apply, takes longer to dry and doesn't cover as well.
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Goldy
Member
No, going to leave those brackets black...I know they don't look like the ones in the pictures, but we thought the black gave some contrast to that part of the machine. No primary cover, we'll leave it exposed like the real deal. Going to replace the rubber shod pedals in favour of the all metal 'rat trap' style.
Goldy
Member
Bad storm passing through yesterday, Remembrance Day...tons of wind and rain. Took some time to fiddle with the bike project to take my mind off the weather. Found a nice piece of 1" SS to use for an exhaust pipe. Ran it straight back...not exactly true to the build, but it does have a 'racebike look' (I think). Spent about an hour on the buffing wheel polishing it up...nice and shiny! After that I set to work turning an old brake handle into a trigger for the compression release and hooked up the cable to the engine. Again I am amazed at how time consuming these little things can be, but the list of 'to do' things is getting smaller...unlike the "Honey do" list.
The exhaust pipe and new pedals
The compression release trigger and lastly the cable anchor and connection.
The exhaust pipe and new pedals
The compression release trigger and lastly the cable anchor and connection.
truckd
Well-Known Member
Yes but it truely is the small thing's that make for a stand out bike, no matter how much time you spend on them, I have a Sportsmanflyer Deluxe and got it last may but the small things and the fact that I'm picky are whats taking so long to put the build together, the Merkel I have is getting the head tube re-worked because I don't like the angle, not really in line with the seat post tube angle, but man after the little thing's are taken care of watch out! and you are doing a Damnn Fine!! job with your build don't stop impressing us with the little thing's as you've done through out the build.
I do have a little advice to give on your build and that is TAKE MORE PIC'S!!! LOL
I do have a little advice to give on your build and that is TAKE MORE PIC'S!!! LOL
Goldy
Member
Thanks Truckd, hooked up the throttle lever yesterday and after some head scratching I got the engine ran up today (sheared off the flywheel key on the first try!) Nice exhaust note, not as loud as I was expecting. Carburetor seems to be working like it should...only problem was that I learned the hard way to keep my right leg bowed out when pedaling it...got a nasty bash on my shin from the velocity stack! Got the chains tightened up after that. I'd like to see some pics of how your build is coming too.
Gotta get back to the motorcycles this week, got two vintage Hondas to finish up. Next time on the Merkel, I'm not sure what I'll do first, got to make up those lower frame loop engine plates and I have an idea that I want to try with the grips. I'll post more pics when I get more done.
Gotta get back to the motorcycles this week, got two vintage Hondas to finish up. Next time on the Merkel, I'm not sure what I'll do first, got to make up those lower frame loop engine plates and I have an idea that I want to try with the grips. I'll post more pics when I get more done.
Goldy
Member
Well, I wasn't expecting to get back at it again so soon, but the boss of me is working the night shift this week so my evenings are free...here are the results of last nights folly.
Got the engine filler plates made up and mounted...sorry for the fuzzy pictures, not to mention the cluttered background. Also got the primary chain snugged up while I was at it.
Got the engine filler plates made up and mounted...sorry for the fuzzy pictures, not to mention the cluttered background. Also got the primary chain snugged up while I was at it.
MEASURE TWICE
Well-Known Member
Re: Merkel Board Track copy
________________________________________
The guard is simply a disc cut from 1/4" aluminum plate. It was chucked up in the lathe and had the circumference trued and smoothed out and a 5/8" hole drilled in the centre. It's just held on with the flywheel nut and turns with the engine. I've done the same thing with my other builds...it stays in place and no owies.
To Goldie
From Measure Twice
I have seen as far as your current post 94 on page 10 in where the first picture of the engine is seen from the far side of the flywheel. A portion can be seen forward of the crankcase which shows a crescent shaped gap. I had made sure on my Briggs Engine to make a part that was missing to prevent any foreign material getting caught in the flywheel movement and the engine housing. I know you had mentioned to Gbrebes that the flywheel has a covering which rotates with flywheel itself. I have also had run a motor bike, Briggs 5S with not the whole flywheel uncovered rotating, but the rope pull section. I was cautious of it and never go scraped by it. My concern is that gap at the forward area for pebbles or the like to get inside and get kicked about damaging the engine. Just a thought.
But hey, I have not been looking at what has been going on here at this thread till just recent and look really really nice. That paint really stands out. Wow!
When the weather is nice in CA, I work on my motor bike outside, weather inclement I pray for wind to windsurf. Just coming into the stormy season now.
Measure Twice
Attachments
Goldy
Member
Measure twice...interesting comment regarding the flywheel. Honestly, I never gave much thought to the back side of it. I actually remember removing the small sheet metal cover that went between the cowl and block thinking it was ugly, but I can now see that it may have had some value after all. In any case, I do my best to respect the dangers of rotating thingamajigs and as I have no intention of off-roading with it, pebbles getting jammed between the flywheel and crankcase shouldn't be a worry.
I really do appreciate the input though (if I was making something for the kids, I would just leave the whole cowl in place not only for the convenience of the recoil starter, but for safety's sake as well). Oh yes, I too like to work outside when the sun is shining, around here that means between May and September (when it isn't raining).
Anyhow, all that aside, I spent another evening out in the shop working on a set of grips. Here's what I've got.
I really do appreciate the input though (if I was making something for the kids, I would just leave the whole cowl in place not only for the convenience of the recoil starter, but for safety's sake as well). Oh yes, I too like to work outside when the sun is shining, around here that means between May and September (when it isn't raining).
Anyhow, all that aside, I spent another evening out in the shop working on a set of grips. Here's what I've got.
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AWESOME!!
You can't beat the sun for working on projects, espesialy for old tired eyes like mine.
I thought we were all kids? Like Silverbear never grow up just grow old.
Can you show us how the grips were made? Looks like some turned brass but the bolt how is it held? Maybe its a gooseneck bolt with the wedge clamp?
You keep comeing up with the best,why didn't I think of that ideas.........Curt
You can't beat the sun for working on projects, espesialy for old tired eyes like mine.
I thought we were all kids? Like Silverbear never grow up just grow old.
Can you show us how the grips were made? Looks like some turned brass but the bolt how is it held? Maybe its a gooseneck bolt with the wedge clamp?
You keep comeing up with the best,why didn't I think of that ideas.........Curt
Goldy
Member
Ok Curt,
Ah yes, working in the warm sunshine, so much more pleasant than being stuck inside a greasy shop. I've got to wait another five or six months before that happens again....sigh...Anyhow, I hope the following gives you something to work with.
I made the furls 'A' & 'B' out of brass. In this case 1.250".
The ID is just enough to slip snugly over the handlebar. I glued mine in place with clear Automotive Goop, but they could be locked in place with small grub screws too.
After that I gave them some substance by wrapping a length of truck inner tube along the whole length, beginning at the narrow section of furl 'A' ... this was also glued down along the entire length and held in place on each end with a small amount of electrical tape. Then the end was carefully trimmed with a very sharp utility knife. After that, I wrapped the rubber with cloth hockey tape (I think canvas webbing would work nicely too), starting at furl 'A' and working my way to the handlebar end and once again trimming the end. The ID of the end cap 'B' was machined to fit over the OD of the tape at the handlebar end and after liberally smearing it with Goop it was fitted over the taped end and locked into its final resting place with the wedge bolts (getting the tape to fit into the end furl can be a bit tricky). The locking wedges themselves are just made out of bits of scrap aluminum I had laying around and machined (poorly) to fit loosely inside the handlebar. I gave the whole taped section a couple of coats of clear lacquer to keep everything locked in place and to take that icky-sticky feel of the hockey tape away.
The dimensions in the drawing represent what I used and are included only as a suggestion and of course could be modified in just about any way to suit...this sort of grip can also be adapted to twist grips...of course you must rely on glue alone to hold the end cap in place and build up the other bar to match the diameter of the twist grip barrel.
Ah yes, working in the warm sunshine, so much more pleasant than being stuck inside a greasy shop. I've got to wait another five or six months before that happens again....sigh...Anyhow, I hope the following gives you something to work with.
I made the furls 'A' & 'B' out of brass. In this case 1.250".
The ID is just enough to slip snugly over the handlebar. I glued mine in place with clear Automotive Goop, but they could be locked in place with small grub screws too.
After that I gave them some substance by wrapping a length of truck inner tube along the whole length, beginning at the narrow section of furl 'A' ... this was also glued down along the entire length and held in place on each end with a small amount of electrical tape. Then the end was carefully trimmed with a very sharp utility knife. After that, I wrapped the rubber with cloth hockey tape (I think canvas webbing would work nicely too), starting at furl 'A' and working my way to the handlebar end and once again trimming the end. The ID of the end cap 'B' was machined to fit over the OD of the tape at the handlebar end and after liberally smearing it with Goop it was fitted over the taped end and locked into its final resting place with the wedge bolts (getting the tape to fit into the end furl can be a bit tricky). The locking wedges themselves are just made out of bits of scrap aluminum I had laying around and machined (poorly) to fit loosely inside the handlebar. I gave the whole taped section a couple of coats of clear lacquer to keep everything locked in place and to take that icky-sticky feel of the hockey tape away.
The dimensions in the drawing represent what I used and are included only as a suggestion and of course could be modified in just about any way to suit...this sort of grip can also be adapted to twist grips...of course you must rely on glue alone to hold the end cap in place and build up the other bar to match the diameter of the twist grip barrel.
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brett7777
New Member
HECK! I hadnt seen this, as I usually mainly look at the boardtracker section & the 2 stroke threads.
Amazing!