Wednesday, June 29, 2011

An introduction, attaining metric steel, a little eye candy and...I'm an idiot.

Well...what the hell, why don't I start from the bottom and work my way up?

I'm an idiot.
I try to keep things under control, I try to keep a weather eye out and a stiff upper lip and all that shit. Generally I trundle through life on a fairly even keel (I gotta dig up better cliches...these suck), I don't cause myself too much grief unless there's a woman or an engine around. They try to kill me...
Anyway, I'm making piles of parts these days which is a good thing. Unfortunately I recently shipped some parts to the wrong kat, well they were the right parts but out of sequence. He got his way before they were due to him and the original customer has had to wait.

My apologies Jack, I did however burn thru and made a fresh set or clip-on blocks for you and in doing so came up with a new design so you're getting 'Type 2' version one. I hope you dig'm, they look cool as hell and should do a fine job for you. As soon as I get your hardware together they'll be on the way priority mail. Thanks for your patience, there's a couple extremely light aluminum handlebars included. And I won't call you John anymore...that's that other guy...heh.

Metric steel
Ya know, I'm kinda pissed. I made some really nice rearset plates for a CB650 and the plan has been to make some extended engine bolts with which to mount them on the bike. I live hear Portland Oregon, a major port city. We have industry here, steel yards, fabrication shops.......why the hell is is difficult to get 4140 bar stock in metric sizes here of all places. They pounded the metric system into our tender little brains in gradeschool, saying that the entire world would be using it exclusively before we all got to middle school.
............yeah right.
Ryan, I have confirmation that the material is on it's way......no....really.
For those of you wondering, yeah I could turn down some SAE material but there are a few things I would worry on. Turning say....1/2" stock down to 12mm and isn't much more than a skinning job, but expensive as this is adding just that would be enough to basically double the cost, from steep to effing ridiculous. As well, stress-riser fractures under stress (say 9000rpm heeled over in a corner) letting the engine loose in the frame would potentially be catastrophic. I'm all for chaos and carnage now and then to keep things fresh but putting my friends and customers in mortal danger...not so much.

Perfect


A welcome and a glimpse of what's to come
I have plans. Cunning plans. Plans that involve booze and parties and burnups and a midget. I'm still looking for a suitable midge.
A part of that cunning plan is to grow this blog into something more. To that end I've enlisted the help of my buddy Mike. Known cryptically as 'VonYinzer' out there on the toobz, he'll be waxing rhapsodic for your edification and education. Mike can write him some powerful words.......

(you're on the spot now mister!)

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