TOPIC:

how about some detailed pic's of your new pencil holder ? did u like the outcome. how did u like the new resin ?
nice try anyways.

Josh, I got the resin from my local supplier since it was easier. I paid $10 more for it here than at US Composites, but shipping would have eaten that up, so I suppose it would have been a wash. The resins viscosity was closer to that of the epoxy I have been using, which made whetting out the cloth easier and faster than using polyester resin. Having it be catalyzed also lends some flexibility, since I can back off the catalyst for longer working time when its warm/hot outside. It was a dark green color out of the can, but turned a darker amber color about 5 minutes after mixing the catalyst in. I'm not a big fan of using either polyester or the vinylester resin on carbon cosmetic laminates because it's not water clear. It muddies up the three dimensional look the fabric naturally has. But for a boat refurbish? I would definitely use this over polyester or epoxy. Cheap as polyester but its thin and whets out cloth so much easier and faster with longer working time than epoxy. I'd definitly give it a try on your project Josh.

Mark, when I get home I'll wipe the new/unusable battery box down and snap a few more pics. The new resin worked very well, especially for what I was using it for. Ultimately, I got the vinylester resin for my fuel tank. Vinylester resin is reportedly much more resistant to the chemicals in the newer fuel blends than epoxy. So my plan is to laminate the top couple layers of the tank top with epoxy and let that cure. Then I will prep the inside by sanding it then completing the layup with the vinyester and the remainder of the reinforcement. The tank bottom I'll do entirely with the vinylester. Thats the plan anyway. But really, the tank is not at the top of my priority list as much as finishing up any fab work on the frame so I can get it painted.

Leon, I emailed that company for its US importer since they're in OZ. Maybe you know of a US supplier of the same kind of parts before I start poking around myself?

Thinking about my battery tray.....maybe I will make it out of Ti. What the hell. The stuff I have is thin so it won't get in the way and its super strong. Hmmmmmm

adam,

www.polyperformance.com/shop/Threaded-We...e-Adapter-p-349.html

how many are you looking for?

i could just spin you some up if you are not needing a bunch.

leon

I would only need 2 Leon, but I also need the clevis ends to go with them as well. The ones from the site you linked are limited in variety. Any other suppliers/vendors on the top of you head Leon?

Here you are Mark, my failed attempt at a carbon fiber battery box I gotta warn you though, its rough looking. No smooth molds or vacuum bags, just down and dirty wet layup over a block of styrofoam

thanks for the pics. they tell me what i thought i would see. i didnt think it would look too smooth, which it does not.
good enough for a bat box though.

Nope, not smooth at all. The best way to get it smooth without sanding is to wait until the last coat of resin tacks up, then add another coat to fill in the fabric weave. The problem is the resin is heavy. Another solution would have been heat shrink tape; wrap the block after the layup and turn a heat gun on it to compress the laminate. That would have smoothed things out.

sure many could make a case for all items being GP team finish... gonna be tight finish .....on your bike for sure .....but that item...to me...looks right...it looks right to me...couple nice finished mount holes nice .thing is one off nice...

porchev914 wrote: I would only need 2 Leon, but I also need the clevis ends to go with them as well. The ones from the site you linked are limited in variety. Any other suppliers/vendors on the top of you head Leon?

oh yer killin me adam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why cant we just machine up some custom tube adapters and clevis's?

are you going to use rod ends,and clevis's?
what size?
two tube adapters and custom machined clevis mounts?or how is your plan to use the clevis.

if we have been over this already,
just call me a dumba$$ and point me to the post .

leon

Sorry Leon, I forgot who I was talking to for a second. I would need 2 tubing caps, but I'll have to get you the tubing I.D. I would need 2 clevis pins. I'm guessing 7/16" shank and a 3/8" hole for the cross pin. As compact as possible.

I stopped by the paint supply store with one of my fork legs and told the counter guy "I want some paint to match this color". After 10 minutes of solid arguing with the guy (he refused to help me, and kept telling me he couldn't match the color. Despite my assurance that it only needed to be close) a woman that worked there walked up with some color panels for me to browse. I was able to find a suitable match, and I really hope it will look good on the bike with the silver engine and everything else predominately black.


I also picked up some etching primer while I was there. Now I have an incentive to finish the fab work, since once its done, a complete painted frame is only a couple days away from that

Good, painting is fun and then you can just start putting stuff together.

I wish I could post but due to a postal snafoo a lot of the parts I needed are on their way back to Z1E.

get me the dim's and we can get the tubing adapters and clevis's knocked out.

leon

Somebody needs to have a talk with the counter guy at your paint store. The only answer he should be giving you is that they CAN match anything. So what color are they calling that? I think that a bronze colored frame should look good on a mostly black bike. That Ducati 916 that one of my buddies rides has a bronze colored trellis frame that looks pretty good to my eyes.

Seriously. This wasn't the paint store I usually patron, so I won't be going back. It's a pet peeve, but I despise someone saying they can't do something before they even try.

Leon, let me take some more accurate measurements for you. I'm in the middle of making an aluminum battery box which will need mounts welded to the subframe. With the box in place I can fit in the rest of my electrical components and associated mounting tabs as well as any missing sidecover mounting tabs. Then of course your tubing ends and matching mounting tabs on the main frame. Alot more planning and measuring than actual fabrication work, but time consuming none the less.

better to take the time and plan it all than to get in a hurry and have to cut it off and redo it later.

Now I've seen it all...! I thought my freshly painted stock battery box was cool

What about cutting the frame so you can get the box in? or make a removable frame tube with bolts. Just kidding.

Ha! Thanks for the suggestions and kind words Nelson. I've already ditched the carbon box and have made an aluminum one. I'm working on the mounts now, with pics to follow shortly

You probably know this.. but be sure you have plenty of rubber padding for the battery. Vibrations kill batteries.

Unfotunately, padding will be in short supply. I got a bunch of it in a couple different thicknesses to use, but I just did not have the room (you'll see). I will be able to put a thin layer on the bottom of the box, but the sides won't get squat. I suppose I'll be relying on the batteries warranty more often than not

The new box I constructed out of thin aluminum sheet. Here is the new battery box in basic box form:



Then I trimmed the front of the box for access/clearance of the battery posts:



Now came mounting, and I gotta say, it was more difficult than I thought figuring out something that was simple and robust enough, yet easy to make and allow relative ease in removal of the box. Plus I didn't have too many options in where to put it, as you other hybrid builders know Once I got the location down, I cut and bent aluminum tabs and welded them onto the box like so:


In between cutting, bending and welding the aluminum tabs, I was cutting and welding matching steel tabs on the frame. When it was all said and done, the battery box loos like this installed from the right side:


And it looks like this from the top:



Next up is electrical component and sidecover mounts