Topic: Sandcast 4286 Project

[Greggo]

Back from the zinc plater.  Took less than a week, and they look great!  Electro-plating specialties in Hayward, CA.  All this cost $145 out the door.  I'm stoked.

[Stev-o]

Good deal, Greggo!

[goldarrow]

Looking really nice!  How do they charge? By the lbs?

[Greggo]

Looking really nice!  How do they charge? By the lbs?

He just looked at it and gave me an estimate..no weighing or counting.  I was expecting to pay a little more really

Good deal, Greggo!

For sure!  I maybe shouldn't have bought the extra Yamiya bolt set..oh well.

[Greggo]

Nice putting a few things together with new stuff..

[tweakin]

Nice putting a few things together with new stuff..

Looks great Greggo! Really like the freshly plated bits.  Added that place to my book marks for future projects.

[Greggo]

Nice putting a few things together with new stuff..

Looks great Greggo! Really like the freshly plated bits.  Added that place to my book marks for future projects.

Thanks! The brake rod and engine hangars were done too.  My final Yamiya order, and my piston rings from CB750supply should be in before I get to the shop this weekend.  The head from Bill arrived today, and I also got my swing arm bushings this week from the german ebay seller. 

[Greggo]

Couldn't do any work on the motor today, so I got started putting other things back together..

Horn's back together and installed.
Battery box
Tool Tray
Seat
Seat latch reassembled and installed
Ignition Switch
I need to do some research on the harness routing.  I've been using a parts manual to use the correct sized bolts, washers and other bits in the right places.  It's really been helping, and there are LOTS of different sized pieces.

[Greggo]

I dropped off the chrome bits at that plater and got a quote.  I'm glad I found these guys.  I did end up not having him do the gauge backs because they were too badly pitted.

19 pieces for $460 out the door is a smokin' deal in California.

[Stev-o]

EPA charge? Effin Cali...never have seen that. That does seem like a good deal Greggo, I was quoted $200+ for a 550 front fender a couple years back [ended up buying a good one for cheaper].
I'm getting two mufflers chromed for my K4 now [$185]

[Greggo]

EPA charge? Effin Cali...never have seen that. That does seem like a good deal Greggo, I was quoted $200+ for a 550 front fender a couple years back [ended up buying a good one for cheaper].
I'm getting two mufflers chromed for my K4 now [$185]

I know, California taxes, right!? I talked with the guy doing the work, and it's going to be a lot of work for him, so it really is a great deal, even with the tax.

[edwardmorris]

Wow, Cali is expensive. WIll have to see when the parts are back. The gold standard is Brown's plating. If they're comparable, then that bill is about right. On the other hand, if you're looking for a "renewed" finish on the parts that are visible (polish and plate outsides of fenders, risers etc.), Calco Plating in Chicago is the best bang for the buck. $1000-$1200 for EVERYTHING CHROME on a 750, down to nuts and washers but no pipes. Pipes with heatshields themselves are about $700 I think.

[Greggo]

Wow, Cali is expensive. WIll have to see when the parts are back. The gold standard is Brown's plating. If they're comparable, then that bill is about right. On the other hand, if you're looking for a "renewed" finish on the parts that are visible (polish and plate outsides of fenders, risers etc.), Calco Plating in Chicago is the best bang for the buck. $1000-$1200 for EVERYTHING CHROME on a 750, down to nuts and washers but no pipes. Pipes with heatshields themselves are about $700 I think.

I've seen their finished products and they are top notch.  He's going to fix all the blemishes, buff, polish, and re-plate everything.  They will look brand new, or they don't accept the job was the feeling I got from speaking with the workers. 


I got a few things done in the shop, including stripping the nasty caked on black paint off the cylinders, and giving them a few coats of Duplicolor DE1615.  I also put new screws and titanium nuts on the tappets. 

[edwardmorris]

Very nice! Please post some pix when you get them back.

[Greggo]

Very nice! Please post some pix when you get them back.

No problem!  He said he needed two or three weeks, so I should have them back in less than a month.

My swing arm, center stand, and kick stand will be back from the painter Monday.  He's got to repaint the oil tank, as it was flat and completely lacking gloss, I don't know how I overlooked that when I saw the first batch.  Luckily that was the only part needing a redo.  With the swing arm back I'll be able to push in the new bushings, and slip it into the frame with the new rear shocks. 

In other news, I'm pretty much bike-money broke, and will still need to pay for the work on the cylinder head, and tires to finish this bear of a project.  I'm going to put it together with a different tank, air box, beat up fork ears & headlight bucket until I've broken the motor in and can pay for the paint job.

[Greggo]

There has been one universal truth with this project: Everything takes frigging forever.

It's starting to look more like a bike.  Swing arm got fresh brass bushings pushed in..pivot tube cleaned up, and I had to snag the zerks off my K4 (which is stored away, and took friggin' forever to get out) to get the whole thing lubed up.  With the swinger installed, I was able to get the shocks and center stand on as well. 

[Stev-o]

Hey Greggo - yes, when you are doing a restore at such a high level, such as yours, it does take a long time (unless you can devote 8 hours a day to it). 
The cosmetic restore to my Z1 took nearly a year, and was nowhere near as complete as yours.
Hopefully you are not in a rush to finish, that is usually when the quality of craftsmanship starts to slip. 

[tweakin]

Excellent work Greggo!  I agree with Stev-o, high level builds can't be rushed if you want the results I know you are after.  I love how this bike is coming together.

[toytuff]

Slow and steady Greggo. 

tt

[Greggo]

Thanks guys..I'm trying to be patient..

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...then I'll really start feeling better about it.

[Stev-o]

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...

Did you blast the head before rebuild and do you plan to paint it? Was unpainted from the factory, right?

[toytuff]

Thanks guys..I'm trying to be patient..

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...then I'll really start feeling better about it.

We already feel good. You should too! 

tt

[Greggo]

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...

Did you blast the head before rebuild and do you plan to paint it? Was unpainted from the factory, right?

Did not blast it, but I will be painting it the same as the cases and cylinders.  I've read from Hondaman that they were unpainted from the factory, and that's why so many of the early ones corroded so quickly.  Paint seems to be the norm/acceptable for restorations on SOOC, so that's kind of my guide. 

I'm considering redoing the wheel hubs and fork legs...they came out too light/white looking, and lost any resemblance to brushed aluminum.  I have an extra set of K0 hubs I'm going to strip off the factory clear and see how they look.  It could end up meaning a lot more work to do, but I saw a pic of a red sandcast put together with similar looking forks, and the whole bike looked wrong...they have to have that brushed aluminum look.

[Stev-o]

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...

Did you blast the head before rebuild and do you plan to paint it? Was unpainted from the factory, right?

Did not blast it, but I will be painting it the same as the cases and cylinders.  I've read from Hondaman that they were unpainted from the factory, and that's why so many of the early ones corroded so quickly.  Paint seems to be the norm/acceptable for restorations on SOOC, so that's kind of my guide. 

I'm considering redoing the wheel hubs and fork legs...they came out too light/white looking, and lost any resemblance to brushed aluminum.  I have an extra set of K0 hubs I'm going to strip off the factory clear and see how they look.  It could end up meaning a lot more work to do, but I saw a pic of a red sandcast put together with similar looking forks, and the whole bike looked wrong...they have to have that brushed aluminum look.

Would soda blasting the hubs/lowers give you the look you want?

[Greggo]

The head is off at a machine shop, so I know it won't be long before I have the motor back together and ready to put in the frame...

Did you blast the head before rebuild and do you plan to paint it? Was unpainted from the factory, right?

Did not blast it, but I will be painting it the same as the cases and cylinders.  I've read from Hondaman that they were unpainted from the factory, and that's why so many of the early ones corroded so quickly.  Paint seems to be the norm/acceptable for restorations on SOOC, so that's kind of my guide. 

I'm considering redoing the wheel hubs and fork legs...they came out too light/white looking, and lost any resemblance to brushed aluminum.  I have an extra set of K0 hubs I'm going to strip off the factory clear and see how they look.  It could end up meaning a lot more work to do, but I saw a pic of a red sandcast put together with similar looking forks, and the whole bike looked wrong...they have to have that brushed aluminum look.

Would soda blasting the hubs/lowers give you the look you want?

I think that would make them flat like the bead blasting did..I'm going to use paint stripper to remove the factory clear, and see how nice they are underneath.  If they're nice and silvery I'll figure out if I want to do more than just have them clear coated again.