Author Topic: CB550 to match my car.... (Fabrication Heavy) (Read 6041 times)

toreadorxlt · « **on:** March 13, 2014, 06:21:06 PM »

starting this build... got this thing for free for a welding job and it has sat for a long time in the shed. I thought it was a 750 this whole time, but found out tonight it was a 550, haha. Plans are to build it using my hot rod as inspiration. I Wanna keep the same color, and stripped out nature that my car has.

My buddy came to use my powdercoating oven, so I conned him into helping me move it from the shed the other night. I got it just like this without bars... so pushing was fun.

He gave me a fiberglass tail/seat section (for sale if anybody wants it). but other than that.. this is how i got it. starting on the tear down tomorrow.

heres my car...

Windinmyface74 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2014, 06:42:06 PM »

Looks good!

Trad · « **Reply #2 on:** March 13, 2014, 07:13:58 PM »

Your car is sick!

brooze72 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2014, 07:21:33 PM »

Nice car! Post a pic of the fibreglass tail section if you want to sell it.

Stev-o · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2014, 07:23:31 PM »

550's make good hot rods!

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2014, 08:06:47 PM »

this is the tail that i dont need.... I spend alot of time metal shaping and would prefer to build an aluminum one.

why i wont be needing it

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2014, 08:37:35 PM »

Looks like a 1975 CB550K1 in Candy Jade Green.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2014, 04:31:27 PM »

Got it stripped to a bare frame and bent up my hoop today. Would have welded it in but the bar is more important I guess. Or so my friends convinced me.

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Stilltime · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2014, 07:34:04 PM »

Subscribed! The hotrod looks awesome.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2014, 07:59:39 PM »

Got busy after the bar. Welded the hoop together and tigged it in. Ground a few tabs off and made this quick mockup tail in the Pullmax. (I didn't bother to planish out the shrinks...this is just a scrap piece of metal) The real one will be a bit lower bit this gives me some perspective.

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toreadorxlt · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2014, 08:44:35 PM »

Thanks for all the comments on my car and other nice words. It is a 1974 cb550. And the car is a 1930 pontiac.

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nvr2old · « **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2014, 10:17:18 AM »

Love the oval rear window..much nicer then the typical Ford of the same year.

dagersh · « **Reply #12 on:** March 26, 2014, 12:54:53 PM »

The car is gorgeous! What a nice rare rod!

Looking forward to seeing your metal work. God I would love to learn that...

Gersh

70CB750 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 26, 2014, 01:32:14 PM »

Subscribed.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2014, 04:49:09 PM »

Reinforced the rear shock area and tied it into the tube. Dykem on a piece of 1x2 was all I needed. Weld and smooth the outsides. I left the welds on the inside raw.

If I have a little time I might bang out a tail today. It's really simple to get compound curves and shrink metal I swear. I can do it manually but I shrink with my Pullmax style machine instead. I can put together a how to do it with hand tools if there's enough interest.

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toreadorxlt · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2014, 06:08:06 PM »

made a quick alumuinim form to get the shape I wanted. Half covered it with paper.

where you need to fold the paper is where the metal wants to shrink

Thumbnail dies in my home built reciprocating machine handle that

After one round of shrink you can see how quickly it's taking shape.

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toreadorxlt · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2014, 08:03:22 PM »

Got greedy and should have annealed it halfway. I didn't and it cracked. Oh well. I think tomorrow I make one of steel instead. A medium I'm more comfortable with

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SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #17 on:** March 26, 2014, 08:33:00 PM »

Damn that was close. I would give the aluminum another try.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #18 on:** March 27, 2014, 09:12:50 PM »

Detabbed and smoothed tonight. Gonna add a few tabs that I'll blast out next week on my Cnc plasma

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toreadorxlt · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2014, 08:06:55 PM »

More subtle than factory tabs made for bolt on passenger pegs incase anybody wants to hop on the back. If not I'll unbolt and these lower profile tabs will be the only thing on the frame. The plan is to make foot pegs on extended tabs to make passenger foot placement optimal

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toreadorxlt · « **Reply #20 on:** March 28, 2014, 10:36:31 PM »

Shaved the leg.

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dagersh · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2014, 05:32:56 AM »

Can I come up and apprentice for you?

?

Nice work!

Gersh

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #22 on:** March 29, 2014, 10:46:50 AM »

Quote from: dagersh on March 29, 2014, 05:32:56 AM

Can I come up and apprentice for you??

Nice work!

Gersh

Thanks man. If you're in the NH area swing by I'll teach you what I know lol

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dagersh · « **Reply #23 on:** March 29, 2014, 12:20:01 PM »

Careful, I might take you up on that!

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #24 on:** March 31, 2014, 08:32:04 PM »

Quick video of the process I use to make a tail. This one is steel and came out fine. 1.5 hours time so far. I'll finish it Wednesday

Sandbag and mallet to quickly stretch the center. Pullmax on the edges that need to be shrunk. Then planishing hammer and party.

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SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #25 on:** March 31, 2014, 08:49:02 PM »

Quote from: toreadorxlt on March 31, 2014, 08:32:04 PM

http://youtu.be/fA9f8bJiWz4

Quick video of the process I use to make a tail. This one is steel and came out fine. 1.5 hours time so far. I'll finish it Wednesday

Sandbag and mallet to quickly stretch the center. Pullmax on the edges that need to be shrunk. Then planishing hammer and party.

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Holy crap, that was quick. The planishing hammer seems to make short work of it.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #26 on:** March 31, 2014, 08:56:12 PM »

To be honest the planishing hammer doesn't do much other than smooth the metal after. Most of the shape was done in my Pullmax hammer which was the first one. I have special dies that grab the metal and force it into itself, shrinking it's surface area. They leave some marks and the planishing hammer takes those out. I also ran it through my English wheel in the end to wash over any highs and lows. It's 75% there I can still metalfinish it more. And I will after I build the rest.

Whatever I know about sheetmetal and fab I lack in wiring and mechanics. I have no idea how to make this bike run or wire it but I figure this is the place to be haha

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SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #27 on:** March 31, 2014, 08:58:58 PM »

Quote from: toreadorxlt on March 31, 2014, 08:56:12 PM

To be honest the planishing hammer doesn't do much other than smooth the metal after. Most of the shape was done in my Pullmax hammer which was the first one. I have special dies that grab the metal and force it into itself, shrinking it's surface area. They leave some marks and the planishing hammer takes those out. I also ran it through my English wheel in the end to wash over any highs and lows. It's 75% there I can still metalfinish it more. And I will after I build the rest.

Whatever I know about sheetmetal and fab I lack in wiring and mechanics. I have no idea how to make this bike run or wire it but I figure this is the place to be haha

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I think I got my tools mixed up. I was referring to that nasty bastard with the dies.

Very impressive!

Statenheimer · « **Reply #28 on:** April 01, 2014, 01:32:05 PM »

Awesome work so far, looking forward to seeing how this one progresses

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #29 on:** April 01, 2014, 07:56:16 PM »

Thanks. Had some stuff to throw in the powder oven tonight so this went in and got a fresh coat of matte black. Gotta straighten out the Honda tag. Unless somebody knows where I can source a new one.

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My home made oven. Should fit the frame.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #30 on:** April 01, 2014, 08:56:05 PM »

Quote from: toreadorxlt on April 01, 2014, 07:56:16 PM

Thanks. Had some stuff to throw in the powder oven tonight so this went in and got a fresh coat of matte black. Gotta straighten out the Honda tag. Unless somebody knows where I can source a new one.

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My home made oven. Should fit the frame.

Yamiya sells those. Look at the Frame Group -- Handle Top Bridge. They go for $10.19

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #31 on:** July 28, 2014, 04:46:52 AM »

Decided to try to build an aluminum tank. Going good so far. We'll see how it pressure tests eventually. It might be a trash ornament in the end but it was a good experience. Had to anneal the metal a few times to shape it, also made me a new English wheel that actually works unlike my old HF one

Rough shape

Made the other side

Start connecting the two

mikbeanz · « **Reply #32 on:** July 28, 2014, 12:52:43 PM »

Killer looking tank! I bet the English wheel comes in handy from time to time.

dusterdude · « **Reply #33 on:** July 28, 2014, 01:31:33 PM »

You have skills dude,looks good

Trad · « **Reply #34 on:** July 28, 2014, 01:46:53 PM »

Nice work man. Really dig the tank!

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #35 on:** July 28, 2014, 03:08:37 PM »

Never seen anybody build their own english wheel before. Without the metal working stuff it looks like a piece of modern sculpture.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #36 on:** July 28, 2014, 04:05:30 PM »

Tool maker and tank fabricator. Serious kudos!

Tews19 · « **Reply #37 on:** July 28, 2014, 07:32:32 PM »

Wow ! You have some sick skills! Subscribed! What's the plan for your jade green tank? If you decide to sell let me know please.

toreadorxlt · « **Reply #38 on:** July 28, 2014, 08:58:18 PM »

Thanks so much for the kind words. The English wheel is a powerful tool but I start most everything on a stump or sandbag. I smooth and do the final 10% stretch on a wheel. A stiff frame really makes a good wheel, which is why I had to get rid of the HF one. Also proper anvil alignment is key. I like the finish it leaves. Made this one the other day while my lady was snoozing.

The jade tank is staying until i pressure test and like the new one.

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Author Topic: CB550 to match my car.... (Fabrication Heavy) (Read 6041 times)