Topic: CB550 or CB500 Aluminum Side Cover Castings (build?)

[wolf550]

With time Godffrey. With time
I read those threads where the side covers tabs would break off while riding but this is just what I read.
In my head I have version two.
the side cover is larger and the funky tabs are flipped inward so you don't see them. leaving just the dome.

I'll have to see how a completed set holds up.

[Godffery]

With time Godffrey. With time
I read those threads where the side covers tabs would break off while riding but this is just what I read.
In my head I have version two.
the side cover is larger and the funky tabs are flipped inward so you don't see them. leaving just the dome.

I'll have to see how a completed set holds up.

Groovy! I was thinking something like that might be the case.
 At any rate, I'm really dig'n this project!

[wolf550]

Round 3.
Another day another melt.
I went back in and smoothed down the side where I was getting the breakage and this time when cracking the two casting mold halves there was just a little bit of sand that broke off. I tried to smooth out the area and move on to the chimneys for the sides. I poked two holes for each and made paths for the excess to make its way out. closed it up and headed to the furnace, this time making sure to fill the crucible all the way this time.
Time to pour.
when I would use the petrobond I would see the smoke rise up from the chimneys until the aluminum pours out, but with the greensand you dont see any smoke. as I poured I didn't see anything coming out thinking maybe they caved in. all of a sudden about 3/4 through the pour the gate filled up and started overflowing with molten aluminum! the one thing I learned from the metal casting forum is not to stop when pouring as it will eventually fill the cavity up. even though I emptied the crucible I could see that the last 1/4 was on the top of the mold.
In my mind I had a flashback of the last pour not filling entirely so I had to wait. Once it cooled enought to lift the top half off, I started chipping away at the hardened sand to see if I had a complete cast or not.

Okay so now I am cool. it looks to be filled and even though the front is missing a chunk I would say this side was a success.
now to cut off the gateway and clean up the sides to see how it looks polished up.
figure I would finish this side before getting started on the other side.

[wolf550]

After getting the gateway grinded, I still have some way to go with the blemishes. Luckily there is enough meat on the front to work it down.

LOoking Good though with my raw tank.

[Stev-o]

Success...nice work.   

I had a K7 a couple years back with a polished, unpainted steel tank, I really liked it [the tank yes, the K7 not so much, and I sold it]

[754]

Sprues and risers,  are what you are calling a chimney,  to use the proper lingo..

[wolf550]

Spruce and riser,  are what you are calling a chimney, rouse the proper lingo..

oh yeah thats what I meant LOL

[SF]

Very interesting to watch......nice progress from the beginning.....how much will one cover weight?


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[wolf550]

I do not have a scale to precisely weight but with my bathroom scale I gain 2lbs when holding it.
this won't be the final weight as I have to grind down alot of blemishes on the face and I am going to clean up the inside of the cover to smooth it out.
I drilled some holes and fixed it on. I'm going to try and find some of these acorn nuts to replace the the regular bolts.
I will eventually have to buy a polishing kit for these later than sooner but in the meantime I'm going to get started on the other cover.

[SF]

Oh man that looks perfect match to the motor...carbs.....etc....full steam ahead!


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[754]

How thick is the tab ? I am guessing between a 1/8 and 3/16 inch. And the main part of the cover ?
 I would like to offer a suggestion,  make the prongs for the back , tapped,  and use a small contersunk Allen head on the outside to hold the prong on, then it will be flush. The prongs are fairly easy to make using a lathe and maybe mill. . If you can't make them, I bet someone here would do some trading..

[SF]

Godffery could chime in??


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[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Beautiful! Woohoo!

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[wolf550]

i am positive that i am going try to make an original set with and without emblems on them to experiment if the prongs will hold up. when i made that first cast with the plastic cover it felt light enough that if the prongs broke i think it may have been due to a hard bump or or maybe rubbing a leg against them cause it did not feel like it weighed much. on this next cast im going to make a video of the sand mold process and the pour to maybe get someone else interested if they are going to try it. this will be a long and fun trial and error with these and as i keep making a finished product, the technique, skill and type of side covers will start to evolve and get easier.

[Stev-o]

One thing I never liked on Hondas was the side covers made of plastic! [my Kawasaki H1 & H2's are metal]

This is a nice option, would love to see these polished.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Whenever I had to replace my sidecovers, I get reproductions from LPM (https://lpmreplicaparts.com/index.html) or Frankenstuff.  Both make VERY high quality, stout covers.  Aluminum is nice, but you really have to strike the right balance between strength (durability) and lightness. 

This casting project is interesting, no doubt.  How strong are the covers?  Will they flex or dent?  Can they withstand a drop without damage?  This (recycling aluminum cans) is surely a GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY less spendy than CNC billet.  I like the ingenuity.

[wolf550]

I have aready dropped this one twice once while sitting and once standing.
It is pretty beefy.
on the first try side cover, that one had not much weight and I was able to bend it.
with the 2nd and 3rd try side covers they are rock solid. not sure how many times I would have to drop it for something the break off.
I'll give it a try with the 2nd try side cover and make a video.

The soda cans will be gone after this next side cover is made. so I will have to outsource for more aluminum on ebay as the process to melt those cans was a pain.
when I was making the finned side covers I bought some 7320 or something like that in 1x1 inch pieces (5lbs) to make those. it was much easier to melt and I didn't have to keep scraping off all the dross left over from the cans.

I was able to fab up the other side of the fiberglass side cover today.
either tomorrow or monday Ill get sand mold vid made and show the pour.

[wolf550]

hey steve-o have you seen that video on youtube about yoshiwara factory?
I saw that guys side covers and looked cool on his kawasakis.
oh yeah the gas tank too

[RAFster122s]

When leveling the covers in smoothing them you want to start your stroke on the curved side and go completely across the cover to the other side to eliminate any waviness. If you try to do a spot in the, it will show up very easily. Same thing applies on the buffer... going to have to do the polish in a smooth steady stroke completely across.

This is what I have seen in my polishing and limited work with aluminum.

[wolf550]

I will definitely have to make another pair of the fiberglass covers.
when I made them I didn't sand down or bondo anything on them leaving all the dents and grooves on the fronts.

[Godffery]

Godffery could chime in??


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I've been making Studs / pins for side-cover repair, custom covers & seat pans that will pop on and off like side-covers, with the lathe out of aluminum.
They kinda look like a 3 dimensional arrow head.  (if that makes any sense?)    I trying to post a pic .  =/
   

[754]

I would make  some of them bigger, the size of the oval tabs,  then mill or grind the sides to make them more rectangular like the stock  and get a groove in the sides like the stock ones.,

[wolf550]

Ahh I see. seeing the idea was always better for me whether in school or work. I could never imagine what words mean by themselves.

getting the video of the sand mold edited and will post a link once done.

figured you wouldnt want to sit through an hour and a half so I cut it down to a few minutes.

the aluminum pour video will be shorter for sure.

Sorry Frank I just saw your question about the thickness of the tabs. they are 1/4 inch thick but where they connect to the covers they measure 3/16

the original plastic cover cast I did the thickness was 1/8 of an inch.

[wolf550]

Okay got it up

(link)

[wolf550]

Still have to work on the casting video.
Ran into another fail with the other side. It did not fill in the entire cover, especially on top.
So after taking it out of the mold I was about to shut down the foundry when I thought "lets do something"
With what little aluminum came off the top I popped it back into the crucible and remelted.
I formed the sand in the areas that didn't take and poured on to fill.

After some more grinding I think I may have a good start to do a fill with aluminum brazing on the front and back to see about bonding the pieces together before a final grind.