Topic: Restoration Rules of Behavior

[Magpie]

 
Restoration Rules of Behavior

No drinking before or during the work. Makes for expensive mistakes.
Do not throw anything. It’s going to bounce off that $1000 paint job.
Patience grasshopper.
If and when you’re getting frustrated, put the tool down, cover it up and back away slowly.
Swearing is allowed and encouraged.
Yes, your tools have legs especially anything 10 mm’s.
The manual and parts books are your friends.
It’s okay if you have to do it a second or third time.
Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. Someone some where had the same questions.
Yes, you ARE doing good work.
If you’re not bleeding you’re not working.
Join an on-line forum for your bike. You’ll make good friends who will encourage you and be sympathetic when you screw up.

It will be worth it in the end and be proud to hear those words from your friends – “Wow! Good job!”

[denward17]

^Agreed and Thanks for the reminders.

[Don R]

  When you stop thinking about it, you will realize where that wire goes and why it's the wrong color. 
  When everything is working properly, stop fixing it.
  Never take anything apart until you have the time and resources to put it back together.

[tool14]

so true.

[jonda500]

Great advice, absolutely agree 100% - follow these rules!
For me the two particularly important ones are NO drinking or working drunk, and if you feel anger and frustration levels ramping up - carefully cover up everything, back away and don't come back to it till you are completely calm again.
When a part or tool has "grown legs" it is time to do a complete and thorough clean up of your work space, tools and parts.
John

[spotty]

Great advice, absolutely agree 100% - follow these rules!

When a part or tool has "grown legs" it is time to do a complete and thorough clean up of your work space, tools and parts.
John

every time i finish work for the day i put everything away, tools, parts everything and if the bike is on the lift it goes back down to floor level

even if i finish with one bike halfway through the day and start on another, everything goes away and comes back out as i need it for whatever i'm doing to the next bike

 

[Kelly E]

I guess I am weird then.
I currently have the 78' KL 250 enduro blown apart and I'm also chasing electrical gremlins on the 77' KZ 1000LTD. At the same time we built a 10' x 14' shed on the back of the shop plus figuring out what we need to do on my buddies 80' Chevy El Camino with a factory floorshift manual transmission project.
Oh I almost forgot that we put all the tools away at least once a week but no shots of bourbon until Happy Hour.

[rocket johnny]

+1 to spotty  ,  in my shop - if you don't clean it ,, don't touch it !

[BenelliSEI]

Great advice, absolutely agree 100% - follow these rules!

When a part or tool has "grown legs" it is time to do a complete and thorough clean up of your work space, tools and parts.
John

every time i finish work for the day i put everything away, tools, parts everything and if the bike is on the lift it goes back down to floor level

even if i finish with one bike halfway through the day and start on another, everything goes away and comes back out as i need it for whatever i'm doing to the next bike

+1 to that! I hate coming back to my own mess.
Another favourite I do on the race car and bikes: if something goes back on, but still needs completion, I fasten on a small yellow zip tie. Only remove when totally DONE.

[ekpent]

Must be OK to puff a little weed - didn't see that in the rule book yet 

[Ellz10]

Restoration Rules of Behavior

If and when you’re getting frustrated, put the tool down, cover it up and back away slowly.

Much more difficult than it sounds , ugh!

[rocket johnny]

+1 to ekpent .     one of the good things about living in colo.

[Translations]

Must be OK to puff a little weed - didn't see that in the rule book yet 

Most defiantly is 

The biggest rule that helped me is to always take my time and never have a hard deadline. I'd rather have the job partly done the right way than rushing and having it all the way done wrong.

[PeWe]

Take photos of each step during taking things apart and when assemble things again.

Easy to verify how it sat and that you have assembled correctly.

O-rings and similar stuff that you can get a 2nd thought about.
- Did I really add all those o-rings etc?

Perfect with todays phones.

I even use the selfie cam when looking under or inside something where tricky to see but selfie cam can.

I have lots of photos of my tear downs, restores and redoings in my phone.
That has saved me lots of headache.

[beemerbum]

My favorite motorcycle author, Peter Egan, offered this advice on motorcycle restoration. He suggested you do something on the project every day, even if it is something small. It is easy to get frustrated and step away. That's when weeks can go by

[C317414]

My favorite motorcycle author, Peter Egan, offered this advice on motorcycle restoration. He suggested you do something on the project every day, even if it is something small. It is easy to get frustrated and step away. That's when weeks can go by

That's good advice.  I've purchased a few partially completed restoration projects from people that got frustrated and walked away.

As far as alcohol, I will indulge in a beer in the late afternoon, if I'm still working on a bike.  Once the can or bottle is empty, I quit for the day.

[Maltboy]

Restoration Rules of Behavior

No drinking before or during the work. Makes for expensive mistakes.
Do not throw anything. It’s going to bounce off that $1000 paint job.
Patience grasshopper.
If and when you’re getting frustrated, put the tool down, cover it up and back away slowly.
Swearing is allowed and encouraged.
Yes, your tools have legs especially anything 10 mm’s.
The manual and parts books are your friends.
It’s okay if you have to do it a second or third time.
Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. Someone some where had the same questions.
Yes, you ARE doing good work.
If you’re not bleeding you’re not working.
Join an on-line forum for your bike. You’ll make good friends who will encourage you and be sympathetic when you screw up.

It will be worth it in the end and be proud to hear those words from your friends – “Wow! Good job!”

I had a dream that I found a dozen 10mm sockets under a pile of missing socks.

[spotty]

not necessarily a restoration tip but handy during maintenance

if you drain fluids necessary for the future running of the bike ( engine oil, coolant, diff oil [obviously shaft drive only bikes ] brake fluid, whatever ) put a strip of masking tape over the key hole on the ignition listing what is missing.
all too easy to finish a mech job and think woohoo, best fire it up and see if that worked without having replenished the necessary fluids

[HondaMan]

It’s okay if you have to do it a second or third time.

Or, if you're making a book, twice that many, just to be sure?

[Stev-o]

No drinking before or during the work. Makes for expensive mistakes.

Did anyone else notice what appears to be a bottle of booze in Magpies avatar?!  Maybe that is why he has "no drinking" as the #1 rule?  Expensive mistake was made?!!!

 I only have 1 rule - there are no rules!  [that is for my life in general]  But 1 "rule" that should be considered is no eBay shopping for bikes [or expensive parts] when drunk!! [or smokin' in Eric's case!]

[Magpie]

Hi!
That was a bottle of champagne drank after getting my buddy's 1974 CB750K4running smoothly after over 20 years of sitting. I asked him to bring along beer to cry in if it doesn't run and champagne to celebrate. It ran!

[MauiK3]

When I hit a snag I give it 24 hours to marinate, an answer usually comes.
Also, I don’t start a new phase or big step late in the day, always a mistake.

[BenelliSEI]

When I hit a snag I give it 24 hours to marinate, an answer usually comes.
Also, I don’t start a new phase or big step late in the day, always a mistake.

Very good advice!

[Tim2005]

Also when hitting a snag, if all else fails I call a mate who is really good mechanically but has never had much to do with any of my type of bikes. As well as how his ideas from a different perspective help, just explaining the snag to him can even make clear to me what the cause is.