Topic: 750 chop "The Chipper"

[BillKat]

Hi all,
I've had this a couple of months, but not got much done due to other stuff going on, but made a start so thought I'd start me a build thread. Looks fairly OK here but everything is a mess:



It seems kind of small, so it sort of called the Chipper for no particular reason. Although there was a bicycle when I was a kid called that, maybe thats what it came from. Seems to have stuck till a better name comes along.

Brakes seized, wheel bearings shagged, rats nest wiring etc. Exhaust had some fence wire rammed up it's chuff as a baffle. Exhaust threads are monkey'd and different sizes. All the usual. Not much to show at the mo, but pulled out the engine and magic spaghetti:


Not much in the way of plans yet, but I'm going to try making a tank, see how that goes. If that works all the rest will follow.
Flat seat, different mudguard/fender. Fairly 70s/early 80s type thing I guess is the aim.
I've opened up and made one-off faces for my Wing's clocks, so will prob have a go at these ones too.

I'm waiting on a top for my new work table and then will see about piling in. The sideboard with kitchen table top nailed to it finally gave out after 10 yrs. Made a steel table frame, and chopped up the sideboard for a set of drawers and shelves. Bargain 

Next up, make something to hook up the motor to my car engine stand.

[fuzzybutt]

if you decide not to use it can i have dibs on that mustang tank?

[BillKat]

That's going to donate a filler to my home-brew tank and an oil tank, it's rusted out ...

[75modrat]

Truth be told...I like that frame...Alot!

Frank

[BillKat]

Clean & simple lines eh Frank, wasn't sure about it at first but it's grown one me,
cheers
Bill

[bunghole]

Here's the motor mount design I copied (which I think was copied from somewhere else).  Works great so far.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=29364.msg309143#msg309143

[Terry in Australia]

I was trying to work out why that frame is so long, then I realized that the area behind the vertical downtube is where the gearbox would have been mounted when that frame was originally built for a Harley or a British twin? Nice bike mate, but it needs a springer front end! Cheers, Terry.

[BillKat]

bunghole thanks for that, great, that's like what I'd planned. Bought some thickwall sq tube and studding to make up a similar shape thing to that. Good to see the basic thing in action.

Terry, could be, good shout mate. The front downtubes narrow together and it's a bit of a pain to get at the exhaust bols/studs cos they're close, so I did wonder about it's parentage ...
Springers would be the dogs danglies but the old cash situation is too tight unfortunately 

[Terry in Australia]

No worries Bill, it looks good anyway. Kinda reminds me of my cousins 1944 Indian Chief. There was a CB750 chop in an "Iron Horse" mag (before they went "Harley only") in 1980 with a really neat bobbed CB750 chop like yours, it was done so well it could have been a factory job. I gave that mag away 20 years ago when I was cleaning out my house, but I wish I had it again now, I'd send it to you! Cheers, Terry.

[BillKat]

  Cheers mate,
Bill

[BillKat]

Small update. Slow progress due to various life-related things... Chopped the 'guard up:



As it was much too big a radius, I did a lot of pie-cuts in the edges, pulled it in and welded 'em shut. All a bit of a learning curve as it's my first real dealings with thin steel, 1mm or less.


Template of clear placcy, quick squirtage of the old matt black, and we have a template for t'other half:

Chopped out some holey rusty sections & put new steel in. Hammered the compound curves, unfortunately the el cheapo body hammers are'nt much better that those little blocks of cheese on cocktail stick things    though lack of skill is likely more of a prob ... Starting to edge it with 3mm rod:

All edged:



Finally got the makings of a work table / decent work surface so I can set about playing with ideas for the tank before too long (hopefully...)

[bzr]

NA NA NA NA na na NA NA NA NA NA NA na na NA NA NA NA BATMAN!

[BillKat]

 

[75modrat]

Bill,

What happened to the original fender? I kinda liked it (ok fine I loved it). Not that it matters because it is your beautiful bike. The new fender could look totally awesome too. I may be partial to the fact that the other one was finished. My project has been going so long I hate looking at unfinished parts. My problem not yours. Keep up the good work!

[BillKat]

Hi modrat, I just didn't like it, I've got vague ideas for the general thing and it didn't fit in. It was full of holes and rust anyway, plus the lower part round the leccy box had been beaten & cut none too nicely.
General idea for the bike has come from a visit to a museum where they had this medieval armour and weapons and the metalwork was completely awesome, and the shapes inspiring. I can't do anything remotely like those guys did (how on earth did they manage it?), but the shapes, I'll try & borrow something from those...

[75modrat]

Bill,

Hopefully you didnt take any offense to my inquiry. Your preferences are what matter. And I also understand having to make changes because parts you have are not really usable. Also, I do like the new idea you have going also. I like the uniqueness of it.

[BillKat]

No offense at all mate, everyone likes different things, which can only be good. Helps bring all these different bikes into being. If folks don't like it, I'm not worried in the slightest, sort of like if someone prefers Jim Beam to Jack Daniels, well that's their thing and fair enough. Some guys take stuff personally I suppose. I'm just doing it for me and anyone else liking it is a bonus, no worries 

[bradweingartner]

I like a good hard tail to be sure.

Working on a xs650 chop in simliar nature to that one. Only lesson that setup taught me was that bright colored batterybox and oil tank on a black bike really detract from everything else.
Love what you've done with the fender. Especially that YOU did it, and didn't just pick up the latest accessory catalog and ordered up something.

[BillKat]

Thanks for the nice words Brad. Good thing on the oil tank/sparks box too, noted... not made a colour choice yet.

[BillKat]

'English Chopper edition' or 'More Ambition than Talent or money'

S'been a while, due to work probs (lack of). Decided to make something of the manky pitted plain fuel caps rather than buy new (skint y'see).
So first we fired up the supa hi-tech CAD software (Cardboard Aided Design) and made a pattern:


Next the water jet and english wheel:


Had massive argument with self. Fired my ass. Broke some stuff. Re-hired self. Did lots of REALLY LOUD SHOUTING!

Cut the shape and curved them to fit the cap, checking each had the same curve. Stuck it on: well roughed up, and chemical metal.

On to the "lathe", with some rod from an exercise bike (which also provided material for the tot rod chassis and Amazon exhaust...). Made some spikes. Resting the rod on the grinders guard and spinning it, with a bit of care they came out pretty OK. Chopped and stuck spikes on.
Some chem metal and filler round the sides, and a quick quirt of poor man's chrome to check for shape.




The tank

Worked out an idea for a shape that would seem do-able for a first go at this, with an illusion of compound curves, and OK with available tools (see above). Made a carboard fish first:


Rough ideas fer shapes & stuff came from seeing medieval armour & weapons in a local museum. Awesome metalwork. So it's a theme bike... and in due course I'll be sticking stuff all over the sucker.... 

Made the tunnel over 2" tube:


Welded tunnel to floor. Add central spine, for a ridiculous idea that might not happen. Cut out and shape the tops:


Made some metal A's from 3mm to brace the floot and take a pair of bungs made by Trabby Wayne (or lad of Wayne, cheers chaps), for hidden mounts. Also plates for another pair of bungs, and fuel tap bosses liberated from the old mustang tank.


Clamped on the hi-tech welding table (wktop offcut on tins of paint, ally sheet & on top):


Some uprights were tacked to the floor, to make the height and angles right. Cutouts for the fuel cap necks (cut from mustang tank), and on with the tops. Sides next, and then the filler necks.


Things learnt:
Must have more thin metal practice.
Measure three times and cut once: came out wider than planned due to idiocy. Will do things with paint & shapes to address that though.
Love doing this stuff. Can't wait to try another tank...

[martino1972]

that's some fine metal crafting your doing there young man........

[MJL]

Hi modrat, I just didn't like it, I've got vague ideas for the general thing and it didn't fit in. It was full of holes and rust anyway, plus the lower part round the leccy box had been beaten & cut none too nicely.
General idea for the bike has come from a visit to a museum where they had this medieval armour and weapons and the metalwork was completely awesome, and the shapes inspiring. I can't do anything remotely like those guys did (how on earth did they manage it?), but the shapes, I'll try & borrow something from those...

Another board I am on has a guy from Pakistan. His shop is very primitive compared to a modern shop, yet they turn out inspiring metal craftsmanship.  I am searching for his pics and videos and will post them in the off topic forum.

[mystic_1]

That tank looks great, BillKat.  I've seen far worse stuff come out of supposedly-professional fabricators.  It's even more impressive in that this was your first tank.  Looking forward to seeing what else you come up with.

mystic_1

[CBJoe]

   Wow...LOVE THE METAL WORK

I don't think i'm gonna blink until I see the finished project.  Keep it up and keep the pictures coming.

Cheers...Joe

[BillKat]

Thanks a lot for the encouragement folks    Hope it works out. Off to leak test it now, went round it spot-melting anything looking suspect last night so fingers x'd.

MJL that'd be good. Like the guys in Cuba, how they keep those American cars going and how they make fantastic stuff from next to nothing - respect...

[Sully_PA]

Nice work...looking good!

[bradweingartner]

Hi modrat, I just didn't like it, I've got vague ideas for the general thing and it didn't fit in. It was full of holes and rust anyway, plus the lower part round the leccy box had been beaten & cut none too nicely.
General idea for the bike has come from a visit to a museum where they had this medieval armour and weapons and the metalwork was completely awesome, and the shapes inspiring. I can't do anything remotely like those guys did (how on earth did they manage it?), but the shapes, I'll try & borrow something from those...

Another board I am on has a guy from Pakistan. His shop is very primitive compared to a modern shop, yet they turn out inspiring metal craftsmanship.  I am searching for his pics and videos and will post them in the off topic forum.

Not Pirate4x4 is it? That guy with the Frog?

Proof that you don't need high tech to make fantastic metalwork.

[754]

I think that frame is...


from DENVER'S Choppers...



probably in Riverside California.. if my memory is working..

[BillKat]

Possible 754 but fairly unlikely as I'm in the UK and frames like that aren't brought over to here, partly because of shipping and tax, and we had small chop frame shops since the 60s. So it's prob one of them. Or maybe one of our one-man-band frame builders. There's a number or some marking buried on the headstock, when I blast it maybe that'll reveal something.

What I do know is, whoever got the 750 in there yrs back didn't worry about the rear being too wide for the back wheel setup, they just did the thing up tight to squeeze the axle plates inward.... Got to get some measurements & throw the motor back in and check alignments, spacers needed etc.

[754]

Check out Denver Chopppes site, it is fantastic..

My computer is too slow tho, and I could not view the pics.. I think they built Honda frames way back..

 Fairly often though if it was tough to import, someone would try to build a close replica themselves..

 But you may be surprised by what did actually end up on your shores..

[BillKat]

Nice site indeed... love those springers they've got ... fabulous.
Talking of nice pics, have you seen http://glorydayscycles.blogspot.com/ some great pics on there...

I've not seen a frame here from the States yet, except for high-buck H-D ones. The shipping and tax took that away from us Jap chop monkeys, and importing was a lot harder decades back (all hail the Net!). It was just never worth it.
The market here was so small, the import costs, and no need to import because we had chop frame sources since Uncle Bunts in the 60s. The market is small: some of our most famous frame builders have been 1-man operations for decades.

We do get a ton of parts from the US nowadays though (I reckon 75% parts for my modded Wing), especially HD of course and hot rod parts, but frames for Jap chops are still either made or chopped here. It'd be nice if mine came from somwhere exotic, but I reckon it's an early 80s thing out of one of our small chop shops; maybe the stamping will throw some light.

[BillKat]

Been ill, and at 4am while out of it, had an idea - original idea for the tank meant on materials, that I could do without at the mo. Saved that idea for the next tank.

Cut two 'blades', tack 'em together.
Having worked out holes distance and sizes, mark up and make blades like Swiss Cheese. Separate blades.
Make metal tee from sq tube, clamp in vice. Spend ages lining up the blades either side of the tee horizontal tube - spirit level, eye, inventive swearing (cussing).
Cut lengths of tube in various diameters. Insert and tack round the insides of the blades.
Tack a strip of steel to the top. Cut down to match the taper, and finish weld. Can't see it in the pic, but the thing gradually tapers to a sharp point at the back end, and curves in at the front.
Chop down the protruding tube stubs, finish weld.
Stick to tank, job done, a lightweight holey spiney Thing. Here 'tis with a coat of plod about to get DA'd:

[captaincrash80]

Words cannot describe how insanely awesome that is.

[andy750]

Very nice!! Im eager to see how this turns out!

good luck with it!
cheers
Andy