1946 bitsa project

[simon.holyfield]

I use that method with the copper sheet as well - it makes it much easier to clean up the weld on the inside, as the molten steel just seems to sit on the copper and stays flat.

[KenS]

Geez, I've been AWOL for months traveling and restoring an '82 Jeep CJ7 and I'm very impressed with the progress you have made, almost there! Excellent work as usual Shawn

[SEDoan]

Thank you Ken! Starting to get the electrickery together - hurray!

[SEDoan]

Thanks to all that helped me decide on the AO services voltage regulator. It should arrive shortly. I've been wiring the bike in anticipation of the voltage regulator and the painted tin-ware. The immediate goal is to install the electrical equipment so the wires have somewhere to go.

The rear sidecar lug is a convenient anchor point for the brake light switch, but it is unthreaded so I sandwiched a layer of rubber between two steel disks. Tightening the bolt squeezes the rubber holding it into the lug and it is still removeable by loosening the bolt.

A headlight is required and 2 ATV headlights fit on the girder with a custom bracket. They are LED so only draw 32 Watts. Brackets were made using a paper template and a wooden press form. These and the brake light anchor are chemically blackened and painted with boiled linseed oil.

I've drawn a wiring diagram and stringing wires, but I still need to finalize some components.

[simon.holyfield]

What blacking solution do you use? They look very black!

[KenS]

What are the rated output wattage of the headlights?

[SEDoan]

What blacking solution do you use? They look very black!

The blackening agent is made by Caswell. I just bought a pint of the concentrate and have been using it for years.
https://caswellplating.com/black-oxide-kits.html

It works at room temperature and is very quick and convenient but the black layer is very thin and quickly corrodes or rubs off if not protected. And it only works with steel and perhaps iron. Subsequent reading suggests that some of the coatings that gun makers use might offer better protection. My process is to strip the cad plating and rust off in dilute muriatic acid (HCl), clean in water-based degreaser, rinse thoroughly and dunk in the Caswell solution for 4-5 minutes. Rinse and dry completely then coat with boiled linseed oil. The boiled linseed oil will eventually dry but sometimes I heat it with a torch which turns the oil black too.
In addition to being cheap, another reason to like boiled linseed oil is that it acts as a sealer and thread locker.

What are the rated output wattage of the headlights?

The lights are rated at 32 Watts which is surprising considering that the electrical leads are so thin. Not sure if that is 32W/ light or per pair. Lights are also rated at 2400 Lumens which is about double the old sealed-beam headlights.

[SEDoan]

Scanning back through my last few posts it all seems little stuff - small beer.
Hopefully there is more here but it starts small - didn't want a big headlight to hold all the electrical gubbins so made a little dash to hold an ammeter and headlight switch

Then the parts came back from the painter!!!

Fenders installed

And wiring underway - this is at least the 4th version of the diagram - but the nicest

[SEDoan]

OK - the last post was still pretty small stuff, but she's getting closer.

Installed the SRM electronic ignition and timed it.

Then rebuilt a dynamo to keep up the battery. The donor dyno seemed almost new!

Then installed a new carb and connected all the cables. All the controls and all the electrical has been installed, timed and tested. Funny how being able to open the throttle, pull the decompressor and kick it over makes it seem much closer to being a real bike.

[SEDoan]

If the last posts didn't give the anoraks enough to wonder at maybe this will...

Decided that repop seat covers were too expensive/cheap so decided to make my own copy from heavy leather. (living off my savings so gotta save where I can...) It is a "wonder if this will work?" exercise but seems to be ok so far.

Paper pattern

Cut from cowhide (veggie tanned not oil tanned)

All that little stitching across the back only cost 1 blister, a couple of bloody pokes and a 2 broken needles. Cheap! But I do have to redo the left side again... And then the darts (worry ). Got the spacing using a vernier caliper to mark the leather then pre-drilling the holes.

Hope you enjoy the show