The Bottom Feeder. Shovel Build.
This is my first "ground Up" build.The wife has christened it "Bottom Feeder" because most of the parts have come from scouring the net and snatching up stuff others have discarded.
Here's day two, I didn't take a pic of the motor when I brought it home because i was so anxious to get it scrubbed and a peek inside and get the crusty rocker boxes polished. Speaking of polished, all of the parts shown in this thread were polished by hand. No buffing wheels, just files, sandpaper and Mothers.
This started nearly 3 years ago. I'd hoped to have it finished this spring but like so many others right now, money has been very tight. For now, I feel good knowing that it's still moving forward.
My Labor of Love.
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Here's day two, I didn't take a pic of the motor when I brought it home because i was so anxious to get it scrubbed and a peek inside and get the crusty rocker boxes polished. Speaking of polished, all of the parts shown in this thread were polished by hand. No buffing wheels, just files, sandpaper and Mothers.
This started nearly 3 years ago. I'd hoped to have it finished this spring but like so many others right now, money has been very tight. For now, I feel good knowing that it's still moving forward.
My Labor of Love.
321 - 340 of 386 Posts
2
A day of cutting and grinding and the new tank is starting to look decent.
-Mounts removed, tunnel prepped for cap.-
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-Mounts removed, tunnel prepped for cap.-
3
Back to doing what I love... making parts for my bikes from junk. The 'Feeder needed a low profile gas cap. I couldn't find one sufficiently cobby (or cheap) so, while the tank is getting welded, I made one.
Cheezy Chinese made billet cap ($5 swap meet find)
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After a soak in oven cleaner to de-anodize:
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Sand, shape, polish.
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Cheezy Chinese made billet cap ($5 swap meet find)
After a soak in oven cleaner to de-anodize:
Sand, shape, polish.
Here.... we.... go!
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A different take on the levers, never was fuzzy about the pointy ones. I had to make a new lever anyway due to an unfortunate pit bike incident*. Didn't find out until after I spent 2 hours shaping/polishing that the clutch lever does not fit the perch. Ordered a new perch that I'm going to have to bore out to 1" and clean up. The old lever/perch was a bit cheap and thin, the new stuff is a bit more substantial. Should hold up better to the Shovel clutch pull.
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*Note to self: Don't ride pit bikes in the garage.
*Note to self: Don't ride pit bikes in the garage.
2
Sorry, not much to post. Just dropped the frame and swingarm at the powder dude. Done gathering parts tho, which is good. Now just to assemble the parts into something I can tool about on. A lot of mundane stuff this go-round, not as interesting as the last one I'm afraid. This bike is going to be much less of an attention getter, not nearly as pretty. Think; Japanese style bobber.
Assembled the forks: 2000 lowers, '98 softail trees, 20.5" tubes and springs. She's getting the brakes off of the Feeder, front and back. Welded a tab on the swingarm for the later brake. Wheels are post 2000 softail also. 5.00 tires incoming. Still haven't decided on bars, I have several layin around to choose from... leaning towars the M bars. I liked them on the Feeder, but the bars on it fit the shape better. The M bars look better on the wide trees.
Like I said.... pretty mundane stuff, mostly just clean up, assemble, and slap together. Nothing real time intensive (one off) like the Feeder. Luckily, this time around I do have a paint job in mind already. That'll probably have to wait until after the holidays tho, For now... rattle can will do.
Needed to put a lower tank mount on the frame. It's an FXS frame so it didn't have one. I decided to braze it on since it's been a (very) long time since I burned the bronze. I was torn between making it pretty and keeping it cobby like the rest of the frame. I split the difference. Not pretty... but it will work just fine. And, still looks better than the factory welds.
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Assembled the forks: 2000 lowers, '98 softail trees, 20.5" tubes and springs. She's getting the brakes off of the Feeder, front and back. Welded a tab on the swingarm for the later brake. Wheels are post 2000 softail also. 5.00 tires incoming. Still haven't decided on bars, I have several layin around to choose from... leaning towars the M bars. I liked them on the Feeder, but the bars on it fit the shape better. The M bars look better on the wide trees.
Like I said.... pretty mundane stuff, mostly just clean up, assemble, and slap together. Nothing real time intensive (one off) like the Feeder. Luckily, this time around I do have a paint job in mind already. That'll probably have to wait until after the holidays tho, For now... rattle can will do.
Needed to put a lower tank mount on the frame. It's an FXS frame so it didn't have one. I decided to braze it on since it's been a (very) long time since I burned the bronze. I was torn between making it pretty and keeping it cobby like the rest of the frame. I split the difference. Not pretty... but it will work just fine. And, still looks better than the factory welds.
Hey Dan!
I've been a fan of brazing since I took welding in high school, always preferred it over welding. I like gas welding too, just not as much as brazing. It's been so long since I've done it it was nice to do it again. I'll probably be buying a rig soon myself.
The back has pretty much gotten as good as it's gonna get, no more dirt bikes, no more rigids, etc. The doc says I should give up bikes all together but, nah, that just ain't happening.
The frame should be back from powder by then end of the week.... then the real fun begins.
321 - 340 of 386 Posts
