BODY, TECH reQUEST: how to make MC fenders

[burndup]

Heres to tech week never ending...

Arguably off topic, but interesting and beneficial all the same... theres been a lot of chopper/bobber posts lately, something to do with the dead of Winter?

Heck, tank fabrication would be interesting too.

Thanks,
J

[Unkl Ian]

Ron Covell building a fender: http://www.covell.biz/workshops.htm
And there is a link at the bottom to another page building a tank.

[Unkl Ian]

Also check the galleries on www.bikebuilders.org (http://www.bikebuilders.org) and www.metalshapers.org. (http://www.metalshapers.org.)

[james]

This wasn't on a e-wheel, but if you want a cheap fender--- here's how I did mine. Started with a $13 trailer fender from tractor supply. The one with the closest radius was flat on one side and had a nice curved edge on the other.
1-First I cut it in half-

[james]

I don't know how to do mutiple pics, so--
2-- I figure the width I needed and divided by two and took it from the cuved sides-

[james]

3-- weld together and viola! a nice fender for cheap. Actually, no pics, but I did have to cut some slits on the edge and pull it into a slightly tighter radius.

[james]

Here's the finished fender. The peak is just a section of round rod bent to shape, welded on, slathered in bondo and shaped with a grinder.

[Unkl Ian]

Looks at least as good as anything on the shelf at OCC.

[james]

Not sure if that's an insult or a compliment http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[burndup]

dope, thanks!

[Unkl Ian]

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure if that's an insult or a compliment

[/ QUOTE ]

I figure their catalog bought "custom" parts look better when they are still on the shelf,
BEFORE they start getting "creative". http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[burndup]

Heck, do we have Farm and tractor/trailer supply places in So Cal? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seems its a rodders emporium of good inexpensive shit, chopper fenders, quarter elliptic springs for modifieds, etc...!

[Fastsporty]

burndup, west marine in marina del ray, you can order online or have them order it.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=36080&catalogId=10001& classNum=11057&subdeptNum=11210&storeNum=17
20 bucks

[Unkl Ian]

Kinda looks like this one from WCC http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.westcoastchoppers.com/images/parts/rearfenders/splashguard.gif

[burndup]

neato, they got a store in Van Nuys.... yep, ho hellva lotta watah around van nuys! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Evilfordcoupe™]

Very nice fender.

Whats the taillight from??

-Jason

[sawzall]

ok I cant friggin sleep.. tokyo and i took the wives to a movie today.. I am freakin wide awake from not doing anything all afternoon!

anyhow here you go.. an attempt to make a mc fender on my ewheel

for sake of demonstration I made a "mini" fender, not full size and tried to do this as quickly as possible..
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-1-1.jpg

step one find appropriate sized material to begin with.. here a piece of scrap aluminum I had been using as part of my dustpan.. cut to appropriate length and width and trim ends.. remember the ends will need retrimed later.. I did this so i wouldnt need to deal with the sharp corners at midnight!

[sawzall]

begin on the sandbag using a wooden or plastic headed mallet beat the livin crap outta the middle of the panel.. your raising the center right now and therefore stretching the metal out

http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-1-4.jpg

[sawzall]

continue to beat the crap out of the panel until it starts to take some shape. just prior to this point I actually had to push the ends of the "fender" back down and flatten the panel so that I could get in to hit a couple more timeshttp://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-1-5.jpg

[sawzall]

ok its starting to look like shit now keep goin pound the heck out of that poor little piece of sheetmetal. http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-2-1.jpg

this is the area where the first series of "hammer strikes are made"

this next photo shows the second row of hammer hits and the third row of strikes would be opposite the center of the panel about the same distance from the opposite edge of the "fender"

http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-1-2.jpg

[sawzall]

now its time to wheel alittle..
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-2-3.jpg

at this point you want to wheel down the center of the fender ONLY. your creating the ridge or center radius.. which is, for the most part, dictated by the radi of yor wheels lower anvil.. (i didnt change lower anvils) in this demo so my radius is kinda flatter than I would like.

next..

its time to tuck and give this fender some roll. this first shot is my pOS tucking tool.
place the metal between the gaps of this tool and rotate it (the metal) to create a pucker or tuck in the sheetmetal as shown below

http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-2-4.jpg

the photo above shows 3 tucks created with the tucking tool
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-3-1.jpg

take the panel (which is now really looking bad.. back to the work bench and crush the tucks (this can be done with the wheel but I like to pound shit)

next photo shows the first strike when crushing the tuck
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-3-4.jpg

and the following photo shows second strike to use when crushin the tuck..
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-3-3.jpg

basically when crushing the tuck you start at the center of the panel and hammer the tuck toward itself from altering angles (left then right or right then left.) this actually gathers the metal together and shrinks it.. (if you do it correctly)

by working from the inside edge out you gather the metal together and shrink it up.

[sawzall]

now that the tucks are somewhat crushed and flattened take what will be come your fender back to the ewheel and wheel from the outside edge up toward the center. be certain to stay away from the center work from the outside edge in
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-4-2.jpg

above you can see that I am working at an angle to the centerline of the panel. I find this to be an advantage... again work the edges only with the ewheel. from the outside edge of the fender toward the center but do not cross over the center.

again because I didnt change my lower anvil I am stuck with this sorta flat radius (for a fender) had I used a more radical radius I would have ultimately achieved a better arch to the fender.. (again i cant sleep and were only demonstrating here)
http://photo.starblvd.net/~sawzall/2-4-1.jpg


ok last photo above shows wheel closer up.. again wheeling in toward the center of the panel.

please note I used THIN aluminum in this demo so everything happened FAST. using steel or THICKER aluminum would be a better idea but would slow the process considerably.

also this entire process may need repeated several times to achieve the exact curvature you desire.

and again allow me to stress that i didnt feel like changing my lower anvils around to create a different side radius so the fender is flatter than i would have liked.

later.. and good night.
sawzall

[james]

Damn Swazall, I watch tv when I can't sleep! Very cool!
Jason-- if you were asking me, it's a $5 model A light off ebay. Just an impulse buy that I bought before the bike for a shelf dust collector.

[burndup]

ROCKIN Sawzall, when you wake up, show us the finished mini-bike fender!!

Thanks,
J