!914 Twin HD Cannon ball request

[Slojo]

Failed the math test (Brain Freeze?)

Today the focus remains on the frame. I had to run to the local scrap yard to purchase some steel to make a compound bending die for the lower 7/8 frame rails. At the scrap yard you get whatever they have in stock hopefully that is close to what you want.
They supplied a piece of bar-stock measuring 1.5X6X81” . I brought the bar home and put it in the band saw to cut it to length for the die set. First mistake, the bar-stock was case hardened, scrap one band saw blade. A 20 inch piece of bar was torched of at the scrap yard so the entire bar would fit in my trunk. The 20 inch section was set in the machine vise and a short mill program from last night was input to the computer. The program did not work. A couple mathematical corrections and the machine began making the full contour just as planned.
The machine work completed today is the first of two operations on one of two die-shoes. While the machine was operating as an obedient servant I had some free time to clean the work area. Tomorrow things should run better now that the process is proven.
Once the die set is making good frame rails I am sure other frames out there will require the same repairs. The first set will take many hours to make, the second set will be quick to press out. It’s all in the tooling. Photos to follow.
Joe 12-18 2009

[c.o.]

Your not kidding about that chunk of metal being hard! Wow!

[jurassic]

[c.o.]

That must have been such a great time. Just strip down your sickle and get to racin'! Great pic Jurassic!

[Slojo]

Striped stock

Lonnie what a great photo thanks for posting the 14 striped street bike racer.
Joe

[Matthew N. Olse]

JOe,
That is an awesome die. It looks like all of your math paid off. Good Job!
best,
Matt Olsen

[fabercycle]

Joe,

Nice job on the project so far.

You shoulda called.....I can make those bends without spending all that time on a special tool.

Don't forget to figure how much that tube will "spring back" in your tube die.........

Tom

[rwm]

i'm gonna try for better photos of this over the holiday

[Slojo]

Matt
The die must still get the tube cutout milled into it. That will be much easier as the material is not hardened on the inside. Today I started to cut the second or mating half. I will need a 7/8 ball nose carbide end mill to finish making the clearance for the tube to fit into the die.
Tom
I wish I knew that in the first place. Too late to turn back now I am on a mission. The spring back is yet undetermined, I can re-cut the die if the end result is not what I am looking for.
Rob
I think I have been there before Early Harley Valhalla. Now I know what inspired Richard Wagner to compose the Ride of the Valkyries. Hum this must become my theme composition ,,, Horns please Dat da da da ta….. Thanks for the inspiration Rob.
The Gray Ghost rider team will now have a theme composition by Richard Wagner The Ride Of The Valkyries. I will need to get hold of Badly and have him incorporate Valhalla in the art work.
Joe

[Slojo]

I have affection for early luggage racks, typically they can be found on anything I ride with a spring fork. This 1914 M/C cannonball bike will not be an exception. In the following photos are before after shots of a repair completed on my early rack. I say early because Harley made several renditions of this rack for bikes with different fender width. Basically they bolt up to any 1914 rigid frame bike if the braces clear the fender. They also can be mounted on 1913 and earlier bikes with a little creativity.
I torched off another section of the steel bar from hell, man that is difficult steel to cut. My cutting torch is too small for 1 1/2 thick steel and causes me to torch from both sides, I never have done this before.
Machining this bar must be by the best of carbide tooling accompanied by a rigid machine. Depth of cut .100 inch, cutting feeds (in this case inches per minute) and surface speed (a function of RPM and cutter circumference) must be kept to a minimum otherwise your tooling will be much like an old Polaroid flash bulb, does anybody remember those? Or the four way flash cube?
One thing is for sure while my willing accomplice the Okuma MC4VAE with OSP 5020M control in the following photos is busy chewing away at the steel I have found some spare time to continue cleaning and organizing the shop, just a little piece at a time.
How about Matt and Ryan with their fortyfiver they are building I wish I could be there with them what a blast it would be working with willing, ambitious and talented kids. Carl I am envious of your position amongst these guys. Next time I kidnap Matt you might not get him back so soon. See “Ryan’s A.M.C.A. Give Away Bike Build” in this parking lot chatter forum apparently now published by “PRIVATE RYAN”!
Check out the incomplete ceiling photos on the log addition also.
Joe 12-19-2009

[big jesus 151]

Slo Jo No Mo !!!

Hey Joe, Thanks for the call today, your advice is too cool !!! I have been covered up & unable to enjoy the forum for a while. So I sat down & read every word, all 19 pages tonight ...Way to go !!! This is simply cool ! I feel like I am there , involved with the project. The pics & info are great. You are burnin' rubber on this build ! Keep up the great work & thanks for the show. You are now ShowJo Have Fun Carl

[Slojo]

Carl
Great to have you along for the ride happy to hear you are up to date. Wow that is a lot of reading, are you trying to tell me that I did not put you to sleep?
Carl you will have a difficult time trying to change the slojo moniker. Since 1995 when I became addicted to 90 degree desmo Italian twins several friends have attempted to change slojo to gojo. Those twins sure are sweet and fast.
Enjoy the ride
Joe

[willey]

1914 Harley ???

Hi Joe. I have been watching this build. It is great. It looks like you know a lot about early Harleys. I have a question about the one I am posting. The motorcycle belongs to my wife's grandfather who died about 20 years ago. I knew him but did not know that he was a biker until years later. He rode this bike to Alaska from close to Minot, North Dakota in approximately 1919. He worked in Alaska and came back in a couple of years and we do not know if he rode the bike back or not. The question I have is, I know that the bike is at least a 1911 because of the twin cylinders but no later than 1915 because of the pedals. From the picture, could you tell me the year?

[Slojo]

Grandpa's 1914

Willey
The bike appears to be a 14 twin single speed. It is defiantly not a 13 unless someone wants to argue the existence of a very late 13 with floor boards and a brake drum. Floor boards and the brake drum are generally known as 14 and later items. Judging by the photo it appears not to be a 15 either. By 15 a different intake manifold and rocker arms were used than what appears on the bike not to mention intake valve cutouts in the right tank. The photo does not have good enough resolution for any further examination. So call it a 14 twin single speed and let’s allow anyone else out there to verify or comment on my conclusion.
Joe

[Slojo]

Tame the Evil Steel

After several hours of machining on the case hardened steel I have finally removed the case harden areas that had to be machined off. Now the contour radius for the frame rail is being machined, this is the interior of the steel bar and is not hardened. I have a .790” carbide ball nose end mill, what was needed is a .875” ball nose end mill. The same results can be obtained using the undersize end-mill with several staggered cuts and some extra programming. In the photos you can see how the two pieces come together as one. Sure would have been easier if a wire E.D.M. machine was available, HEY! Evan are you out there?
While the Machining center was chewing away at the steel from Hell an additional project could be worked on. The drain plug in the crank case protruded into the flywheel case, I really could not determine exactly what had happened but the threads on the plug had a small amount of damage and would only unscrew about half of a turn before it became tight again. Since the plug is steel and the case is aluminum unscrewing the damaged plug might destroy the threads in the case.
I set up the left engine case in the Bridgeport and drilled a proportionally large hole in the drain plug. Next was to remove all the remaining steel from the plug that extended into the crankcase. For this a 2” sanding disc on a pneumatic right angle grinder was used. After all the excess steel was removed a 1/8 carbide burr was used to remove all the interior of the bolt to make it as weak as possible at the troubled end of the drain plug. As an added precaution some penetrating oil was then sprayed into the threaded area. Finally the drain plug unscrewed from the case without any case thread damage. For the drain plug, it was already damaged by several pairs of pliers over the years during removal so I was not planning on re-using it. If all is well with Corey last night and this nights photos will be posted soon.
Joe 12-20-2009