!914 Twin HD Cannon ball request

[Slojo]

Tool Box Check

Visitors were poring in today, which cut into productivity a bit. Cold, cold, cold its time to fix the heaters. The oil-tank tool box combo on the shelf needed to be put in place, a check for fit is important, it must fit into the frame and line up with the rear fender arc and frame components. Pat Murphy built the oil tank and had it in stock and for sale. Pat is of board track racer fame, we all watched him lap the field last year in Wauseon Ohio A.M.C.A. meet on Even’s well built mountain motored JD.
I was luckily enough to step up to the plate in timely fashion for this beauty of a box. The fit and finish is very good, these items are difficult to reproduce especially when you have just a hammer and a pair of vice grips right Pat?
While at it the pedals were also awaiting installation basically a check to see if the threads match and once again a good fit was found. The reproduction pedals were purchased in Wauseon Ohio years ago with no idea where they would end up, they were just to beautiful to pass up. I think the pedals were purchased from George Fox of Fox Grips. The end plates on the pedals are actually embossed with the original manufacture inscription an excellent finishing touch.
Measurements and photos were taken to find proper location as to where the valve pocket clearances in the extra wide gas tanks will be located. These custom tanks will be one inch per side wider to add to the travel range of the bike how much I relay don’t know as of yet.
Joe

[c.o.]

[LouieMCman]

How about this Joe? I have a local guy that does stickers too. I think it's a good start and can be modified as required, what do you think?

[LouieMCman]

Or this?...........

[chas]

Aloha Mainlander Joe

Howzit brah. SoJo you are 100% correct, genius is 5% inspiration and 95% will. Never got to see your country property before we moved. Your home is as unique and precise as your machines. I love how you 'integrated what you had'. Looks like you traded up big time from your cramped Livonia digs. I sure miss your genius, 'cause I can almost see the gears turning in your head.

[Slojo]

No Gray Ghost Buster Sticker Contest

Louie
That sticker is the right idea perhaps something more artistic (descriptive graphic evocative eloquent colorful, terms allowed). Louie your design implies No Gray Ghost I want no Gray Ghost Buster or busting. The idea is the sticker is to imply the 1914 Gray Ghost Rider M/C Team is not to be busted in other words no brake downs (A Ghost with hand cuffs? busted? be creative). Anyone else out there want to have some input on this “theme”, character? How about some friendly competition, a $100 first place, $50 second place to the art work of my choice and another $50 for peoples choice with a time frame starting now,11-29-09 finish date January 15 2010. Let’s see what kind of artistic talent is out there.
Joe

[Slojo]

Shop Day

Its difficult working in a disorganized cluttered shop so today an attempt was made at cleaning up one area specific.
I am in the business of servicing Okuma C.N.C. machines for the last 25 years, prior to that programming and setup of the same. Over the years several machines have been purchased fixed up and used for the restoration of the M/Cs built in my shop then traded off. Each time one machine moves out an attempt to bring in a better one takes place (just like motorcycles and baseball cards). The barn has never been set up properly as equipment has moved in and out through the years and the shop is more like a warehouse than a proper working environment.
The following photos show the most recent machine brought in and repaired back to excellent running condition. This particular machine is a turning center (lathe) with the unique ability to do milling operations in four programmable axis X,Y,Z and C, C being a rotary axis revolving around the Z axis.
With many items requiring manufacture perhaps it will be a good idea to fire this machine up and produce extras of what ever gets made. I am a little rusty on programming other than the basic 2 or 3 axis type machines, it been a long time since working with a machine similar to this one so a learning curve is about to take place.
With the collapse of the manufacturing industry in the State of Michigan perhaps it is time to look into another way of making a living as the service business currently is sluggish, getting the shop on line may be a good thing.
Joe

[c.o.]

[LouieMCman]

Joe, I just cobbed that ghost image off the web and posted it to hopefully spur some interest in designing a logo. A contest is a good idea.

[Slojo]

Gray Ghost Rider Logo

Louie
I look forward to seeing submittions on the Gray Ghost Rider logo “competition” mentioned above. Hopefully we have some talented artist watching this forum.
Joe

[c.o.]

Makin' Sparks...

[Slojo]

One small step for bike building one ........................

Today was like my birthday. Four packages of parts arrived while I was out picking up supplies at MSC. A 1 1/8 ball-hone and several taps including a non standard 7/16X18 for the foot-board support rod nuts. The tubing arrived for the final frame repairs. A 1914 foot-board side bar (see photo) came in, this is a trade item for another of the same to fit a latter teens J model. An additional front fender that will be put into the 1920 J project bike that is for sale. Finally the rivets for the fender clips and the steel floor boards if they get used.
An attempt was made to install the seat post into the frame. This should be basically a drop in item. Not this time, the frame hole where the seat post is to fit is now out of round due to welding. Compound that with the seat post being slightly disfigured and you have a problem. That is why the ball hone was purchased.
The frame was honed out for clean up purposes so a true measurement could be made. That is when the out of round condition was detected. What's more the seat post disfiguration required attention.
The best way to resolve the seat post issue was to set it up in the Parker Majestic O-D grinder and remove the high spots,(see photos) just a few thousands of an inch. The fit is much better now but still not satisfactory. Perhaps a reamer will have to be run through the frame to remove the out of round condition without removing too much of the rest of the bore.
While items are going in and out the door, there is a great deal of trading taking place. In the past I manufactured 1912/1913 Freewheel Clutch parts (see photos). Today some of those items were packaged up and will be sent on their way to California in a transaction that will return parts for this 1914 project.
Joe

[chas]

logo idea

What about a logo of a beefy gray ghost chewing big nails? Riding Joe's scoot?

The concept Joe is pushing for his latest adventure trip, the advances in durability from '14 on, is an important aspect in motorcycling. Technology advances in jumps, that was an important period in history.

Can't draw worth a cr*p, but advancing motorcycle durability as a real world subject, I do know a tad about.

We live as did Vonnegut's Tralfamadorians, in several times simultaneously. Joe has a fundamental grasp of how it all fits together better.

Yet, I'll put a toe in the water, the advances we gained came due to the pressures that came from WW I. Seldom do technical advances come without sweat.

[exeric]

Joe, I had the same seat post problem with my 1916 frame. The seat post hole in the frame was out of round where someone had re-brazed the joint between the forging and the tubing. I made a boring bar that was just under the diameter of the hole. I put a carbide insert in the end of the bar so it would be sure to cut that heat treated forging. I made it so that I could chuck it into a big drill motor and then tried to gently hand feed it. It worked but it was a royal pain in the a$$ because it's very difficult to hand feed a single point cutter in an out of round hole. I also had to make a new seat post tube.

[Slojo]

Frame Machine Work

Eric
I have a 5 axis machining center in my shop that is temporarily broke down with software issues. Once repaired it may have enough Z axis travel to fit the frame under the spindle. If a long enough boring head and boring bar will clear the setup under the spindle a little stock can be removed to bring the frame back into tolerance, problem solved. Essentially the exact same process as you described with a little more control. It sure is beneficial having an aptitude in both manufacturing and machine repair. It would be near impossible for me to build bikes over the years especially this one without a machine tool background.
It looks like today a change of hats will be needed. The transformation from bike builder back to machine tool repair Dude must take place. To continue forward progress some times one must take a step backward.
Joe