!914 Twin HD Cannon ball request

[c.o.]

I'm running a little behind here and I've got a bit of reading to do now to catch up but here's the first round of pics from Joe's post last night.......

[c.o.]

Here's the pics from tonight......

[William McClean]

" Kill da Wabbit . ! .. "

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[/QUOTE]

For a Good, Wagner chuckle , get a hold of the Bugs Bunny cartoon ' What's Opera, Doc ' Elmer Fudd in a horned helmet singing Wagner with Warner Bro.s lyrics.

Thanks again for sharing the build.

[Slojo]

William
Tanks for ridding along.
It has been said the first music you become familiar with and learn to love will always be your favorite music. Those old Warner Bros. Cartoons are still the best of all and they were backed up with great classical (Not Steve (Really love your peaches wana shake your tree)) composition. I grew up listening and loving those compositions and then learned to love Rock and Roll. Over the years classical music has come back to me and still is the best. Don’t tell Jimmi (The wind cries Mary) Janice (Old lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz) and the rest of the gang I said that, not to mention “The Tick” (My favorite big blue animated SUPER hero). Perhaps I should bring up Hank (Your Cheatin Heart) and Jonny (I’m going to Jackson) also.
My parents had a “HiFi” consol (Stereo with record player AM FM receiver and maybe an add on eight track tape player, a modern times update. All that contemporary electronic wizardry housed in a beautiful wood cabinet that was part of your living room furniture) which my mother used to stack several Hank records (remember those vinyl or pre-vinyl platters) on the stem of the automatic player (turn table). It would play record after record until they all dropped then she would lift them all and restart the automatic player again and again all day long. I could recite Hank songs verbatim when I was a kid.
Oh no the first signs of old age, reminiscing ouch. Kids I hope I haven’t lost you, if I have you really missed some good stuff. Stick around we will get back to motorcycles right away. By the way Kids Richard Wagner is pronounced Rekard Vagner pay attention and learns some culture please. Speaking of Kids do we have any under say, 25 year olds riding along with this program? If so please chime in.
Joe

[Slojo]

A Michigan company still in buisness.

Today a road trip eventually led to Mcguire spring shop. They are winding some springs for the auxiliary spring perches on the front fork. I then returned to the shop for more abuse on the die set. Following photos are the two die shoes nearly completed. A 7/8 ball nose end mill will be purchased tomorrow to finish the contour for the frame rail that is to be formed in this die set.
Lonnie sent an e-mail requesting a profile of me and a photo of my bike to enter into his riders register at http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/. That request will have to wait a while or a substitute bike must be used in the photograph.
The M/C Cannonball group has a new route planed for us, this one is referred to as “Route 8”. This road run event is becoming more professional as the program matures through experience and hired guns helping Lonnie with this monumental task. I sure am glad all I have to do is show up on time to run this historic event with a tested fresh built bike that can complete the trip.
Joe 12-21-2009

[c.o.]

[Slojo]

Break night

Tonight is a night off sorry no progress to post on the bike. Perhaps tomorrow a run to the tool store to purchase the 7/8 ball nose end mill will be possible, today it wasn’t in the cards. Calls were made today in order to locate more parts cylinders, cylinders, cylinders… a couple more leads presented themselves to follow up on hopefully they will be fruitful.
Apparently there are not any younger motorcyclists in this audience. This build process might be too slow of a pace for the youth of America after all, my nephew can destroy an entire civilization and rebuild a new perfect civilization in just a few hours (Much like Obama) on his computer.
Following, for those who have interest in the cabin progress are a few late evening photos of the ceiling progress. Nearly the entire front section of the ceiling is complete now.
Joe 12-22-2009

[c.o.]

Who wouldn't be interested in that cabin of yours?? I for one would like to follow it's build process as well. I'm also pretty sure that there's only a couple of young fellows on this board. Matt and Ryan are the only ones that come to mind right now.

[Chris Border MFG]

Hey Joe, I dont know what you mean by younger. I am 40 next month, so I think I am out of the age bracket your thinking. I check for up dates morning and night on here. I cant wait to see whats new. Keep it up, please. Better than the book I was reading for sure.

[Slojo]

Thanks Chris
Perhaps you are the only youngster here? I will continue to post updates hopefully on a daily basis.
So enjoy the ride and keep me posted on fuel tank progress I look forward to the finished product.
Installation of those wide tanks you are making for this M/C Cannonballer will be a great progress posting.
Joe

[Chris Border MFG]

Thanks Joe. I am just about finished with them. Things are moving along very well. I will be pressure testing them thursday night. Then I can get them shipped off to you so we can keep you movin in the right direction! Full speed ahead.

[rwm]

i'm 40 and can't belive chris and i are the youngsters here.

[jurassic]

across the pond

[Slojo]

Thank you Lonnie for another great 1914 photo. to help me along with this project. Those rear fender braces look to be thick like the 1915 style of 5/16" instead of the 1/4" of 1914 and earlier.
Joe

[Slojo]

When things go right (by holding your tolerances tight)

Finally, the steel from hell yielded to my efforts and determination.
With a run to MSC tool supply in Livonia a 7/8” carbide end-mill was procured. The tool will be used for finishing the cutout in the die where the new frame rail will be forcefully curved to the desired shape.
Knowing the die half’s would separate without a guide I had an un-conventional but simple idea on how to tie them together. Thinking out of the box is what we do around here, read… improvise.
Two holes machined at specific points allow a hinge like devise to pull the two die shoes together as they come down on the soon to be frame rail. Simply hinge open the die, place the chrome molly tube in the devise, swing shut the upper shoe and apply the force of about 100 1970 XLCH Sportsters on top of the die (25 tons). All the effort was paid back tenfold when the first rail came out of the die in perfect shape.
I ask myself did Harley not have access to thicker wall tubing in a 7/8” diameter? Harleys original frame rail was made of .070” wall thickness tubing with a split sleeve in side and a solid steel bar in the split sleeve.
Originally my plan was to fit a 1/2” tube into the 7/8” tube for greater strength. These two tubes will be a .001-.002” press fit together. My plan was to heat the 7/8x.188” wall tube to expand it so the 1/2” tube could drop in. This is a simple way to get a strong bond without welding or sweat brazing and a stronger tube than original. At this point the .188 wall tube will do fine in my opinion.
Over reinforcing any one item causes all the surrounding items to become weaker. Besides I don’t have enough Sportsters to stack on top of the die set for the increased resistance the extra wall thickness would create to form the tube.
Next will be to measure and determine whether the .188 wall tubing is thick enough tube to allow a tapered turn on one end and press oval the last few inches of the rail as it approaches the axel plate. This is to simulate the original frame rail.
Once again look for the following photos to help detail what I have just explained. And thank Corey for the help.
Joe