Diff'rent Strokers

arlurt · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:29 pm Post subject:

Side panels are coming on nicely. Shame a fly landed on one of them, good job it was at the primer stage.

So there just the tail piece, tank and mudguard to go, might be done for Christmas.
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Top-shaggy · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:49 pm Post subject:

Looking great.. Good prep makes the world of diff'rence Wink

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We are where we are...

Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

arlurt · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:48 pm Post subject:

Done an hour tonight messing about with the decals, it's nice to have a few finished parts for when enthusiasm is low. Thanks Tim for the tips on applying the decals, it went better than I expected, but still quite stressful.

I know the colours are wrong for a 1976 KH250, but when I found a full bike set for a 1984 KH125 for £9.50 I decided they were near enough. The bike's never going to be a concours restoration anyway.

Seems strange spending all that time trying to get a decent finish on the paint only to flat it down again for decals and lacquer. I'll let them have a couple of days to dry properly, then lacquer. Hope nothing reacts!
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Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

They look smart mate.

My bike won't be concours. But it's my bike. So it will be how i want it, with any mods or compromises down to me and my budget.
Your bike is your bike, so the only person that has to be happy with it is you. I think yours is looking cock on.

arlurt · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:10 pm Post subject:

Philpotts (www.pittedforks.co.uk) have just rung to say my straightened and re-chromed forks are ready for delivery. When I sent them off they'd said ten weeks, so I'm really pleased they've turned them round in eight. They should be delivered tomorow. Now I've got to try and remember how they go back together.

I gave the side panels a couple of coats of lacquer last night. The vinyl certainly takes lacquer differently to the paint, it didn't flow out properly on the vinyl, but the painted surfaces were fine. They're not ruined, but I'm not pleased with the finish. I'll (carefully) flat them back tonight and try again. Maybe the lacquer that has covered the vinyl will give me better restults for the next coats. The red decals are a much better colour with lacquer on them, they were quite pink before but now they a nice deep red.

I'll post a picture or two when I've overcome my lacquer shame and got the fork tube in my hands. Very Happy

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Gillinghampaul · Joined: 15 Aug 2012 Posts: 655 Location: Kent

Sorry to barge in but an absolutly epic fluid for freeing stuff off is atf mixed about 50 50 with brake cleaning fluid or thinners or something similar, probably wont pass and coshh regulations but its good!
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Gagging for it

arlurt · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the free-off tip, hope it works for Cal.

I flatted and re-lacquered the side panels tonight. The bad one is still bad, the vinyl did the same thing again, and the good one is still good enough. I'll let them both settle for a few days while I sort the forks out. By that time I might be sufficiently sick of 'em to put up with them as they are!

They still look pink on my monitor. Confused

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arlurt · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:13 am Post subject:

Doh! Just had a text from the courier to say the delivery of my fork tubes has been delayed. I was looking forward to getting them back together.

Does that mean I have to have another go at the dodgy lacquer on that second side-panel?
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Top-shaggy · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:58 am Post subject:

Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

arlurt · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 5:18 pm Post subject:

The fork tubes came back today, lovely job thank you.

They're straight, and the chrome is great. I've wasted no time putting them back together... The top caps are not very good, chrome has gone, but they'll do to get it back on the road.

Front end slotted back in and everything seems to line up.

Side panels on and I could be riding it by Sunday...

Ah, looks like I've still got a bit of work to do.
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Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

I managed a couple of hours last night.

I whipped the engine out, the plan being to get it on the bench and level. Then fill the cylinder with a mixture of diesel, brake fluid thinners and anything else I can think of.
There are funny little forked spacers on the back engine mount, two on each side.
Photo's later.

Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

I found this under the fuse box.

Cal · Joined: 20 Dec 2012 Posts: 62 Location: Bristol

Spare plugs!