From: | Backyard Bob | e-mail: | somehwere-A-newjersey |
Subject: | RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Chainguard | Date: | Tue Aug 18 23:15:20 2015 |
Response to: | 20710 |
Just as a backup here.... when I got my first motorcycle.... A Honda 90.... I didn't look at the condition of the chrome, look at the paint on the frame or tanks, I looked at the fact I had a motorcycle! And blessed my Mom for buying it for me. She gave me freedom! ....and I've had it ever since. Isn't this what motorcycling is all about? ----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS ----- Sorry guys but I have to disagree on one point. I've had NOS die-cast covers that show swirl marks and color imperfections in the aluminum that had nothing to do with age or oxidation. If you melt metal for a living you know that sometimes there are parts that end up being produced from the 'last of the batch'. Production requirements sometimes allow 'well, close enough' parts to get by the quality control personnel. I agree with Dave.... orange peel, runs, blemishes on a production line? I deal with it everyday in my job. These bikes were produced by HD.... not Tiffany. They were meant to be ridden, not displayed in a Showcase. Functional comes to mind here. When you look at a running unrestored original do you judge it or respect it? Hey, I'm an unrestored running original! :-) ----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS ----- Hello Mr. Dave The die cast covers are very smooth with no grain and the vast majority of the time, have no imperfections. Sand cast covers are just that. They were cast in the sand and MCC didn't even use a really fine grain sand, like PetroBond. If that wasn't bad enough, whatever foundry Harley switched to in 1960 (I'm sure it was to save a dime) many of the castings were horrible, have a look at just about any 60 and later cylinder, some of the fins didn't even flow out into the mold all the way) Next time I open up the container that holds all the NOS parts for my 53, I'll take the cover out and take a pic and post it. Some people ,like myself (and Les and Anna right now) are anal about being correct (and them for good reason, seeing how they have the very first 56 ST model). I know most people could care less how correct their ride is, as long as they can ride it and look good doing it. The bikes still turn heads and gets tons of looks. But I have to try as hard as I can to be "correct" when people are counting on me to do so. Horn stamps,speedo stamps and even some of the later tail light bodies that have a 6v stamp in yellow paint, bi- colored Diamond and Duckworth chains, galvanized coil brackets and speedo conduits, cloth cable conduits from 48-59,etc, were there when they left the Factory, so they should be there when the bike is restored. This is only if your are wanting a really correct restoration. I don't knock any one for the way they restore their bikes, as the bike is their baby. The cases and mag cover are impossible to obtain the correct sand cast finish, as they tend to have a very light oxide on them when they get shaken outta the sand mold so ya got to try and get them atleast close to that. Just blast the cases with some fine abrasive then roll up your sleeves. Send the ol' lady to get a pedicure or something (if she's anal about her kitchen). Blow the dust off the cases after blasting and blow out and run taps thru all the holes and get them clean. Turn on some hot water, get a jug of Pamolive dish soap and a box of SOS pads and start scrubbing. Every nook and cranny that you can possible reach. Scrub until the cases are shiny. Some cases are VERY rough and you can scrub all day and it still looks pretty crappy, but atleast it's clean. Same for the magneto side cover. on a high point restoration, the die cast covers we hand sand the scratches off of them, then polish them on the buffer. Then run them thru the glass bead cabinet and knock the mirror polish off them with fine glass beads at 20 psi, then give them a light scrub in the sink with the soap and SOS pads. If ya look at Mr. Jerry's Factory pictures (here) http://www.harleyhummerclub.org/members/jerry- hatfield/19838m.jpg you can see that they are some what shiny, but not to the point of a reflection. Over time, even the NOS die cast covers end up getting an oxide on them. This is just my idea of what they should look like. Others might have there own ways too, which is fine. Some folks really don't care about spend multiple hours working on a side cover or cases, but some people do. ----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS ----- Mutt, I bow to your superior knowledge. Please describe the die- cast finish v. sand-cast finish. As a restorer, given 50-year-old dirty, filthy, oil- stained crankcases and similar condition engine-case covers, how do you refinish them to "factory finish"? What do you do to the engine cases? What do you do to the engine covers? We want to guide people in the right direction. If I'm wrong, just tell me. I'm a big guy, I can admit when I'm wrong (I quite often am), just tell me - and everyone else who is reading this - what is right. Dave ----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS ----- Dave , only the cases and magneto covers were sand cast the generator covers and primary covers are die cast. I have a NOS generator cover. These are "as die cast" Nothing is done to them after they come outta the dies. |