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?


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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! :-)

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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.

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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


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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.