Spent 15 mins every hour (between lazing around) to make an MDF former for the rear curve on the tank, bashed the aluminium around said former. Just done a rough out for a pattern for the rear panel - now time for wine
And more progress! Former made for the rear panel, Aluminium twatted into shape, just a little fiddling to get the final fit sorted and I can start on the two rear side panels.
My RSVR Front Mudguard arrived today - now need to cut it down, strengthen it with Aluminium and try and disguise it so it looks like the one on the box picture while keeping the mounting points to the Aprilia Ohlins forks...
R/H Rear Quarter panel is done, apart from some minor fettling once the left one is finished - this took some time to manipulate into shape and was the hardest yet by far, glad it's over Only the LH Rear Quarter to do and that's the entire top of the tank finished ready for welding - thanks to the unexpected month off work! I will then be stuck until I can get to Chads again
For the front mudguard, wouldn’t it be easier to start with a Norton style ally mudguard and make up a fork brace to mount it. That’s probably how the original one was made?
I did think of mounting it higher up - the original was mounted to a fork brace. Although I'm aiming for a close replica, having decided to go with modern suspension, brakes and wheels I thought I may as well utilise the mudguard mountings on the Ohlin's forks. I can slim down the uprights and reinforce with aluminium, then paint them black - so only the top section is painted as the original. I'll see how it goes but may change if it doesn't look good...
Yeh, that looks good - but I want to disguise the uprights rather than make them a feature - my aluminium strengthening will be internal with 2mm sheet.
I know its far too late for this info, but back in the day, before pipebenders were a thing, we would plug one end of the tube, then fill the tube with dry sand and plug the other end. This would then prevent the tube from collapsing when it was bent. Impressive build.
