Newbie here

'Ow do everyone. I'm new to this forum. Been into bikes for over 30 years. Haven't had one for more than 10 years but thinking of a Streetfighter with loads of mods. I'm big into making my own ally parts etc being an aerospace and automotive production engineer/cnc programmer. Looking forward to browsing through the forum and chatting with you.

 

Thanks for the welcome messages. Char, I'll be honest and say that it is something that is going around my mind at the moment to the point that I've requested prices for high speed milling machines etc and other ancillaries. I've been fortunate enough over the last 32 years to have benefited from an excellent apprenticeship, great workmates/journeymen who have spurred me on and both my brothers who have provided most of the machines that I have taken bits off and replaced them with serious blingy bits. Having worked in both the aerospace and automotive sectors in various roles including designing alloys wheels, cylinder heads and producing tooling for aircraft components, I've also been very lucky to have witnessed the massive changes in machining technology and techniques that allow you to exploit your metal sculpting desires. Fancy words!!

Nuttynick, having been to my nephews just around October last year and seen the £70 bent steel tail tidy with LED number plate light that he had fitted to his Z750, I was gobsmacked at the so/so quality and mad price of such a small item. In fact I think the blingy box it arrived in complete with clear bubble pack probably cost more to produce. I started looking at the bits on offer and seriously started to ask myself questions about producing items myself. I've previously produced top and bottom yokes and brake calipers for my brothers with some seriously curvy features that look like they've been aesthetically modeled rather than plain machined as most manufacturers offer. I'm not saying I'm the king of this type of work but using the right machinery, techniques and skills, most items on offer can be easily outclassed and produced in half the time and to a far more acceptable price to the end customer. I shall have to see how things pan out over the next couple of months and see if I can make the idea a reality. Anyway, enough spouting from me, I'm off for a browse through the forum to check out the 2-wheeled machinery!!

 

Been looking around the web at custom bike bits and didn't realise it was so big! Can't believe some of the prices being asked for crappy stuff with no imagination or thought input. Might start asking to borrow some bits to take measurements from and produce some samples. Hopefully day job won't get in way like it used to do.

 

I agree but it's not my sole intention to only make custom/duplicate/replica/hard to get bits for bikes and cars but it will form more than 50% of my business plan for sure. My problem is that I get a kick out of designing or importing 3D models, deciding on how to make the item in question and then tooling up and proving to production standard. It's always fascinated me and probably always will. Lets see what comes of this year and then go from there!

 

Hi Rikkd,

If I can make the figures stack up the plan will come off. Had a chance to do this with a close friend some 16 years ago but the wife wasn't behind it even though I had guaranteed aerospace work for almost 2 years which would've paid for the machines 4 times over. She's now the ex-wife thank god. Don't have to put up with her anymore!

I used to use Catia 4 quite some time ago. Most CAD software is the same these days just dressed up with different GUI's and names etc. and the odd function that sticks out. Just a matter of learning the new software layouts and command chain to achieve the same results. I like Solidworks because its easy to use. have used Pro-Engineer before but only for a short while. When doing easy 2D, 2.5D prismatic or simple solids type parts I favour MasterCam as its quick and easy to use.

I work for myself as a freelance CADCAM/Production Engineer but am currently contracted to a large military aircraft company for the foreseeable future. Very good money but that's not what makes me tick thankfully. Could be helpful especially if I get overwhelmed with modelling if you are available. I don't have easy access to a decent CMM machine to take critical dimensions though so I most probably will need to measure everything in the traditional manual manner which takes times and can lead to silly errors etc. Lets see what pans out.

Thanks for the offer.