Frame table...Part Two

The research phase is over, (O.K. actually it's been over for awhile, been spending too much time over on the dreaded Facebook...looking at all the cool motorcycle pics over there.) That, and perusing cool motorcycle sites and blogs. I'll be adding some links soon, to a few sites I like.

That last post came about as I was having problems accessing my blog with my old 'log-in', but here we are again...???

After looking at various designs of frame tables and sketching up a few ideas, I believe I've come up with a plan of sorts. Going to use 2 inch square tubing, as it is readily available and seems to be the choice of material I've seen on quite a few designs.

As soon as I get my scanning equipment in order I'll add a sketch or two. I'm going to 'farm' out part of the work to a local continuation High School machine shop class, taught by a friend of mine. One of his students will be machining up the cones that will be part of the neck-holding fixture. I could do these myself on a lathe at work, but this will provide a student with a project. His class is one of the last such shops left in the local area. We have one other High School in our district that teaches metal work. As far as I know there are no longer any auto shop or wood shop classes. It's a real shame they let them go.

With all the talk of trying to bring manufacturing back to this country, it would seem that there would be a need to train future skilled workers for jobs at these plants. Oops! let me get off my soap box and leave this kind of discussion for elsewhere. (Support your local shop classes!).

Where oh where did my dashboard go?

Great, now I gotta re-learn how to do this...don't they know old folks hate to go back to school?

Well, seems I've figured an 'end-run' around this latest bit of blogger bizarre-ness. We'll see how long that lasts.  This pic is from before my time in my neighborhood, at the Park once known as 'Joyland'.

Building a motorcycle frame table

When I built a mini-bike frame for my brother, oh about a hundred years ago in high school, It was done without the benefit of a frame table. We did have a prototype frame in the shop to refer to. We also had plenty of clamps and scraps of steel to improvise appropriate temporary holding fixtures. A lot of 'eye-ball' engineering involved, and plenty of opinions from the classroom peanut gallery as well.

Things weren't much different when I worked in a shop in the 70's.  We did quite a bit of frame repair in those days. It usually involved referring to similar frames in the shop for checking measurements. Lots of made on the spot 'jigs' and holding fixtures. A large floor mounted vice, A couple of 'rose-bud torches', a lot of 'eye-ball' engineering, and plenty of advice and opinions from the shop peanut gallery...

Lately I've been checking out stuff on the web at various sites, looking at as many frame tables and jigs as I can find. Also going to dig out a bunch of old mags and see what I can find. The main reason for wanting a proper frame table is for the repairs I'm going to have to accomplish on the 1957 Triumph restoration. That pic of the rusty frame parts to the right there will hopefully resemble a straight motorcycle frame. For years I've toyed with the idea of doing some complete frames from scratch.  The last frame repair I did was to one of my Honda SL-350's after I was hit by a three/quarter ton van. A large pole-mounted vice, a rosebud torch, large piece of pipe through the neck, and plenty of eye-ball. Managed to get it straightened out, but swore I was going to build a table someday. The last scratch-built frame I did is one for a yet unfinished recumbent three wheel bicycle.

The main criteria will be to have an adjustable neck holding fixture, jigs for positioning frame tubes, and jigs and fixtures for holding axle and swing arm pivot points in true alignment. It has to be highly adjustable and rigid at the same time. If you see any interesting frame table designs out there, let me know. The other thing is not to get too carried away with cost and details. I have found a few designs that are pretty basic, and some that are pretty exotic and involved, as they are designed with mass production in mind.

Someday, I might get ambitious and build my 'dream Triton'. A friend of mine has a featherbed frame I can use as reference. His was modified to hold a Vincent motor, that was returned to a Vincent frame.  Another frame I'd like to do is a purpose built flat track frame for a Triumph motor. But for now I'll be happy to get my 57 Triumph frame back in shape.

The old neighborhood...

I live in a part of Sacramento known as Oak Park. A few blocks away is a theater now known as 'The Guild Theater'. This pic is from around the 40's, when it was the 'Oak Park Theatre'. Found a site that I'll post a link to, that had some great pics and stories about the neighborhood I live in.Click here to see more old pics.

This is what it looks like today. It has been 'restored' and is a working theater. It is now known as 'The Guild'. Somewhere I have some pics of the building before it was brought back to this look. 

A rollercoaster at what was once known as Joyland.

It's now a park, named after a local newspaper man that owned the land for awhile, and gave it to the city to use as a park.

Across from the park is a law school that has gobbled up a big chunk of the neighborhood. I used to live next to the school in a beautiful old apartment, also rented an old carriage house that was my shop space for a number of years. Can't get a pic of it now, the law school tore it all down and put up some really ugly stucco apartments for law students...(insert your own lawyer joke or comments here....)

Finally raining again, and snowing in the mountains. A welcome change of weather. Weekends here, hope to get some bike work done.

Time to say Happy New Year!

                                             Near Loon Lake, California several years ago


In about 4 and a half hours, this year will be over. So...Happy New Year!  Any new years resolutions?   Winter hasn't really set in here yet. There was more snow in the mountains a month ago. My back-country skiing partners and I might have to start rock climbing if we don't get some good storms soon.

One of my resolutions is to try and resemble my former self over to the left .  That was about 5 or 6 years and 25 pounds ago...  can't get the years back, but hoping to work on the weight. That was about the second or third pitch of an 'easy' climb in Yosemite, California. These are some scans of some panoramic shots Rick Willis took.

The pre-unit Triumph to the right there is a former Bud Ekin's bike that had just returned to the U.S. after being in Australia for a number of years. Shot that at San Jose several years ago. Wonder where it is now?  Put that there as inspiration to get going on my pre-unit Triumph.

The pile of rusty frame bits, is to remind me to get going on that project. Have been mulling over the design of a frame table. Have to get my Tig-welding sharpened up.  After looking at prices on some of the pre-unit stuff on 'E-Bay', I'm more determined than ever to salvage my frame.

So tune in later folks, for tales of playing, wrenching and riding- in Northern California.....where it might snow again, someday soon- we hope.

                                   Rappeling, or abseiling from a climb in Tuolumne Meadows

Rick Willis, my climbing partner looking fit...notice how his head resembles the back of a famous rock formation. Took this on the way to Tuolumne Meadows, just about one of the most beautiful places in California.

Time to say Merry Christmas...

          Mom's new 51 MPG Toyota...my Christmas gift behind the Prius, her "old" 2003 Toyota

         Snapped this brave soul on his 110 MPG Honda Express, commuting home from work


Good grief , where did the year go? Been running this little blog for about 8 months now. Starting to get the hang of it, sort of. Been busy lately and have fallen a little behind.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all out in Bloggerland , that might stumble upon this location occasionally. Here's to a new year coming. Stay tuned, the projects are gonna start rolling....uhhhhhh...yeah, they are going to!

Been thinking about some road trips to some bike shops here and there, to see what parts and supplies I can still find locally. That is, as soon as I inventory what I have on hand. Have had auto problems lately, but have secured a newish vehicle to run around in while repairs are made to the old Jeep. San Francisco and San Jose are close by, and there are quite a few shops in both cities. Los Angelos is a major trip from Sacramento, but might even venture down that way, do have lot's of relatives that way. Have to check out bike show schedules, and maybe coincide with one.

Been very cold here with little rain, and sadly little snow as well. We had more snow in the mountains a month ago. My back country ski stuff is set and ready to go . Might end up becoming a rock climbing winter. Check out the blog called 'Summit' . Some nice pictures of desert climbing on sandstone. Very different from granite. I've only climbed in the desert once several years back. The desert was an interesting place to camp out in. Maybe a trip to L.A. could be combined with some desert camping...hmmmmm? .Click here to go to desert climbing

Have a good Holidays you all.

Now where are those manuals? And my British tools...?

                                                     Mr. Marx, the doctor will see you now.

   (An old friend of mine, who survived to become a semi-respectable member of society)

Hate to admit it, but I don't think I remember everything I used to know about Triumph twins. Back in the day, when I was wrenching on the things for a living, didn't have to refer to a manual or spec sheet.  Time to get the library in order. I do remember that a pre unit 650 runs a shorter reach plug as compared to the unit 650's. You can bend a valve if you get that one wrong.Of course that is, if you are running the original head and not a later one.  (Don't ask me how I know that...). I should have the manuals and books I need. Tools, yes the tools. Those are going to need a good sorting.  Fortunately for me, I acquired most of the special tools for British bikes that used to hang on the wall at a long time shop in this area. When "Sarkee's" went out of business years ago, I was lucky enough to stop in as the old shop tools were being brought up to the sale tables. By this time Joe Sarkee had retired and sold the shop years earlier. Joe was quite a local "Motorcycle" legend and character . When Joe had the shop he sold British bikes, BMW's, Honda, and others. He had an interesting collection of old bikes in the shop as well. One I remember in particular was an old war time opposed twin Harley, that he had modified by fitting top ends from a BMW. Click here to see Pete Youngs Wordpress blog, Occhio lungo   He has a really nice site with all kinds of of pics and articles about the old motorcycle scene in Northern California. Worth taking a trip to.

The crazy young man in the old faded photo above used to own the Norton Commando 850 I have. Some day the Norton will be the subject of a re-build. That is the marque of a Drive-in theater that we both worked at. It's long gone, and I won't embarrass him with stories about that place....at least not today.

Weather has definitely gone winter-like here. No rains at the moment but lot's of cold blustery wind.