Rebuild / Restoration threads - I feel important here!

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grandpaul

grandpaul

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Okay, I admit it, I'm a LITTLE bit obsessive.

I went back all 86 pages of posts to see how many had over 3,000 views, and found out only SEVEN threads in the 5 years since this forum began have over 3,000 views.

Here they are with the date the threads were started:

Forks (5/10/07) - 3,100+
Belt drives (12/10/06) - 3,260+
Butchered Commandos (3/26/06) - 3,275+
More Power (11/21/04) - 3,370+
CHIP'S RESTORATION (2/13/2008) - 3,670+
Boyer ignition (3/19/05) - 4,160+
What made you buy a Commando (3/23/05) - 9,000+

It took 3-1/2 years for the next threads to pass 3,000 views, and only 6 months for Chip's restoration thread to garner that same interest level.

I'm nobody special, so it serves to reason that y'all like decent Commando restoration projects with plenty of pictures. ME TOO.

I suggest anyone else doing a project start another thread, TAKE PLENTY OF PHOTOS and provide as much detail as you can; ESPECIALLY what problems you encounter and solutions that were provided on this forum as well as other valuable resources.

Thanx to the forum owner, moderators and ALL who contribute; I've learned a ton of stuff about Nortons here, and I'm not shy about sharing this excellent forum with other folks.
 
Isn’t this the fundamental reason we joined this forum?

Well, and for the dirty pictures.

Herm
 
Yup,

Seeing one restored brings a lot back. It's been many years since I changed a frame on a Commando and I'd forgotten how they go together.

It's also nice seeing one going from an ignored junker to a beauty.

In the old days I was stuck up in Maine with no resources but a shop manual. Now I can sit in California and see someone restore a bike in Texas, or Canada, or Europe for that matter. This is kind of like a daily bike magazine.
 
Diablouph said:
Isn’t this the fundamental reason we joined this forum?

Well, and for the dirty pictures.

Herm
Click to expand...

Dirt bike forums would be more appropriate for those kind of pictures :)

Jean
 
It's ballooned now, all the resto threads are over 5,000 views, some in the 7,000 plus range.

I guess there really ARE other people like me out there that just love to see rusty, chopped heaps brought back to respectable hot rods on 2 wheels.
 
A big ditto to all that grandpaul. I think good photos are a big part of it and I also like looking at the owners workshop to see what sort of equipment they use. Much better than a couple of pages of magazine article on bikes I'm not familiar with.
Greg
 
gregmac said:
and I also like looking at the owners workshop to see what sort of equipment they use.
Greg
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying there totally. I'm pretty well starting from scratch after have lost most of my tools and equipment during my big sleep (25 years since I touched a wrench) I did manage to hang onto my 6 drawer tool chest with some wrenches and sockets etc. and most important about 4-5 special Norton pullers etc. In my research to find a lower roller cabinet I came across a site all about folks with tool boxes wherein all the members post photos of their tool boxes. What a HOOT it was to see. Here it is.. took a while but I found it:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146631&&showall=1

I also really appreciate all of you who have posted your projects. Thank You All!
 
Thanks for the great link RennieK. Guess I'm not the only chronic eccentric - but then you have to be a bit different to love working on old bikes. My workshop is full of old bikes, old machines and old tools. I'm not particularly proud of it but I love being out there.
Sorry for the diversion grandpaul.
Greg
 
Ah, another guy who just stopped. At one point I was so sick of mechanical stuff I gave all my tools away and took my car to the dealer.

I really miss all the specialized tools, but mostly I can get by without them or buy what I absolutely need.
 
Yep, I'm one of those guys that checks out people's bikes in the photos, then I start looking at thier shop or garage in the background.

Interesting stuff you can see when you look close!
 
I notice how much neater everyone's shop is than mine. It tends to force me to clean up after enough embarrasment.
 
Cant see in my garage!

Cookie
Everybodys garage is neater than mine!
I cant get in it!
Best deal I have done recently is getting someone to store a few of my projects.
all the best Chris
 
I certainly loved looking at all those old tool boxes that RennieK posted.

While looking at those pictures you can almost hear the conversations that surrounded the many late-night projects that those tool boxes witnessed - from installing a short-throw shifter on an old Willis drag car to replacing the water pump grandmother's '53 Buick - great stuff!
 
Jason Curtiss said:
I certainly loved looking at all those old tool boxes that RennieK posted.

While looking at those pictures you can almost hear the conversations that surrounded the many late-night projects that those tool boxes witnessed - from installing a short-throw shifter on an old Willis drag car to replacing the water pump grandmother's '53 Buick - great stuff!
Click to expand...

I didn't need to see that jaolopy journal thread. Now I'm going to scavange garage sales this summer to find cool old tool boxes.
 
I think a lot of pleasure can be had from an old tool that you rebuild. the other day I put a new hickory handle on a tool that I reckon might be a 80 years old or so. It was a satisfying task and you end up with a tool that is unlike something you'd buy at a Home Depot.
This summer I'll try to make some time for a flea market to find some more broken off hammers with good heads.
All the ones you make mean a bit more to you than the factory jobs too.
My next one will be something to service my clutch with.
 
Cookie said:
I think a lot of pleasure can be had from an old tool that you rebuild.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you say that Cookie. I've been questioning my own sanity here because cheapo me bought a couple of old bench grinders instead of buying one new chinese one for the same money. The new Chinese one was $90.00 for a 3/4 HP 8" so when I saw an ad for an 8" AND a 6" for $80.00 PLUS they included a homemade stand made from a dump truck brake drum and hub I jumped on it. Of coarse I drove 30 miles and there was no power to try them in the sellers storage bay. When I spun them by hand I could tell the 8" one was sounding a little in need of lube. I bought them anyway since I'd come so far and when I got back I confirmed the bearings were noisy so I replaced them ($26.00). After pulling the side shells off I discovered they were aluminum, humm I thought, maybe I should practice polishing on them....

Here's the bare bones grinder in it's original color
Rebuild / Restoration threads - I feel important here!



Here's an end cap, it was never made to ever look pretty. It had concentric grooves radiating around and vertical grooves up and down it too before I got it to this stage. (there was nothing on TV)

Rebuild / Restoration threads - I feel important here!


I decided I didn't want to get too crazy after all this was just a learning exercise. I've never buffed aluminum before.

Rebuild / Restoration threads - I feel important here!


Here's where I'm at now, I've replaced the power cord and just need to finish buff the ends. I just received my proper buffing wheels and compound from Caswell (very nice wheels they have and huge bars of compound)

Rebuild / Restoration threads - I feel important here!


Even though I just saw that chinese one on sale for $59.99 I think it was still worth it to me. I know when I'm all done I'll enjoy working with this every time I switch it on. I just know the 6" one in the background is gonna be next.


My apologies Paul if I'm taking this thread too far off topic.
 
Sir, I applaud you! If it is like the ones my unlce had you may die before wearing it out.
 
No apology necessary, I love a good thread creep if it's still about the general subject.

Since these old Nortons need to be worked on, and when you work on them you occasionally need to polish some parts, well a polishing wheel is right on topic as far as I'm concerned.
 
Does any body have a wiring diagram for a Crown Model B 6480 3/4HP bench grinder?

.... just kidding folks, but I wasn't feeling too cocky after I applied the power and it wouldn't turn. It just hummed. After checking all the wiring I had to pull an end off. Even though I scribed the position of the induction plate on the shaft where it rides I had to move it in another 1/16" from where it was before and that did it. It works like a hot dam!

Cookie you got me thinking, too bad Norton Abrasives doesn't make a bench grinder, that would be the ticket. I plan to use this for buffing and set the 6" up with a grind stone and wire wheel.

The aluminum end caps look awesome. If these pieces came out any nicer I'd be trying to fit them somewhere on my bike. I'm going to get shaft extensions for each side so there will be more clearance for parts maneuvering like a proper buffing motor has. Caswell has the extensions so I guess I should have gotten them with my main order.

I've learned a great deal about polishing aluminum on this little project.
 
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