Workshop top tips

Dean

Dean

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Jul 26, 2014
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Just thought I would start a thread where people could share their experience in the workshop....

Maybe opening a can of worms but should be fun... And someone may learn something that will get them out of a sticky situation.

Anyway here's mine.

Have you ever had a cross head screw that you couldn't get out... Before you drill the head off try this.

Put a dollop of lapping paste in the slots. I find course grit is best. 100 grit is good.
Then using a speed brace, so you can really lean into it try and tighten it a little. This will break the grip of the screw. Especially if it's steel into alloy, and won't damage the "undoing faces anymore than they already are... It will usually go with a crack.
Then undo....

The lapping paste trick works pretty good on all sorts of fasteners... Butchered screws, hex head nuts and bolts and cap screws.

Happy spannering :D
 
Why the crossheads on the later alloy handlebar switches Im sure!
 
Over the years I have found that an impact driver works best for removing steel screws from aluminum cases. Make sure the bit is good and tight in the head then give it a sharp rap with a metal hammer. They break free after one or two strikes. Then replace them with allen heads so you don't have to go through it again.
 
Get yourself some sort of proper tool storage.
Wipe and replace tools as you use them.
Don't put wipers in your pockets.
Unless you are very fit and limber, get a bike lift/ramp. Your knees and hips will thank you.

Rolls of paper towels are so cheap, convenient, uncontaminated, lint free etc etc why use rags?
I have heard the argument about using them for spillages, but if you put your old paper ones in a bin as you should, you know where you can grab a handful to dump on any loose oil.

Give your old clothes to a charity and they can sell them on.
 
Hey Nick your comment about don't put wipes in your pocket reminds me of when I was crew chief racing cars in the Trans-Am series. A friend from when we were club racing got a job working for a team in the Indy Car series. First race he was walking around and had a rag stuck in his back pocket. The crew chief quickly informed him that he was now in the big time and not on the club circuit any more and walking around with a rag hanging out of your pocket would not be tolerated. Walk around the paddock at any pro race series and it is easy to spot the punters from the pros.
 
I recently had an occasion when i was going to remove bearing from the front wheel for replacement (Ducati) and found that the bearing spacer for the inner race was a real tight fit, and the outer race was captured within machined recesses of the hub.... I couldnt "pick" enough of either inner race from either side nor budge the spacer with various methods... So i happen to have a dynabolt that just fitted inside of inner race, tightened the crap out of it so that it had a hold of the bearing inner. Then with a 2lb-er and punch, moved it several mm's to allow the spacer to flop around allowing access for drift/punch to pop bearing, remove spacer then the other bearing.. There is probably a specific bearing puller tool out there for this job.. But hey, where is the DIY in that!


Workshop top tips
 
I think removing bearing races can be a problem on lots of bikes, in lots of places. A bit of ingenuity is required as shown above.
When it comes to replacing them, I file a couple of notches across the corner of the recess so a drift can be got in to welt that mother out next time. Steering head, wheel bearings,
I guess you softies could use a dremel.
 
Keep a fire extinguisher handy. You own a Norton for crying out loud.
Get an impact driver that only has a little travel but a lot of turn in the stroke. The point is the pressure, not the torque. (Craftsman is built wrong on this score.)
Build up your tool inventory steadily. If you have to borrow it twice then buy it.
Dan.
 
After 39 years of owning my Norton as well as other bikes I now have full tools to do everything and my last things I have obtained for my workshop is a lathe and milling machine, all I have to do now is to tool up for the milling machine to do what I want to make now that I have retired early need to keep my mind occoupied, next year might have to extend the shed to make more room, who said retirment was easy :roll: .

Ashley
 
Probably the best (major) tools you can buy, small lathe and drill/mill means you can make anything including specialised motorcycle tools.
Near anything is possible.

Workshop top tips


Workshop top tips


Workshop top tips
 
Looks like tips are thin on the ground, any other hobby machinists out there.

Workshop top tips


Workshop top tips
 
I am about to pick up a small mill and lathe. I don't think I will live long enough to learn to do the work Time Warp shows above. Wow!

Time....do you hire yourself out for Norton jobs?

Slick
 
If you have the right tools for your machines, take your time to think things through and set the job up right on the machine then anything is possible, but you must have the right tooling for each job, I am setiing up my lathe and milling machine to make rear sets, forward controls and triple trees to start off with for any bike and one off parts for my own bikes.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
If you have the right tools for your machines, take your time to think things through and set the job up right on the machine then anything is possible, but you must have the right tooling for each job, I am setiing up my lathe and milling machine to make rear sets, forward controls and triple trees to start off with for any bike and one off parts for my own bikes.

Ashley
Click to expand...

Anything is possible indeed. This guy is entirely self taught and stated out with a mini lath in his bedroom.

https://velocetteracing.wordpress.com/t ... rivetrain/

If you want a workshop tip.

If you have a damaged thread and no die to clean it up try running a nut back and forth on the thread using valve grinding paste.
 
Time Warp said:
texasSlick said:
Time....do you hire yourself out for Norton jobs?

Slick
Click to expand...

PM a description of the project :D
Click to expand...

All:

I did not PM Time....he PM'd me and offered to help. That is a fine example of what this Forum is, or ought to be,....brothers helping brothers!

Thank you, Time Warp

Slick
 
If you have the money and room, a lathe is really useful. Very versatile.

I have been without access to one since June, But remedied that this week.

Found a nice 9 x 36 Atlas on the local Craigslist for $300.

Reversible power feed and cross slide. Good size for most projects. Great parts availability.

Mine had a few repairs needed, and amazingly Sears of all places still sells the parts. I found what I needed on Ebay, as it was cheaper.

Now I just need to finish figuring out my Shapoko and i'll have the mill part sorted.
 
Its incredable how much it cost to buy tooling for the miller machine, some cutters here in Aussie land are between $200 to $300 and I can get the same cutters with boring bars added sent from China for $81 and $20 deleived to my door within a few days, maybe the quility isn't as good but for what I am doing with my machines only time will tell and will only be used on alloy, but then the Aussie company might be getting the same cutters from China and just putting his own big huge profit on it.
When I first got my lathe and miller I brought a few tools from a machiny place loycal to me and payed the price as not knowing the size tools needed for my machine, spent $500 on tooling but once I knew what my tooling sizes were I found out that night I could have got the same parts on ebay for a lot less than what I payed for them, I mean about over $200 less with postage and all to my front door, just need to do your home work first.
Next tooling I will get for my workshop is a sanding belt for my bench grinder, I have the polishing wheel.

Ashley
 
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