usefull skills

Useful Skills:

Metal Working:

I am not a metal worker.  Most of my shop experience has been with wood.  My hobby shop is nearly all devoted to woodwork.  I found the thought of cutting thick walled metal tubes and plates disconcerting.  As it turned out, my fears were absolutely unfounded.  A little reading, a little online tutoring and some conversations with more experienced friends sent me off in the right direction.

My first move was to get some good supplies and not try to simply make do with what I had on hand.  To this end, I bought two $13 good quality 7/16 inch diameter metal drill bits and half dozen $2.50 cutoff abrasive disks.  I also picked up some drilling oil to lubricate as I bored holes in the metal.  I had a Makita handheld grinder, a drill press and a good bench vise.  Add a heavy steel mallet and I had all the tools I would need.

Welding:

I’ve already mentioned the importance of having a quality welding job when it comes to joining the members of the frame.  Heliarc welding is neater but takes more time and is more expensive than MIG welding which is more suited to structural work.  You may get some welding referrals from you metal supply house or you can check with some of the custom body shops to see who does their work.  I checked out several local welders before deciding on using Dave Stiles at Specialized Welding & Fabrication in Lake Forest, California.  Dave really was taken with the project and did a magnificent job for me.  I worked with him by setting up the elements to be welded and keeping the frame squared up as we progressed.  In the process, I learned a great deal about the art of welding, complete with colorful war stories of projects from hell.

This is perhaps the most important and costly part of the quad conversion project.  The resulting frame must be square, assembled to dimension and strong.

Measuring:

This is most often where things go wrong.  Unfortunately, measurement errors don’t reveal themselves until late in the process.  How many times have you heard: “Measure twice, cut once”?  It is a challenge to make measurements for the outrigger frame relative to the motorcycle frame, all referenced to height above the ground.  I employed a simple technique of using two carpenters’ angles while the bike was strapped upright and level.  This allowed me to establish a vertical reference, 90 degrees from the smooth concrete slab and a horizontal reference by butting the other carpenters angle against the first one.  This technique is illustrated in the subsequent sections along with photographs of the setup.

The important point is to measure not only at the start of the process but to continue to verify measurements as you move along in the design.  If you have a nagging concern that something just might interfere with a frame or suspension component, go measure it again.  If you change something along the way, go recheck the dimensions again.  If the going really gets tough, make a cardboard pattern to check clearances.

I screwed up on a dimension when I transposed a number and didn’t recheck it later.  As a result, I drilled a bolt hole in the wrong place, something I easily corrected by inserting a black plastic hole plug.  I was lucky.  I also cut one frame member length too long … thankfully I realized it before welding and it was easy to correct.  Metal does not stretch well!