Steam Punk my bike

[Special Ed]

My 37 year old step son introduced me to “steam punk.” This is sort of the material acutrimon of the “Goth” cultural (?!) fashion movement. It is an attempt to copy the polished brass.style of Victorian England: think, H.G. Wells, The Time Machine. I want to ”Steam Punk” my bike. I want to have as many bolt on parts as possible BRASS plated, and appropriate alloy parts brass painted. Thye engine and mosty of the rest of the bike will be black. I awaken in the wee hours and lie awake creating a wooden gas tank in my mind! I think I am going MAD; MAD I tell you! Muwah-ha-ha-ha! Comments? Suggestions?
Special Ed

[LoHo]

You know, Ed, you don't need a wooden tank, just a glossy black tank with brass or antique gold pinstripes and perhaps some glued on texture, like rivet heads or bolts. Any kind of plating is going to be bux deluxe, but replacing visible washers with oversized brass ones could work. Painting select parts brass, like the drive shaft, wouldn't take much. It's doable, but going all the way would be pricey and might ruin good parts. I see the gloss black and ornate pinstripes, a la Victorian steam engines, is your best bet.

[James England]

Download the app. called The Room. also The Room Two

They will give you a few ideas!!!

[Ken Talbot]

You'll need some copper plumbing too!

[Special Ed]

Regarding the wooden tank

Loho, glad to see you are still above ground and vertical! I appreciate your (and others) input. The wooden gas tank could be part of the “Steam punk” style, but could stand alone: have you ever seen a wooden gas tank! I think it would be unique. After all, one of my pseudonyms is “Mr. Sandman Wood Floors.” It would be a great business gimmick!
Special Ed

[MaximPhil]

Hi Ed,
Black paint and gold pin-striping will go a long way .
Ides for wooden tank or the whole bike

Phil

[LoHo]

Ed, it would be easy enough to lay some wood veneer over an existing tank. Dings and dents wouldn't be a problem. A standard tank would be easier, as there are fewer compound round areas (curved in two planes). Plus, the wood would make a more pleasant fire the next time you burn up your bike....

[Far Canal]

I guess you would call this funky little Honda "Steam Punk" then? I saw it in town a few months ago and thought it looked pretty cool/different.

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/bambambessie/library/?view=recent&page=1

[Garagamus]

You can water transfer some pretty realistic woodgrain patterns on pretty much anything. (Saw a youtube vid of woodgrain valve covers and rims...pretty cool). Its an idea. Also you could get the tank airbrushed to look like old 1940's zepplin skin...would certainly cry "Steampunk".

[Special Ed]

Thanks for the input, y'all.

Loho- yea, I've thought about doing a wood veneer over an existing gas tank, and you are right: veneer doesn't bend easily in two directions. I have some veneer: I might experiment with steam bending. If I do it in 2" or less strips It just might work.
Far Canal- Yes! I want that headlight and instruments! Any idea where to look for them? All of that brass plumbing and copper tubing is what I'm after.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Special Ed

[latexeses]

Ed,
You might want to look at the recent video someone posted here about the "Dip" process of putting carbon fiber looking film and a gas tank.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41313

I'm sure they have a wood grain film that would work.

Rodger

[Ken Talbot]

I guess you would call this funky little Honda "Steam Punk" then? I saw it in town a few months ago and thought it looked pretty cool/different.

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/ba...=recent&page=1

There you go, Ed - you need lots of brown leather along with the brass and copper.

[Far Canal]

Far Canal- Yes! I want that headlight and instruments! Any idea where to look for them? All of that brass plumbing and copper tubing is what I'm after.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Special Ed

I'd say the instruments were handmade? Never seen copper faces with Roman Numerals instead of numbers on them anywhere. Gotta love the big key for the trip meter as well!. As far as the headlight goes it might pay to look at antique marine/boat items hither and thither. The indicator covers were made from copper gobblets/wine glasses. The bike pictured was at an event where there were 6 thousand bikes and it stuck out like dogs testicles, people were fascinated by it. Good luck with your build.

[Far Canal]

Oh yeah, about the timber tank. You could do it many ways. One way would be to carve the outside shape of desired tank and then fibreglass the inside and bottom. Lots of old bikes had fibreglass tanks. Or else you could use veneer and use a vacuum press to stick to tank. You would not be able to do it in one hit but it is possible. Being a woodworker myself, have put a picture of a wooden, birdseye huon pine, speedo cover I made for my Guzzi mongrel custom.
Sorry about repeating all the previous pictures as well.....have not got the photobucket thing worked out properly yet.....speedo cover is in there somewhere.

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/bambambessie/media/2005_03210009_zps62aa52b3.jpg.html

[Yahman]

That's "Isabel"

I guess you would call this funky little Honda "Steam Punk" then? I saw it in town a few months ago and thought it looked pretty cool/different.



http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/ba...=recent&page=1

You can get all the details for that bike at this link.

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2012/4/23/73-honda-cb250-isabel.html#.Uv47jJWYa00

It sounds like the gauges are the center point of the bike. He "copper-plated the housings, designed the faces and got them etched out of brass, and replaced the needles with old clock hands."

Ride safe,
Larry