Steam Punk my bike

[Hak]

Man sometimes I just don't know if you guys are serious or not hahaha

[LoHo]

I'm not sure how stupid this idea is, but could one do a neat job of covering a tank in woodgain contact paper and then layer on the clearcoat to make a more durable surface? We do it with decals all the time. Would several coats of a two-part clear keep it all in place? That would be the cheapest route. You might experiment a bit to see if it's viable. My dad's '70 Vista Cruiser wagon had a ton of what looked like just that very process.

[LoHo]

Hak, it's only important that we know if we're serious or not. Your results may (definately will) vary.

[LoHo]

Oh, and you have to have one of those visible glass tube fuel gauges. Those are even made commercially for trick customs.

[Special Ed]

Serious? Serious?

:No Hak, I'm not serious, but sincere!
Special Ed

[Special Ed]

About those wooden tanks:

Loho (and others)
Being as I am a wood worker, ( I built a 20’ sailing dory in addition to being a wood floor contractor for 30 years,) I have spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how to create a wooden gas tank for a bike. Idea#1; a keg like design with metal bands holding it together: idea#2; MaximPhill’s post of a wooden replica of an old bike was crazy-cool, and one of the best ideas, because of the fact that there are no compound curves: veneering an existing tank is not as simple as you think LOHO, because veneer doesn’t conform to compound curves- I have some red oak and fir veneers, and may experiment with steam bending and vacuum forming: I remember from the ‘70’s, a popular after market “coffin style” gas tank that would work very well because there are no compound curves, only flat planes. If the good Lord doesn’t call me home, I will build a wooden gas tank for Phoenix.
Special Ed

[TomB]

I've read through a lot of threads on here, talking about customising bikes, bobbers, chops, all met with a mixed response. My first reaction here was "What!? another XS11 ruined"

But as I've read through this thread I have been drawn in to the enthusiasm.

I've built a custom XS11 from wrecked parts that wouldn't ever be used on a decent XS1100 so there is no guilt about ruining another good bike. SteamPunk-ing an XS11 seems like a perfect way of building an XS11 from wrecked old parts. Please don't SteamPunk a good bike, but build one from a wrecker, another XS11 saved!

As said, you could use a tank thats wrecked to cover with wood, and all parts that you want copper or brass could be old rusty parts recovered by plating. I got that enthusiastic I started searching for DIY home plating kits

http://gaterosplating.co.uk/Copper-Plating-Kit.php

With a home plating kit to do brass and copper plating and your wood skills you could build a beautiful bike

[fredintoon]

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

Hi Ed,
best you fake the wooden tank. That is, make a tank shape out of real wood with a bronze filler cap off a boat, with mebbe a 19th century level gauge in it but hide a plastic dirt-bike tank inside it to keep the actual fuel in.
Run the fuel from the tank to the carbs in multi-coiled copper tubing.
Copper plates real easy, it's the first layer they put on when they chrome plate stuff anyway. Copper plate the frame?
Not sure about plating brass though, can you plate an alloy?

[Orange4]

Don't forget your helmet.



I think a copper tank done like this would be just as cool without the hassles of wood. Use wood for your fenders or side panels.

[Orange4]

Couple it with this...



...and you will be a hero to all the ten year old kids on your street. Probably some 40 year olds too.

[Orange4]

Don't forget to do some engine turning...



Valve lapping compound and a dowel in a drill press. There are other ways too...

[LoHo]

Yeah, Ed, I had no illusions about trying to veneer an existing tank.

But you don't have to. Just build a wooden frame around an existing tank. The corners could be square and the compound curves could become box corners.

EDIT: I see someone else had the box-around-a-tank idea already.

[Schming]

Hi Ed, here's a site that does Hydrographics that you may be interested in for the wood grained effect : http://www.pahydrographics.com/patterns/woodgrain/

[Special Ed]

Thanks for inputt

TomB- Thanks for your post, Lad. My present bike I call Tempe, because I see it as a transition bike; a bed for the engine out of “Sparky” that burned up on me when a fuel line came undone. I bought Tempe from a Craig’s List add. It had been sitting under a tarp for 8 years and has a lot of rusted chrome (!), paint, and aluminum grunge. I had thought about going the “rat bike” route, but when I got exposed to the concept of “steam punk” it captured my imagination. Fear not: nothing will get trashed or thrown away. All of the original parts will be preserved.

Thanks Schming for that link. In fact, thank you everyone: ya’ll have been very helpful and informative. If I can afford to do what I want, I am going to have one hell of a unique ride!
Special Ed

[Schming]

No thanxs necessary Ed, I'm anxious to see the metamorphatransformation