The Bucket Foundry

[Drew]

I was once thinking of making a classic racer. To get around the limitations of the 4 speed box I was going to replace the Arrows primary drive with a CVT and fit period a TLS front brake and 17" rims for a better choice of tires. There was some resistance to the CVT being all modern and that but there was CVT scooters back in the 60's so CVT is all period legal. But it was impressed on me that classics was about riding old bikes not about clever ideas and making hot shoe racers so I lost interest.

Guess nobody pointed out the 6 speed Nortons then.

[TZ350]

It was Ok for me to fit an expensive aftermarket 6 speed box, they understood that approach. But I was discouraged from thinking further outside the box.

[Drew]

It was Ok for me to fit an expensive aftermarket 6 speed box, they understood that approach. But I was discouraged from thinking further outside the box.

I'm told the classics guys can be total dicks and complete hypocrites with what they think is allowed. The classic chair scene is fucken hard work.

[Flettner]

Same as classic MX I guess. You just have to hide it all inside and avoid answering questions. And don't make the win too devastating and avoid eye contact

[WilDun]

As long as there humans around, rules will be broken! (anyway it's bloody good fun).

Talking about 6 speed Manxes, I can remember one (Schafleitner) fitted to an American guy's Manx Norton, possibly around 1963? at the NW 200, ie when the Manxes were still mainstream.
BTW the way in the race he got a little over ambitious about his riding ability, missed his braking point, ending up in Portstewart Harbour and becoming a paraplegic.

TZ - I always liked the Arrows despite their shortcomings and always thought that they could be completely modernised, still look unique and be great handling machines (that frame was a great concept really) - the forks could probably be lightened too (they did seem to work well).
The brakes? - well, they might need some upgrading!

Ken, - great minds think alike, I also had a DKW Hobby and was considering putting it's transmission in something else!
Unfortunately I did a lot of considering and not enough achieving!

Sorry to take up the precious time and space dribbling on.

[Grumph]

It's relevant Will...there's no point in casting something up unless you've read the rules first to find out if you can use it when it's done....

The existence of a handful of Schafleitner 6 speed boxes pre December 1963 is taken as the precedent for allowing them in bikes of that period.
So it's find the precedent and use it as the leverage point....

[WilDun]

It's relevant Will...there's no point in casting something up unless you've read the rules first to find out if you can use it when it's done.....

Yes, it's the old story, either you belong to a group and find a lot of happiness there following the rules to a tee, or be out in the cold making your own rules - it depends on the sort of person you are I guess, but both scenarios have their merits and unfortunately rules do tend to stymie development somewhat, but has development really got any place in classics? - probably not.

I always think it would be interesting just to find out for yourself just how much development would have actually been possible with some promising designs, such as the the Arrow etc. - many motorcycle manufacturers, not only Ariel, were less than enthusiastic about doing that.

It would seem that Villiers (who didn't care a lot about racing) actually were the first to stumble on the use of multiple transfer ports, they did it to get some more transfer volume on their twins which had closely spaced cylinders.
Ariel should have done the same with the Arrow! - Yamaha got the message and latched on very quickly!

[husaberg]

Not foundry but cool anyway.

[Flettner]

That's old Simpson from Tokaroa airfeild, how about that, interesting.

[Grumph]

That's old Simpson from Tokaroa airfeild, how about that, interesting.

I'd never heard of him till I read the Wiki link Husa put up on ESE...but I immediately thought "I bet Neil knows him"....

[husaberg]

I'd never heard of him till I read the Wiki link Husa put up on ESE...but I immediately thought "I bet Neil knows him"....

It wasn't husa that linked the wiki it was Ocean, we had posted about him quite a few years ago on ese too.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1130181225

He was on junk yard wars and on mythbusters as a expert on rockets.
The yanks never really like the idea of a $500 cruise missile, not just because they would end up aimed at them but because they end up selling less 20 million dollar ones.

[Flettner]

It wasn't husa that linked the wiki it was Ocean, we had posted about him quite a few years ago on ese too.
He was on junk yard wars and on mythbusters as a expert on rockets.
The yanks never really like the idea of a $500 cruise missile, not just because they would end up aimed at them but because they end up selling less 20 million dollar ones.

Well there is a story that goes with this, some years ago (true apparently) Bruce was approached by an off shore buyer for his pules jet engines. An Arab group, so Bruce contacts the NZ trade embassy to see if there is no problem selling these engines to the Arabs. It seems the NZ trade people contacted the US embassy to see if there would be a problem.
The next morning as Bruce unlocks his shed door he noticed a big black SUV parked near, two guys dressed in black suits appeared out of the morning darkness (Bruce said wearing dark glasses too), pulled their lapels back to display a pair of large hand guns. The story goes that the conversation went along the lines of 'Bad things will happen if you continue to entertain ideas of exporting your engines to Arab states' Bruce was suitably encouraged to drop the idea. I kid you not.

Probably already told this one on ESE.

[Flettner]

So what's happening, where is all the foundry stuff. Winter is a good time for casting appart from the rain in our out doors foundry's.
I've got patterns underway to do some casting soon but have no camera any more, dropped and broke. Mostly a clutch cover, flywheel cover, new cases to accept the crank within the crank, crankshaft and a new slider cylinder. I guess I'll just have to get another cell phone, hate the bloody things, not very robust are they. I need a cast iron one.

[WilDun]

So what's happening, where is all the foundry stuff. Winter is a good time for casting appart from the rain in our out doors foundry's.
I've got patterns underway to do some casting soon but have no camera any more, dropped and broke.

What you need is a permanently mounted remote controlled camera up on the wall somewhere - I mean how can this thread survive without a 'Flettner' foundry input?

I have contributed some pretty mundane low end stuff, but this has been more or less shelved of late because of health (but will try again soon).
The American stuff (from Michael Moore & co) is good, there's some good input from Europe and of course from Ken in Aus.
It's all a bit sporadic really, but interesting when it does turn up.

I think that there are a lot of Kiwis, although interested, won't ever go as far as trying it (ie metal melting and casting) and I think that is quite surprising given that Kiwis are prone to experimenting (No 8 wire mentality and all that) and the fact that the smaller foundries are shutting down all the time.

We haven't heard much from (Mike T?) for some time either. ie the guy who made the steam powered bike and who is having a go at building a steam powered aircraft.
I thought all his stuff was pretty interesting and he is into casting his own stuff as well, - must be too busy or has found another forum!

And then there's Yow Ling, who started it all off!

BTW Husa, I was impressed by the video on making of the reed valve petals, might be good to try. - I'm sure that the guy who was making them is no stranger to controversy - I think it may have been him who was having a tussle with the 'powers that be' at Tokoroa airfield over the use of model aircraft - Flettner do you anything know about that?

Then again, as usual I could be wrong!

[Grumph]

So what's happening, where is all the foundry stuff. Winter is a good time for casting appart from the rain in our out doors foundry's.
I've got patterns underway to do some casting soon but have no camera any more, dropped and broke. Mostly a clutch cover, flywheel cover, new cases to accept the crank within the crank, crankshaft and a new slider cylinder. I guess I'll just have to get another cell phone, hate the bloody things, not very robust are they. I need a cast iron one.

You don't need a cast iron one. You'd just break your toes....What you need is a phone like the calculator i have. Rubber...It's completely flexible, you can just about tie it in knots. Kids toy of course but it works well. Probably no reason a phone couldn't be done the same.