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New Home Made Bars
- Thread starter Reaper
- Start date
not sure i would trust them, what if a link snapped?
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Once I finish weld them and have a solid bead around each link I have no problem trusting them. And I'm planning on putting a reinforcement near the top. I've done lots of sculptures and structural items out of chain including levers and supports on agricultural equipment. Plus I'm gonna leave the rubber bushings in the clamps so they're not solid mounted to the top tree. And if all else fails I'll be the nut that everybody can use as an example of "Great Engineering Disasters In Motorcycle History!" I'm actually thinking of a sissy bar made out of chain too, should be pretty trick.
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Daddio
XS400 Addict
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Practice on other chain first. Usually chain is a hardened material. When I have welded hardened material I preheat it first to 400 to 500 deg., then I lay two welds, a bottom weld with good penetration then hit it again. It should be fine.
If you don't preheat hardened metal you may get cracks.
Now of course I am not a certified welder, just stuff I have picked up from different guys over the years.
If you don't preheat hardened metal you may get cracks.
Now of course I am not a certified welder, just stuff I have picked up from different guys over the years.
leedutcher
xsive to the bone!!!
saw a set kinda like that for around 5-6 bills!!!!!! start making some, SAFELY test them, and u might have BIG dollar soluting for the hardcore boober chopper folks....
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Might not be a bad idea Leedutcher. Have to see how much they cost me to make and just sell them in raw condition. I still have some welding and testing to do and I might make a shorter set a little wider. Just slapped them on the bike to see if the cables and wires would all fit. YAY, it all does. I wanna see how they feel once I drop the bike off the center stand now that I have the rear shock eliminators drilled and in place.
Shaun Chandler
XS400 Addict
Cool idea looks wise. I was a welder for 10 years and I would be nervous ridding with them. Not that your welds might not be great but your welding over zinc and or galv (zinc it looks like). Makes for a very dirty weld, also the hardened chain is an issue.
I would use that as your concept and source some unhardened unplated chain that would be the safest way to go.
But it is a cool look.....keep it up
Shaun
I would use that as your concept and source some unhardened unplated chain that would be the safest way to go.
But it is a cool look.....keep it up
Shaun
lhaolpa
XS400 Junkie
I also have some experience welding galvanized steel,and as said,it makes for a nasty weld as the zinc adulterates the weld and makes it not as strong as a steel weld. Grinding off the coating would be out of the question,but plain steel chain is easy to get,and would work,and take a bead better,then could be chromed or painted. lha
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Yeah, I think I'm gonna go the plain steel route. I'm gonna pick up like 20 feet to make a bunch of stuff. Bars, headlight bracket. I love chain and the mechanical look of it and have to incorporate it in the bike.
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
You'd figure living in a big city there would be lots of places to buy building meterial.....but Nooooooo! Finally tracked down plain steel chain, no coating. Thank you McMaster Carr. Should be here in a few days. But while I'm waiting I'm picking up a good sportster tank tomorrow, frisco style, for $50.00 that I found on Craigslist. SO I can fit that and hook it up and run some gas through it.
Daddio
XS400 Addict
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McMaster Carr is amazing, they are just so expensive usually. I like your vision in incorporating the chain throughout the bike. Rear fender struts, license plate bracket, brackets for footpegs, it has endless possibilities. I wouldn't do everything in chain but tastefully throughout would be sweet!! A formed seat made out of coiled chain would be insane, not to comfy for long rides, but for a bar hopper, frisco bobber it would be a new touch.
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Yeah, they are expensive. I paid $6.00 per foot for chain, which is twice the price of the hi strength zinc coated that I used for mock up. But McMaster also sells DOM tubing and every nut, bolt, and washer that a person would ever need. I'm sure I'll be using them alot, especially when I start replacing all the bolts with stainless.
Charles
XS400 Addict
FYI, there's a store called Grainger (there's one in DC) that has a lot of what McMaster has, so check them out next time.
The only thing is they're commercial only, so you have to "pretend" that you're buying under a company's account. I work for a global bank, so I just use their name. They just need a company name to put on the receipt.
The only thing is they're commercial only, so you have to "pretend" that you're buying under a company's account. I work for a global bank, so I just use their name. They just need a company name to put on the receipt.
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Yeah, Grainger is the first place I checked since I have an account with them. All they seem to have is hardened and plated. When I lived near Cumberland Maryland we had a place called Surplus City. They had a whole huge room just full of fasteners, chain, cable, and agricultural stuff. Man, I miss that store.
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Well I got them done. My plain metal chain came in from McMaster. All welded up and on the bike. I totally trust them since I goofed when I welded them and was off about 1/2 inch on one of the bars. It took a 2 foot piece of pipe to bring them back to true. I checked all the welds and put the controls back on. If it don't rain tomorrow I'm going to take it for a little ride.
Shaun Chandler
XS400 Addict
got a picture of the new bars?
Shaun
Shaun
Reaper
Reaper Ramone
Finally got around to getting pics of the bars. Took it out on Christmas Day and it felt good and solid. The bars are narrow so when you nudge them you go that way quick. I still have extra chain and I'm gonna pick up some old 7/8 bars and maybe do a set a little wider, and possibly a couple inches lower. Making my own bars sure beats ordering bars and finding that they're not what I like and being stuck with them.
Attachments
leedutcher
xsive to the bone!!!
looks GREAT! polish them up and u got yourself som bada$$ bars
