July 2024

 

July 2024

 

No real big jobs over the last month or so but things to do with little things. There was the LE Club meeting on the first Tuesday  soon to be moved to the third Tuesday from September onwards. An entertaining evening followed by Observed Sunday on the first Sunday of the month. I went on the Kawasaki as the Buell was still blowing on the rear cylinder header pipe. A warm day with showers that I managed to miss on my travels.

The Buell finally got to Snobbs when there was a break in their busy schedule.  When firing up the header pipe leak had gone. Probably because I had tweaked the front clamping bolt on the silencer a few times over the past week to maintain the tension on my home made strap. The trip to Snobbs on Hangar lane roundabout was a hot one. Stuck in traffic for the HS2 works the heat coming off the down pipes did a scorching job on my Kevlar jeans cooking my legs. I have yet to comment on this until now. I think it is a complete waste of money. If it conveyed freight to help solve our perceived pollution problem I could understand the investment by why do we need a not very high speed and expensive passenger service? It will not even provide a full service. Public transport in the UK is far too expensive compared to anywhere in Europe and ours is still subsidised. I have to question the rationale for any of this other than money and jobs for the boys. None of which I voted for and how did this get underway? Was it there was a big problem with a pandemic and was kept out of the public domain until nothing could stop it? More will come to light along with the massive fraud committed by MP’s and PPE. I’m pleased we have had an election so recompense can begin.

A couple of things helped fill my days. I was getting out the wooden garden furniture when I discovered some damage from storage. One of the slats in the chair back had some water damage that had made the wood soft. An easy fix by removing the soft wood and replacing it with some hard stuff. A little bit of mahogany I had laying around and some outdoor PVA to stick it back together. No screws used and a coat of external varnish completed the job. I have bought some metal framed chairs that are easier to stack and store so I need to find a good home for six chairs and a large octagonal table. Any takers?

While it was quiet Gita was hard at work completing a crazy shapes 600 piece puzzle. Problem was there were only 599 pieces, To make it complete I embarked into creating what might said to be a masterpiece. First of all was to make a template on paper then one from card. I had no thick card but four layers of tissue box was about right glued together. From the pattern I used a pointed punch to perforate the card along the outline which was easy enough to break through with a fine pointed knife. A little bit of trimming to get a better shape against the template, hand painted with watercolours and a quick spray over with clear varnish it was ready to fit. Unfortunately Gita had returned the puzzle to its component parts before I had finished. We have do the puzzle again to see if it fits.

Transform a Rainbow into a Drag Bike

 

Transform a Rainbow into a Drag Bike

or Bipin’s new Bike

 

At three years old it may seem extreme promoting the two wheeled experience but you have to start somewhere. I inherited a Rainbow bike from granddaughter hat needed some TLC but essential still in very good condition. Too good to need a paint job. The challenge was to remove all the rainbow stickers and add some yellow. Finding a suitable yellow was not as easy as you might think even finding one in a car accessory shop is difficult. There are not that many yellow cars. I did find one but it was not a robust paint and did not cover well it left an edge when masking was removed and lifted the paint requiring some delicate touching up.

Removing the old transfers did not take long after researching on the internet heat combined with a soft scraper should work. I tried this with a hair on maximum heat and used my thumb nail as the scraper. Other than my fingers getting a bit hot I managed to peel off the old transfers. The rainbow bike had no more rainbows.

Cleaning up the chrome was more difficult. The weather had attacked it and in only a few months there rust spots visible but my friend Solvo Autosol did a good job rescuing parts from being discarded. My thoughts of what to do with the pink wheels and saddle. Could I leave them as they are? They were still clean and tidy but did not fit the emerging look of the bike. At Gita’s suggestion could you not paint the wheels? Yellow was out of the question but matt black might work if it was hard enough. I guess the original pink was a powder coat because there was no wear on the braking surface or the brake blocks. I don’t think the brakes were ever used. I gave the pink a light rub down with1200 wet and dry,  masked the spokes and some of the rim and gave Matt Black a go. The masking of the rim was not successful and left allot of overspray on the side of the rim. I tried wet and dry to rub it off and it would not go. The Matt Black was more than tough enough to resist the pressure from the brake blocks. I could paint the whole rim. Which I did after masking the spokes on a different way and the tyres.

The seat was the next problem was what to do with the seat? Pink is not a good colour, but what to use to change it? I was limited with choices as few paints really stick to vinyl eventually they flake off with wear. Matt Black again to hide the pink and it seems to have worked. It stayed on this flexible medium for how long I don’t know.

It is looking more of a mean machine with black seat and wheels but it looks like there needs something more and the horn requires fitting. The horn had a broken bracket from being knocked when facing forward so I refitted it across the handlebar out of harms’ way with a combination of glass fibre and aluminium to get the position right.

I wanted to fit a number plate with a racing number on it but I was warned off aluminium for the risk of a sharp edge and rigidity. Where could I find a suitable size piece plastic? How about a chocolate tub. About the right size, no sharp edges, rigid enough to have a shape but will give when needed. This time it was a Celebrations lid cut to shape with holes drilled to take bag ties for fitting and painted in lurid yellow adorned with the racing number of 48. Black with embellishments of gold and white. Not quite finished yet adding yellow valve caps and go faster flame transfers as the finishing touches we are ready to race.

The Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury Classic Run 2024

 

The Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury

Classic Run 2024

The Election has just passed and I am pleased to be catching up with MotoGP from last weekend. I was in Chipping Sodbury for the Rotary Club annual charity car run around Gloucestershire. I had changed the clutch on the Burton and did a test run only a few days before everything seemed OK other than the new clutch needed adjusting. All set for the weekend in good weather.  Arriving on Friday afternoon at Adrian’s home it was a pleasant walk to the pub and a few beers before fish and chips and an early night. Saturday was fit the run number, fill up with fuel, lunch out and another early night.

Sunday was an early start having to be in the High Street before 09:00am to line up for the start. Obligatory bacon roll and tea before the start. While waiting there was much discussion about cars. We were among the last to depart. 

Spot the mistake?

I was driving and Gita was navigating and her first time using the trip metre. I had spent much of Saturday evening converting miles to kilometres and the distance between each checkpoint. Necessary when you don’t have  a trip mileometer. All was going well until the half way stop for a tea and cake. We were about to leave when trying to start the Burton there was this ominous clunk instead of a starter motor spinning the engine into life. Adrian and my other brother, Barry were on hand to give assistance along with the couple who had followed us around all morning. A little push start got us going again. The battery had failed. We continued taking the quickest route back to Chipping Sodbury Rugby Club and a waiting ploughman’s. Another push start on grass got back to Adrian’s home. An eventful run with Gita doing an excellent job at navigating displaying well hidden talents.

 In the late afternoon it was a trip to the pub again to try to catch the performance of the “Wurzels”. Standing room only so we retreated to the lounge, next to the tele. We did not see much of  the band but we were treated to an agonising display of football by England being so poor that we left before the match ended in search of  something  to eat. We all ended up at Nandos in Yate. We were quite early. By the time we were leaving the football match had ended. England had won 2-1. This re-affirmed my view that when I watch England play they lose. To remove that jinx I do not watch them. Saving the disappointment and despair.

Monday was a busy start trying to find a local supplier for a battery that would fit the Burton. It turns out that it is a popular battery on modern cars. By 09:00am I was fitting a new battery while Gita  and Adrian were off at Farm Shop getting our supply of eggs. When they returned it was time to load the Burton for our journey home. A detour into Morrison’s in Yate to collect fresh fish and meat before heading home along the M4 and miles of roadwork’s.