Covid19 ressurection - Locked down in Yorkshireshireshire. (Vintafake or Art for Art sake? you decide)Part 10

 Covid19 news today - Same old - same old. Lockdown easing stop......Dickheads heading to beer gardens and the coast stop....Barbers open so is it something for the weekend sir? oh and a haircut if ya can't do it ya'self stop.....Wow that's freedom.. ...Any bets on another wave? 

Greetings my friends, Albert here with more tips on how to recycle everyday objects into breathtaking motorcycle vintafakeness that not too far in the future will become family heirlooms. If, of course that's where you interest lies read on. You would have thought that working with sellotape, string and skool glue appeared to be something only baby boomers can do without safety equipment, but fear not on this blog knowledge is freely given to those who are capable of cooking their own meals rather than 'app a meerkat pizza' from their well arsed sofa.  Start today and learn the ways of the masters and in no time you too will be able to leave home without a phone...find your own way with just a map and be confident enough to tie your own shoe laces..

Todays lesson -How to fabricate a faux kickstarter shaft.

So far on the Little Walt vintafake for arts sake journey we have made a replica exhaust pipe out of plastic and a fuel tank out of cardboard. Obviously missing if you look at Little Walts pictures is the kickstarter shaft and lever. The big hole on the right side of the motor instantly giving the game away. A kickstart lever came in Little Walts travel suitcase but it looks suspisiously to be of Japanese small motorcycle heritage. The kickstarter shaft was beyond a quick repair. Now what?

 

Just call your Uncle Albert 'Geppetto Crackleport' for yes you've guessed it....this time I will be working with wood...

Turned one side of the wood to be a tight fit into the engine casing, the other tight enough to hold the kickstart lever. (At least for a couple of photos) You surely wasn't thinking I'd be trying to start the engine with it?  Remember there are no engine internals, it's a real Pinocchio motor...lie upon lie upon lie.

Finish by cutting the nose to length and spraying silver.

 

The Pinocchio shaft, it got no strings !!! Hey, Geppetto Crackleport ya deserve a flagon of homebrew 'I certainly do' even if I do say so myself...

Covid19 ressurection - Locked down in Yorkshireshireshire. (Vintafake or Art? you decide)Part 9

 How could your Uncle Albert match the shear artistry of the 'Splut' cardboard fuel tank that now adorns Little Walt? A show stopper or a big whopper? Was it 'Naturalism, Realism or Kidologyism? A perfect meld of all? You decide. The pressure is on, for I too now have to done my smock and floppy velvet beret and create a piece of 'Vintafake' that pleases the eye and fools the brain. Look out 'Tate Modern' 'cos 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' is coming to get ya!!!!

My chosen modelling material is plastic. I just happen to have in stock a length of  tube that was originally destined to transfer soapy suds from a washing machine to a sewer drain, this with a bit of effort and imagination could make a lookalike exhaust pipe. 

A heat gun best used for paint removal was gently played over an area of the tube and once the plastic reached a wobble state a bend was attempted. Hum, this 'aint gonna work, too much wibble on the wobble. Now what? fear not, sometimes the years of collecting the non collectable pays dividends. I just also happen to have in stock a selection of rather unattractive coil springs that once added external support to Mig Welding torches. 

 

 Double lucky that one of them slides down the plastic pipe with less than a millimetre clearance. Hot gun on wobble temperature and the plan appears to be working. Slowly, slowly, keep the wibble out of the wobble and watch the ripple.

 

Feedback majority suggested I filled the ripple scars with body filler ( a.k.a. Bondo) before painting black.

 A couple of coats of Satin Black followed by a very light rub with Scotchpad when dry and that looks pretty life like to me. Next job - Brackets to hold the pipe in place. Drilled with Speed-holes and to be painted with black a.s.a.p.

So there it is, Little Walt now has a Vintafake exhaust pipe. Below George Dance on the 1920's works Sunbeam. Spot the difference.

Here's Elke Sommer with a bit of Vintage. Oh yes, it's all about the pipes.