Ol Dirty Bastard

[allenp42]

Here are a few switches I have.

1. Bot half of a turn signal switch that has been notched out by PO

2. Used 76-78 Turn signal switch for 76-78

3. New turn signal switch that is electrically same as K4-78, but cable exits out the side and 10 mm mirror mount. Not a CT70 part but works fine.

4. Used Engine kill switch that is electrically same as K4-78 but cable exits out the side and 10 mm mirror mount. Not a CT70 part but works fine.

Smoke 'em over and let me know if there is anything you like.

 

[kirrbby]

Here are a few switches I have.

1. Both half of a turn signal switch that has been notched out by PO

2. Used 76-78 Turn signal switch for 76-78

3. New turn signal switch that is electrically same as K4-78, but cable exits out the side and 8mm mirror mount. Not a CT70 part but works fine.

4. Used Engine kill switch that is electrically same as K4-78 but cable exits out the side and 8mm mirror mount. Not a CT70 part but works fine.

Smoke 'em over and let me know if there is anything you like.

I like all of that. I'm not too picky either, so I think maybe we can work a deal.
I notice that a couple of your TS switches have a lever perch. I don't think k4up CT's have L side levers. But I don't care about that...I would just leave it unused for my semi-auto bike.
Maybe we can hash it out via text message tomorrow.

I didn't get much done today. But I did mount a spare engine so I could start doing my figuring for a working foot bar and pegs...and making the brush guard work around the exhaust..
It looks like the brush guard will just need some minor, but unfortunate, notching...then it will work.
I have a odd footbar...maybe from a small Honda vertical engine bike...XR80 or 100?? I think I can make that one work without too much frustration. But I'll have to cut it in half and stretch it toward the right. It don't need much.

I have a little more to do on this bike before I'll need to start on the engine, and order my electrical parts.
But I have to finish up a different project first. So the ODB will get a break for a couple days.
A few pics.

 

[allenp42]

I notice that a couple of your TS switches have a lever perch.

Yep, the TS switches that look the best do have a lever perch. None of the later CT's use a lever perch. These switches were used on CB125 (various years). I snagged 'em a while back just to have some spare parts for 74-79. The guts in the TS are the same as CT70. The guts in this particular engine kill is not the same but functions the same. Just an FYI, not all the CB engine kill switches function the same as a CT but this one does.

I was also wrong about the mirror mounts - They are in fact 10mm. I'll edit my previous post in a few.

Will shoot you a PM.

 

[CMill303]

I like that wood fork holder you built I'll be building one of those for the engine build part of mine!!

 

[kirrbby]

I like that wood fork holder you built I'll be building one of those for the engine build part of mine!!

Thanks CMill303.
Let me show you some dimensions...cause I think that is the hardest part...trial and error.
I think this one is my 3rd or 4th try to get these right. The base still needs to be tweaked since I just kinda smacked it together so I could use it. But the triangle pieces are the trick. They need to be notched slightly bigger, where my pencil marks are. Then they should work well...front or rear, Z50 or CT70, low or high mount CT70 front fender.
The triangles started as a 10"x18" square, cut corner to corner.


Lol 10x18 rectangle I reckon

 

[kirrbby]

I like this one VERY well too. Basically a block that sits under the FRAME, right under the foot brake mount. 10" overall height, 4⅜" wide with thin...¼" pieces sticking up to keep the frame centered. It allows R&R of the engine too...and the rear wheel.

 

[airblazer]

I like this one VERY well too. Basically a block that sits under the FRAME, right under the foot brake mount. 10" overall height, 4⅜" wide with thin...¼" pieces sticking up to keep the frame centered. It allows R&R of the engine too...and the rear wheel.

I’m certain the original ODB would have never guessed a tiny motorcycle would share his name, much less become a model for middle-aged men to gawk over. LOL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol'_Dirty_Bastard
If I could add a song to this post, “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton seems fitting...

 

[kirrbby]

Oh ya...I'm down with ODB!

 

[CrownRoyal59]

I am looking to disassemble my hubs to day and was wonder the trick to het the bearings as it seem a drift from the opposite side doesn't catch the inner race of the opposite side bearing ?
K2

 

[kirrbby]

It can be difficult sometimes. I think it's the BRAKE side of the hub...there is some side to side space inside for the inner spacer to be driven over...behind the bearing. A skinny screwdriver or skinny punch can reach BEHIND the bearing and drive the spacer OVER...off center. Then a long skinny something will catch the bearing from the opposite side. Heating the hub will help. A heat gun or hair dryer...pointed at the hub for 20 minutes maybe. You have to be patient and work all around the bearing as you're driving it out. You DON'T want it to get cocked in there...drive it out straight.

 

[Adam-NLV]

Here's his coke dealer: skinny Pete! That's how ODB got to be an old dirty bastard!

 

[kirrbby]

I promised myself that I'd get started on polishing these cases today...so, I'm started.
I'm trying every tool and material in the garage...just seeing what I'm up against.

I have 220, 400, 600, 1500, waterproof paper. Wishing I had some 320 too...220s too rough, 400 is a little too smooth for the tougher areas.

1st impressions...lots of work, spread out over a few days, then I'll have to start stripping and sanding the side covers...few more days, then I'll set up the buffer out back...try to buff everything in a day.
Here's my work station...not the best, but better than the kitchen sink I spose.

 

[airblazer]

Here's my work station...not the best, but better than the kitchen sink I spose.

That's what she said.

 

[69ST]

400-grit is a lot coarser than you think, for this type of finishing. The painstaking work is when you think it's time to start polishing. With soft alloys, 600-800 wet might be good enough to take the part to the buffer. With harder alloys, it's not even close. You're almost always better off getting the surface as finely metalfinished as possible before moving onto the polishing stage. That can soak-up more man-hours than seems possible. With hard alloys, like Honda case castings, points inspection covers, cam covers, K0 triple trees, brake plates, etc...I consider 1200 the minimum for polishing. 1500-2000 is better, especially if you're going to polish by hand. Think of ultra-fine, wet, sandpaper as rubbing compound in sheet form.

What'll drive you crazy is putting a mirror-like polish on a part, wiping-off the polishing compound residue...then finding pits, rough areas in the recesses or/and scratches left behind by sandpaper that was too coarse. Surface imperfections really become noticeable on polished items.

It usually takes me anywhere from 1-3 hours hunched over a buffer, using a half-dozen progressively finer abrasive wheels, followed by 3 different polishing compounds, to turn out a show-quality K0 top tree, 1-1-1/2 hours to do a brake plate. Believe me, polishing is the fun, "easy" part. It's all the metlafinishing required to make a polished item look really good.

Now, having said all of the above, I should mention that I based that on the assumption of the goal being well-executed, no qualifications, polished parts. That may not matter to you...or be what you want, in the first place. If you're just after a clean, almost soft-polished, appearance that's different from original, wet blasting might a good alternative.

 

[Tripod]

Good luck with that. Ive spent the last week or two on a set of hardtail hubs, brake plates, and an inspection cover. Went through all the grits by hand, then onto the polisher. Still not getting great results.

Your workstation looks about at comfortable as mine. Plastic patio chair and a milk crate.

 

[69ST]

Good luck with that. Ive spent the last week or two on a set of hardtail hubs, brake plates, and an inspection cover. Went through all the grits by hand, then onto the polisher. Still not getting great results.

Your workstation looks about at comfortable as mine. Plastic patio chair and a milk crate.

I can only imagine how much sweat you have invested in those parts, working by hand(!). Z50 hubs, especially rears, can be a real bastage chore. Between the heavy oxidation and chain damage most of them seem to have, it often takes a heavy cut to reach a uniformly solid surface. That means either a long session with fine abrasives or a quick session with the coarse stuff, followed by a slightly foreshortened workout with the finer stuff. Either way, it's labor-intensive. I've spent 2-3 hours restoring a single hub...and I've got a cabinet full of metalfinishing/polishing equipment, abrasives and compounds, to choose from along with 50+ years experience to inform those choices. IMO, going through this process, seeing it through to a first-class result, really gives one an appreciation for the guys who do this type of work for a living.

 

[kirrbby]

Well I'm sure I'm making every possible mistake. I had a few things going on today, other than minibiking...but I spent quite a bit of time on these cases today. Mostly experimenting...finding my way, I guess. I've hit em with about everything I have...just to see what's workin, and what's not. What's easy, and what's not. I'll have to pay for my mistakes, and that's ok too. I see engine cases as about the worst possible thing that I will likely ever attempt to polish. These particular cases are pretty stellar, IMO, as far as the ones I've had my hands on. Pretty clean, no real oxidation, not too many scratches and scrapes. But TRX90 cases have a couple extra features that are not on CT cases. Features that are... unnecessary obstacles when cleaning polishing.

But...after trying everything at least once...
I decided to smooth the seam where the cases meet, and any casting lines...stuff that left a uneven, buffing wheel eating edge...all got ground down with a Dremel with a...porous kinda hard wheel.
And everything that I could reach with the blue, plastic, grit impregnated wheel brush gadget, in a cordless drill.
I did SOME sanding...mostly experimenting. And I did SOME polishing in the hardest to reach area with a verry small buffing wheel in the Dremel.
I think I'm ready to actually get started now...lol.

One thing my workstation is missing it a pad of some sort...rug or plywood maybe, in case I drop the cases. One drop onto concrete could end them.

I'm going to start sanding with the 400 grit, and I'll grab the 220 for the spots where I want to sand out a gouge or casting "cracks".
I'll get into all of the areas that I can with my fingers...then I can use the tiny Dremel buffer to get a little more.
My "home" Dremel is cordless...with one battery. I have a corded one stuck at work.

I have partial sticks of buffing...compound, putty, whatever it's called...in red, flesh tone, and white. I have no idea how much of this stuff I'll go thru...but I'll bet I need to order some more. Red and white?? Are those the colors that I'll be needing when I start with the buffer?

 

[kirrbby]

400-grit is a lot coarser than you think, for this type of finishing. The painstaking work is when you think it's time to start polishing. With soft alloys, 600-800 wet might be good enough to take the part to the buffer. With harder alloys, it's not even close. You're almost always better off getting the surface as finely metalfinished as possible before moving onto the polishing stage. That can soak-up more man-hours than seems possible. With hard alloys, like Honda case castings, points inspection covers, cam covers, K0 triple trees, brake plates, etc...I consider 1200 the minimum for polishing. 1500-2000 is better, especially if you're going to polish by hand. Think of ultra-fine, wet, sandpaper as rubbing compound in sheet form.

What'll drive you crazy is putting a mirror-like polish on a part, wiping-off the polishing compound residue...then finding pits, rough areas in the recesses or/and scratches left behind by sandpaper that was too coarse. Surface imperfections really become noticeable on polished items.

It usually takes me anywhere from 1-3 hours hunched over a buffer, using a half-dozen progressively finer abrasive wheels, followed by 3 different polishing compounds, to turn out a show-quality K0 top tree, 1-1-1/2 hours to do a brake plate. Believe me, polishing is the fun, "easy" part. It's all the metlafinishing required to make a polished item look really good.

Now, having said all of the above, I should mention that I based that on the assumption of the goal being well-executed, no qualifications, polished parts. That may not matter to you...or be what you want, in the first place. If you're just after a clean, almost soft-polished, appearance that's different from original, wet blasting might a good alternative.

I'm goin for it...at this early stage...mirror finish. But I'm not going to sweat the small stuff(areas).
I'm kinda fired up to see how good I can get this stuff to look. I'm thinking I can get a nice job as long as I just keep goin until I'm there.
Trick will be to try to make it as easy as possible. Sounds like that means a LOT of rounds with the sandpaper.

This could take a little longer than I was expecting

 

[69ST]

You can realize true show-quality results, if desired. The bottom line is that it's a war of attrition.

It's really easy to burnout on this type of work. I'm more tenacious than most and I can tolerate maybe 4-6 hours of this in a single day...which is still too much. It leaves me loathing the next session and usually avoiding it for a while. I suggest a "divide and conquer" strategy that fits your tolerance level. At the extreme low end, consider ~30 minutes per session, before giving yourself a break...by doing something else. It adds up. Wet sanding is tedious more than anything else. It's the actual polishing, at a buffer, that's really unpleasant. Breathing protection is uncomfortable and you still end up looking like coal miner at the end of the day. Eye irritation is all but unavoidable, too.

The whole process can be oversimplified thusly: Shaping>>>metalfinishing>>>polishing>>>coloring

Shaping is eliminating casting flash and/or literally changing the shape of a part.
Metalfinishing is usually the first stage, with anything other than custom work. That's all about getting a uniform surface that's free of pits, gouges, dents, deep scratches and waves.
Polishing is where you eliminate the heavy scratches.
Coloring is the final stage, where the scratches left behind are small enough to be below the visual threshold...that true mirror finish.

In other words, each stage of the process leaves scratches and surface imperfections. It's all about leaving behind progressively finer scratches until those remaining are not visible.

The awful truth is what it takes to achieve this... those actual details, where the devil hides out.

 

[kirrbby]

Kudos to this dang sandpaper. lol
I beat the hell out of it and it holds together...just gets a little smoother, until it's like a rag.

I can definitely see how a guy might get burned out on this job. It's those inside corners...they test your patience. I just gotta please myself tho.
This is the bottom done to 400 grit. I have a long way to go.