Pass me the welder - zzzzzzzzzzttttt

[Mr Kay]

A few years back when I was doing my apprenticeship we had a go at TIG welding at college. Ever since then I'd really wanted a TIG welder but hadn't had the money or a good reason to buy one. Then I hit upon the problem of the project MT's exhaust. Mild steel just wouldn't do, I wasn't going to spend money on an original exhaust for a bike that was going to be far from original and I like stainless stuff. Perfect excuse!

Since I bought fairly basic hobby unit earlier this year, here's some of the stuff I've stuck together:


I wanted to ditch the heavy center stand so fabricated this to ensure the chain stays tensioned. The tensioner runs on a brass bush and uses the original plastic chain guide.







Again, the original bashplates are too heavy for my liking so I've made a new one. Unfortunately, by the time I'd finished it there wasn't much of a weight saving but it does look a whole lot better and offer a bit more protection to the engine cases.







For the exhaust I used a KTM silencer shortened to clear the rear shock, CCM headers and a center section made from prefabricated bends.

To get the CCM headers to fit, I needed a pair of exhaust stubs - apparently £80 for mild steel ones from CCM!


Boring the flanges to fit the pipe


The finished article. The flanges are free to rotate and pull against the collar welded on allowing for fine adjustment.


The MT isn't the only thing to receive a heavy dose of current - plenty of oppurtunities on the Guzzi:


Extended crankcase breather.


The standard battery is bigger than the battery in my Land Rover but this bike had a slightly smaller one fitted when I bought it. I made a small tool tray that fits between the battery and mudguard and is large enough to hold a fairly comprehensive toolkit.


The standard dipstick secures in its tube with a rubber bung and consequently allows the entire left of the bike to be decorated in oil. I machined an O-ring groove into an M16 Nut then welded it onto the end of the tube, then made a cap from a turned down M16 screw with a 1/4" rod welded on to form the dipstick


No leaks


This bike has electronic ignition fitted (Soon to be replaced with a fully programmable unit designed by my father) and as such had a hideous flimsy plastic points cover. The chamfer on the top edge of the replacement clears one of the frame rails.

At first I was worried I wouldn't get much use out of the welder - next year I will probably sell it on to fund an AC/DC unit (this will allow me to weld Ali) with high frequency start (This makes it a lot easier to strike the arc. It also reduces deposition on the tungsten electrode which leads to poor finish of the welds).

Whilst I'd be loathed to attempt another full exhaust in a hurry (I was lucky to find the CCM headers and the KTM can) if anyone wants the odd bracket making or maybe a standard exhaust repairing, let me know and I'll see if I can help.

[allanj255]

No arguments about getting your monies worth, some nice mods.

[MadStu]

im going to have get ma dad to teach me how to tig i can mig pretty well cant wait just got to get a tig set at home

[ploughboy]

Some trick stuff there Mr Kay !
Wish I had your talents ( and your TIG ). My 500 end can is so rotten, Mr Blobby has welded patches on the patches. Many many £ for a stainless can.maybe there is an opportunity there? Stainless i s the way forward, mild steel is not

[truslack]

To quote myself after walking back in the house yesterday, with various burns and a bit of grind in my eye:

"I can't weld, I can however join 2 pieces of metal together with a substance resembling pigeon c**p!"

I envy your talents, my MT takes a battering whenever I get my electric welding plant out!

Mark

[greennrusty]

Very nice job. Ive just got a tig and im struggling with it, what shield gas are you using? and your dads electronic designs are they very complicated?
Keep up the good work.

[Franc]

Some great looking stuff there mate, won't be long before the whole bike is made from stainless.

[Mr Kay]

Very nice job. Ive just got a tig and im struggling with it, what shield gas are you using? and your dads electronic designs are they very complicated?
Keep up the good work.

Thanks

You need to use Pureshield Argon for TIG, particularly with stainless. disposable bottles are a false economy, I bit the bullet and got a BOC contract. Are you using an HF start or scratch start set? If you want some 'tutoring' (Bear in mind I'm just an enthusiastic amateur ) you could come over and I'll show you what I know about sticking metal together.

As for my dad's stuff, it's way beyond me I'm afraid. I understand the basic principles but all his stuff is microprocessor based (Phillips ARM chipset) and consequently pretty complicated.

Alex

[greennrusty]

I think my regulator is duff , mines hf start and large hole to finish