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Thanks guys, and yeah I'm hoping I can go between 60 and 100 miles depending on the mileage I get. (2 gallons)

Yep, the SWINO flu!!! Everyone on the boards I'm on keep saying that so it MUST be true!

Frank, I just coughed in your direction.

I love wood working. Made alot of stuff over the years including a couple different versions of my wine cellar as it grew. I have always been intrigued with hand made stuff. When I first really started looking at backyard building I was watching the metal work of Billy Lane, Indian Larry, Chica, Zero Engineering and other guys that make and use unconventional or old parts into modern works of art. So I figured I could do it as well. No education in this stuff. Just recently starting welding by just watching my Dad while he is teaching himself too. You know the Nike commercial, JUST DO IT!

Frank, I just coughed in your direction.

I may not be the best at anything but I can make shit with my hands. Click on my profile and see a few examples of what I do with food everyday. Some of it is more dramatic than others, depending on who we are entertaining and why. Steady hands and a creative mind. (Now you know why the wife married me cause I'm not much to look at! )

Frank, I just coughed in your direction.

I really haven't been doing this very long so my work kinda takes awhile when I'm doing it. I keep re-doing and re-doing until it looks right. The shit never works out on the first go around for some reason!
Otherwise I'd probably have finished by now! Especially if I had a mill and lathe.
One day I hope my skills can tackle my ideas. Then I'll make a bike for the shows. Until then I'll bore you folks with practice rounds. Atleast you guys build and so appreciate what it takes to do it, no matter the results. Thanks fellas for looking in.

Frank, I just coughed in your direction.

AND when they ask "what do you mean you built it ?"
I will be able to respond with same answer Jesse James' gives to that question and I quote "what I mean is "I" built it!"

Gee Frank, I hope you don't catch this bug, its nasty!
You may have caught it already, bikes been on the boxes the whole time! ahahahahaha

Well, I made the straight pipes for after the curve that run along the frame rails. I also found some nice copper 45 degree turn outs from the plumbing supply section of Menard's. It is looking a tad wide with three pipes running alongside each other on each side of the bike but with the "Lakes pipes" style presentation it looks quite "Hot Rod-ish". I plan to stagger the outletsright at the seat area.

I had this brilliant idea to use the digital camera that day instead of my Blackberry. When I got home I couldn't find the damn download cord to plug into the computer. Still haven't found it so those pics are missing for the moment. I also made a copper sleeve for the neck filler on the gas tank. I used more of those plumbing supply parts to do that. Menard's did not have a copper pipe end big enough to screw into the size I was using so I had to buy a galvanized pipe end for a gas cap. When I got back to the shop I started screwing around with this cast galvanized part. I went at it with the grinder. I smoothed the entire cap. All of the casting marks, numbers, and rough surface are now gone. I even removed the stamped in word China from the rim. I smoothed the edges as well so it looks pretty cool now. Gonna need to paint it now that it isn't copper.

I also figured out how to make those old Chopper Inc. grips work on the welded on pegs already on the frame. With a bit of grinding, drilling, welding, and tapping the whole deal worked out. Pics of all this stuff coming soon. Just gotta figure out a way to get them out of the camera!!

I decided to take the Blackberry to shop today and work on the seat. I made a cut out from some construction paper to use as a stencil. I only have this rather thin sheet metal to work with so I decided to make a solid rod frame for the thin sheet metal to rest upon and get alot of support. In Home Depot I found an $8 industrial strength door hinge to use for the seat mount. After quite bit of wasting time in fab work I decided I needed to drill the hinge out and weld one side of the hinge right to the seat like so many others have done on their bikes. I just couldn't figure out another way and still make it look right. I'll show you the drilled out hinge system and finshed seat later in the week when I have it done. I have found I would much rather work with cleaned up metal so I use a flap wheel or wire brush on everything as I go.Or maybe I just like the way it makes my work look better than it really is!
Here are a few pics of the work in progress.