Honda-SOHC

Found a couple Roo. Might get one and see if it's better than the Dremel, some of them I wouldn't want anywhere near alloy as if the chuck catches it's really gonna dig in. I've found one that looks like the Dremel extension but the chuck only goes to 3mm, might give that a go. Shame as the new stems are 4mm.

Never thought of a flexible drill chuck, you have any links to it. I do prefer the Dremel though, especially with the flexible extension as it's so small and light. The new flap wheels are mounted on 1/4" stems and the stems are made long, really long on some. I cut one down and fitted it into a drill on a stand, got a rough file and just held it against the stem until it was thin enough to go in the Dremel, the drill though does have more HP and could work for when you need that extra ummph.

The good news is that the flap wheels are that dear, £2.65 each, just noticed they do a 40, 60, 80, 120, 180, 240 and 320 and they all use the same threaded stem. I'm going to try a 40, 60 and 120 to see how they perform, the rough ones could come in handy when the parts really bad.

Sorry for this Mick but I've just been in the garage flatting down since 2pm. I've been doing not only my own bike but my lads new VT1100C I bought from DS. It's a 1985 model so it's getting on a bit and the PO has clearly been using this for touring around on as the grab rail has bloody great lumps missing of the edges where straps etc have rubbed them away. The grab rail is 3 parts, 2 side rails bolted to a top loop, all alloy with decorative reflective inserts along with a padded back rest etc. Took it apart and attempted to do the usual with it, the finish on it is frankly awful, where you can't see or wouldn't bother to look, like the underside, Honda didn't even bother to do anything, there are grinding marks where excess alloy was ground off so it wouldn't cut your fingers etc but these marks were just left, bloody great track marks across the alloy. My lad wanted to have a go at doing these himself so I gave him one side to do along with a spare Dremel, he didn't do a bad job TBH but comparing mine with his showed where he'd skipped bits or just didn't have the patience to do a proper job, the youth of today eh 

Anyway, I took over and got them reasonable, did a small area with the polisher and it didn't turn out great so back to the Dremel again. This time however I was through with mucking about and being gentle with it, out came the 80 grade flap wheels, not a bad choice as it happens as a lot of the rail is flat with just chamfered edges between the 2 flat parts. These really made a big difference, the surface was flatter than with the brushes, which is a problem with them, and I did the top loop and one side and then went over them to remove sanding marks with a red disc until I was happy with them. The other side I hadn't touched until today, this I decided to do differently. I did the first flat with the normal 80 flap wheel but then I got my secret weapon out, some finer flaps wheels I'd bought some months ago but never really used, 3 grades, 180, 240 and 320, did the rail with the 180 first, just did a small area to see how it would come out, oh my what a difference, it went flat, just a few sanding marks left, onto the 240, went flatter still and started to shine, always a good sign, finally the 320, well it looks awesome, really smooth, quite shiny like a first polish. I can't wait to do the rest of that rail and see how it comes out, I'm impressed.

However.

There is a snag, the flap wheels don't fit the Dremel, they weren't made for the Dremel, the shaft they fit onto is too thick for the Dremel. So I'd bought them to see if I could adapt them and even without a lathe I figured out how to do it, not great but it works.

I'll post some pics when the side rail is done and also a link to the new flap wheels, I think they'd be ideal for the brake plate Roo as it's flat and big so no tricky little intricate areas to negotiate.

That's the choke Matt.

I presume they are US imports James due to the high bars?

Saying that I'd have thought trying to find UK bars almost impossible even if you wanted to fit them.

As usual, stunning job.

I'll also presume you'll sell them now? I can see the buyers sitting at a bike meet and claiming all that hard work was his own, yeah mate, polished those casings myself, by hand yeah, made my fingers bleed it did, yeah, also did the spray job, not bad for a rattle can is it, What's that mate, would I do yours for you, sorry mate, I'd love to but I said this would be my last restoration, missus complaining and all that. Sources for all those parts, oh dear is that the time I really must go, yeah I know I just got here but I'd sooner be riding the bike than talking about it, see ya.

IIRC the sequence for the throttle shafts, starting from the throttle arm itself is Cupped washer, spring, flat washer, flanged washer, felt washer and on the inside of the carb boy there is a nylon washer. Just off memory. The cupped washer retains the spring, the flat washer is for the spring to sit against, flanged washer presses against the felt washer which fits inside a recess in the carb body, So I tend to fit the felt washer first after soaking it in light oil so it lubes the shaft running through it and also aids in dust retention and sealing, the flanged washer is the same size as the felt washer so no it doesn't sit on it, the flanged washer is to centralise the shaft of the throttle lifter and also to keep the felt washer pressed into place. The flange faces inside toward the carb body.

I wouldn't mind Roo but that brake plate looked to one of the easiest I've ever seen to polish, very few marks, not badly stained and no big dents etc.

Wait until you get a hard one to do, you'll soon lose the will to live then. I've just done 4 float bowls which still had bits of nickel plate attached even after being de-chromed, each one took me around 5 hours to do and that was just getting the nickel off which had to be sanded and sanded and sanded until it went. Talk about hard, at one point even I was thinking of just throwing one of them away. Best thing to do then is walk away, leave it for a bit and come back to it. I've done 2 brake plates and one I gave up on it was so bad, decided to have it powder coated instead to hide all the pin prick holes. Spend at least 30 hours on one of them, that's hard work.

You don't know you're born young fella me lad 

Missing the dark green Roo but the one on the right I call red, the one below it I call light blue.

I'll be doing some more later tonight after picking up the missus from work. I've got a stack of stuff to take to the chromers for de-chroming, mainly alloy bits like float bowls and carb tops. Also got a couple of bits for chroming after de-pitting them etc and I've got stacks of de-chromed pieces that need attention so they can be chromed afterwards, including your favourite the 550F2 chain guard, even though I've got a NOS one I prefer to see if I can refurbish a decent one first, I can then sell on the NOS one, plus I find the chrome is better on UK chromers work, shine is deeper.

Got to make myself a new work bench later this week, need decent weather though for my chop saw, the sawdust it creates means it's all over the garage if I do it inside. Then I'm moving my roll cab tool chest to closer to the new bench, after that I can finally set up my zinc/nickel plating kit as I should have more space.