Motorcycle Parts

[Tira]

Here are the latest parts I did for a client. They include the battery case and top for the right side of the bike and two electrical case covers that bolt together on the left side. The eagle/cross design is special to the client - it is a roadside sign in Europe at his favorite place in the mountains. The flames trail towards the back of the bike on each side. All the parts were steel and were chromed after the engraving.

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

Interesting. Tira, are you engrave already chromed parts or first engraving and then chrome?

 

[Norm]

Hi Tira,

These pieces look amazing. Can you tell us a little about the types of gravers you use. Also these cuts look quite deep. Are they done in one pass or multiple passes. Excellent work!

 

[fegarex]

Very nice Tira!
Has to be a pain to hold that stuff.

 

[Peter E]

VERY cool Tira. I'm sure the customer will be ecstatic.

Peter

 

[monk]

this is the kind of stuff that lites my fire. i love lookin at this kind of engraving. pretty and deep ! must have been a pain going around those corners !! the bird and cross looks great. i like to see cuts made that way. i always like to see your pics ! even that ole wrench was cool !

 

[Tira]

Dmitry - The parts are stripped and polished, engraved, and then rechromed.

Norm - For this job I used a 120. Sometimes I use round shaped gravers, but they tend to slip (at least I have trouble with them slipping) while going around the curved surfaces at the sides/corners. I find the 90 or 120 is a bit easier on the curves because the "V" digs in and holds better. Most of the lines were done in one pass. The lettering is a series of parallel lines again done with the 120. The pictures don't capture it well, but the lettering pops out due to the light bouncing off the multiple lines.

Fegarex - Everything I do seems to be a pain to hold. I had to modify one of my existing jigs for this job.

Here are some additional pictures to show the process. The first is the picture supplied by the client so that I could design the artwork. The second picture is my design in Corel Draw. The last 3 pictures are of the parts after they have been stripped and polished. I've worked out the flames with a sharpie. These are "in process" pictures and the actual flames changed slightly between the rough out design and the final engraving.

 

[shonn]

looks really nice !

 

[D.DOUGLAS]

Tira, very nice thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[Sam]

Great work, Tira. You are the queen of impossible-to-hold engraving jobs. How you do them so cleanly is really something. / ~Sam

 

[pilkguns]

Tira, you might consider using a 130 or even a 135 degree graver for these jobs. They are not forgiving if you try to roll them, but as long as you keep them straight up, you can cut this big stuff easier.

this was done with a 130, I tried a 140 but could'nt make it work, but I know one of my students who does motorcycle parts told he was using a 135.

 

[Ron Smith]

Tira,
Figuring out how to hold things is an art in itself, particularly with the vibration of sheet material and being able to grip it tightly. Did you use thermolock or wooden blocks, pitch or what? We all become gizmo makers in the end, huh Tira. Have you done any fourteen karat gold collar stays yet? You younger guys are probably going ......What's that!!??
Ron S

 

[Tira]

Ron, To hold these parts I used a couple of boards nailed together in a "T" fashion with my old trusty craftsmen squeeze clamps. I was lucky and didn't have to completely reinvent the wheel.

Are the collar stays the thin tabs that go on the underside of a collar to keep it flat and straight on dress shirts? I have to pull them in and out of my husbands collars all the time, but his are made of plastic. Maybe he needs a gold engraved set.... Christmas is coming..... I'll have to look into it.

 

[GeorgeKhayata]

Tira,
Let me tell you, you are amazing.......
George

 

[hiloboy]

will i'll add this to this thread (motorcycle parts)i hope thats okay if not let me know.. i just engraved this.. its for someplace on the frame of a harley thats all i know. he wanted a rustic barbed wire look..i love your work Tira!!!