2 pc Fairing Project (Fathers Day Special)

[Toogoofy317]

Very nice! Geeze I want a garage soooo bad!

Mary

[kml.krk]

great progress mate!
I am going back to my own project  

[JB848]

Paint is dry enough to test fit the 1/4 fairing and see how she rides!   



Not real happy with dead on front profile but the side I like! 



Needs a little mounting adjustment and more glazing.



Good enough to ride to work and make improvements when I get home. Forcast is for rain this weekend.



Side Profile with "GSTwins Brat Tat" too, Sure would look good with a rear hugger  , I guess I'll have to wait on that for now and save my money. I hate this New Jersey weather! Summer is passing us by and we haven't had one yet.



I guess it is time to start on the sides this weekend. With what I have learned on the 1/4 fairing they should be a lot easier and quicker to make. (Famous Last Words)

[Chanse]

One easy way to find low and high spots in body work is to use grey primer, then mist (speckle black paint over the top) then do a light sanding with sanding blocks to reveal the low spots shown as left over black speckles, or high spots that eat through the grey primer..

[Chanse]

also you can contour your plexiglass windshield by making a mold of the wanted shape. MAKE IT HEAT RESISTANT. then place the plexglass over the top of it and place it in the oven. I dont remember the exact temp, just start at about 175 then bump it up in 20 to 25 degree increments, I believe its about 225, dont quote me on that though. after the plastic starts to droop turn off the heat and let it stand in the oven until it takes the form then remove and let cool. we used to use a similar method with lexan at a sign shop.

[JB848]

I might try that in the future, for now I just want to ride when the weather is nice. I have to start molding my side cowlings when the weather is bad, don't want to waste any riding time. But thank you very much for the advice. My shield is made of lexan and I purposely bought extra in case I decided to change the windshield or modify it. This is my first adventure with fiberglass and the learning curve has been sharp and steep. After this project I think my imagination will be my only limit

[Chanse]

Also if you get into fiberglass making as a side job, lol, you can buy an oven to bake the resin. Good for carbon fiber... You mix the resin cold which means it will take longer to set up, that way you can have more workable time with it, then when your set you pop the piece in the oven, usually in a vacume bag to minimize the resin to fiber ratio, which makes a stronger part. The more resin the more brittle the part. If you want it stronger use more layers, also very helpful to have a vacume bag. Also another tool Im trying to find mostly for making molds but also for really thick parts is a chop gun, its a gun that uses a 55 gallon drum of fiberglass and a small drum of resin and hardner, and sprays the chop mat and resin together to make thick strong parts kinda like a fiberglass tub if you ever flip one over. Anyways Im sure you can find more info if you do a google search... Have fun and welcome to the world of fiberglassing.

[xhyperxshogunx]

looking good!

[mindstrong909]

MAN I MUST SAY YOU ARE PRETTY CREATIVE.YOU JUST MOTIVATED ME TO GET STARTED WORKING ON MY OWN FAIRINGS.THANKS

[dohabee]

[Chanse]

Now accepting donations to buy my own equipment. PM me for paypal info... lol


Mexiacns using internal mix chop gun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGfdvGIhtqY

I'd love to have a few of these items in my garage.
http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/Vacuum_Bagging/vacuum_bagging.html


Yeahp this is a used one.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/tls/880983341.html

[JB848]

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I had a family tragedy, my Father passed away on Fathers day. Gives a new meaning to that day. I have been working on the project off and on and was actually working on it when I received the phone call about him. This project has a whole new meaning for me.

Well that aside, to catch up to date..I developed a crack on the right side of the 1/4 fairing and I probably could have covered it up but I decided to grind out the area and reglass that entire side. It turned out to be easier then I thought. So at this point it is in the rough again and I am slowly fixing all of the small imperfections.



Here it is hanging on the wall next to the template drying and waiting for paint (Again!)

As for the cowling I started it and now have both sides in the rough and I am sanding them down for final prep.



I tried a new method this time and put the fiberglass on the inside of the template and it seems to have paid off.



It did destroy the template but there is enough left I could make another.



I took these pictures to show my Father but he passed before I got there. So the project lives on and so does he through me. Thanks.

[kml.krk]

I am very sorry about your father 
may he rest in peace!




the fairings look great

[O.C.D.]

Bravo on the continuation of the fairing and cowl.  I to am sorry to hear of your Father's passing. 

[Trwhouse]

Hi there,
I'm sorry to hear about your dad's death, too. I have experienced that as well.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Yours,
Trwhouse

P.S. The fairing work is looking great. My cousin and I built a 1/8-scale radio-controlled model airplane from a kit. It took us three years. While building it his dad died. My dad had died while I was in college. In their honors, we named it for them -- the Morwin -- for my Uncle Morty and my dad, Irwin. Perhaps you could name your fairings in honor of your dad as well.

[O.C.D.]

Perhaps you could name your fairings in honor of your dad as well.

Maybe the "Father's Day Special"?!?!?  I am not making fun either.  That would be cool in my book.

[JB848]

First, Thank you very much for the kind words it means a lot.

As far as the "Fathers Day Special" (Thanks for the Idea), I have my work cut out for me. As I said before my new method for the template kind of destroyed the template!



As you can see there are many pieces of the template now But it's only cardboard and I can make it again. The two sides are coming along though.



Here is the right side 2nd layer and the left side in close to finished condition!



I also have the first coat of paint on the 1/4 fairing. Really in no hurry now with both side pieces in the rough. I have plenty to do at this point.



If you compare this picture to the early pictures it is in much better shape. No more flaws or low spots. 2nd coat will go on tomorrow if it is dry enough to wet sand. This baby is going to be perfect before it goes on the bike again! These pictures look horrible compared to the real thing. I think the lighting is playing tricks on my camera again!

[JB848]

Well I finally got the quarter fairing on and still need to adjust the mounts. I fabricated some new mounts out of some considerably heavier pieces of metal.



They are pieces out of a heavy duty filing cabinet that I took apart and salvaged the wood and metal from.



I am quite happy with the outcome..almost no vibration and there is no flex in the wind any more! And yes I know speedo is quite dusty. Been doing a lot of sanding and no cleaning.



Here is a good view from behind. If you look closely at the previous pictures you'll notice that I added reinforcement to the fiberglass where the fairing bolts on.



And this is a view of the side that cracked! All re glassed, sanded and painted. I am going to wet sand and add another coat in a few days, but I want the paint to bake in first. Besides I have lot's of sanding to do on the cowling yet, and still have to fabricate the mounts for them. I'll have to admit I am not overly happy with the front profile still.. I am hoping it will grow on me 



It took me a while to notice but my design seems to be the only one that is flush with the headlight? I am hoping that it will cut through the air better and cause less drag better MPG! But so far I have to say it sure shines good in the sun and the 1/4 fairing is as smooth as a babies bottom and there is only one in the world like it  . Hey Mom look I can see myself!

[O.C.D.]

I dig it 100% for originality and simply doing it.  No one else has a fairing like that.  Great job!

[JB848]

So I had some free time last night and didn't really feel like making a mess so I decided to start fabricating the mounts for the side cowling. Having the Targa Lower Scoop really made things easy. While I think I am creative on my own, I can copy almost any other idea with relative ease.



Here is the mount that I made off of the Targa existing mount. I put it on backwards the first time but you get the idea.



This is how I made it...I took my daughter "Jules" with me one day to Home Depot and had an idea of what I was looking for. We looked all over the store and I just couldn't find what I wanted. I wanted the same width, thickness, and flexability as the (Broken)original that I was copying. I found it in a $1.12 hardware piece called a concrete 2x4 hanger. I cut the flat ends off, drilled the first hole, bent it to the same size, drilled the second hole, cut some rubber from an old bicycle tube for padding and added the same exact bolt's, washers and spacer as the original.



Having made one with relative ease I made two and put them on the frame for a test fit for the side cowling. I had thoughts of gluing the rubber to itself but after a test fit I deemed it really not necessary. And below is the first test fit.







Needs a little more adjustment and I still have to fabricate the rear mount for the cowling but, both sides are made.



Here is the right side, in the rough 2 layers, no mounting. Just had to see what it would look like with both of them on.