| '48 Indian Motorcycle Restoration: Frame Repair and Painting |
| Fender skirts and other parts are fabricated as the restoration of the 1948 Indian chief continues. |
From "Classic Rides"
episode DCLR-305 |
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(Continued from page )
As with the fender, there is some fabrication work to be done on the battery tray. Years of acid leaking out of the battery has caused a great deal of corrosion, so a new piece has to be made.
Fabricating the New Battery Tray- Just like with the fender, the existing tray will need to be used as a template. The tray consists of two parts, the tray itself, and a base that bolts to the bike frame. In our case, the base is in good condition and can be reused. The two pieces are tack welded together, but this can be separated with a screwdriver and a little muscle.
- Insert a flat head screwdriver in between the two pieces, and twist until the weld brakes and the parts separate.
- Using a hammer, flatten out all the lips and bends in the original tray. Once the tray is flat, it can be set in place on the new sheet metal and traced.
- With the tray pattern traced onto the new metal, use the pneumatic cutting shears to cut it out.
Chris removes the old battery tray.
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Chris cuts out the new battery tray using a tin cutter.
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Uses the belt sander to clean up the edges of the tray.With the pliers, bend the edges of the tray up, to form the lip that retains the battery. Once you have a basic bend in the lip, set the tray down on its edge and use the body hammer to flatten the lip to a 90 degree angle. Go over the tray again with the belt sander to remove and sharp edges. Once the tray is complete, set it on top of the base, in the correct orientation of course, and using a c-clamp, clamp the two pieces together.Using the MIG welder, weld a seam between the two pieces. Be careful to not put too much heat into the piece, it may cause warping.
Chris and Craig create a new battery tray from scratch.
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The new battery tray is refined using a belt sander.
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| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | '48 Indian Motorcycle Restoration: Frame Repair and Painting |
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