Two Wheel Tuesday

Saw this picture on a thread over on Jockey Journal but so far I haven't been able to find out any more information or pics but apparently it was built by Cole Foster for the owner of Japanese Mooneyes. This appears to be Cole's twist on the Japanese BratStyle. Super clean bike.

Zebra Wood

Work was slow yesterday so I decided to take the day off and head down to the shop instead. We've been pushing hard to get the Neff '56 done and a big part of the project is the custom zebra wood trim. Coming up with creative ideas is one thing but making it work in reality is a whole separate issue. It's a little intimidating to sail into uncharted territory when you are creating something from scratch with no references or plans to go from. Add to the mix a rare and expensive wood with little to no extra material leftover and the pressure is on.

Thanks to my dad for helping cut the wood into usable material. We were both covered head to toe and standing in 3" of sawdust by the time we got done but the planks came out great.



I laid out a placement for the support shims and then individually measured the profile at each point and transfered it to a piece of 1"x1". Each support was cut to shape on the band saw and set in place. Next a pattern was made using craft paper to accurately trace the outer curve of the body line so it could be transfered to the zebra wood and cut to shape. The edges were then routed with an 1/8" curve bit to provide a pleasing flow.



Each piece will be hand sanded to a smooth finish and sprayed with a gloss finish to protect and seal it before being attached. I still need to create the 2 other sections of trim for the doors which haven't been hung yet. I'll post more updates as progress is made.

Ford Update

Zippeay sent me the final update on the Ford seat...It's done!!!

Seriously...I Hate The Snow

Just 48 hours ago I was sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in and now I'm shoveling 12" of snow off my driveway. The older I get the less I like the snow. I'm not sure if this a direct correlation or not but I could really go for a warmer climate about now... aka sunny so cal I miss you already.

Shop Time

I realized tonight while working at the shop what I enjoy so much about it. I work all day for an internet based company where everything I do is completely digital and intangible. Turn off the computer and I have nothing to show for my hours of work. There is no start and no end. At the end of the day it's rewarding to build something real using just your hands and a few tools. There's a beginning and an end and when you're finished you actually have something to show for it. Yin and Yang I suppose, balance is good.

I worked on finishing up the last of the door panels for the '56 and this time I took some pictures. This is my first time ever making a set of door panels from scratch. I only had to start over a few times but I finally got it sorted out. For the rear panels I had to make a pattern using butcher paper to give me a starting point to transfer it to the hardboard. For the front panels I did have the original door panel which was from the original 4 door car so the panels were about 7" too short but gave me a good starting point. Once they are mounted I can mark the top and door edges and give a final cut to finish them off.








Then I spent the next couple hours sanding my car. Still trying to get it all cleaned up so I can start repairing all the small dents & dings before we start the long journey to prep and paint.