getting some perspective

Its amazing how you can get so focused on the details of a job sometimes that you forget to stand back and see if the bigger picture is still as you planned in your initial vision.
Hugh came over today, and the sun came out (it always does where-ever Hugh goes) and so it seemed like a good excuse to get the Trike out of my pokey garage so that i could get better all round view of progress so far.
We shuffled the engine and front end back and forth by a half inch here and a mill or two there. We sat in the seat and jacked that up and down. We imagined what different handle bars would feel like.... and all in all, it felt good - I think im still on the right track.
One design objective is to ensure that I keep the length of the vehicle short enough to be in beautiful proportion (many trikes appear to be too long to me) - but to achieve this the headstock has to come in close to the engine block meaning that the radiator would have to sit outside (in front) of the two front frame tubes (i'd ideally fit the rad in between them to keep things tidy). As we jiggled the bits back and forth, I used the word "compromise"! Hugh was quick to pick me up on it.... but that now leaves me with some head scratching and fine details to work out if im going to keep it short AND fit the rad in the frame as i want.
The other point that raised its head as we stood around the front end was; just how much of an angle do the forks have to rotate through while turning (it has an impact on where i weld the frame to the headstock) - so Hugh is going to have a measure of the rotation on his own bikes
There is heaps of design work to do still, but im confident and very happy that i am going in the right direction

Shafted

Excellent - I now have all the components I need to get on with building my frame. Up until now i havent been able to bolt down the engine to my jig because i didn't have an exact propshaft length... but now i do.
Dave Mac Propshafts (www.davemacprops.com) in Coventry took a bit of finding on the internet - eventually through a special car build forum - But im glad i did find him as they turned out to be jolly nice chaps with a quick and professional turn around.
OK so it cost me £45 - money i can barely afford on this project now, and some people have suggested i should have done the job myself - but at least now i know i have a sound and balanced propshaft.
There were alternative methods to this -
1) a direct coupling as the rear axle is rigid - I fancy doing this one day - bolting the rear axle directly to the gearbox, No propshaft at all!
2) a new yoke and shaft set up - which apparently would have been a better performance arrangement (I suspect performance isn't going to be an issue on this trike.... for one reason or other).
However at the end of the day shortening my own propshaft was the cheapest option... and so i went with that.
What you see here is the absolute shortest that you can modify a standard reliant propshaft to. 260mm (inside that short bit of welded tube, the 2 UJ castings are actually touching each other)

fish mouths

Now that I've got all that lovely tube lying on the floor of my garage, I couldn't resist seeing just how difficult it would be to cut my welding joint fish mouths.
Cautiously i cut off an 8" section (that's about £2.30! A whole pints worth!) and despite my best calculations and paper templates, got the first one completely wrong - i cut to a depth of half the diameter - which in theory would be correct if i was making it out of tube as thin as paper. My second attempt (as seen in photo) accounted for the wall thickness AND a weld bead - which means that the fish mouth isnt so deep (and requires far less filing) - ie its the external surfaces that I need to make flush, not the internal ones.
I reckon that the work of cutting and shaping the joints wont be too hard. The challenge is going to be protracting the profile to cut to; Theres a distinct lack of edges to reference to (and this practice one was a simple right angle!).
I suspect its going to be a job of tailor-making each joint with loving little file-and-fit matchups. One step at a time..... one step at a time.

Tube arrives

What do you think £222 of raw trike frame tube looks like?
Sadly its not as much as you might expect
BUT the smell is fabulous :-)
And the excitement of finally having all the ingredients now to create this masterpiece is worth every penny:-)
I hope i didn't bore the delivery drivers with the story of my project. As you can see they seemed interested enough to be considered an instrumental part of this exciting journey.
I really am feeling very happy about all this at the moment :-)

Readers rides

You know things are hotting up when you can get your wife to show a degree of interest.... well, to tell the truth I had to drag her in there... shes still not very interested really. However, she does leave me alone to get on with my thing, so I cant really complain.
I wonder if she'll be interested in doing the modeling for the BSH shoot? :-/

Pipe bender arrives

Look at the size of this monster! It weighs a ton. No wonder it cost £23 to deliver.
It doesn't have a die to exactly suit my pipe size. There is an 1-1/2" and a 2" dia die, but not a 1-3/4" (44mm - my pipe size)
So does this matter? should i line the 2" die with a 3mm thick copper liner?
Im not sure how easy it is going to be to bend tight bends or compound curves..... maybe not for no reason do trike builders use 2"x2" angle iron

Thank you

I'd just like to officially record my Thanks to TVOR and Hughie for encouraging me to make my own axle clamps.
I didn't want to do it. I'd have been happy to pay someone to make them for me. But I have made them myself and Ive loved every moment and feel rather proud of my work.
I have to say though, that its cost me considerably more to make them myself rather than pay an engineering shop to make them for me - my files, new scribe, square and layout blue came to more than a couple of machined lumps of steel - however, now i can make axle clamps for ever more. if anyone needs a pair making, I'm the man - £60 a pair.
So Thanks for the encouragement - I so nearly missed out on a lot of fun and a little bit of self-fulfillment :-D

In the end you have to decide

Well ive made the decision and the commitment.... Ive ordered my frame tubing. it is more expensive than i'd hoped (i forgot all about the VAT - and i opted to have it delivered) And I've gone for the normalized condition (which is more expensive) - I spoke with a steel stockist who suggested this would be best for bending and welding.

BS 3602 CFS 360 NBK

44.45mm x 3.25mm

3 lens @ 6mt middled

18mt @ £9.39 = 169.02

Carriage 20.00

Vat 33.08

Total 222.10

I think i only need about 12 meters of tubing, but 1) i can only buy in stock lengths of 6 meters, and 2) i have allowed some extra material for practice and cockups. So I guess in theory the ACTUAL cost of material consumed on the trike will be about £150 - that might have to be discussed in the fine detail of the finished project. But as it stands now, it could be argued that i only have £99 left to finish the project!
For those who are interested, I'm buying my tube from the very helpful Zina at Hub Le Bas in Bilston
So i think ive pretty well got all in order now to get on with making this thing...
1. 12 tonne hydraulic pipe bender off ebay for £65
2. brand new scriber and can of layout blue (do you know how difficult that stuff is to find?)
3. Welder sourced (but im not going to buy it until i return from holiday)
4. Redundancy just around the corner

To BK or NBK? - that is the question

Im about to buy my frame tube. Ive worked out the diameter i want and the length. Ive found a supplier of CDS tube (now called CFS and often called DOM by the Americans) - but theyve thrown an option into the can of worms. Do I want it BK (as drawn - work hardened) or NBK (normalised - back to its cast condition which is a bit softer). NBK is by the way the spec for hydraulic pipe.
Well, what do I want? does it effect 1) bendability, 2) weldability, 3) vehicle strength and durability?

Wikipedia says......
"Normalizing: Carbon steel is heated to approximately 55 °C above Ac₃ or Ac_m for 1 hour; this assures the steel completely transforms to austenite. The steel is then air cooled, which is a cooling rate of approximately 38 °C (100 °F) per minute. This results in a fine pearlitic structure, and a more uniform structure. Normalized steel has a higher strength than annealed steel; it has a relatively high strength and ductility"

Already referenced elsewhere in this blog; Miller Welds ( http://www.millerwelds.com/education/articles/articles70.html ) says.....
"Drawn-over mandrel tubing is manufactured to ASTM Specification A513 Type 5, and frame fabricators often chose SAE Steel Grades 1018 and 1020. These have a yield strength of 70 ksi or 483 N/mm2"

Now i did metallurgy as part of my first degree, but i suspect i was sitting at the back designing jazz club ties with Hughie rather than listening to the lecture that talked about "yield strength" - and now my head is in a spin

Its amazing how many manfacturers of motorbikes claim that their machines are made of the "highest grade steel" - but none of them can quote what that actually is - buyer beware!

Budget is getting tighter

last count = £679
Plus £18 for the box section metal for axle clamps...
= Current total; £697
that leaves me with just over 300 quid and i think my frame tube is going to consume half of that.
So what else am i going to need to spend money on?
- handle bars (im sure the ones ive got wont do)
- throttle twist-grip and cables
- brake pipes
- electrics
- battery
- rear lights
- prop shaft modifications
- and probably loads of other things i havent thought about
And in addition to all that, ill bet just the nuts and bolts that i will need to buy will be 50 quid!

THIS is living

I cant tell you how much i enjoyed my 4 hours in the garage today. Was it only 4 hours? it flew by... and yet it felt like all day.
Earlier in the week i bought myself a few feet of 50x50x3 and 50x100x3 box section (from my favourite steel stockist - FW Warden - www.fhwarden.co.uk they are great for offcuts) for my rear axle to frame clamp. It cost me £18 (a good 80 quid cheaper than the estimate for getting some clamps engineered for me)
My files also arrived during the week (i havent told the wife yet that they cost more than twice as much as the metal that im going to use them on! - however they should last me a long time beyond this project and anyway that cost comes out of another budget... somewhere)
And so today I made the time to get into the garage with some fresh metal (I get quite excited about having fresh metal rather than something hacked off some bit of scrap) and some sharp tools.
I sweated like a pig as i sawed and filed (I'm glad i didnt go for the 5mm) and the music was loud - it felt fantastic
So as you can see from the picture I have got one clamp block pretty well made up (i havent put the cut outs for the frame tubes in yet as im waiting for the material first) - the pipes in the picture are heating pipe insulation laggings
Im not sure yet about the full height of these blocks - i think im happy with the depth below the axle, but will reduce the height above it. I think this is going to create a very strong frame - and im loving it in this big tube size.

right tools for the right job

I'm getting close to committing big time to this project. Ive decided the tube diameter (45mm big and chunky) and found a supplier of CDS - though im still waiting for their quote. I know what welder im going to buy (yes im going to buy one! had an unexpected bonus recently and think i ought to spend it on some thing useful before the wife spends it on something utterly useless), and i know what pipe-bender i will get.
So all i need now is a couple of new hacksaw blades and a couple of decent hand files.... but WHAT files?
I know i could tell what files I want if i could hold them in my hand, but I dont know of any stores that stock a good range of files - even the draper store near me can only "get them in for you mate".
So I go to the online specialists and find that the choice is overwhelming and the im lost on all the technical specifications and terminology. Fortunately i know that the internet has the answer for me somewhere and of course Wiki deleivers the result.
If you are ever wondering what type of file to buy, read this first....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(tool)
and then when you are ready to buy your files, Buck and Hickman appear to have an extensive range
http://bhinone.farnell.com/jsp/search2/browse.jsp?N=401+1000147
And as i write this now a txt message pops up on my phone from TVOR reminding me not to forget to order good handles too!

Clamp blocks design

Ive been getting a bit stressed. Ive been getting a bit frustrated with people telling me how they would do it. I'm not proud of myself for this feeling - i spend most of my working days teaching people that they should be open minded to different ideas and approaches. However, I had these feelings of frustration and so I had to face up to them.
This rear-end attachment has created some debate. There are indeed, many ways I could skin this cat - and Ive become a bit attached to one specific idea. And its kinda hard to let go when suggestions are offered and I'm refusing to see how they can be any better. I have been of the mind to forget my tight budget and just go and get the clamp blocks engineered for me so i can focus on the frame (and not the component parts).
But I've taken some deep breaths and reflected on how my single-minded focus might be restricting my progress - and i think ive come up with a solution that should satisfy me on a number of levels;
1) the above solution is something that i can fabricate myself - thus saving me critical budget, AND fulfilling my "I-did-it-myself" requirement
2) it offers strength and integrity without compromising aesthetics or budget
3) I managed by the skin of my teeth to break away from my restrictive idea to find one that is better
As I say, I'm not proud of the fact that I got irritated by other ideas offered in good will - but i'm pleased that i recognised my poor behaviour and developed it. I shall try harder next time and I apologise here and now to anyone who i might have offended by not being interested enough in their suggestions (rest assured now that i have thought long and hard about all those comments and i think that you have all influenced the final outcome as seen in the sketch above)

So I shall make it out of box section (maybe 5mm is too thick - 3mm is probably quite good enough and the width is dependent on the diameter of the frame tubes) - i like this option because it will be relatively easy to make (i don't want to spend too much time making components for a project that is supposed to be a "conceptual" art piece - im a big-picture man, not a detail man). And I like the the way in this design that the clamping force between the two halves of the clamp blocks is through the faces of the box sections, and not onto the axle tube

I feel satisfied with the final design, guilty about getting irritated, and grateful for all the support and stimulation - please keep the ideas coming and remind me whenever I'm dismissive again

Thinking about my rear end

So how am i going to fix the frame to the rear axle? This is an important question on a number of levels.... Not least the fact that it is critical to the safety and handling.... but almost as important in as much that so many trike builders seem to make such a pigs ear of their project at this point.
Clearly the easiest approach would be to use the existing mountings on the axle itself (leaf spring mounts and shock-absorber mounts). Im not convinced however that this is the most beautiful solution - the spring mounts are too far outboard for me - i really want to keep the rear end clean and spindley and to do this i need to keep the frame as close to the centerline as i dare go while ensuring i keep an adequate degree of rigidity in the construction. Once again the position that Reliant gifted me with for the shock-absorber mounts aren't ideal (in my eyes).
Kev at projex uses the method shown in the top of the attached sketch - and i must say i rather like this - it would allow me to create a torsional rigidity (to handle all that power that a reliant engine drives through that performance differential) and keep the lines of the frame neat and tidy. This solution would mean that i would need to pay someone to do some engineering for me to make the clamp blocks.
Hughie, always looking out for my budget, wondered if i might be able to fabricate my own (and avoid the engineering costs) clamp blocks - similar to the idea in the lower part of the sketch (perhaps out of fabricated flat, tube and/or box sections). My concern here is that i dont want to be spending my time fabricating components when i should be fabricating the frame itself. I am sure there are other ways of executing this, and i shall postup some other sketches shortly

Now i feel like a proper trike builder

I am surprised at just how excited I was to receive an inch thick file of official regulations and procedures. Normally I would file detailed paperwork where it belongs (with the missis) But this manual is rather special.
For 30 quid (and that doesnt come out of my build budget) and a number of protracted telephone conversations with some very nice, but a little confused Welsh people in Swansea, I bought myself the VOSA (Vehicle & Operator Services Agency) MSVA (Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval) inspection manual.
This is going to have to be my bible to which i will have to navigate around to find the loopholes that will allow me to create the Trike that i like.
Im a little concerned about chapter 8 - "External projections - unbodied vehicles".... Reasons for failure, point 8. "Any protruding part pointing outwards, that is, a) pointed, b) sharp and are likely to increase the risk or seriousness of body lesions suffered by any person struck or grazed by the vehicle in the event of an accident"..... so where does that leave an open and exposed car engine??

clearing the log jam in my head

I sometimes get a bit mind locked when im working on exciting projects - i see a challenge, explore various solutions and then from those solutions make a choice about a plan of action. All very well, but only if you've explored ALL the solutions. If you've only got half a dozen mediocre solutions to choose from, you could find yourself implementing a bit of a soggy idea.
So it is with great thanks to TVOR and Hughie that I felt rather satisfied with my efforts today.
TVORs thoughts in an earlier posting about using the existing forks as a way of jigging the headstock is of course the genius way to do this. You can see from the photo, that its quite a simple job done like this.
And Hughie came over on his Harley to see how progress was going. We spent a jolly good time in the garage with various lengths of pipe insulation exploring the ways in which the frame could lay out. Once again i was especially stuck on the bit of frame that will go round and over the back of the engine - which in hindsight seems trivial, but i simply couldnt see any alternative to my mediocre solution - until Hughie said with a bit of bent foam pipe in hand "well why dont you do this?" - no point describing the idea here, its not particularly interesting to the reader, but for me it was another moment of clearing the log jam in my head.
We also explored the petrol tank - i havent been very happy with the look and feel of the petrol tank that ive got - it just doesn't fit sweetly with my vision... and so petrol tank ideas are starting to develop - more on that later.
All in all, im getting close to having to commit to buying some frame tubing (which by the way, both Hughie and I are agreeing on as looking rather nice in a phat I.D.) - just got to decide on the method of tieing the frame to the rear axle - but thats a whole new blog post

Budget update

£609 (as of last count) + £70 (headstock turning and bearings) = £679
Crikey, I'm a bit worried that im going to go over budget - can i really bring this all together now for just over 300 quid? and i haven't even bought my frame tubing yet!

A Jig for the Jig

So now that ive got the headstock, ive got to work out where to put it!
I'd forgotten just how heavy the front end was and its quite difficult to hold everything in place so that you can get a feel for the look and ride position (I ignored all wheel geometry theory - I was just looking for the look). A couple of lengths of rope and a few g-clamps helped me out while I created an MDF template that I will be able to use eventually to position the headstock at the correct height and angle.
So all I need to do now is fabricate a jig to hold the headstock tube firmly in place and keep it square and true to the centerline and perpendicular while i shape and weld the frame tubes to it. Professional frame builders use a very simple pair of steel cones that clamp down on the headstock tube ensuring it remains on center axis.... im wondering what i can improvise to create a similar set up. something like a pair of cones or balls with a length of All-thread up the middle that i can tighten together - need to keep my eyes peeled

Nice bit of turning

Kev at Projex came up with the goods - a lovely shiney new headstock.
I left work early to dash over and collect it for the weekend. Kev was just shutting up shop to set off to a bike show and present his sponsor trophy for best in show - he'd made a little billet machined forks and yoke trophy mounted on a granite plinth - ive got my eyes on that prize for next year.
Before he had to get away, I managed to get some thoughts out of him on 1)prop shaft modification, and 2) rear axle mounting
1) Kev reckons - as the prop shaft will be so short it wont need balancing - he reckons i could do it myself! He makes his own but didnt seem interested in doing me one. He reckons a quick chop, sleeve and weld - and some longitudinal slots cut through and welded in to get a good sheer resistant join
2) Kev reckons - dont use any of the original mounting points on the rear axle - grind those off - and use a split block clamp - I'll put some sketches up on line soon - i quite like the idea here as it would look much more pretty and not constrain me to using mounting points that dont fit with where i want the frame to be

So I payed my £70. 50 quid for the turning, and 20 quid for 2 new bearings, and left Kev feeling like im now a real motor bike builder

dontcha just love the internet?

Im starting to think about the equipment im going to need to build the frame - principly a pipe bender and a welder
But what welder to get? a couple of hours on the internet has some answers.....
http://www.mechwerks.com/Welding.htm - suggests 210A
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/articles/articles70.html - suggests 250A
and if you need a tutorial on how to do it?....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF3ZWAAu_jI&feature=related

why i can even learn how NOT to make a frame!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6hUMeZXKJM&feature=user

As for pipe, ive been learning that i should be thinking about something like 30mm O.D, 3mm wall thickness (though i wonder if 30mm might look a bit too skinny)

Theres some interesting stuff on pipe on this site (including a bend allowance calculator)
http://www.rorty-design.com/content/tube_work.htm
and check out their section on "poultry-poo" welding
So i go to bed a little more informed

Engineering

I was impressed recently when i saw the fabulous outcomes of my brothers blood, sweat and tears in the renovation of his Grade II listed thatched cottage. He has a fabulous streak of Nike in him. It inspired me, and so I've decided to "Just do it"....... But where to start?
I need to get the headstock turned and so hit the internet, Back Street Heroes mags, and contact recommendations of Hughie to find a suitable engineering company to make my bit.
There are hundreds of small engineering companies here in the West Mindlands (though sad to say they are reducing in numbers these days) - but i dont really know what im asking for (Ive never had a headstock requirement before) so i really wanted a MOTORCYCLE engineering workshop, and i wanted one that i could go visit to talk through my requirements - so i wanted a custom bike builder in Birmingham. [and while we're on the subject, my definition of a custom bike builder doesnt include boutiques that buy and sell chromed harley parts and airbrushed helmets]
Up until now I had planned to use Ray at BlackSpur [see earlier blog entry], but sadly that business appears to be no more (another example of small specialist back street engineering companies being pushed out by housing developments) and so a new search was necessary
My searches found a couple of people who over the phone showed little interest, a couple of people who i suspected were going to outsource the turning, and a couple of people that were simply going to be too far a drive to get to.
Exasperated, I glibly typed "headstock" into ebay, and bugger me, there was someone offering to turn a head stock to my requirements! fifty quid! But surely thats too dodgy to buy a bit of engineering from an unknown on an auction site? But wait!...... whats this? this chap is in the midlands, he has a website, he builds custom trikes and bikes, he is 6 miles from my house!
I call him. Kev is a nice guy. He is interested in my project. He invites me over.
And what a fab workshop it turns out to be. And what a skilled engineer - hes been in this business for 6 years. There are 4 bikes in progress, one trike and hanging from the roof, a ready for sale, complete soft rear trike end. His engineering facilities are clean, tidy and well lit. And he made time to chat. Brilliant :-)
For all your custom bike manufacturing needs talk to Kev at www.projex-uk.co.uk
The only downside is that "reliant engine" is a sinful concept in Kevs world, so as long as i can keep talking about trikes and not about engines, i think Kev is going to be a really useful chap on this project. All ive go to do now is to continue to "just do it"

Geometry

As i start to lay the 3 major components (rear axle, engine/gearbox, front-end headstock) out onto my jig, I'm starting to wonder about centerlines. Up until now i'd assumed that everything is symmetrical - that is, the differential is in the middle of the rear axle, and the crankshaft is in line with the prop-shaft.
On closer inspection it seems like they are pretty well all designed to be on line down the center line of the vehicle - but how would i know? Does the engine have an off-center center of gravity? is it shifted in the original Reliant Robin to give more leg clearance for the driver? Does the long prop-shaft accommodate this in a way that my soon to be shortened prop-shaft couldn't? and would an offset, off-weight engine have a significant effect on the handling of my trike?
So many questions, and so few absolute answers?
I return to my mission statement (i should have it laminated and hung on the wall really) - "to create a trike of beauty" - The fog lifts and all is clear.... mount the engine so it LOOKS right - which in this case is on centerline of crankshaft. It will mean that the radiator will have to be shoved over (to be back on centerline of the vehicle) so it wont be getting the most direct benefit of the fan, but i guess it will generally keep cool enough if i drive fast enough!

And then there is the rake angle of the front-end. If i lean it back as far as i would like, will it make the handling dangerous. Check out wiki to make your own decision - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry

building momentum

Ive been feeling frustrated (again) - having blown the dust off the black spanner, I was feeling like I would never have time to get back into the garage - there always seems to be too many other priorites - not least having to work to earn a living.
So what to do? well, clearly the only thing to do was go and work in the garage while I was supposed to be working for my employer! :-/ Actually, it was my boss who suggested it!
Could i use the time in the garage productively to think about stuff while i was tinkering?

Im not sure if i was very productive for my paymaster (though i do feel less stressed after 3 hours of metal bashing - and surely they will benefit from be being a bit more smiley) and i did write a few notes later in the afternoon on some clarity that came to me about a bit of work we are doing at the moment. Whatever, I think this is an experiment that requires some further research :-)

So Ive got the rear axle clamped square and true to the jig mounting frame. I enjoyed getting back to a bit of sawing, filing and welding. My welding is rubbish; im using a little 120A stick welder, and i was doing it outside in the rain. I comfort myself that my pigeon muck is plenty good enough for the time being for jig brackets - frame welding will require some new kit and lots of practice

The Black Spanner is back

Its been over a year since the black spanner and I enjoyed each others company. In that time its been gathering dust and generally been getting in the way of other mini projects.
A year ago I was planning to make a jigging fixture that would hold all the necessary lumps in the right places while i welded a frame around them. And today I implemented my year old plan

As you can see from the photo, ive taken 2 lengths of 40mm kitchen worktop (i figured that these would be stable enough to hold everything pretty well steady) - joined them at one end to from a T - you can probably guess which end is forward and which is back. I ran a circular saw cut along the lengths before bolting them together and will use these as my centerline references.
Ive bolted underneath 4 heavy duty castors (courtesy of The voice of reason - trust him to have a set clean and available) so i can now move the project around a bit to get better access to it in my tiny garage.

There is nothing especially clever about what ive done here other than the fact that ive actually done something! and boy that made me feel so good. I am so looking forward to making the black spanner a priority again :-)

Exactly ONE year

The plan was to build a beautiful Trike for £1000 in 6 months. Well im still within the financial budget... but i am well over the time budget.
Its been a whole year since i did anything on the trike.. A WHOLE YEAR! and everytime i go into my garage I tell the sorry looking pile of mechnicals that "I haven't forgotten you", "I'm coming back to you" which is still all true - I WILL be back and this trike is going to be better than ever

So why havent I done anything on the poor thing for over a year? Well the first thing was building my office shed - it was a bigger project than i originally thought it would be, and it took many of my weekends to get to a point where i could work in it..... which then meant that many of my subsequent weekends were spent working in there. I set up my own innovation consultancy and work took me away to far-flung places like Italy, Canada, India and Manchester

Its a poor excuse I know, that something was more important than building my trike.... and its an excuse I tend to address.... By leaving my regular job and focusing on my own business - which if all goes to plan will give me the R&R time for other interests.

Black Spanner Sleeps for now but will soon awaken

So much to do and so little time to do it

Can you believe it? A whole weekend gone and not a moment spent on the Trike.
Ive spent the most of the weekend working - I guess it has to happen sometimes - and im commited to preparing the site for my soon to arrive garden office. So Im not complaining, but i did feel a little gloomy when i went into the garage for a spanner to tighten my branch loppers, and i saw my creation patiently waiting for a little more love.... Actually it was the smell of the thing that made me yearn - i love the smell of grubby oil.
Despite not having done anything on my Trike thins weekend I have actually seen two other Trikes. The first was whistling along the road as i was about to pull out of a junction. Much to the anoyance of the driver behind me, I hung on until the trike drove past...... It looked rubbish (too square, too high, too utilitarian - based on a motor bike engine)
The second one was on TV - its the one that Billy Connolly rides on his tour of New Zealand. Lots of people have told me about this programme, but ive not seen it before. The Trike looks nice and clean, but but Im not convinced about proportions and shape - once again its motorcycle based....... The one thing I am most certainly impressed with though is the driving through New Zealand.... Oh my gosh, how great would that be to have all that space and sun and freedom.
Hmmmm, I wonder how much it would cost to ship the Trike out to NZ for a holiday of a lifetime? :-)

“Sacrificing the night for the good of the Trike”

Always thinking, always thinking. Ive recently had the following email conversation with TVOR…….

TVOR - I was in bed this morning thinking about your project (I'm not loosing sleep you understand) and a couple of points came to mind.

TVOR - Why can't you re direct your carb, either forwards or backwards, if you go for the adaptor tube? It struck me that it would be a simple matter to weld two flange plates to the end of piece of tube (straight or bent) thus enabling you to direct the carb where you wanted. Remember that the float needs to be horizontal. On the TF the flat chamber is adjustable relative to the carb choke centre line. The looking forward position would give you more space for the filter but may destroy the line of the tank.
ME - I wondered about alternate positioning of carb….. and remembered your water hose fabrication for the TF which inspire the thought that maybe we could recreate a carb one too. Do you think there would be any detrimental effects to the running of the engine by making the pipe longer and potentially more contorted?


TVOR - Have you considered what is going to happen to the hand brake cables? I guess that you don't want to see them but this may difficult because of the angle they exit the brake backplates. I would expect the best you can hope for is that they run parallel to the rear axle attachment tubes. The Austin 1100 (we had one) had a problem because of the low floor and everything having to pass along the centre tunnel. They overcame the problem be the cable coming out of the backplate, running forward almost parallel to the side of the car for a short distance, then passing round a "bell crank" that took the cable across to the centre of the car (can't quite remember what happened here). I do remember that the crank bearing was in line with the water from the wheel and would cease up regularly making the handbrake useless. Once you knew it, it was OK so it could be a possible solution. Even better would be to run the covered cable as close to the backplate as possible terminating it on a bracket off the rearaxle loction tube.
ME - The vehicle was originally fitted with cables that pull round to a simple lever in the tunnel…. And ive seen conversions that use solid bars across the rear axle (thus keeping it neat and tidy) to a crank through to a lever (though im not sure exactly how that links - CHECK OUT THE SOLUTION IN THE PICTURE SHOWN HERE) of course we should also keep an open mind as to where we mount the handbrake lever… im sure it has to be within driver reach, but this driver will be able to reach anywhere around the rear axle – might even be able to get away with it mounted almost right on one of the brake drum backplates! ;-)
I will be getting some SVA / MOT guidelines shortly
BTW it appears a simple decision / conversion as to which side of the bell housing that you take the clutch lever out. – the shaft goes all the way through the bell housing.

With a little help from my freinds

We had some visitors over the weekend and some of them are starting to express an intrest in the Trike (I havent told many people about what im doing - 1) telling people doesnt do anything to add to my fulfillment, and 2) I wouldnt want anyone who might be associated with my day job to think i was spending my "working from home" days playing in the garage - which i must make absolutely clear here - I DONT)

Anyway, When SC popped into the garage to see it for the first time, he asked wether there would be a passenger seat. I quickly explained that I would fit one especially for him so that we could go to the pub on it one day. "No need" he said, he would stand on the rear axle and hold onto my shoulders like kids do on the back of BMX bikes! what a great idea I thought :-)

And then later in the day when AM came to dinner, she was keen to have a look at the project. I was impressed with her depth of interest in the details; "Whats that hook thing for" she asked pointing at the break pipe guide on the front forks. Before i had a chance to explain, she was quick to point out that it would be the perfect place to hang my Black Spaner! Brilliant!

Frame Design

Now before the debate starts, Im not suggesting that this IS the shape. There are plenty of shapes and flow lines and structural bracing to play with yet, but i thought id share my latest bit of fun. This is like doodling with pipe-cleaners. Its brilliant.

Ive been doing all sorts of sketches on paper (usually during dull meetings at work) and whilst im liking the general shapes im coming out with, I know that my proprtions are all wrong when im sketching - I tend to make the whole vehicle shorter and the forks alot longer than they actually are) Also, trying to sketch compound curves is never going to be easy. And so by using some 10mm microbore copper pipe and some foam 15mm pipe insulation tubes, I now have a full sized modeling kit.

My general thinking so far is that i dont want any framework forward of the rad - that will only spoil the space between mechanicals and forks/wheel. I think this is the space that defines "chopper". I also realise now that i am going to have to compromise on some thoughts if i want to produce a symetrical frame. Unless i am prepared to reposition for example the alternator, I cant have the sort of swoop that id imagined. So lots of thinking and playing to be done

Ive only just got the material tonight, and cobbled together what you see in the picture in about 15 minutes. Its a shame that ive now got to go away on business for 4 days as i really want to get on and do some designing. And this makes me think, If i won the lottery my approach wouldn't be any different - I'd still be striving to do it for a grand - but i would give up work instantly and spend hour after hour, day after day in total bliss tinkering away in my garage :-)

Finally.... what do you think to the idea of 2" dia tubing for the frame (lets not get into the discussion about tube or square again ;-) - i rather like the look of this Phat tube... kind of fits with the general feel

Peddle Design Thoughts

I think im going to have to shorten the peddles so that i can raise them from the tarmac, and if i work the angle so that i can close the triangle (ie put the peddle pivot point closer to the pivot of my foot) I might have a basic design that could work
Couple of things to consider 1) Shorter peddles will mean less leverage, and consequently require greater pushing effort - remember no brake servo or hydraulic clutch luxuries here! and 2) I think (ive been trying this out in my car) that a considerable amount of driver movement when operating brakes and clutches is not necessarily in ankle pivot, but more in leg movement.
Ive got some measurements and calculations to do to wokr out the required movement to disengage clutch and apply proper breaking

Another point i notice i will have to include is somewhere to rest my feet while they arent doing anything. And ideally i wouldnt have running boards - i'd prefer bike pegs, but i cant for the life of me work out how bikers actually keep their feet on them. maybe I will have to have a sit on Hughies bike and get a sense of what happens naturally.

Peddle Positions

Ive been playing with the peddles. I know theyve got to be down by my feet somewhere, but defining the specific position is actually quite a bit harder than i thought it might be. The position is effected by so many factors eg, rake of forks effects position of handle bars which effect riders stance, Likewise the position of the seat which is lead by the position of the gearstick. I'd quite like the positioning to be comfortable.... and then of course theres the bit about making it just look right.

Just to be clear (some people have asked questions to which i thought the answer was obvious) - the throttle will be in my right hand, and the brake and clutch on my right and left foot respectively - as in a regular car operation

I want to try and use as much as possible of the original car (keeps budget low and it adds to the challenge) and so i rigged up some wooden blocks to hold the original peddles in a working position. I did breifly look at having the peddles hanging as they were orientated in the original car, but this I think looks really messy. And so I am playing with the peddles poking upward (ie the pivot is below the peddle pad)
My current challenge is that by the time ive got my legs and feet in a comfy ride position, the peddles (particularly the clevis pin cranks) are way too low. Can you imagine - I'd get automatic breaking every time i drove over a sleeping policeman hump...... Now theres an idea!

So it looks like i will have to do some rework on the peddles to meet all my needs. I guess the question is, do i rework the original bits, or do i source an alternative or even make my own peddles and mechanisms from scratch

What to do with the carb

Ive been messing with the position of the carb - partly because i hate all that water hose tangle and that heat exchange block is so unsightly and i wonder if i can do away with it all together, but also because ive got a clearance issue between the top of the damper pot and the fuel tank. And then of course theres always the bit about trying to make it all look lovely

I like the idea of the carb jutting awkwardly (beauty is not always about symetry and tidyness)out of the side of the vehicle with a ridiculously large airfilter - though i am still playing with thoughts on how i might use the original filter holder which i think looks quite cool

Ive tried it round the other way (and taken off the wanky alluminium fuel drip tray thing that stops leaking fuel from dripping directly on the manifold, prefering to redirect it to the back of the engine onto the gearbox bell housing - What a strange thing to build into an engine design - something to account for a leaking carb?)

Eric (the chassis) suggested when he was here, twisting it horizontal - apparently Morris oxfords (or was it Humbers or Austins - he spoke about them all) used to run thier SUs horizontally which if you were happy with continually topping up the damper oil, was supposedly perfectly adequate
Eric also thinks that I wouldnt miss the heat exchanger unit other than for a bit of fuel ecconomy

Perhaps the answer might be for me to construct my own 90 degree adapter which would give me most clearance from the fuel tank and a jaunty jut from the engine. And i'd better use some extra thick gasket seal to ensure there no leaks onto the now exposed exhaust manifold

Poncing about leads to important decisions

Sometimes I can lose myself in my own thoughts and today I lost all track of time from between breakfast and evening dinner. I spent the whole day in the garage, and when i look at the result of all that time, I'm not really sure what i was doing all that time.
My objective was to get a better feel for general layout of the parts so that i might start to do some measurements and detailed drawing. There were times in the day when i felt a little frustraited as all i seemed to be doing was just poncing around trying, say, the tank at a slightly different angle or shifting the front-end back and forth by an inch, trying the the seat at this hieght then that height - all poncing about....... and every now and then I had to pinch myself to remember that actually THIS is the part of projects that I enjoy most (the conceptual stuff and roughing out ideas). I was doing the bit that I love doing and I didnt even recognise it!

I followed through on a decision that I had made in bed a couple of nights ago to create a better frame that would support the front end AND allow me to steer it so i could get a sense for 1) the clearance on the fuel tank and 2) the reach for me as rider as I go round corners - those left-hand turns with racing gear changes are going to be scary - the whole of the vehicles destination and destiny will be not in the palm of my hand but at the very tips of my fingers!
As i was building the support frame i realised that my design for it wasnt the best - I wished i'd thought through some alternatives before starting - and so my predicament was then to choose between continuing with a poor design or start over with a better design...... I chose the former but made a mental note not to get caught in this position again half way through building the frame for real.

The outcome of my efforts for the day are mainly decisions (but I guess making decisons are probably the most important feature of making progress). A couple of important decisions ...
1. Fuel tank needs to be right forward - this creates a good look of all the engine bits piled up front and provides best clearance for the carb and with ....
2. the seat right low, a great clean and sparce back end, which means......
3. a strong simply triangulated rear frame assembly. TVOR and I have been talking about the possibility of a frame that splits into a forward frame and a rear subframe..... could look something like the above sketch

New advisor joins the project board

Ive just had a phone call from someone who i havent spoken to for years (we send a letter now and then, but i bet the last time we saw each other was at my sisters wedding 17 years ago) and what a coincidence that Ken should call tonight on the night that Eric had been. If Eric is a fountain of interesting knowledge, then Ken is a Geyser of knowledge (though he is anything but a geezer). Ken must be in his late 70's now and i have fond memories as a kid going out in the canoe or boat that he had hand built, or when he would turn up on a sunday afternoon on his beautifully restored Royal Enfield. His Marlin project has been being fettled to perfection for at least 15 years as far as I know. Ken knows about everything and he is of an era when men built "specials" not "customs"
He phoned me to thank me for a couple of photos I'd sent him of the Reliant when we were stripping the donor car (I knew he'd be interested) - and despite not having chatted for many years he was imeadiately into deep conversation about chassis design, torsional stiffness and BHP.
Ken was very quick to suggest (almost as if it was clearly obvious) that i should be building the Trike frame out of box section (ie not tube) - What is going on? Everyone keeps saying "box section" - is it me? am I missing something here?
But Ken did also go on to explain why he thought box section is the sensible option to take. It wasn't so much the explanation of the torsional advantages of box section that interested me, but rather more the practicalities of squareness that until now I had never considered, and Kens reasoning was a real wake up for me. "The thing with tube" says ken "is that everytime you want to mount something to it, youve got to square off the tube" theres no simply bolting a bracket or plate to a tube, youve got to weld a pad on that you can then mount to. And of course when it comes to welding a box section frame, a simple straight sawn end is a perfectly adequate butt welding joint, whereas with tube youve got to file and fillet the butt joint.
Perhaps it is cool to be square..... Hmm MORE thinking to keep me tossing and turning at night.

As we concluded our chat, Ken offered his services as an advisor or a sounding board, and i was particularly intrested in his suggestion that he might be able to bring some new perspectives if I was to ask him "what did they USED to do about........ " A wealth of experience and insights that could provide my own project with some unique features, details and work-around tricks
And so I hereby welcome Ken as an honoury member and advisor to the Black Spanner project board

Reliants open your World to interesting people

Eric came tonight to collect the chassis. He'd done a 2.5 hr drive down from somewhere up north to pick up his £5 chassis - and he seemed very pleased with it. I was very pleased to get it out of my way. While he was here he also bought a couple of the other bits that were cluttering up my space - 2 wheels (I threw the 3rd in for free), the towbar, and the fuel tank for the grand total of £35. bargain and a jolly good clear out to boot.
Eric was an interesting chap. As soon as i opened the garage door he imeadiately identifed the seat on the project as a Fergy T20 - how cool is that?! turns out that he has a couple of tractors And 4 or 5 reliants (Robin, Rialto, Regal) - and he was also talking about engines for Seirras, new sheds and fishing clothing among many of our other conversations.

Eric also had a couple of interesting ideas about the Trike (though I did wonder if we were losing the plot a bit when he suggested that the frame on the trike needed to be nice and curvey so that i didnt do too much damage to anyone who might step out in front of me while i was riding it!!)
He seems to think that the carbureter off a Ford Fiesta MkI fits the reliant engine which might give me better clearance below the tank and better engine performance
He also thinks that the gearbox off a Relaint Regal is longer than my own box which could possibly give me the opportunity to replace the propshaft with a rubber doughnut and bring the rear axle froward (as i would like to do) by a couple of inches - he says he will measure his own regal gearbox and send me the dimensions

I liked Eric and I do hope that his cat gets better soon

Budget update. £583 (as of last count) + £22 (engine mounts) + £39 (seat) - £35 (parts to Eric, chassis, fuel tank, towbar and 3 wheels) = £609

Making the vision come true

From the very start of this project I had a vision that the seat on this trike would be a tractor seat - I dont know why, I just did. Ive been keeping an eye on them on ebay, nice big cast iron implement seats - they appear to fetch quite good prices (30, 40, 50 quid) but for some reason they never were quite right. And then it struck me what i really needed was not a cast iron job, but a pressed tin one. A quick search on google turned up a vintage tractor spares trader ( www.vintagetractorspares.com ) not 5 miles from where i work - it was kismet - I had to go there and buy my seat, and so today I did.
The nice thing about building my own trike, is that there are no rules or plans, so when it came to deciding on what tractor seat i should choose, how else should i choose but trying them all out for fit. The helpful lady got out 7 different pressed steel seat pans for me to try. I can't remember what tractors they were all for, but I do know that i rejected the Fordson seat as being too flat and wide in preference for the Fergy T20 seat which was deep and round - just like my own arse. It was £39 and it looks great and very.... well "agricultural" and purposful.
I cobbled up a sitting position tonight out of a reliant wheel, a 5ltr can of emulsion and 2 blocks of 4x4 offcuts - remember the formula - this gave the perfect ride height and position - it meant i can shove the seat forward a bit more (especially if im going to crank the gearstick out of the way). Looks good and feels good :-) And I know now what i'd like the next project to be :-D

And talking of spending money - Ive also bought 4 new rubber engine mounts. the original ones were so soft that 3 of them sheared rather than unscrewed when i was removing the engine. I was shocked at the price. £22 for the 4 (and thats a bargain - reliant dealers want nearly 8 quid each!) Im a bit worried that £20 here and £20 there on "not-noticeable" bits is soon going to eat up my budget.

In a small way to counteract this drain on finances, I am selling bits of the donor, and in a couple of days time a chap is coming to collect his bargain of a chassis for £5 (a fair and square auction win on ebay) and in fact I'll be glad to get it out of my way. However it suddenly occured to me a couple of nights ago while tossing and turning in bed (this project is consuming me) that the engine mounts on the chassis would make a great template reference for the mounts required on the trike frame, so i have made up a jig that references the mounting points. I enjoyed myself sawing, filing, bending and drilling the bits of metal that I then bolted to the chassis and welded the spacers between (so that i ended up with a T-frame with all the mounting points in the right place) However, what i didnt enjoy was working outside in the p*ssing rain - the chassis is out there - I hate this country for this miserable weather - I was just fortunate that I'd kept the roof panel of the Reliant (I dont know why) which made an adequate shelter from the worst of it. I bet they dont have poky garages and peeing rain and tight budgets in california - no wonder they can build fabulous looking machines.
And the other thing that has made me think tonight..... welding. I knocked this template together with my little arc welder. My welding was rubbish. Oh it will hold together OK and there were a couple of good runs, but it was rubbish - I comfort myself a bit with the fact that i was doing it in the dark, in the rain and upside down, but excuses aside, it was poor..... and it made me wonder if i really should entertain the idea of welding this frame myself (note though I wasnt contempating doing it by arc - was going to talk to TVOR about using his MIG) - or should i leave it to the perfect TIG welding of BIG SUR the custom bike builder?

Can you see what it is yet?

Can anyone else see what im seeing? Ive spent a lot of time subtley moving bits back and forth looking for the best layout under the circumstances. And despite the fact that its almost impossible to stand back and get a good view in my poky garage that is full of all sorts of other crap that doesnt help the clear line of sight, I think im starting to get there. Im starting to make some difficult decisions and feel like im getting a shape that doesnt look too bad.
With my budgetry constraints, I am having to make some compromises; for instance, I'd really like to bring the diff closer to the gearbox (it looks a bit to long in the tail in my ideal opinion) and i think i could do this if i had a totally new prop shaft made - as it is ive calculated the absolute minimum that i can have the original prop shaft shortened to.... and i can live with this

I've spent a fair amount of time playing with the hieght and rake of the front end. I was worried about it beign too laid back and stressing the seals and increasing the turning circle. The trouble is that this means making the handle bars harder to reach (though risers or new bars might cure that) and it closes the gap between the wheel and the engine/frame to what i think looks cluttered.... and so ive gone back to the laid back rake and i think im going to go with that - to heck with turning and seals - how often am i going to ride it anyway?!

The radiator has been causing me worries. I have been inspired by some builders who have placed it neatly behind the drivers seat and run the water through the frame tubes, but recently ive thought this is too much hassle and cost for me and besides it kind of compromises the lovely simple rear end, and so ive been playing with positioning at the front (where it came from), and i think its looking pretty good on centre with the engine (note the fan is off center by a couple of inches) and raised up a good 3 or 4 inches - it seems to tuck into the space near the head stock quite nicely. It wont get the full benefit of the fan from where it is, but i figure i can compensate for this by driving like the wind - fans are for whimps who leave the car running while they nip into sainsburys to buy a TV dinner and a jar of instant Birds mellow coffee.

Another important decision I think is the thought that I will now crank and extend the gear lever out to the front and nearside. This might mean that changing gear will feel a bit like stiring the soup, but it will mean that i can bring the drivers seat a fraction further forward AND take the frame backbone through in one straight run to under the seat before it forks out to the rear axle mounts.
And talking of frame backbones / spines, I had a call from Hughie today who says he likes the idea of a single plate/sheet constructed spine (not disimilar to some of the conversations with TVOR) - OMG what has got into these chaps? have they forgotten the time and money pressures im under? I have suggested to both of them that it will look great on their trikes when they build thiers ;-)

One mans tat is another mans treasure

Ive sold the front end steering, suspension, hub/brake assembly from the original reliant donor. I sold it on ebay for £22 - thats a lot of metal and engineering for 22 quid, but then I'm glad i could get something for it instead of simply junking it, and hopefully it has gone on to be useful to someone else....... but i wonder for how much longer?
Stuart, who is currently running 5th in the RELIANT ROBINS Points and roof grades 2006 croydon motor sports league ( http://www.croydonmotorsports.co.uk/ ) drove all the way up from Tunbridge wells (must be at least a 400 mile round trip) to collect my assembly so that he could fit it to his reliant robin race car to replace the one he'd cracked.
It just goes to show that there is nothing so interesting as people :-)

If youve ever wondered what reliant robin race cars look like, check these out http://croydonmotorsports2.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=ReliantRobinsLayhamsfarm682006

So now my budget is running at £535 plus £70 for my tank minus £22 for the racing reliant front end = £583. Crikey, that is getting tight. Maybe Barry is right, maybe i cant build a great looking trike for a grand

Custom Bike Builder

For years Ive seen this guy working in his backstreet workshop, but ive never had the need to go in until now. and how pleased I am that i have.
In the backstreets of Hockley, Birmingham is what seems from the front a little workshop, but once inside is actually a bit of a tardis full of Harley Davidson custom builds, the majority of a corrvett, and some cool subaru off-roader buggy thing in the making.
I popped in to see if they might be able to help with making my headstock and it seems that they can - and then some! My budget and desire to do everything myself is driving me toward making my own frame, but this chap (and i never did catch his name) was suggesting that i might be better off if he built the frame for me. Certainly his TIG welding, pipe bending and jigging facilities do create fabulous frames...... but can i afford it? and am I compromising my experience if i out-source this important part of the job? Plenty of things to think about.
In the meantime I think this chap could be both very useful and interesting :-)

Design decisions decisions decisions

Hughie came over during the christmas break on the pretence that it would be nice to get the families together (festive cheer, good will to .... blah blah blah) but it meant really that he could come and see progress so far and bring over the fuel tank that he had collected from Barry-you-cant-build-a-decent-trike-for-a-grand. Its a lovely new 3.3 gal single filler mustang style tank, the ideal thing for a chopper looking custom; and i got it for a good price at £70.
I sat down in the plastic patio chair come makeshift saddle, straddled the engine and held the tank in position..... and Im not so sure i liked the feeling.
It seems such a shame to obscure my view of the engine. As you can see from the picture TVOR also came over for a supposed christmas family thing, but it didnt take him long to get sitting in the saddle (actually he looks pretty cool there! ;-) and as you can see, the thing does have an appeal with the engine all exposed. Perhaps i should have a tank on the back of the beast and leave the engine exposed? I need to do some thinking

On the subject of TVOR; he keeps talking of 50x25 box section. I keep talking 25 dia tube. whilst i fully accept his arguement that a 50 deep box would be very strong and rigid, Im not so sure it would look great without a huge amount of work in cutting and shutting detailed areas. I cant disagree that a single spine across the top of the engine wouldnt look fab, but if i was going to do that I'd want it curved by an industrial section bender. check out the efforts this guy goes to to create a box section spine http://www.vwtrike.net/june.htm impressive no doubt, but i niether have the time, money or motivation. And so my thinking is still for bent tube.... many sketches to come i think

Any Excuse

Im getting some space organised now in the garage. when you actually lay out the parts - there isnt really very much to this project. Ive now got it all in line. Wheels on the rear axle, axle aligned with gearbox/engine, and engine aligned with front end held up by a cross brace of wood... and its looking good. its definitely going to be low.
If the project had to finish here and now I'd be satisfied :-)

The trouble with working in a poky garage in a poky house is that in order for other life to function some of the garage space is compromised as storage space for things like cans of decorating paint and freezers for keeping stuff in that wont fit in the one in the kitchen (- what sort of stuff wont fit in the kitchen freezer?? dogs? shopping trolleys? a boat?) and so I am lumbered with a freezer unit in my garage. However, I have the enviable powers to turn shit into gold, and the crappy circumstance of having a domestic appliance in my way for most of the time does give me the excuse to slip out into the garage more regularly than i might normally be allowed to; Everytime the wife needs something from the freezer in the garage, i jump to volunteer to get it for her. And when im in there I simply cant help myself from sitting in the saddle (patio chair) grasping those handle bars and imagining myself riding like the wind. it brings a smile to my face every time :-)

It does take a bit of explaining sometimes as to why it takes me 20 minutes to find the oven chips, but even the most fleeting of visits to the garage can be just as exciting - Just seeing the shape of the 45 degree raked front forks through the frosted garage door window makes my pulse race!

its all fun - however you describe it

The Americans. What are they like? Not only do they think they invented the custom chopper genre, but they seem to think that they own the English Language and as such can simply add new words whenever seems necessary. Take for example the process to have ideas - what verb would you use to describe this?..... "having ideas"? :-/ Not good enough for the Americans. Some bright spark decided that it needed a word of its own and coined the phrase "IDEATION" Oh Puuurlease!
And then I stumbled over another made up american verb - but this one I liked. I was reading a motor bike magazine and was particularly attracted to an article about a beaten up 1923 Indian Scout - it looked fab, as if it had just been dragged from a barn where it had stood for 60 or 70 years, but I was amazed to read that the bike had been lovingly restored with a sympathetic respect that retains the "dignity of its age" ...... and this process, they called "RUSTORATION" - Brilliant! :-)
And this made me wonder if I could get away with a rustoration of my reliant engine and rear axle? Are caked-on oil and corroded diff cases indicative of the dignity of a 23 year old reliant rialto?
And so this all ties up nicely with a word invention of my own (or was it TVOR's) many years ago when after crashing the car there was nothing other to do than rebuild it with the respect that retains its "dignity" and acknowledgement to the awful damage that rolling the Renault 4 twice into a field creates - and so "RENAULTVATION" was born
(By the way that dent seen in the picture on the front wing/bonnet was not the result of rolling the car - that was a different accident after the renault had been renaultvated - hmmm not very good drivers are we when were 18??)

Its big and its hard and its between my legs..... shame it doesnt work

So now I can see things a bit better for what they really are, I am starting to rethink the finish of this Trike. Maybe I dont need to disguise corroded parts with hazard paint, though I'm still of the mind that loads of chrome isn't going to be right (too cliche and too expensive).
I am not ashamed to say that before i finished in the garage tonight I placed the engine/box on a little platform, grabbed a patio chair and sat for a moment or two with my legs astride my semi clean power unit.... and it felt good! and it felt particularly good because it was a real engine, not a peice of glitzy show metal. It made me think that actually I'd quite like the mechanics to look like a real engine as if lifted straight from the car (though I'd have to strip back all that damn water piping). The cast alluminium / iron bits all look great when wiped down.... it kind of feels ready-for-work-no-nonsence-like. Contrast this with a swoopy glossy black frame and i think we are creating art!

As I struck the pose, my thoughts were reinforced that this needs to be a low machine. I read about a bloke the other day who told the builder of his bike (the "builder of his bike"! - what a light-weight) that he didn't want to sit ON his bike, he wanted to sit IN his bike, and this really resonated with me. I want to get very close to the hot whiring bits. I want to have to lean over this engine while riding it (note to self - dont wear a tie on Trike days....... probably for a number of reasons)
And as I sat there on my plastic patio chair I wondered about 2 other important features....
1. The Radiator. I had thought I wanted it round the back (like some builders do), and i rather fancied the spinning fan blade out front looking menacing...... but now im wondering that if i want the engine lump to look no-nonsence - ready for work, then maybe the rad on the front might not be so bad (especially if it had a cool mean grill) - I'll sleep on the idea
2. The Propshaft. I had plans to remove the propshaft completely (despite some people saying a hard coupling would break something) in order to keep the distance between rear wheels and headstock to a minimum. however now im begining to think that Im going to need a little bit of space in there for legroom and to keep me me in a low riding position
All in all a great night in the garage, and now at least i can drag the bits about to do some rough layouts without getting myself covered in oil!

Clean hands, clean engine

First of all - 3 cheers for Swarfega-heavy duty, Swarfega-Protect (Multi-purpose pre-work hand cream) and Gunk-engine degreaser. What fabulous inventions they are and what a wonderful job they made of not only my engine, but my hands too.
I finished work early today with the intention of doing something on the project in the hope of catching up on some lost time due to all sorts of other distractions (work not being the least of them) - and still I kept being interupted by work and chores. Time was slipping away and i was getting stressed - I so desperately wanted to get into the garage. In the end I simply had to say NO to any other interuption - I went into the garage without my phone and dived straight into the job. I should have tidied up a few things in there first, but that just seemed like more stuff in my way to actually getting something done. If TVOR had been in the garage with me, it would have driven him nuts as i clambered over packs of lamminate flooring and bags of plaster determined that nothing was going to stop me getting on with something I wanted to do. And I did get done what i wanted to get done. Ive given the rear axle and the engine / gearbox an intial clean up.
But before I talk about the engine and diff, we should take an important lesson here..... if you want to do something - you have GOT to approach it with determination and focus. There are so many distractions (welcome and unwelcome) and obsticles that seem to stand in our way to making progress, and we simply have to keep driving forward. If id have stopped to tidy the garage, or answer some email, or help the kids, or chat with john when he came round, I wouldnt have any progress at all.
I have come to belive that actually anyone can build a trike, The mechanics aren't that difficult, its just that only a few people, who in the face of distraction or lazieness, have the ability to keep pressing on.

So with the help of a blunt screw-driver (for scraping off some of the really thick stuff) an old stubbly paintbrush and some GUNK (not as much as you might think) i got to cleaning down the diff and engine..... and I was very pleased with the results. The diff is not nearly as bad as I thought it was - what i took to be corrosion pitting seems to be the natural casting surface! It has some paint on it and that needs to be wire brushed off, but otherwise it looks much better already - though i am a bit concerned as to why it had so much oil and crud caked on it - leaking diff / propshaft seal?
And the engine is far from being properly clean, but at least i can walk past it now without fear of getting oil all over my trousers.
I was left with a prediciment - what to do with a couple of gallons of gunky oily water emulsion? Well what could I do? what would you do? It was dark, the neighbours were inside, and maybe it'll rain tonight to help wash it away :-/

coming at it from a different angle

So Hughie met Barry, and Barry is an expert. We should always be interested in what the experts have to say, there is so much we can learn from them...... but there is ONLY so much we can learn from them. As much as expertness can enlighten us, it can also stiffle us. With great expertness comes deep and narrow thinking. I havent met Barry, but I am sure he is a great guy - and anyone who has built 20 trikes is bound to be a great man. However, when he told Hugh that he didnt believe that you could build a great Trike for a grand, I wondered if he was being visionary enough.

I have to admit i was thrown off balance for a couple of days. Maybe i had bitten off more than i could chew? maybe i was being naive or idealistic? Maybe i couldnt build a great looking trike within my budget? and as i flicked my custom bike magazines, it certainly does look like they have had a lot of chrome and slick paint jobs done on them to make them all look so....... well actually, when you look at the bigger picture..... they all look so..... so much the same! When you start to analyse the features or concepts of all these fabulous machines, the majority do seem to be working to formula. It feels like people are trying to create a better version of what is in vogue. Not many seem to be interested in creating something new.
Of course i want my machine to be aesthetically pleasing, if not beautiful, if not awsome...... but PERHAPS, i dont have to do the finish and detail to the normal formula of shiney and sparkly.

Ive been incubating this thought, and i havent concluded my thinking yet, but I have a seed growing inside that i am warming to..... I dont want to make any decisions on this yet - it is niether a good idea or a bad idea, but i'd like to let it sit in my mind for a while doing nothing until the time is right to make a decision........ the components i have for this trike are not in a condition that i can easily and cheaply polish, nor can i chrome many bits. The frame and proportions are all in my control (and i am a fool if i dont make the shape beuatiful) but the finish might take time and money that i can ill afford. But what if i turn the "finishing formula" on its head and say "lets do this different to all the shiney glitzy look alikes in the mags" maybe it could be cool as Matt black with details in hazard day-glo orange...... dont judge the idea..... just imagine for a while a black rear axle and bike frame and a day-glo orange diff and fuel tank.... dont judge it. There are, of course many other details that need to be thought about, but not yet..... just let the image rest in your head for a few days :-)

From wind-in-my-sails to hole-in-my-hull

Im getting down to the nitty gritty now, the dirt and grime, the reality of the reliant. Until now ive been enjoying the dreaming and the humping and grunting of the rough bits, but now im starting to get down to the details, im seeing things a little differently.

Hughie sent me some photos of a reliant trike for sale on ebay - ooh its lovely. Look at how shiney that diff and axel is - it is an inspiration to all us novice trike builders. So imagine my disapointment, when i finally got down on my knees to have a close look at my own diff.
OMG, look at that corrosion and pitting! theres no way im going to see my face in that.

Maybe its going to have to be a rat-trike afterall

Airfix for Men

Its only a small garage, but then its only a small project. Now that ive got the chassis up off the floor and ive tidied up a bit im starting to see the wood for the trees. Actually, when its laid out like this it looks just like a grown up airfix kit - how difficult can building a trike be?

Im definitely going to have to get me a ball joint breaker - I have got the steering and front suspension assembly on ebay at the moment and its currently running at 21 quid / 4 bidders / 4 days to go - trouble is i cant seperate it from the chassis yet.

Liberated

Me AND the engine :-)
Ive worked hard this weekend to get all chores done so that i could get a good half day in the garage - and boy did i enjoy myself. With a bit of grunt, ive got the engine and rear axle out. Just in case anyone is interested, I can just about lift the engine/gearbox lump on my own, and I can carry the chassis on my own.... and thats what makes this project so great - you dont need special facilities to do anything..... correction - a ball joint breaker would have been useful.
I was wondering about using the chassis as an alignment / welding jig for the trike frame, but actually its such a huge and awkward shape, ive decided to get rid. Ive got it on ebay for a tenner (if it doesnt go, then its rag-and-bone man for it) ive also go the front suspension, steering stuff, heater matrix, towbar and fuel tank on ebay to try and recoup a bit of cash. Which reminds me, it wasnt until i'd dropped out the fule tank that i realised how much petrol was in it.... i managed to get 15 litres out of it which i put straight into the wifes car - that must be worth nearly 15 quid..... ive got my fingers crossed that i havent also put rust and water into her car too :-/

frame thoughts

the frame shape is playing on my mind and pencil. The shape is going to be very important. I have 3 key design goals

1. Short wheel base (better defined by Hughie as short distance between rear wheels and headstock - obviously as long as possible forward of the headstock ;-)
2. Low riding position
3. Flowing lines (no angle iron v-cuts for for this work of art)

Of course this all has to fit within the one grand budget and be completed for next summer.

Reliant Rubber Fetish

The last time i was in the garage, it was to drive the stripped down car in there just after our day of fun chopping it up and driving it like loonies up and down our road. The next time i went in it was to make a big commitment - to rip the life and soul out of the sad little car. As I drained the water system, it felt like i was bleeding it to death. Anyway, i soon forgot about all that nonsence and had a thoroughly good time stripping out the final bits and exposing the engine. I had to make a couple of choices on the way; ones that i hope i wont live to regret, like not bothering to mark up any of the wiring loom (Im thinking that im going to start from scratch with the loom)
Removing the final bits of engine bay and firewall (do plastic reliants have firewalls??) were tougher than id thought, but nothing that a panel saw, tin cutters and jemmy bar couldnt handle.
So after an enjoyable 3 hours, I was left with an engine sitting in a chassis AND A MILE AND A HALF OF RUBBER PIPE. Where on earth did all that hose come from? and more to the point where am i going to put it all when i put the engine in a trike frame?