First attempt at building/customizing a frame

[drivermark]

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Managed to salvage the rear motor mount, had to make a little pilot for the hole saw to remove the mount plate from the old tubing.
Between the hole saw, an angle grinder and my dremel tool I managed to free the plate without too much trouble. The idea is to attach the plate to the "seat post/ motor mount down tube (or whatever you want to call it) and then box it in with some 3/16th" plate.
I managed to rustle up a Pipe Trades Handbook that Gary recommended in the Old School Frame Build article definitely worth the $20 I paid.

When I built the bending die for the CBH bendomatic in this thread viewtopic.php?f=29&t=812&sid=8cb0583a44 ... ec11847b3a I tried using the "pie slice" shaped chunk that I removed from it for the follower bar which will work (sort of) but there is a bit of flattening of the tube and if (when) I make a mistake and over bend a tube and try to "unbend" it a little bit, the accumulated distortion (not sure if that is the right term) makes the tube look like shit. (not to mention any structural damage caused)
So I looked up JD2's website and ordered some of the follower die inserts so I can build a proper follower bar.
Those should be in next week.

[drivermark]

Been kind of busy around the ol' homestead, the garden is going sorta nuts, so I've been doin a lot of picking and the wife has been canning, freezing and putting away as much as we can.
I have been out in the shop when I haven't been picking so here's a little update on this project. (if anyone cares)

I put together another backbone/wishbone assembly. When I welded that one up I managed to control the shrinkage a bit better (Thanks Curt for your advice on the welding sequence that helped a lot) how ever I must have gotten ahead of myself again because the left side wb was 3/32" wider from the centerline than the right side. So I cut it up at the joints again to check penetration again (all good).
So third time around I have just tacked the assembly together (so far).
Got the new style inserts from JD2 for the follower bar. They have changed the style of the inserts so that they just bolt on to the end of the follower.
That was a relief, no need to buy a dovetail cutter for the milling machine so saved a few bucks on that. The inserts cost $19 each and shipping from Tennessee to Oregon was $19 and some change so the total for a set of these ran almost $60.
For some reason I can't get pics to post will try again later.

[drivermark]

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Holy shit, it took me like 20 attempts before this shit worked, talk about frustrating.

[curt]

looking good

[drivermark]

Thanks Curt, how's your project coming along?

[curt]

honestly it hasent i been really busy fixing other people stuff havent had time but with the weather starting to change i been tellin people once bike season is over im done till i finish mine so i should be back at it soon

[drivermark]

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[drivermark]

I have no clue what the hell I'm doing wrong. I tried to post some new pics and the first one worked just fine. Every attempt to post follow up pics has
been unsuccessful. i followed the same procedure on the follow ups as I did on the initial post (frustrating to say the least).
Any how what I have gotten done...
Cut and shaped the down tubes and have them tacked into place. The wishbones are tacked together and I have to trim the left leg a couple inches to match the length on the right side. Notched the down tubes to accept the back bone.
I'll try to get some snaps posted later, damn things don't want to cooperate right now for some unknown reason.

[drivermark]

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OK couldn't get the things to post so here are the links.
The first pic from today #118 and the first one in this post #119 are a simulation of building the down tubes. Used the pattern board to check progress as I was cutting and grinding the joint where they meet at the top.
#120, #121 and #126 are the down tube pieces with the back bone notch close to being finished.
#131, #132 and #133 show the back bone/wish bone assembly resting in the notch on down tubes. WB assembly is sitting crooked because I still need to trim one leg a couple inches.
It's finally starting to look like something.

[drivermark]

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Been able to get a bit done. kinda have it mocked up. I could not get the compound bend for the bottom rails to turn out so i took an idea from Curt's old thread on the Triumph frame he built. I'm going to build a "hoop" for the back part of the lower rails where they turn up to meet the axle plates.
Everything is just setting in place right now. I got the hoop pieces bent and the rear motor mount cross member and the "seat/motor mount post setting in the jig. I still need to cut post to length and as you can see the rear mm is just c clamped in about where it goes. Need to cut fish mouths for the hoop to mount to the bottom rails. Going to have to get my boy to help me put the motor up on the jig to get everything placed exactly where it needs to be and then start tacking things in place. This has definitely been a learning experience. (and I hope that the "learning curve" is gonna start to straighten out a bit )
Seem to have figured out what I was doing wrong when postings snapshots. Apparently clicking on the little "insert image" icon is not necessary.
(at least that's what worked today)

[drivermark]

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Managed to get the hoop for the lower rails cut and tacked together. Little by little, step by step it's slowly coming together.
Well actually it's coming together pretty quick now, considering the frame and motor have been sitting in my shop for about the last 8 or 9 years.

[railroad bob]

Looking good, nice progress.

Every time I read Gary's tutorials I get more insight into the whole process, and I feel comfortable it's gonna be accurate.
A lot of the early/earlier authors of technical articles or books published some real crap. Poorly written, inaccurate or just plain bad directions.
Anyway, I like your project, smart approach using the sportster frame for the mount area.

[drivermark]

Thanks Bob,
Using the engine cradle like that was an idea I picked up from a magazine article.
The guys that put out Cycle Source have done a few Sportster
Chops that way and I thought that would be a hella lot easier than doing the motor mounts from scratch.

[drivermark]

Well, it's been a bit but I finally am at a spot where I can show some actual progress.
Q4 of 2025 was a rough one. First my dog had cancer and we had to put the poor guy down. It was probably the last thing in the world that I wanted to do. Then about a week and a half before Christmas my wife's younger brother died and left no will or anything saying what he wanted done or anything.
to top that off he was a hoarder and his house was packed with shit.
Back to the project at hand.
I ended up having to cut the lower "hoop" off because at closer inspection the ends of the tubes where they meet up at the axle plates they were pretty spot on, but checking with a carpenters square the closer they got to the bend in the hoop the further outta whack they were. (to 3/8thsinch).
I ended up cutting the hoop apart and making a little fixture to hold the legs at the proper width. (something must've moved from mock up to tacking and welding last time so...)
I got the axle plates pretty well roughed out and now I need to start cutting the slots in the tubes ends.

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[curt]

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i used these on this last frame came in handy when welding in the frame itself top and bottom hoops. i imagine a couple pieces of angle iron or 2x4 would work great too