Category Archives: e-fab parts

May 16, 2013

Mini Stroker Progress

In between various customer projects, I have slowly been making progress on my engine. The Heads are twin cam 88 originally, but have been modified. I reshaped the majority of the fins, rounding them around many of the sharp edges. Here is an overall view of the cylinder, head, and rocker box mocked up.

A typical twin cam has aluminum cylinders with an iron sleeve pressed into it. I had Randy at Hyperformance make me billet iron cylinders. The advantage being that there is no way for the iron sleeve to become loose in the aluminum cylinder, because it is all iron! These are secured by a “head and base” stud setup, much like a knuckle, pan, or shovelhead would have been. Here a set of 4 studs hold the cylinder to the crankcase, and another set of 4 hold the head to the cylinder.

An evo or twin cam, traditionally, used a set of 4 studs that ran all the way through the head, cylinder, and into the case. This is a simpler way to attach all the parts, but not as strong.

In addition to the stud conversion, I have adapted the heads to use a superior head gasket method, the metal o-ring. On a stock twin cam (or any other harley) a composite flat gasket was used, sandwiched between the head and cylinder. They work fine, but can blow out if extreme cylinder pressures are achieved. The metal o-ring setup eliminates the flat gasket, instead using a series of steps machined into both the head and cylinder, with a copper ring integrated into it. All of the mating surfaces make contact with each other at the exact same time. This requires extremely precise machining, but results in a nearly indestructible union. I can only assume, too, that heat transfer between the head and cylinder will be improved, due to the metal to metal contact.

Here is the top of the cylinder. The surface rust inside the bore will be gone when the final honing happens.

You may have noticed that there are no oil drain passages in the cylinder. This is because I have re-routed them to the outside of the head and cylinder. This is good for 2 reasons. One is it keeps the oil cooler, since it is not touching the approx 300 degree cylinder walls. The second is that there is no chance of oil weeping between the head and cylinder surfaces, since it bypasses that area completely.

I had to machine a passage through the fins of each cylinder, through the wall, and into the oil drain passage inside the head. This was then tapped for a custom made fitting. Obviously, the original hole underneath has to be plugged as well.

Here is the stainless drain fitting coming out of the head. It has a 6 AN fitting on the end for hose attachment…

I have also added compression releases to the heads. Compression releases are simply tiny valves that allow the cylinder pressure to be bled off as the starter motor rotates the engine. This takes a huge strain off the starter motor and battery, and they simply pop shut when the first combustion occurs, allowing the engine to start. It is unusual to see them on motors with small displacement, but there is no downside to using them. Also, my compression ratio and the resulting cylinder pressures are far higher than either a stock evo or twin cam, so despite the small displacement, the starter will still need all the help it can get.

Installing compression releases is easy with the right tools. It requires a precise hole to be drilled and tapped, which enters the combustion chamber between the exhaust valve and the spark plug hole. More to come…

2 comments | tags: e-fab, Eastern Fabrications, lock, lockthewelder | posted in e-fab bikes, e-fab parts, engines

May 4, 2013

Hand Made Handle Bars

By lockbaker

After a brief hiatus I am back on the “mini stroker” chopper project. I decided that it was the right time to make handlebars. The first step, for me anyway, is to make a wire form of what I want so I can hold it up to the bike and get a visual. This is not a precise thing, rather just a basic reference. I know roughly how much rise I want, and know roughly the whith, but that still leaves a lot of room for creativity.

I am making these bars out of 304 stainless steel, 7/8″ OD, .120″ wall thickness, seamless tubing. I will end up using about 4 feet of it, approx $80 worth of raw materials. This is opposed to the catalog bought, .049″ wall, recycled mild steel, chromed Chinese bars found on most “custom bikes”.

I start with the center bends and work outward. I have reference marks drawn on the tubing. This is so I can take the bars out of the bender, check them, then put them back in the exact same location for further bending. Speaking of bending, this is my bender. It consists of a typical bottle jack and various mandrels, a few of which I made specifically for tight radius handlebar bends.

For tight radius bends like these, I use two different mandrels, a gradual “starter” mandrel and a secondary tighter one.

The hardest part of making bars is keeping everything symmetrical. The exact location of the bends, the angles relative to each other, equal pullback on each side, etc. This is all done through bubble levels, angle finders, and measuring them against a flat table. There are a minimum of 6 mandrel changes, each of which entails some dis-assembly of the bender. Oh yeah, the material is springy, so I have to “overbend” each bend past the point I want, then let it spring back slightly to where I want it.

Almost done with the bending stage….

The next stage is polishing them. Sounds easy enough but keep in mind I cant just go straight to the buffer- First I have to sand them. The buffer can only take out microscopic scratches, not the deeper ones left from the manufacturer. For that I need my trust Burr King sander, set up with a slack belt, and a variety of sanding grits.

Not a great pic I know, but trying to simultaneously sand the bars and take a picture was not easy. Same for the buffing. Needless to say there were about 2 hours worth of sanding and buffing to get them to a mirror finish level.

I threw the grips on there to see how it looked. I am happy for now, but there is always the chance that they will need further modification as the bike evolves.

I’m sure I will get many comments on my “sweet chrome apes” from the local do-rag crowd. Followed by “how much for a set uh dem?”. Followed by a look of disgust and confusion…

6 comments | tags: e-fab, Eastern Fabrications, lock, lock baker, lockthewelder | posted in e-fab parts

April 20, 2013

Another Mission in South Dakota

By lockbaker

I recently returned from another trip to the legendary Carls Cycle Supply, home of Matt, Miss Brittney, And OG Carl.

(pictures are all from my dirty I phone, so they aren’t great)

I had previously helped Matt on his Born Free 4 winning knucklehead, so I was honored he asked me once again to come help with some fabrication on a new project. This project, unlike the knucklehead, is a type of bike I was not previously very familiar with- a 1923 Harley race bike. Though it has a similar motor to the bike Matt raced in the 2012 “Cannonball”, every other part is completely different.

The bike is for his wife, the lovely Brittney, who plans to race it in a series of vintage dirt track exhibitions, along with many other period bike enthusiasts. What makes this bike especially unique is the fact that it has no transmission, and no brakes! It doesn’t have a starter either, or any clutch. It is about as “chopper” as it gets really. This is the style of bike that would have been ridden on either wooden tracks (aka board track), or later in the 1920′s, oval dirt tracks.

After a series of delays and layovers thanks to Delta, I made it there. First thing to make: a seat…

Now, keep something in mind here; Matts shop is a restoration shop. He and his dad have been building 10 point perfect (and I mean perfect) knuckleheads and panheads for many years. However, it is not a shop set up for heavy fabrication. This means that the tools I am used to using are not available. This includes brake, shear, bandsaw, plasmacutter, plannishing hammer, fixed dollies, and sander.

That doesnt mean I can’t work, but it does mean I have to get a bit creative with my methods.

With a sandbag and some hand dollies, it is possible to make most basic sheetmetal shapes. This is also a good reminder to new chopper builders that you don’t have to have a ton of expensive tools to make bikes, just some patience and ingenuity.

They do, however, have an awesome mill. Here I am using it to rough out a seat pivot from a block of aluminum I found..

Here is one of the inner tank panels- the easy part…

The tank design is 2 piece, hanging over the backbone of the bike on piggybacked strips, bolted directly into the tube.

The design for the tanks is very mailbox looking; square and boxy but with radiused edges. This immediately made me nervous because trying to keep thin sheetmetal panels dead flat (while curving the edges) is almost impossible! You see, flat sheetmetal is very weak and becomes warped as soon as any part of it is welded. When sheetmetal is formed into a curved shape, it gains body and becomes stronger. This time I had to keep about 80 percent of the tank panels flat, while curving and welding some areas. Did I mention This thing is going to be polished raw metal? ughh

They didn’t go for my paint scheme.

Here they are welded and hand sanded to about a 100 grit level.

Now they are down to about 600 grit..

We decided, partly due to time restrictions, to paint the top and side panels of the tank the same color as the frame, and only expose the polished sides of the tank. This was a relief because it meant I could rely on a small amount of bondo to smooth the welds around the gas caps and mounting strips.

The tanks will be sealed before the final side polishing occurs. I left that in Matts capable hands.

I also made a basic sissybar out of steel round stock, and made a little oil tank, which Matt later finish welded and added fitting to.

Then I was back on a plane, headed home after another great trip!

3 comments | tags: e-fab, Eastern Fabrications, lock, lock baker, lockthewelder | posted in e-fab parts, other bikes, road trip

March 1, 2013

Back From MAD JAP

By lockbaker

For the past 3 weeks I have been up in Calgary, Alberta, at Mad Jap Kustoms. Dale Yamada is the owner of this operation, and has quite an impressive thing going. I would encourage anyone needing a custom bike in Canada to look no further. I have known Dale for a few years now, and we have became close friends.

I was there to help out with a custom bike dale is working on for Born Free 5. Neither Dale nor I were invited builders (there is a chopper build off as part of the show), but wanted to build a bike anyway. Sometimes you need to set a goal for a bike, and if last year was any indication, this should be a great event.

Unfortunately I cant show any pics of the bike as I left it, because we’d like to keep it a secret, but we are also doing a documentary about the build. Here is a link:

And to add to the madness, now that I am home, my full attention can be paid to MY new project, the chopper that will house the Efab “mini stroker” experimental v-twin engine. Detail of the bike are, at this time, sketchy, but suffice to say that it will be of extremely high quality, structural integrity, and anti social aesthetics. See you at Born Free!

Leave a comment | posted in e-fab bikes, e-fab parts, events

January 5, 2013

Steerer Tube for Ceriani

By lockbaker

Ceriani forks have always been a favorite of mine. However, they were never designed specifically for Harleys. Because I use Harley type necks and bearings on my frames (they are very strong), I have to adapt the fork. The steerer tube is the part of the fork that passes through the neck of the frame, and makes contact with the bearings inside it. I removed the old steerer tube (which luckily for me is bolted in on these forks, rather than integral like some). Now time for a new one.

Here’s what i started with- a nice solid 2″ chunk of round steel.

And after a lot of manual lathe time…

To add to the complexity, I am re-using the Italian steering damper that the fork originally used. It was integrated into the steerer tube, using an adjuster rod and some threaded bits that went through it. What you don’t see here is the inside of the tube, which is also machined out, with several key dimensions.

Of course all of this gets buried inside the frame, so it is not seen when the bike is assembled. When people ask the price of my motorcycles, they need to keep in mind that there are dozens of situations like this in every bike. These parts have to be strong, beautiful, and able to be serviced if necessary. This takes time, but it is what makes a bike custom made, not custom assembled.

2 comments | posted in e-fab parts

January 1, 2013

New Bike Parts

By lockbaker

Polishing the fork. Here is the top tree…

Stainless axle nut…

Head tube for new frame…

1 comment | posted in e-fab parts

December 20, 2012

Efab “Gen 5″ Leaf-spring Kickstand

By lockbaker

This is the first batch of gen 5s. These are the best yet. I have listened to feedback from guys running the gen 4s and taken measures accordingly. Price has gone up $25, but the materials are better. $375 plus shipping. These are weld on. Many people have asked how to weld them to a regular steel frame, and its easy, just use 309 filler rod. It welds the same as regular steel- no special skills required.

These are designed for kickstart bikes, as a response to typical cheap-shit weld-on stands snapping from the bouncing. Remember, you don’t look cool when your stand snaps off and you faceplant into your air cleaner, as your paintjob gets smashed into the pavement! And, of course, there will be people watching when it happens. Get a leafer and never worry again 203 315 9908

Leave a comment | tags: e-fab, Eastern Fabrications, leafspring kickstand, lockthewelder | posted in e-fab parts

December 19, 2012

Efab Wallet For Sale

By lockbaker

Last minute Xmas idea. I made two wallets, one for a custom order, and the other for sale. Handmade, and all hand sewn (as in- a needle, thread, my fingers). $350

2 comments | posted in e-fab parts

November 25, 2012

Coffin Handle Bowie

By lockbaker

This knife started out as a bar of 01 tool steel, and was shaped by sander, file, and stone. I apologize for not having pics of the beginning of the project. Here is the blade getting the final stoning before heat treatment. The heat treatment consists of heating the blade in my kiln to 1550 degrees, then quenching it in oil. This takes the steel from its relatively soft state to its max hardness. Directly after the quench it goes into the oven for 2, 2 hour 350 degrees heat cycles to temper it. People often seem confused as to the purpose of this second heating. When the blade comes out of the oil quench it is so hard that it can break- sort of like a piece of glass- super hard but brittle. The tempering reduces the hardness slightly to give it more resilience, while still retaining 90% of its post-quench hardness.

At this point, I have approx 20 hours into the blade alone. The candles are because I was doing this during the hurricane power outage!

Now on to the guard and handle. This is a paper template for the upper portion of the handle.

Here it is transferred onto the steel it will be cut from. I use a plasma cutter here.

Cut out, but rough…

Using my vintage surface grinder to remove the rust and scale from the steel, and to ensure that it is perfectly flat.

Now to the old Bridgeport mill to begin the long process of maching the rough steel to exact dimensions. This mill is all manual- no power feed or digital readouts… just my eyes!

OK, rough shape done, and approximate pin hole locations marked…

With the two halves held together, you can see what i achieved with the milling. The blade will recess down into the top of the guard, but not protrude through to the bottom.

Pin holes are drilled (and also drilled through the blade itself), and using the TIG welder to carefully weld the halves together.

Final polishing of the blade. After the heat treatment the blade is discolored and has oil stains, so this is necessary. Of course, now the blade is rock hard so it takes even more effort to sand it!

Tapped off the blade to protect it while I continue with the handle.

Guard on but not permanently pinned, while I shape the top portion. It has to come back off to be polished.

Guard has been on and off a dozen times at this point, simply sanding, shaping, polishing, filing, fitting. It is important to note that I cannot simply lay this up on a large buffer to achieve this finish, because it will round off all my sharp edges. That means that 95% of this finish needs to be achieved by hand sanding. This is solid steel.

Now on to the handles scales, made of stabilized amboyna wood

And all polished and blended..

file work in back of blade

finished product! If interested please contact me at easternfabrications@gmail.com

and yes it shaves hair

4 comments | posted in e-fab parts, general tech, knives

November 20, 2012

Alex Lerner Gas Tank

By lockbaker

This tank is for SL NYC owner Alex Lerner. If you are in the NYC area and need a top notch mechanic/ fabricator- he is your man. This tank is for his next custom bike.

The tank shape was designed here at Efab- similar to a sportster, but completely different too. First step is making the “buck”, which I do from cedar. Then it gets coated in several layers of marine epoxy to make it hard as a cinderblock. This allows me to hammer directly on it- which sometimes helps!