DIY Seat Cover for a Vintage Dirtbike! Don't tell my wife...

 I might have snuck my wife's sewing machine down to the workshop for this one...

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DIY Minibike Frame Restoration in Action!

 The "build" vid for the frame!  Would love to hear your thoughts on this!!!

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Disaster Strikes...

 Here's what was left of the muffler after the pressure washing...

Going to need to come up with something else!  If it's that bad, attempting to weld it up will just make it worse.

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And so it begins... DIY Motorcycle Restoration Commences with Frame Cleaning and Paint!

 Made a little progress this morning. Got the frame cleaned up and painted.

Love this paint, it goes on thick and seems to hold up well to years of abuse. Takes forever to dry though... VanSickle tractor paint, I find it at CAL ranch.

Knocked out the swingarm and chain guard while I was at it.









It's a start. Have a loooonnnnngggggg ways to go still.

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Stripping the poor minibike down!

First video.



Been shopping for parts, and man this could get expensive! Going the budget route for now. Plan on fixing / cleaning / painting everything I can on my own, but there's a couple of things I haven't found at decent prices used- muffler, gas tank, and front end. Think I'll buy repro's for the tank and front end, and trying to make my own muffler using the stock header pipe.

Spent the afternoon pressure washing the big parts. Most of them came out great. The one exception is the exhuast... The pressure washer punched all the rust spots all the way through. Don't know that I could save this one even if I had all my tools accessible.

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Before and after- Saving a vintage Honda minibike that should have gone to the scrapyard.

So 3 years ago, I found a Z50 for my 3 year old. I figured it would be an awesome fun project for us to work on. I teach. I have all of my boys with me during the school year, and no time to work on fun stuff. In the summer, the boys go to mom's. I have plenty of time, but no kids to work with.

It's time to make a go of this, because he's already tearing it up on his older brother's Z.



A few "before" pics we took just a couple days ago:








Annnnddd.... where she's at now.





It is MEGA rough. But I think we can save it. Going to need a few harder to find parts- front end, muffler, rims, maybe a gas tank.

Not going to restore it. A 6 yr old will be thrashing on this one, just like his older brothers did on theres. They got them for Christmas 12 years ago. https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/hope-my-boys-like-second-hand-junk-for-christmas.646877/

Stay tuned for more. Planning a whole YouTube video series on this one! Goal is to have it done by August 10.

Think I can do it?!

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Operation CHRISTMAS BREAK.

 

Well, I survived the first half of the school year. Made it to Christmas break. I've got a laundry list of everything I'm hoping to get done over the break. Think I can get all these things done!? What should I focus on first?

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Remember me?

 Hey!  Yeah, I'm still alive.  Been an interesting few years.  To add to the last post... 5 years ago...  

Remember the cancer?  Well it's in remission.  Stage IV melanoma, a liver full of tumors, a few large growths in a few other places.  Gone.  All of it, all gone.  

Shortly after my last post, my wife at the time decided that since I was dyin' it was as good a time as any, and left me with my 3 boys.  So I spent the last 5 years as a single dad, raising 2 teenagers and a toddler, while recovering from something that should have killed me.  

It didn't.  Kill me, that is.  And supposedly, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?  Not sure how I feel about that, but I've learned a lot the last few years.  I've been brought to my knees, and been picked up again.  I've experienced miracles- the most recent of which was re-gaining access to this blog!!!  What a fight that was.  

Lot's of new things going on, can't wait to tell you all about them!!!

STAY TUNED!  Setting a goal right now to make posting here happen at least once a week.  

And, a little teaser of what I've been working on the last few months:

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Been awhile...

A good long while.

Hoping to do a little more blogging:  We got "real" internet for the first time in 3 years.  Little easier to upload pics and actually write from a computer than trying to do anything from a phone...  If you want to catch up on whats been going on there is a little info on my Instagram at, you guessed it, dorkpunch.

In other news.  2017 has been off to a rough start-  Met my insurance deductibles and all that crap in the first week of the year with a popped appendix and a few other things.

To add insult to injury, turns out I have cancer.  So yeah... Been a rough year. 

On the bright side, now that we have internet and I'm moving a little slower than I should, I have a bit of time to upload pics and update y'all on all kinds of things.  Stay tuned for... Something.  I dunno.  Probably some bikes, a few hot wheels, several welding projects, and likely a little info on the cancer treatments and all that junk.

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Alphatig Review: Building a Welding Cart #5

Hhere we are with a full on test fit. Everything seems to fit like I planned it.









Still to do: make a hanger for the torch, a nub for the ground clamp, and a box for the pedal. Build the drawer. Figure out where the welding rod holder will go. Build a little leg on the front at the right height- NO front wheels. Clean it all up. Paint it. Put the dang thing together.

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Operation: Spring Break 2016 #3

Got a few more things crossed off the lists... Remember the old dump truck I borrowed to do the roof last fall? Well... It sat. And the brakes drained out. and the battery went dead. And I've been busy with this that and the other. Had my pa help me get the brakes bled, and we FINALLY got the shingles and carpet hauled to the dump. Yay! glad that parts over with.



High on the list is getting to the floor. Its got some really loose spots- not really creaky, the boards just have a lot of flex. Picked up some shims and started wiggling them in.



Shims:



Floor feels 100% more solid. Its going to have to be, because I just picked THIS up:



And it will be sitting right about in that spot. Eventually. When its cleaned up. Which may not happen for a long, long time... *sigh*

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Alphatig Review: Building a Welding Cart #4

Movin right a long!

Made this bracket to hang cords from.



Hooks for cords and such.









Telescoping handle fer movin' it around, and a tie down loop for the welder.



Axle welded on. Did this with the stick welder, and was really worried about burning through the thin tubing but it came out pretty good.

Alphatig Review: Buidling a Welding Cart #3

Argon tank rings. Made 'em big enough that if I want I can replace my 125 cf tank with the big boy- 300 cf.



Installed.







Yeah. #isuckatwelding.

Alphatig Review: Building a Welder Cart #2

Welder rests so's it'll sit in the right spot.



Capped the tubing. Really not all that pretty...



Made some aluminum side panels to cover where the drawer will be.





Quick test fit- looking good so far.

Alphatig Review: Building a welding cart #1

A little late, since the cart is almost done, but not too late to change some things so if you see anything that needs to be reworked, I'd love to hear it!!!

I bought my Alphatig a while ago, and am tired of it getting tripped over in the welding booth. I've had a plan in the back of my mind for a while, but now its time to execute it. Plus, I suck at welding so this'll be a good chance for me to get a little practice in.

Choppy choppy.







Got angles and measurements all figured out, time to goober it all together. Gotta make sure you're in the appropriate welding attire though...









Thats the main frame. Obviously, the welder will sit on the angled bars. Argon tank will go between the uprights, and I'll have a drawer underneath the welder.