help, what do I do, or can do ?

[grandpanystrom61]

Good morning to everyone, well I got my brake stay back from the machine shop. Not a happy camper about it.

Took it in looking like this



and after getting home I noticed like 4 deep dimples, took it as marks from a vice.



Now it was shinny, but I have spent 2 hours or more with the sander and 50grit paper and they are not as deep now and I have only these two dimples on the surface now, bummer I still can see the other two shallower ones, but they will work out.



They are a bit dark because of not being rinsed off good, but do I keep at it and get them worked out or just a bit less deep, or do I just finish the working process to the 2000 grit finish and polish it out ?

I do not see a scratch polish filler helping them, not at this depth, or does one do a spot fill weld and work out the piece out than ?

Am I being over critical about it ?

[David357]

Sorry to hear of this, Andy.

Did the machine shop have anything to say about their completed work?

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Polishing is a work of time ... just keep plugging

[vwbug72501]

Personally, I'd talk to the machine shop about the finish problem. Looks like they didn't use the correct jaw pads in the vise. If i remember correctly, you were getting a "family discount" at the shop (son in law or something ) so maybe that's not a good avenue to go down. (could have my threads mixed up!)

Despite what they show on all the fabrication shows on TV, final polish, paint, and finish should be left to the LAST step. This is after ALL fabrication and fitting has been completed and the project completely assembled then disassembled for final finishes. (If at all possible) You don't want to send a finished part out for additional work to a shop where, not necessarily their fault, the part is not as important to them as it is to you.

Another thought, maybe you should get the trike all together without the final finishes and ride it a while in case you have to make any changes? Rattle can primer will keep everything from rusting and it's easy to strip / cover up.

I believe that you have make more parts to complete the forks so I'd suggest that you leave the rockers the way they are for now and complete the forks. When the fork assembly fabrication is finished and it's not going to leave your sphere of influence again, you can polish it up and do the final assembly. Any mess ups then are yours.

As for fixing what you have now, I don't think that you will be able to sand / buff out the deeper divots satisfactorily. You might be able to get the welding shop to use a TIG to fill the divots and then you can level and polish the surface. Not sure if there will be any discoloring from the heat.

Rex, what do you think?

[grandpanystrom61]

I did pick up a home trick of YouTube.. Using olive oil as the lubricant for the sanding pad. Keep at it until all gets black, clean up, apply very small amount and work it until black again. I might just get done with the 50 grit today.

Thank you for the input.

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I have not been on much lately.

You will have just as much work in trying to fill with weld. Power sand them out, or live with it, or drill some decorative lightening holes and put these spots in the pattern so they go away.

[grandpanystrom61]

I ran out of arm strength yesterday, so it did not get done, but it is slowly getting shallower. I am not sure I can work out the deepest one, well I can, but do I want to is the question, yes I want it perfect, my mistake................

Have to get ready for a out of town trip to see family tomorrow, so all stay safe and enjoy the weekend.

[Jack Klarich]

If this is just cosmetic now, fill them with J B Weld and continue to sand

Finish up with some oil and super fine steel wool

[vwbug72501]

I have not been on much lately.You will have just as much work in trying to fill with weld. Power sand them out, or live with it, or drill some decorative lightening holes and put these spots in the pattern so they go away.

on the drill a decorative pattern. Let the drill do the work! Holes can be smaller so not so hard to drill.

[grandpanystrom61]

I do understand a lot more about how all should be done, wow, did I make the newbie errors, but for some it is how they learn, or at least not forget how to do it.

For the brake stay, well I would like it as close to finished as possible, but do agree that all should be assembled, tried out, and than make adjustments as needed. Of course try it again and make sure all is working, than it would be time to take all apart and finish it out...……..I will follow this course of action as it is the most sound one.

Yes I could have paid someone to make this front end, but I know I can build it and, over 50% done, and I liked the idea of adding my touch to the trike. Again it will have a custom one of a kind front end.

Everyone enjoy the Holidays, Family, and your Friends.

[grandpanystrom61]

Almost a New Year, we sure do hope all enjoy it safely.

Holidays have taken up some of my time, but here and there I have kept at finishing this brake stay.



The 1500 grit paper seems to take longer than the 1000 grit, so I think I am looking at a few more days of it for sure.



I did not get to work out the dimples all the way. I will save all the little in-perfections for another time.



I did not clean them out a bunch so they showed up in the pictures. They may not be noticed much at all once all is finished, cleaned, and polished out...…..okay that is what I hope for now at this point. My body has been letting me feel my age and lack of total exercise...….my shoulder joints do feel all this work, LOL

[Sidecarbill]

That looks great you have more patience than I'll ever have. I don't know if anyone would notice those marks. But of course you know they're there and we all know how that goes. We have oil and chip roads here. When they do them in spring time, they throw so many stones up I actually stop at the end of my street to empty my shoes out. They would probably add enough patina to that so you wouldn't even notice that. Keep up the fine work.

[LarryA]

I will 2nd sidecarbill regarding super finishes, The 2 small blemishes would not bother me either. Now the machinist should have known to pad the jaws if the part is used where is can be seen. The other side of the coin, is, if the part gets loose in the vice when working the part, you ruin the part, and most likely wreck the tool in the spindle, now everybody gets ugly.....welcome to the machining business!

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Not all of mine is perfect either.

I did do pretty good with the pits.....used power tools for the rough in.

The hand sanding part did not get fully well done on some parts. Some are shiny scratches, some are near perfect, a couple never did get fully polished at all.

Dont worry about it.......it will all work out in the end.

[grandpanystrom61]

Life interrupted my work, should be able to get back to the trike soon. All has just kept me away from it all, but I am getting things back, so soon I hope to show off my work.

Be safe, ride safer.

[grandpanystrom61]

I did get my fork bars back from the shop and my rockers. I have a bit of finish work to do on each piece, but that is coming along too. Again I have had very limited time for the trike this month, but I do hope to get more done next month.

A New Year, wow it is starting off very cold, but a New Year for new dreams and better things to happen.

Be safe, ride even safer.

[rodekyll]

I feel your pain. In my opinion the marks will be noticed only by you.

The bracket looks good, btw. Much better than what I did.

[grandpanystrom61]

Thank you, I am just trying to get done what I would like on the trike, maybe putting to much into it, but it is what I enjoy spending my time on.

Okay have some things back and been working on the rocker's, finishing work. Some pics of how it may all look.



another look, it is almost in position right now just on look see



Now to finish sanding and buffing the rockers out and the down bars need some buffing still.

[LarryA]

I know you have some parts to go but ,nice clean looking front end! looks like a custom, done by a pro!

[grandpanystrom61]

Like always, I have a few things I would like to be done different, minnor stuff that should be done for proper function of the suspension.

The water jet cutting of the rockers is clean looking, still need to do the edge finish work, but it was worth 60 dollars to have them cut out for me. It took me days to cut out the brake stay and I did not want to do the thick rocker material.

The bug has bitten me again, my days are never long enough for me, but we do need to eat, sleep, and enjoy the family time. It is just a cold cold winter over here and I do not move well in the cold and all moves slower is seems, LOL

Be safe, ride even safer.