Capt Cals RetroFit

Saturday, February 5, 2011

A new blog is born!

For those of you who dont know, I'm a 3d animation major at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. I transferred around a lot, lost credits yada yada. But now I'm finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I'm starting pre-production for my senior animation "The Requiem Ride". Many of you have seen the storyboard panels I posted a while back. So instead of cluttering up RetroFit with my pre-production stuff I started a new blog.

http://therequiemride.blogspot.com

Its going to be a long process. Pretty much this time next year it needs to be finished, or damn near. So for those of you interested in more of my 3d work/artwork check it out. Feedback is always welcome, critiques, anything. Also in the near future I will have some of these panels for sale as prints. The money will go into funding this project. It will help cover the cost external hard drives, dvds, and other costs.

Not much is on the site now, but there will be more added soon!
http://therequiemride.blogspot.com

When will this weather end?!

(dont be a smart ass and say April)

Friday, February 4, 2011

Old Foto Friday

Look Ma! No rake!

Miss ridin that bike and miss that ridin weather!

No, I didnt sell it, it's just hasnt been ridden in a while. No way I could ever sell it because this was my first bike, and the first real bike I built for the road. Not only that it was given to me by a good friend. Billy gave me this bike in a half mockup stage and from his help and my ol'man's we got this machine on the road. Thinkin about it I should do a quick write up on this bike. Theres actually a good story how I acquired it.

But yeah, missin that warm sunshine right about now... These photos were taken up in Utica, NY.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Suzuki bottom tree

Next up was to clean up the bottom triple tree so I can figure out what to make for a head light mount. Unlike the harleys, yamahas, etc, there are no tapped holes in the front of this casting. This tree only has one and it's going in the wrong direction, plus its sticking out like a zit. Time to cut it off!

Ground down, and made a v groove for the weld. Also with this casting there isnt enough meat to drill and tap new holes in the front for a mount. So what ever plate I make, it will have to be welded on. No big deal.

No photos of the welding process, (forgot the camera) I just heated the casting evenly using a torch, brushed it clean quick, and then just welded it up with the mig.

Then I smoothed everything out including the rough casting marks all around the piece. Its as smooth as a baby's ass.

All this work I should almost get the bottom tree chromed!

Mock up for the headlight. I almost feel like the light should come up about an inch.

Side view doesnt look so bad.

This view it seems like the light should come up a little. Opinions?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

It's been done!

My ol'man tells me.... Veiling gun that is...
Jeff Leightons 1938 Knucklehead "Violet Fantasy"

From here

My ol'man's 1936 Knuck. These are the only 2 good close ups of that paint job. Only the frame was done by the veiling gun. Story goes my ol'man went to Mr. J out of Paterson, NJ to paint the tins and the frame. He told Mr. J what he wanted on the tank and fender, but let Mr. J do whatever he wanted to the frame. Mr. J mentioned he just got a veiling gun and was pretty excited to try it out.

I'm not shorting the Harpoon's work by any means. What ever is old is new again! My ol'man did point out that he has never seen that paint job on anything else other than his old knuck up until now. Whats cool is both bikes have similar color scheme. Congrats to the Poon for his amazing work displayed at the GNRS this year.