David Bowen: Black Prince
- Thread starter davidd
- Start date
Too much polishing, and they just wore away.
I have to say that I am quite impressed with the body work. It is not easy to get all of the enclosures in that shape. Several months ago I looked at my molds. I don't think that I have made any enclosures in 30 years except for a front cowl I made a few years ago for John Beaven in Canada. I remember when I made the plugs that I spent hours with putty and sandpaper trying to get a good finish. I did not get the kind of finish that David has in the photos.
Contrary to what you might think, the rear tub is relatively easy to make and the frame is not that difficult. The toughest part to make is the front mudguard. It is a two piece mold like the tub, but it is split lengthwise from front to back. You then have to lay up some flat sheet on a formica counter, or glass and cut the sheet to fit around the fork blades and cables, then glue it into the mudguard. Lots of detailed work!
Most of the old enclosures have been exposed to so much oil that they are very difficult to repair. The oil wicks along the glass fiber and even after grinding the oil will still wick out underneath the patch. One of the other problems is that if you mount new enclosures they have to be custom fit to the bike they are going on. The small variances bike to bike will show up in the finished product.
David
Contrary to what you might think, the rear tub is relatively easy to make and the frame is not that difficult. The toughest part to make is the front mudguard. It is a two piece mold like the tub, but it is split lengthwise from front to back. You then have to lay up some flat sheet on a formica counter, or glass and cut the sheet to fit around the fork blades and cables, then glue it into the mudguard. Lots of detailed work!
Most of the old enclosures have been exposed to so much oil that they are very difficult to repair. The oil wicks along the glass fiber and even after grinding the oil will still wick out underneath the patch. One of the other problems is that if you mount new enclosures they have to be custom fit to the bike they are going on. The small variances bike to bike will show up in the finished product.
David