Vinta-Translate

Saturday 12 December 2015

Integra Historia part 3

Greetings Vintablog enthusiasts, Your Uncle Albert here reporting progress from the G4 shelter (a.k.a. The Old Sidevalve Bar)
The line had been drawn, the edge scribbed for reference, the 'rack of the eye' put back in it's box. No more checking needed.....confident that all was well the last remaining piece of vintage speedway engine plate was firmly fixed to the vertical slide on the lathe. A brass backing plate sandwiched between to allow for thorough penetration.

Centre aligned with centre.
Not knowing what to expect when cutting with a rotobroach in the lathe caution suggested I bore small first so the 12mm was loaded for first pass.




Hey, that went surprisingly easy. I'm ready now to progress to 25mm...



 
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Now, if this new cutting  lines up with the axle centre, the holes to clamp the anchor to the forks line up, the brake fulcrum pin mounting hole lines up.....then  celebrating by getting pissed as a weasel spring to mind....



Yeeeeha...sweet ! Just what I wanted.

POSH ! Get thee' 'sen up ta chippy for Fish n Chips twice whilst I butter a couple of slices and fill a couple of flagons......an' be bloomin' quick about it !!!!!


Sunday 6 December 2015

Integra Historia part 2

As the rain and G4 pollution bounced down and off The Old Side valve Bar roof I reviewed progress on the VBobber front brake anchor. I had drilled the 2 holes for mounting the plate to the forks and another to line up with the brake fulcrum pin mounting hole (the pin will have to be modified later). These 3 all important holes had been positioned on my speedway engine plate remnant not by CAD or by a global positioning device but by measuring with a old fashioned ruler, scribbing quite a few guidelines, and trusting my non digital rack-of-the-eye.
Now, mission being to save most of this precious racing artifact gives another bridge to cross.....the edge of the plate is running central through the front wheel spindle. Just a personal thing but I think it would look pretty neat if I could bring the 2 together. Gonna need to drill half a hole.....


Note - positioned on outer side just for eyeballing purposes.
Here's what I'm thinking......could I use a rota-broach in the lathe with the plate mounted on the vertical slide? Who knows...but we soon will!


Bought myself a couple of new ones!!!!   Blimey oh Riley, did you read new? Well with the discount I got on them it's worth a go, and a challenge too so why not?


Stay tuned this is gonna test my grey cells......In fact did once hear that beer is good for the brain so.........
POSH !!!!!!! Let's start right now getting more grey matter !!! Fill every flagon I have there's no time to loose...

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Integra historia

This is a Vintafake transmission from the worlds last Nokia Communicator.....G4 free....if you are receiving this message then you are one of the chosen ones......picked out to help the poor souls who have fallen into the matrix......Good to have you on board.....God help the fallen, it was their fault, resistance is possible...Turn ya phone off and get a life!

Saving the worlds #ouwenbrol is up to us, it isn't going to be easy. We are few...the matrix has captured many....Our work must continue despite the odds.

So, what's happening Alb?


Next project in The Old Side valve Bar is to fabricate a front brake anchor for the mighty powerful BSA C15 hub I have grafted into the VBobber forks.....
How fortunate that I process such a piece of..?????.....indeed...!!!!.. a piece of what..???

According to legend, (tales told to me in my Dads workshop near 50 years ago) Dad told me the stack of shaped aluminium pieces he had under the bench were speedway bike engine plates. Pheeeweeee, if Dad told me then it's true!!!! Blimey... There were quite a few, over the years these have been chopped\reshaped  to make other things, in fact a few I remember were somehow fabricated into a dingy trailer to hold the axle. (the mind boggles)
Sad, but only one offcut remains.
I'm going to build it into the VBobber. Take a minute to admire the sharp edges that were cut in the late 40s, early 50s.....(ignore the rough hacksawing for they know not what they were doing)
Were these plates really cut to hold methanol burning J.A.P. engines to ride the shale?



Don't know how this will turn out but I want to keep as many of the sharp edges as I can. Doesn't matter to me if it doesn't look good, it's about Integra Historia..
It would be criminal to deny appreciating eyes to see all that remains of this precious artifact.

Posh!!!!!Cricky. it's beer o clock..Pop a cap and pour me a cold one....first one ain't gonna touch the sides?



Wednesday 28 October 2015

Working the white powder Part 10 ? or how many beers can a couple of wee lasses drink???

A guys beer stocks?...Precious, hard earned, and definitely private.....last thing a chap expects is to open the door to his stash and find a couple of wee lasses have been fondling his treasure!
The Old Side valve Bar has suffered a serious assault !!!!! Raped of it's jewels...Liquid gold vanished without trace.
The sudden disappearance of Angelina before my return from the Belgium Foundry and the 3 day hangover of Posh give me easy clues to the culprits.......Someone will pay for this...
Bah!!!!! Whatever...small price to pay I suppose...Will reprimand Posh later that's for sure. More importantly...I've got myself a couple of aluminium lovelies that want a bit of handwork to bring out their best points.......Gonna start with a rough reduction followed by some soothing polishing.







Done, admittedly I'm stood knee deep in aluminium filings but I'm pleased with how these beauties have turned out.


That's more than can be said for the mess that the other 2 beauties have left outside The Old Side valve Bar........



Posh!!!!!? Get ya brush and start sweeping!!!!! And don't stop till ya done....

Thursday 22 October 2015

Working the white powder Part 9 ? or how thirstbdo you get after 2 hot nights??

Drat.....my Nokia Communicator battery is flat....at a critical moment.....did so wanna send a text or 2 over the pond to The Old Sidevalve Bar. Digital communication to tell those on the receiving end to stop swigging the Rhubarb juice........chicks just 'ain't capable of staying vertical after a couple...I.M.H.O. gov'nor.....Blimey, now I've started abbreviating mid sentence....bad form when punctuation and grammar are the backbone of society.

At last the nugget has cooled, time to crack the casting box open and look inside.






Hey, hey, we done it!!!!    Look at them beaut's!!!!!......Beer o'clock for sure!!!
In fact it's Beer o'clock on both sides of the pond......at the same time!!!!
Inter- continental flagoning.............2 lands but 1 celebration.

Posh! Get Angelina a pint of mi best ale.....with a thick creamy head.....
....time to get a bit of Yorkshireshireshire foam on't tha' lasses top lip.....




Tuesday 20 October 2015

Working the white powder Part 8 ? or how hot can it get Jim ?

Hey, what's the business???? I'm casting tank badges at The Arcade Foundry in Belgium and next thing you know Angelina has moved into The Old Side valve Bar for a session of bottoms up with Posh!!!!  Don't think they'll do much damage though, my best beers and flagons are under lock and key........Fortunate forward planning on my part that I stored my valuables safe before the trip.....

Ok, Belgium let's go....Light the furnace burner and focus the flame on that large lump of alloy. Old Triumph cylinder heads, BSA Gold Star crankcases give the best mix so.....a couple of each thrown in won't go amiss.
Propane gas jetting straight from the bottle through a 12mm bore pipe.......Burning with a fierce roar accompanied by frequent backfires due to lack of oxygen...... Bap....Baaaaaappp........Baaaaaaaaa.......pppufff.   ..
Blimey, think there's probably safer places on earth at the moment.






The crucible has poured it's precious liquid into the inner voids of the casting box and all we can do now is wait while our vision in non ferrous metallurgy slowly cools........

And with perfect timing it's beer o'clock......A dark Trappist maybe?...Perfect !

I'll bet Posh and Angelina aren't having as much fun as me.....!!!!!!
Oh !!! Damn, forgot to hid the Rhubarb Cider !!!!!



Thursday 15 October 2015

Working the white powder Part 7 ? or text on fire ? but not as we know it Jim !


Hey Albert ya Yummy treat! Brads away for a few days, why don't I pack an overnight bag and ride over to The Old Sidevalve Bar and we can have a bit of a party? Just the 2 of us!!!!!


Oh!!!!! Errrrrhhh that sounds pretty neat my 'lovely lady' .....but.....damn....drat.....I'm over the pond in Belgium........Yeah, Got the furnace fired up and we're smelting a few cakes of aluminium !!!


Sounds exciting my Pookie Bear.......Did so wanna be rubbing my hands through ya #ouwenbrol


Gonna have to be another timetime my 'lovely lady'......….....The casting is immenant...


WHATEVER YOU SILLY IDIOT!!!!!! ......
.I've gotta few beers chillin' .......Posh ! Fancy doing a girlie flagon night?


Tuesday 13 October 2015

Working the white powder Part 6 ? or Art ? but not as we know it Jim

It's a life changing moment and hopefully you won't think I've diffected to the digital wilderness where being plugged into G4 radiation 24\7 is the norm....No way....It's a one off!!!!. For this blog entry only I'm flying without a copper cable umbilical. It's the only option as I'm broadcasting from far away foreign lands. Yes, I'm in Belgium. For the next few day's based at the Oilyracer foundry.  Didn't want to move in this yuppie direction but how could I travel abroad without taking my vintage Nokia Communicator 9110 with me?.The slim, lightweight, and sensuous keyboard is a 'babe magnet' when I'm down the local boozer on a Wednesday evening having a game of 'doms' so why not take it on this trip? It could turn a few heads you never know. Dating from 1998 it's genuine #ouwenbrol.
Fitted with fully 'quirky' keyboard I can send messages as the action happens. Up to date snippets from the oilyfront back to The Sidevalve Bar HQ stalwarts..
So, for all those with a memory that can recall back to October 2014 (and for those who can't just go with the flow). You will remember I had written a few posts about making the tank badges for the VBobber. In fact my chum Angelina had stopped by to mix a few powders and have a rummage through the Crackleport tackle down in The Old Sidevalve Bar as we made the patterns. (Can't wait to give the chick a ring on mi Communicator and invite her over for another session.)
But back to the badges. Next step in production took place in the Oilyracer Arcade.
To allow easier removal from the casting box the edges of the patterns were slightly angled with the only available modelling medium......Playdough!








Phuff! Quality!!!.....and best bit about being in Belgium?????and the Oilyracer foundry in particular is ya don't have to ask for a beer!!!!!!! There's always beer.........thanks to the resident Beer Fairy!!!!! ….........Glasses always full.........always beer o'clock.....Only thing to consider is should it be dark or light? Small or large? ....
(Make mental note - Must enrol Posh on a How to be a Beer Fairy course)


Vintafaker Blog -  Mostly mobile free...you know it makes sense..


Monday 5 October 2015

It's just a wheel Jim....but not as we know it..Part 5

The Crackleport transmission channel has been finely tuned to the old  'cats whisker'...
Why?.....a window of opportunity has suddenly opened through the G4 smog. It would be foolish not for me to send a message out from planet earth whilst the old skool technology still allows....(and more importantly still exists).A message to other life forms via iron pyrite crystals,.who or what will receive them?  Vintafake fans for sure and possible Blightys government secret listening station may pick up the odd stray modulation as this jotting beams out into far off galaxies. I know they listen, why not? They know it makes since!!!!
So, after much ado the rear wheel spoking can now begin. The transponder is buried deep in the hub, the hub and rim are coated in a couple of coats of 1 x pack polyurethane. 


Martin at Hagons had sent me not only the spoke spec but a detailed picture of the spoking pattern. All I have to do now is follow his instructions to build me a wheel that is unique.


The only 19" Virago rear in captivity will soon be mine.



Truing to a billionth of a millimeter for extra speed stability.



Posh! Splash some ale in mi flagon.....can't tighten spokes with a dry throat....
Oh and I think my whisker has gone out of tune, can you give it a tickle????