Project Varatrackerstorm or Firetrackerdero.

[Varastorm]

Hi guys, sorry for lack of updates on the project. There's been a lot going on so the project has been on hold.

There hasn't been a lot to report tbh, the big issue was not having access to a tig welder or the cash to buy one. So I've had to come out of retirement & get a job to finance goodies for the project.

I used to do a lot of fabrication/welding whilst working in a boatyard years ago, mig, tig, arc & oxy acetylene.
I did have access to a mates tig machine, but you just can't beat having your own at home.

So the search/buying began...

The first purchase was an old transformer based "Union Carbide Tigger 150". £100 buy it now in Oxford. Buyer described it as working (arcing), but no argon to test

500 miles later, I got it home & set it up, no, defiantly not working. It was fitted with an "add on" High Frequency box which was working but no main amperage power from the transformer

So with that I saw another machine for sale, a rebranded Union Carbide Tigger 150 machine called a CASTOTIG 150G CASTOLIN+EUTECTIC. That was for sale in Shrewsbury. I thought that I could use it for spares & repair the Union Carbide set.

So again I hit the BiN button & popped to Shrewsbury to pick it up, on arrival a nice enough bloke showed me the machine. All looked well, but he was insisting on me to remove the panels & have a look inside. I said there was no need but he insisted so after we lifted it into the car I did have look inside. The pcb that I was hoping to swap into the Union Carbide machine was missing & replaced with some amateurish soldering effort.
The disappointment was incredible, He must of seen me pissed off as he gave me the £100 back & told me to keep the machine. Another 246 miles of juice wasted

Weeks passed & numerous broken promises from people to come & have a look at the welder to see if a repair was possible. So I gave up & looked for another welder.

Then I saw a Lincoln Invertec V160-T for £150 BiN in Grantham. Popped to Grantham, what a drag, the tom-tom took us the most stop start journey of my life. 442 miles later I get it home & at last I have a welder that works

Amongst all that nonsense I also had to purchase a full Argon bottle £132

So now I can finally weld some stuff up.

I have just finished welding up the inlet manifold up & will update with picture soon

P.S. If there is anyone with any knowledge of repairing the above mentioned machines or can find the schematics for the Union Carbide I would be very great full.

Thanks in advance

[Varastorm]

Here are some photos of the manifold build so you can get an idea of progress with the new welder.

[KermitLeFrog]

Very impressive. Nice work!

[VTRDark]

Nice bit of craftsmanship there. The welds look very nicely done. That's is one thing I have never tried and have always fancied having a go at welding. What's going on with the top left bolt on the flange. Looks like it's too long, the end on the thread is butt up against the angled bit on the carb.

[tony.mon]

Nice bit of craftsmanship there. What's going on with the top left bolt on the flange. Looks like it's too long, the end on the thread is butt up against the angled bit on the carb.

There you go with your butt and flange obsession again.
When will you let it go?

[VTRDark]

Trust you to make something come from that statement

[fabiostar]

loving the work going into this bike

[Varastorm]

Thanks for the comments guys, it did take a while to finish but I too am impressed. Shame the tank is going to hide it.

As for the bolts VtrDark, they will eventually be changed to stainless studs. They were only used for setting it all up.

Now that the manifold is close to completion, I have been to the local steel stockists & brought home a load of steel for frame ideas, 50mm box, 50x20 box, 50x30 box, 20mm box, 25mm box.. Tube would of been nice but the rest of the frame is box, so box it is.

Going to have a chin rubbing night tonight with a few mates around & hopefully some new frame ideas will be born, will update

[sirch345]

Whatever next having to come out of retirement so you could fund a welder it must be serious
Very impressive work Vara

It sounds like you have a bit of a run around trying to sort out a welder, glad you got there in the end,

Chris.

[Varastorm]

Cheers Chris,

I'd been retired for 10 years but needing a welder put an end to all that Things were just happening too slowly

Yesterday I prepped a 50mm x 20mm length of box for the spine. I arched it over the rear cam cover & cut/filed it to fit to the head stock & rear shock pipe.

For the rear subframe I am going to use 20mm box, same as what Honda used.

Since the fibreglass tail unit is a copy of a XR750 Harley, I've been studying XR750 Harley frames to see what's the minimum I can get away with frame wise.

Now I appreciate frames are generally ugly, but there's no harm attempting to make a nice job & to do a nice job I'm going to need a bender. So today I've started making a 20mm box bender out of scrap.

I don't know if it'll work, but I'll try my best

I'll post some pictures up soon

[sirch345]

Good luck with the box bender, it sounds interesting whether it's successful or not

Chris.

[Varastorm]

Here's some pictures of the 20mm box bender build.

I'm not too sure it'll work but its my best shot with handy bits of scrap I had in the shed.

[Varastorm]

Day two of the bender build.

[AMCQ46]

that is impressive on every aspect... imagination, design, fabrication, scavenge / recycling and speed of work .... every bit of this project just gets my full admiration

[Varastorm]

Thanks for the nice comment AMCQ46, its really appreciated.

It is a bit of a faf, especially not knowing if it'll work.

My theory is that bending one piece is easy, but replicating it backwards/mirroring is the problem.

Hopefully I can measure & chalk mark the box & hope they look like a rear Harley subframe but in 20mm box.

The disc & bearings are from a Blackbird rear wheel & two sprocket carrier bearings were also used with cut down spacer sleeves. They are slightly different diameters but its no issue.