Steampunk Harley - Tamiya 1/6 HD FLH Classic 'extreme' kit bash (Very Photo Heavy)

Just a big thumbs up !! I'm out of words !! Just great !!

Grazie Mille for the kind comments and encouragement

Well, inspired by the detailing of the front forks I decided to similarly adorn the rear yoke though with much lower saturation.




Making the underside detail for the secondary fork brace.






Detail in place.  I should mention that recently I re-learned that the front forks were the first part I started working on at the beginning of all this.  It is a relief to know they're almost done, after almost 3 years, lol.


Finally getting around to the axle nut/bolt detail.  Basically I fitted some detail caps onto the nuts that came with the kit, this is the rear wheel pin by the way.


Axle shaft 'bolts' added to the nuts.  The plastic axle is for the front wheel.  You can sort of make out the threading on the bolts which was cut in using a small metal nut of the proper size.


Finally, because these are axle bolts, cotter pin nut restraints.


The condenser!  Here's a shot of it with the end caps in place.  I also flattened the buttons in the middle in preparation for something, probably hex-nut related, to be added later.  Still not sure what it will be exactly, though.


Filling in the bottom part of the cylinder.


The 'receiver' further along and adding a cross-cylinder detail.  As this is the underside I'm trying to keep the perspective properly aligned which means I spend a lot of time holding the piece in front of my squinting eyes, lol.


I should mention that the pics were in a real mish mash chronologically, all of this stuff was happening at the same time.  I sorted them into respective sections to make it easier to follow ... for myself more than anything

Just keep swimming ...

Love the pins, great work Kats. 

What better way to start a new Monday morning than with a full mug of coffee and reviewing this post from the beginning !
I am in a state of renewed flabergastation !!
           
**** editing,  I started this reply after page 1. I stopped to make a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast and refill my mug This means I'll have drank the whole pot and will have to make another so Shazz will have some when she gets up. I'll be peeing well into lunch time !
**** editing, Holy crap! I am approaching 3 hours of reading and absorbing the photographs and only getting thru page 4! Shazz is up and I just can't do this in one setting !

Awesome work Kats....makes me think maybe you could scratch build your own 1 to 1 bike.

Muchas Gracias for the kind comments and encouragement, fellows  

Another hiatus from posting due to other projects and stuff but here we go.  This first two pics are of the 'T-splitter' being added to the receiver for the condenser.




The first of the braces for the piston cylinder starts to take shape, this one will sit forward of the cylinder along the frame.


And the hiatus from building in order for me to build and paint a 'Gnome Door' for the tree in front of our place gave me an opportunity to set up the painting zone and shoot some primer onto some more of the steamcycle parts.  Here's the stuff ready to be primed.


And after.  It should be noted this is a 'check primer' coat, more to see the gaps I missed and the little flaws I couldn't see.  Overall I was happy with the way things turned out.


Further work on the cylinder brace, trying to work in some 'flair' instead of just making it purely utilitarian.


Adding support 'bands' to the condenser set up.  




The tabs to make the receiver bands look more like attached brackets.


Finally a shot of the Gnome Door, just because.  The paint was almost all done with airbrush, only the initial 'primer' coat and some final dry brushing were regular brush work.  The shingles were recovered scraps of textured plastic sheet, the wood was mostly scraps except for a couple of sheets of Revell Craft Plywood (the 1/16th thickness) which was used for the door planking.  The decorations are old earrings and the doorknob is an old button.  The hinges were formed from cheap thread pullers.  All of it was given multiple layers of acrylic matte clear coat (also AB).  A nice chance to get in some time playing with the airbrush and it fulfilled milady's wish, always a good thing.


And so it goes, slow progress, re-thinking, proceeding, and all that fun stuff which makes scratch building that oddly comforting combination of smooth sailing and riding the tempest.  Or maybe I'm just deluding myself in order to not realize how much work I still have to do, lol.

Just keep swimming ...

The details are really 'popping' with the primer on Kats, the parts look really good, can't be much filling or further work to tidy them up.

Steampunk parts all look great !!
The gnome door looks like a fun thing to do. As is my habit of not throwing anything away, I have a whole sawbench shelf loaded with small scraps of wood. Might have to give the gnome thing a go !
Nice to get another update on the bike build.
Cheers,
Clay

Domo arigato for the kind comments and encouragement  

Clay - the gnome/fairy door thing is catching on here and there, the Net has a lot of cool stuff that's not on Pinterest, lol.  It is definitely fun and the neighbourhood kids (of a certain age range) get a kick out of it.

The front bracket/brace for the engine cylinder develops further - test fitting before drilling holes for pins.


After drilling and making the bolt heads for the brass pins.


Mounting point on the cylinder body worked up.  I had to use CA instead of MEK because the black plastic of the cylinder doesn't respond to MEK.




Bracket/brace in place.  Using pins makes it easily removable for painting and such.  There will also be another bracket/brace behind the cylinder as well.


Options for additional detail to the condenser - the bits are all from the original kit.  I wound up using the black piece and the remnant from the transmission side cover, the pump looking thing will have to wait a while longer.


After modification and shaping, I liked the look though I haven't a clue what they might represent as far as actual workings go.  At this time I'm thinking the feed to the boiler will come from the black piece.  


With the third anniversary of this build approaching next week I thought it would be nice to have the condenser mounted to the frame even if it wasn't finished.  Here's the clamp rings in place and the mounting tabs for the condenser in process.


At this point I'd put on the clamp flanges and drilled the rear two mounts.


Mounts stuck with peel off adhesive for an alignment check.


Alignment holes drilled and pieces 'tacked' into place with the tiniest amount of MEK.


Much fiddling later ... yup, it took quite a bit of tiny adjustments to get it to line up because the alignment holes were just a bit off.  I also mounted the rear fender to show how small the gap is - something I had planned but I didn't think it would be so small.  Oh well, thankfully the rear fender is static.


As mentioned earlier, next week is the Steamcycle Build's third birthday and per my own tradition I will be doing the Great Big Test Fit and taking pics.  I hope to get some more little detail work accomplished before that but it suddenly became summer here after a miserable not-winter (some call it spring) and so it's getting busy at home and work, lol.  

Just keep swimming ...

Steady progress and sublime work, very much looking forward to the test fit.

Each installment is SO welcomed !
Looking forward to the anniversary photo.

Loving every update. Wonderful stuff.

Danke Schoen for the kind comments and encouragement guys!  

Well, before the day I managed to get in some work on the condenser.  Here's some inset slotted hex bolt heads.


And some more hex nuts, lol, including the bigger water feed receptacle.


Happy Third Birthday!  Actually the official start date is May 29th, 2014, but I'm working that day, lol.  We start with the top down view ...


Followed by the pirouette ...
















Finally a couple of close in shots of the mechanicals - you can sort of see the little flint striker sitting by the flywheel.




There's still a bit of detailing to the condenser to go yet - at this point I feel like I'm cresting a rather large hill.  Oh, there's still lots of stuff to do yet, the water pump and assorted other plumbing plus linkages, belts, gears and what not.  And of course the water and fuel tanks plus all the pressure gauges, valves, exhaust and sundry bits.  

Then after that, or perhaps even during, will be the remaining accessories which will hopefully include a rifle, pistol, knife, gloves, brass goggles (de rigueur in the Steampunk realm), maybe a hat and then the tools which will include the starter for the boiler (a fireplace poker with a wad of oil soaked material tied to the end), wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, maybe some socket wrenches, hammer and anything else which catches my fancy.  Plus the 'bedrolls' or saddlebags which will be compact and affixed to various parts of the frame where I can fit them on but these will be add ons and so I won't be making them 'integral' to the cycle itself.

And that blank, bare, empty right handlebar is making me wonder about what sort of accessorizing I might pull off to make it more busy.  I've already ruled out things like a brake lever, throttle control or anything like that due to the nature of the set up.  I was going to put the flint striker there but it proved to be too big to mount properly.  Maybe a small kit bag or something - further consideration is definitely required.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who's followed along this far.  Three years seems like a long time (because it is) but it's really been three years of weekends with occasional mid week work.  That and the limitations of my work space have insured that this sort of thing will take longer than I expect.  I'm hoping that by the 4th Birthday I'll have started painting in earnest though I feel it would be too much to ask to have this completed by then.  But one never knows what's over that hill until one gets there ... maybe I'll be given a blessing by the Goddess of Craftwork ...

Just Keep Swimming ...

That looks absolutely fantastic Kats. How about a rear view mirror on the handlebar?

Fantastic project !!
The foresight and the skill making all thee parts is to be envied !
Thank you for sharing !!!

Brilliant work on the tank Kats, I feel you have reached a point in the build where real progress can be seen with every additional update (hope you feel the same lol). Although an epic project, forward momentum can clearly be seen to be maintained.

Here's to the next update. 

Boy ! This update takes anticipation to an exciting new high !!
I am anxious to see what Steampunk gadgetry will be added to that tank as well as other areas !!!
MAN, this is so COOL !!!

Stirling work Kats. 

The tank is really coming together, great stuff Kats.

As usual, each much anticipated update adds to how utterly cool this project is !!
Thanks for sharing !