Stainless Steel Micro-Airstream behind motorcycle

[KCStudly]

"Keep it comin', keep it comin" - (Randy Quaid as Russell Casse in the sober up scene in the movie Independence Day).

[RandyG]

"Keep it comin', keep it comin" - (Randy Quaid as Russell Casse in the sober up scene in the movie Independence Day).

I'm not sure that's a popular movie in Germany. But maybe he's seen it...

Nice work so far, just one question though, what type of rivets did you use? And do the rivets go into the stainless? It's hard to tell from the pics.

[ST1100]

Roland Emmerich, the director of "Independence Day", "The Patriot","Stargate", Godzilla","The Day after tomorrow" and "2012" is a german. Did you know that ?
I'd seen the movie several times!
Most germans watch more american movies in cinemas than german movies.

For the mock-up I will use simple pop rivets.

Later for the stainless body I will use closed end aluminum rivets with a stainless steel pin.

The picture shows only the two stencils. From that I have to cut my six panels and they were riveted together.

[ST1100]

Got my deck. Waterproof textured coated 12mm (1/2 inch) plywood In two pieces but nevertheless too big for my micro convertible Daihatsus trunk.

And found a cement bucket for 1.79 that will be cut into two tiny black fenders (only to get my registration).

[oicu812]

Hi Tom, your use of logic and reasoning to figure your pattern is ingenious and should be close. With a radius stretch out of 471, that is a diameter of just under 600mm or 599.44. Is that the number your working with? If so your pattern centerline should be 471 from base to apex, the base should be 78.46 not including lap.
One piece of a developed pattern like this is called a "gore". You divided yours into 6 per quarter so it will take 6 to turn 90 degree's, if you take 6 full gores and put them together you will have a miter line on the two outside edges, you don't want that unless your building a sphere. So you will need to cut one gore in half and this will be your two end gore's, the centerline is 471 and will match up with your two side radius and the front and back. It is called a 6 gore 7 piece corner. I have several ball patterns but not 599.44, if you confirm that number I'll lay one out for comparison.
On the apex, if you don't cut them back a little it will be too crowded, trim them back about 19 and add tha to the roof to cover.
Hope this helps. Tony.

[ST1100]

Hey Tony - very good advice and thanks for the right words in english.

So I have to cut only 5 gores and can add the first half gore to the central front panel and the other gore with overlap to the frontal side corner panel below.

The length of my centerline is 471 mm as you can see in the table in my posting # 10 on the second page of this thread.
There in the second column you see the width of the gores at 0° (79 mm) 10°(77 mm), 20°, 30°and so on.

Do you think I'm right there ?
Comparison with your pattern will be helpful.
Can you draw me your idea for the apexes ?
I cannot imagine how you meant that.

Is stencil the right word for my master gore or do you call it pattern ?

Tom

[RandyG]

Roland Emmerich, the director of "Independence Day", "The Patriot","Stargate", Godzilla","The Day after tomorrow" and "2012" is a german. Did you know that ?
I'd seen the movie several times!
Most germans watch more american movies in cinemas than german movies.

For the mock-up I will use simple pop rivets.

Well then, you know your American movies.
And I'm glad the pop rivets are temps. Are those closed end rivets you speak of Cherry-max?

[ST1100]

Hi RandyG - my closed end blind rivets are from http://www.masterfix.com - 4.0 x 8.0 mm dome head - aluminium with stainless mandrel.
But possibly I change them to 5.0 x 8.0 mm. Then I can use that air punch to make my 500 holes.

[oicu812]

Hi Tom,
adding the end gore to the side piece is an excellent technique but if you have to work the piece very much it get's awkward. If you don't dish the gore's with a E-wheel and run the edge's through a bench machine like a pexto 544 I don't think you'll be happy with the look. The more you play around with the pattern the more you'll see what I mean. On the old Airstream's they used a small bead right at the rivet line to turn the metal in so you don't see the raw edge. You don't hardly see it until it's not there. I would construct the four corners on the bench and get them nice and crisp, you'll have left and right in consideration of the air flow. Once you connect the corners with the sides and front,back you'll have a perimeter that needs a top. If you trim the top of your gore's [apex] about 19mm that will give you clearance clarance for all the points to converge. Instead of cutting the side's,front and back radius 471, cut them 452 so they match up with the corners. Take total width and length minus the radius's to figure your top piece, add back enough for rivets. Hope that makes sense.
I think with about 9mm of lap a gore base of 78.5mm and a height of 452 your pattern is close enough. I'll lay out a pattern and post the dimension's.
I love the lay-out you came up with, whats your trade?

[ST1100]

I'll lay out a pattern and post the dimension's.
I love the lay-out you came up with, whats your trade?

Thanks for your help, Tony !

My trade ?
I started 1984 on the BMW assembly line making roof liners into the car.
Then learnt four years dental technician and worked 11 years more in this job casting steel and gold and made teeth.
Lost my job, learnt a new profession and work since 1991 as system administrator first for a computer company and now for a company that sells and services Mercedes Unimog Trucks, fork lifters and heavy building machinery.

[ST1100]

Okay - I got my utility deck finished !



Time to go to bed and think about making fenders from a cement bucket and how to get them fixed.

The TÜV engineer, who promised to give me a unique european serial number for my trailer will return next monday from his vacation. So long I have to wait.

The total weight of the trailer is now 60 kg (132 lb), 7 kg (15 lb) tongue weight.

Without wheels only 50 kg. So I can get it downstairs with the help of one of my daughters.

Hope to get it approved before march. Then I can bike again and make my test rides.

[oicu812]

I finished the pattern today, starting at the top and working down every 39.26mm
0
9.5
20.5
31
39.8
49
55.5
63
68.5
73.2
75.8
78
78.6
So thats 12 spaces @ 39.26 = 471.
12 spaces 13 points. Divide those numbers to get you center-line.

[ST1100]

Thanks Tony,

I will draw it on paper and check against my tin gore patterns tomorrow.

At the moment I try to make simple fenders to pass the technical inspection.

Tom

[ST1100]

Okay - working week is over - time to go on.

Made only a KISS fender today - total cost for two 1.79 Euro (cement bucket) only to get the prototype through the technical inspection.

Tomorrow the second one will follow and I will see how to fix them without drilling into my frame.



Tom

[ST1100]

Okay - got today a nice little air compressor to drive a tin shear or that fabulous air punch.

And bought a tin shear via ebay to cut my corner gores.

Tom