New 2 wheeled project and Oxy acetylene bottle refilling

All chat, general/off topic/banterish and questions relating to the BX16valve.
Post Reply
User avatar
Simran
4000 rpm
Posts: 424
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 12:30 am
Location: leicester

New 2 wheeled project and Oxy acetylene bottle refilling

Post by Simran »

Hello guys!

Im afraid the bx has taken a back seat to my new project recently - another motorbike. I blew the engine on the last one and i am building this new bike from the ground up so that it is everything i want. As the bits are from all over the place, there will be a few brackets and stuff that need to be fabricated and ive decided to try and use the oxy acetylene welder ive had lying around in the shed. Never used it before but im confident i will be fine with it. I need to know where i can get the gas bottles refilled without having to rent new bottles. I dont mind paying a deposit for new ones if no one is happy refilling the ones i have. Anyone know of any suppliers of the stuff?

The main part that will need welding is a custom exhaust, which i reckon i can achieve good results with, rather than with a stick welder or mig, due to the thin material thickness. For those of you into bikes, im putting a KTM LC4 640cc single cyl engine into an Aprilia RS 125 chassis :)

This is what i have collected so far, with loads more bits arriving in the post this week:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 055f88898f

The only bits left to get now are the engine itself and the ignition module/ecu. I have CAD data for it as i worked with one two years ago at uni so i know it will fit in this chassis no problem, plus loads of people have done the same conversion before with success.

Simran
User avatar
jayw
5000 rpm
Posts: 609
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:31 pm
Location: Uranus

Post by jayw »

Slightly confusing... Other than for cutting, Oxy-Acet is usually used for Brazing rather than "Welding"?

Unfortunately, you're really going to struggle to get industrial bottles without a licence/ BOC account. If you have bottles or can pay the deposit ask a local garage you may be "friendly" with to get it on their account, that's how i used to do it.
Now listen here you mullet...
Vanny
Web Support
Posts: 1570
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:11 am
Location: BXProject
Contact:

Post by Vanny »

Will an SXV 550 v twin not drop straight into the chassis? I know nothing about bikes at all, except the RXV 550 engine, and i had the idea in my head it could be dropped into a 125 chassis without too much bother?

Bottles wise, find a friend you can swap with. And be rather careful with them as they will put your house insurance up rather steeply (or invalidate the insurance if you don't mention it!)
User avatar
Simran
4000 rpm
Posts: 424
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 12:30 am
Location: leicester

Post by Simran »

Oxy acetylene is actually quite handy for welding apparently, you use a different torch to the cutting one for better control. Ive done a bit of reading into getting the bottles and have come to the same conclusion that i will need to set up an account and also inform the fire brigade and house insurance about there being gas bottles at the property.

I think im going to go for a TIG welder instead. After checking over the gas welding equipment ive got, it looks like i will need new hoses and arresters and stuff so wth the cost of gas and bits too, i might as well go for TIG for the amount of money i will be spending.

Vanny, ive also heard that amazing little v twin will go in without too much bother, but they're very rare and super expensive! This is a budget build and i know the ktm engine will slot straight in pretty much and there is a few about on ebay. I would love a go on one of them RXV/SXV's though, they're gorgeous looking things and they produce silly power for their size!
Vanny
Web Support
Posts: 1570
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:11 am
Location: BXProject
Contact:

Post by Vanny »

They stand insanely tall too! We had one at uni for a very short time, i'm pretty sure everyone who rode it fell off (and these are veteran but sunday bikers). It sounds insane with no baffle on the exhaust, we passed the noise test on Formula Student only because the steward caught a ball of flame and fell over dodging it :D

Do you still have to inform the fire brigade? I thought the new bottles meant you just had to have a couple of externally visible signs? The new bottles are covered in the most reflective 'stuff' i've ever seen, even the smallest light makes them glow like there radioactive, which i guess is the whole point!
Post Reply