Poll

Sadly, I am colour deficient, and useless at making decisions upon colour choices. What colour should the BSA be in your opinion? (I withold the right for my wife to veto any of your choices) :-)

Black with red upholstry
1 (12.5%)
Cream sides, green bonnet and boot with black upholstry
2 (25%)
Dogsc0#k red (sorry, apparently it is a thing so my decorator colleague says) and black
0 (0%)
British Racing Green + black upholstry
3 (37.5%)
Cream and navy upholstry
2 (25%)

Total Members Voted: 8

Author Topic: BSA 3 wheeler.  (Read 5671 times)

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #90 on: 20 Jun 22, 08:17 pm »
Test post... My last two posts seem to have got lost

Try again...


OK. third time lucky.
Progress this week.
I had family up for a local festival so not too much to report.

Some upholstery with zig-zag springs over the seat frame which sits lower than a solid ply seat to have a low COG. I would have liked to go with patinated leather but a sofa has not come my way (Yet :-) 0

A bit of test fitting my friends handiwork on the exhaust before final welding.
« Last Edit: 20 Jun 22, 08:30 pm by Jimr1999 »
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Tinworm

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #91 on: 20 Jun 22, 10:41 pm »
Funnily enough, Jim, I have been looking into this very thing and been trying to work out if there is a formula for working out how long a spring you need - given that it is bowed and not therefore simply a matter of measuring front to back. Did you use twine for stopping-side-to-side wobble of the springs.

To keep my low CG I am thinking of not having a wooden frame, but just two strips of aluminium bolted to the floor with spring clips riveted to them. How much do the springs compress; do you see them as a soft seat or as suspension?
I don't want to bore you all with the details, here. But if you are interested, have a look at my blog https://peteskart.blogspot.com/

-Peter

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #92 on: 21 Jun 22, 06:17 am »
Morning Pete,
The springs I got were 30" long and cut down into two 13" springs and an off-cut. They were stretchable across the frame by hand without too much difficulty to stand about 1/2" high in the middle unloaded. I spaced the outer 2 pairs at 100mm centers and the inner two pairs at about 90mm centers.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172126524764?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=470965900978&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
The springs were tied laterally with plastic coated thin garden wire stapled well at each end. On top of the springs is a layer of 18mm grey medium upholstery foam and then the seat material which has another 2mm of foam for a backing.
Loaded with my weight sat, i sink to just below the surface of the frame with a bit of bounce left to travel above the two center rails of the chassis - so as low as I can go.
As for suspension, well it is just a soft seat to take the sting out of pot holes and ruts.
How it rides in practice is any ones guess but I can always alter it if it is not a winner.
 
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #93 on: 21 Jun 22, 09:51 pm »
Ok people.
I am at a point in the build where I need to paint something.

I hate paint.

It is my nemisis.

Paint makes a good job bad or a bad job good depending upon the skill of the painter...

If it begins with a P I have no skills.

This is the point of failure.

I am going BRG and black but I need tips and encouragement to bouy me through the process.
 Any input welcome 😁
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Tinworm

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #94 on: 22 Jun 22, 09:56 pm »
Morning Pete,

Loaded with my weight sat, i sink to just below the surface of the frame with a bit of bounce left to travel above the two center rails of the chassis - so as low as I can go.

Thanks Jim
that last bit about you sinking to below the level of the frame tells me I need to re-think this, as I'd hoped not have a frame, so I'd keep hit the floor
I don't want to bore you all with the details, here. But if you are interested, have a look at my blog https://peteskart.blogspot.com/

-Peter

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #95 on: 01 Jul 22, 05:31 pm »
It's been a lot more than a week since my last update but to be fair, the end of term is always busy, that coupled with a mystery non Covid flue bug and the possibility of voluntary redundancy (fingers crossed) and that is my excuse for A- not posting and B- not achieving much.

The real reason is I hate paint.

So, things achieved.
1 Painted the inside of the cockpit foot area and floor with black garage floor paint
2 Primed the boot lid and "radiator" cowl
3 Finished gluing on the body panels now the inside is painted.
4 Got the exhaust fully welded up but not yet fit. The bobbins need UNF nuts and I am waiting on them.

I am away the next two weekends so radio silence whilst we have a holiday.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #96 on: 02 Jul 22, 01:45 pm »
I am bracing myself already against the endless assumption that what I have is a Morgan. To that end I have started planning the subtle bling that can be pointed to when the question arises...
Here we see a stainless steel sliding door pull, holed and epoxied to the end of a racing bike handlebar to accept a bar end plug with the BSA piled arms logo on it.
When the bar end plug is removed, I could put a small Jackstaff in the hole for a pennant that reads, no, it's not supposed to be a Morgan, or alternatively, A CKGB flag or banner. I have contemplated a red ensign also as I used to have one on the back of the tandem.
... All good fun. ;D
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #97 on: 18 Jul 22, 12:41 pm »
Back at it after a break in sunny Portugal only to find it is now hotter here  ;D

I will now be redundant from work from September the 1st. Bring on the Funemployment stage of life!  :D

After clearing several spiders from the engine bay today I got all the mounting points for the exhaust sorted.

This brings on the job of stripping things out to paint (did I mention not liking paint???)
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #98 on: 20 Jul 22, 07:18 am »
Paint.
Not my forte.
Base layer.
2 coats of aluminium primer on the woodwork, flatted wet with 240 grit wet and dry.
More flatting back today and fine surface filler before undercoats.
Perforated aluminium boot lid bonded in with polyurethane/tiger seal etch primed 2 coats.
Spell check does not like aluminium. (we need a british one  ;D )
« Last Edit: 20 Jul 22, 12:38 pm by Jimr1999 »
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Applejack

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #99 on: 20 Jul 22, 07:39 am »
Looking great can't wait to see it finished 👍👍

Chris Brown

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #100 on: 20 Jul 22, 09:45 am »
Coming on well. Spell checker can be sorted, right click on the word it doesn't like, click on "add to dictionary", done.

Chris L

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #101 on: 20 Jul 22, 05:40 pm »
Top body, like it !!    Have voted on your colour poll; Are you having Red wheels .....If it suits body colour ?

Chris L

Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #102 on: 20 Jul 22, 06:05 pm »
Thanks for the comments all, it keeps up morale when flatting back wet and dry.
 I managed to sand through my fingertips today, wondered where the red blotches were coming from  ;D
Chris, it will be BRG, the wheels will stay black for now as I want it running before I bling it up too much, but red wheels are my preferred colour  :)
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

StefanN

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #103 on: 22 Jul 22, 11:55 pm »
Getting close now Jim.   Nice work.

Have you seen Ivan Dutton’s video about his Skirrow which uses BSA bits?  Thought you might be interested.


Jimr1999

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Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #104 on: 23 Jul 22, 07:05 am »
Thanks for this Stefan, I am now pretty certain to rock up at Haynes on Monday so I hope to meet a few of the club then in person. I am traveling with my better half and possibly a good buddy so I'm sure other things may be planned for the day, I will stay as long as I can 👍
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.