joe
1st Gear
Posts: 49
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Post by joe on Dec 2, 2013 16:03:42 GMT -5
Hello,
Today I took a fairing screen for one of my other bikes into a chap who makes replacements here in England. Whilst I was there I showed him an Instrument housing lense (screen) for the M model to see if he can make these too and to my surprise, he said no problem. The replacement screen will be made of Acrylic and can be sprayed with an anti scratch coating if required. I've never heard of Anti scratch coating but I'm informed it's very hard wearing and used on plastic rear screens for cars fitted with wiper blades.
I don't know how much theses will cost just yet and I should have a price in a week or Two but I was thinking of haveing 10 made anyway as the cost for the materials is the cheap bit, the moulding is where the price is.
The only problem that I can see would be removing the old lenses (screen) without buggering up the black body but I'm sure I will encounter more on the way.
If anybody is interested in one of these please let me know.
Kind regards, Joe.
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fonnyfth
1st Gear
Suzuki RE5M (1blue 1red)Suzuki SV650s Burgman 4OO
Posts: 79
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Post by fonnyfth on Dec 3, 2013 9:32:23 GMT -5
Very interesting...I would love to buy at least one as the flat lense I used looks nice but ...it's not like the Original one.
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Post by wayne on Dec 4, 2013 0:56:34 GMT -5
I'd be interested depending on price and how it is designed to fit.
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joe
1st Gear
Posts: 49
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Post by joe on Dec 8, 2013 9:52:46 GMT -5
Hello,
No problem with sending screens out to anybody which wants one.
It is my intention that theses screens are a direct replacement for the originals. If they come out half as good as the one which Andy made I'll be very happy, he certainly made a great job and has opened my eyes to the job in hand. Machining out the old screen may be a problem for me without a milling machine.
The chap wont be able to start the process until around the middle of Janurary so we have plenty of time to change the design if desired. I will chase him some time this week to see if he can give me a price and I'll let you know when I hear back.
Regards, Joe.
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si
1st Gear
Posts: 6
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Post by si on Jan 7, 2014 15:52:13 GMT -5
let me know when you have some. thanks simon
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Post by riversidogs on Jan 11, 2014 16:45:18 GMT -5
What would the durability of this new screen be? The one on my bike is the original and it is beginning to craze but that is since new but covered.
Riversidogs
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joe
1st Gear
Posts: 49
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Post by joe on Jan 15, 2014 17:10:48 GMT -5
Hello All,
Thanks for your interest in the instrument screen.
I havent been in touch with the company because of the Christmas shut down but I will chase them up this week and report back. As for durability, I don't know. I hope they will last for many years as it doesn't look like an easy job removing the old screen. Perhaps the anti scratch coating which was offered will make them last longer.
Regards, Joe.
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Post by riversidogs on Jan 16, 2014 16:16:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. Let us know when they are ready and your experience installing it.
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joe
1st Gear
Posts: 49
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Post by joe on Feb 16, 2014 17:18:25 GMT -5
Hello,
Last week I heard from the company who's making the instrument screen and they have asked me to remove the old screen from the black plastic frame so they can take a better mould from it but I'm not sure how to.
Once I give them just the original screen they can reproduce any quantity without a problem and in just a few days. Sorry but I still don't know the price, I forgot to ask.
I saw in a previous thread that Andy machined out the old screen with a milling machine and he made a wonderful job of it but I don't have a suitable machine nor if I'm honest the expertise to do so. Does anybody have any experience in removing these screens and could let me know the best way to go?
I've got a few weeks to try ideas as the company are busy and can't start the job until March.
Regards, Joe.
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Post by wayne on Feb 16, 2014 18:56:38 GMT -5
Joe, I've had a few of these screens to play with and unfortunately I believe that the only way that you could possibly remove it is to mill it out as Andy did. From memory, that is also the way Sam Costanzo did it. Sam felt that it was so difficult to remove he insisted that I send it to him as he felt that there was nobody else at the time with the knowledge to do it right.
After picking away at a damaged one, milling is the only way to both remove clear screen and prepare the frame. The clear plastic is bonded to the black surround in such a way that you'll never get it apart.
You could get a tiny fret saw blade in and remove it that way. But that would still leave you the problem of rebating the frame to take the new one.
If you just wanted to get it out for making a mould, I'd try the fret saw along the edge of the black plastic. What comes out though will have lost a couple of millimetres on its length and breadth and you'd have to take that into consideration when making the new master.
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Post by goandy on Feb 17, 2014 1:28:40 GMT -5
I managed to make the inner and outer molds before I removed the old clear screen. Plenty of release agent and they pop out fine. Removing the screen first as mentioned above by Wayne would be very tricky and you'd have to make the molds a little bigger to take into account remounting the remade screen.
If anyone wants a bare molded screen then I could try and get some more perspex and mold some- but there's a fair bit of trimming to do and milling is the best way on the surrounds to get a neat lip that the new screen will sit in.
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joe
1st Gear
Posts: 49
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Post by joe on Feb 17, 2014 20:07:44 GMT -5
Hello Wayne and Andy,
Thanks for your help and comments.
It looks like milling is the only way to go so today I did a little research on the interweb. I can purchase a hobby CNC milling machine for around £500.00, the X & Y axis will be OK but the Z axis is only 60 mm so may be a bit tight and I've no idea how good these are, probably not very good for this price....... A few friends and family have access to milling machines and my brother in law makes surgical instruments so I think it may be a job for him.
I'll let the company who's making the screen make the mould, if there are any defects in it, it'll be their fault.
I'm collecting the fairing screen which they are making for another bike in the middle of March, if I haven't machined the old instrument screen out by then I'll see what they can do.
Regards, Joe.
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Post by wayne on Feb 18, 2014 5:01:46 GMT -5
Joe, just remember that while milling the old screen out you will destroy a good chunk of it. You'll have to have them mould a new screen larger than the one you give them and then that will have to be linished to size.
I'd save myself 500 pound and get the Brother in law to have a go.
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Post by jm0406 on Feb 18, 2014 12:39:17 GMT -5
Removing the lens from the body is easy to do with a milling machine. You need to build a fixture to hold the body in the machine, then mill the plastic lens out. Any machinist can do this easily. I replaced mine with flat glass, The glass shop can cut the glass with a CNC machine to fit the milled out housing so it is an exact fit. I have been very happy with mine, this was to be a glass lens from Suzuki in the beginning, government made them change to plastic for collision, shatter reasons.
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Post by wayne on Feb 19, 2014 2:49:20 GMT -5
Removing the lens from the body is easy to do with a milling machine. You need to build a fixture to hold the body in the machine, then mill the plastic lens out. Any machinist can do this easily. I replaced mine with flat glass, The glass shop can cut the glass with a CNC machine to fit the milled out housing so it is an exact fit. I have been very happy with mine, this was to be a glass lens from Suzuki in the beginning, government made them change to plastic for collision, shatter reasons. Hi JM.......what thickness of glass did you use and how deep is the rebate that you milled in the black plastic surround ?
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