Spinner Report post Posted June 26, 2012 It's been a good while since I last posted work so I thought I'd throw up a few pics. Unfortunately, this is not the full list of projects from the last month as it seems only about 20% of folks send installed pics back for the website. Anyway, here are a couple of the ones that did... Cheers, Chris 2006 Honda VTX1300R whaletail tank bib with red buckstitch 2005 VTX1800R whaletail tank bib with black buckstitch 2002 VTX1800R whaletail tank bib with "Brass Ring" memorial & soaring eagle full color tooling 2005 VTX1800N plain whaletail tank bib (with dash area view) 2007 Honda Shadow Phantom Slimline tank bib with skull tooling This last one was a tank bib I did previously, the USN Navy pin-up. unfortunately the bike is no longer with us, so the client has be deconstruct it and turn it into a vest backpatch and sew it on for him: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted June 26, 2012 I also had my first request for a full blown Sheridan style carving on a tank bib (minus the flowers). Since I'm still learning the pattern side of it, King's X helped me out with the design and did a great job on the drawings. This was my first real attempt at a full Sheridan tooling project...need some more practice but it came out pretty nice and the client loves it. The black is nice because he wanted it understated from afar but detailed when up close. The bike is a silver 2005 Honda VTX1800N, hence the name. Enjoy! Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) Last post, just a few more pics... This one was a donation for a themed bike that was 'returned' to it's owner (had to sell it) at this year's East Coast Gathering at Bulldog's in VA. Can you guess the theme? (sorry for the darn fuzzy cell phone pic...it's all they had on hand right then) 2006 Shadow Aero 750 with the new "Hula Style" Flarecut tank bib. The client asked for "more curves" and him being from Hawaii the name seemed to fit... Edited June 26, 2012 by Spinner Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoubleC Report post Posted June 26, 2012 wow Chris, nice jobs!!!! Cheryl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted June 27, 2012 wow Chris, nice jobs!!!! Cheryl Thanks Cheryl, appreciate it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted June 27, 2012 A few more pics that came in... 05+ VTX1800R whaletail tank bib with gator embossed cowhide overlay with royal blue applique lacing to hide the seams & 12mm chrome spots. 2002 VTX1800C Full sett - whaletail tank bib with V-twin Engine & "Evil Twin" colored tooling & chrome spots; rear fender bib with chrome spots, VTX1800 colored tooling & chrome spots and maker plate and leather wrapped side covers with V-twin engine & "Evil Twin" colored tooling and red round braided edges. There is also a backrest that I added chrome spots to and a VTX logo leather patch but it's not shown. 2006 Shadow Aero 750 - whaletail tank bib with chrome spots and leather wrapped side covers with custom storage pockets and V-twin engine conchos 2007 VTX1800F - whaletail tank bib with U.S. Army "Senior EOD" badge & lettering. (EOD = Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReneeCanady Report post Posted June 30, 2012 Wow! Super clean! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bdunne Report post Posted July 3, 2012 Nice work! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmkjmk2 Report post Posted July 4, 2012 Wow!!! awesome bike! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragonspit Report post Posted August 3, 2012 really nice stuff spinner. I especially like the last two, on the first post. the pin up is just amazing. the lacing and color of the one up from that, geeze. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobby hdflame Report post Posted August 5, 2012 It's been a good while since I last posted work so I thought I'd throw up a few pics. Unfortunately, this is not the full list of projects from the last month as it seems only about 20% of folks send installed pics back for the website. Anyway, here are a couple of the ones that did... Cheers, Chris This last one was a tank bib I did previously, the USN Navy pin-up. unfortunately the bike is no longer with us, so the client has be deconstruct it and turn it into a vest backpatch and sew it on for him: Chris, They all look great! But, since I'm a Navy vet, I really like the pin-up on the anchor! How did you do the coloring on that? I can't enlarge enough to see a lot of fine detail but it looks amazing! Paints, dyes? Airbrush? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted August 5, 2012 Thanks everyone! Chris, They all look great! But, since I'm a Navy vet, I really like the pin-up on the anchor! How did you do the coloring on that? I can't enlarge enough to see a lot of fine detail but it looks amazing! Paints, dyes? Airbrush? Thanks Bobby, the answer is yes. Obviously the black background areas are dyed. Black Pro-Oil Dye. The pin-up was done with brushes and airbrushes using Golden Fluid acrylics and Golden Airbrush Medium to thin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boyd Report post Posted August 27, 2012 WOW that's AWESOME work Man! How do you make your paterns? I'm going to make a tank cover for my bike as soon as I figure what I want to carve on it but I still have no clue how to start. Also, I have a 2002 Shadow ACE (American Clasic Edition) which was right before the AREO. I totaly love the side covers. How the heck did you do that! If you send some instruction my way I'd totaly appreciate it! Boyd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesmith648 Report post Posted August 27, 2012 great work Spinner!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbob Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Need phone number of that USN Navy chick....haha....well done, me not a fan of tank bibs, but this is great leather work, clean and well build!! Like your wet forming arround tank... Greetings James Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) Thanks Mike & James. James, I know what you mean, the original artwork is still hanging in my shop 2 years later. WOW that's AWESOME work Man! How do you make your paterns? I'm going to make a tank cover for my bike as soon as I figure what I want to carve on it but I still have no clue how to start. Also, I have a 2002 Shadow ACE (American Clasic Edition) which was right before the AREO. I totaly love the side covers. How the heck did you do that! If you send some instruction my way I'd totaly appreciate it! Boyd Hey Boyd, Thanks. On the patterns, start with your center line. Fold a piece of posterboard in half and use painter's tape to attach it down the center of the tank. Now you can mark off the brackets, fuel tube, etc. on the top of the tank and cut those out. Reattach the pattern to the tank (still folded in half) so it goes around all the brackets, etc. Put the dash on and trace the outside shape. Mark the rearmost edge of the tank, mark the curve where the top rolls to the rear edge and make notes of the widths all the way up the center line. Now you can take that off the tank and use various tools like french curves to make the bib profile. with it still folded in half design the shape and cut the pattern out, unfold and you have a perfectly symmetrical pattern. The process for the whaletail patterns has a number of additional steps to get them just right but they stay in the 'safe' just like Coca-Cola's recipe. On the side covers, The ones with the pockets are specific to the '04-current Aero that I can tell so far. No other bike I have checked out, including the ACE and Spirit, VTXs, and a number of Zukis and Yamas have the same "dead space" behind the covers as the Aero does. To make them I had to drill about 30 holes in an Aero cover set and use a rod to do depth findings and figure out the pocket space. Once that was figured out, I made up a pattern for the hole placement and pocket sizes. From there I cut out the opening, attach a leather pocket from behind using contact cement and then drill stitching holes through the pocket & cover to sew it in permanently. With the pocket done, the leather is wet formed around the face. Make a top piece for it and then pull all the leather off to punch the lacing holes. Now the leather is glued onto the cover with Barge on both surfaces, dyed, finished and then the top and face are laced together using a modified "over only" mexican round braid. Make up the flaps, straps and buckle holds, attach with chicago screws (so they can be repaired or replaced if needed) and they're all done! Easy, right? Now, it is possible to wrap any side cover and exclude the pockets. I have done this for a couple of VTXs and they turn out pretty nice as well. Just skip to the leather forming part and proceed from there. Cheers, Chris Edited August 28, 2012 by Spinner Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted August 29, 2012 WOW that's AWESOME work Man! How do you make your paterns? I'm going to make a tank cover for my bike as soon as I figure what I want to carve on it but I still have no clue how to start. Also, I have a 2002 Shadow ACE (American Clasic Edition) which was right before the AREO. I totaly love the side covers. How the heck did you do that! If you send some instruction my way I'd totaly appreciate it! Boyd Hey Boyd, I just happened to start working on a set of side covers for a 2007 VTX1800F last night so I took a few pics during the process that you might find some inspiration from. The first is post wet forming the face shells. I take them off to punch the lacing holes and then glue them when I put them back on. the second pic shows one cover with just the face glued on and one cover with the face glued on, the top made & glued on and dyed with Black Pro Oil dye. You can see the two sets of lacing holes waiting for the basket weave. I'll see about snapping a few more pics as I go along. Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boyd Report post Posted August 29, 2012 That's awesome help Chris! Thanks. You are right about the room inbehind the covers. I checked when I went out to the bike. I never thought about forming the whole thing, I might try that next. First I’m going to try a semi-permanent cover (I’ll take pictures and post a new subject when I’m done). They won’t be anything fancy and I’ll probably use some scrap leather just to see how it turns out. When you glue the pieces on do you rough up the side covers first or does the glue stick without doing that? I assume you use contact cement in the photo. I live in the one place in Canada where we can ride all year round so I’ll probably wait until mid to late September before try the tank bra. Thanks again and you’ll hear more from me. Boyd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner Report post Posted August 30, 2012 That's awesome help Chris! Thanks. You are right about the room inbehind the covers. I checked when I went out to the bike. I never thought about forming the whole thing, I might try that next. First I'm going to try a semi-permanent cover (I'll take pictures and post a new subject when I'm done). They won't be anything fancy and I'll probably use some scrap leather just to see how it turns out. When you glue the pieces on do you rough up the side covers first or does the glue stick without doing that? I assume you use contact cement in the photo. I live in the one place in Canada where we can ride all year round so I'll probably wait until mid to late September before try the tank bra. Thanks again and you'll hear more from me. Boyd Not a problem, I don't enjoy making them enough to guard the secrets! Bibs are a different story, love doing those. I do use Barge Contact cement on both surfaces for the gluing. Rough up isn't really necessary but it helps. I found that just cleaning the plastics with denatured alcohol takes enough of the gloss out of the clear coat to get good adhesion. The original set of these is still one the road and looking good 3 years and rolling. (They were the only tan set I've done as well, coincidence?) Here's another tip...when you go to 'contact' the two glued pieces together, lightly wet the leather first. This will help as you're lining everything up, sometimes you need to stretch it just 1/8" more and it will give you a few extra seconds of smoothing time if a wrinkle appears...also, rig a vice or something to hold the cover so you have both hands to align the pieces. Last tip: to make the top pieces, glue the face on and then lay a piece of tracing film over the top. Then yuo simply trace the outline of the remaining uncovered top area and transfer that to leather. have fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
