Custom bracket for lock & first try at brazing (basic)

[zzpza]

My little XR is ready for an MoT (booked in for next weekend). I've got a disc lock for it which came with a mount. I found a good place on the back of the bike next to the luggage rack, but just couldn't make it fit. This was a perfect opportunity to try out the aluminium brazing rods I had bought, especially as a friend of mine has just got a bench metal shear.


https://i.imgur.com/JOffDdN.jpg

So I worked out roughly where the bracket was going to go between the frame and the mount supplied with the lock. The mounting bolts for the rack looked good.

https://i.imgur.com/dwjQ7eG.jpg

I made a template out of paper, and marked where the holes would go. I used light weight aluminium sheet (1.2mm thick) and planned to braze another piece on at right angles to give it strength.

I transferred the pattern on to the metal and cut it out on the shears.

https://i.imgur.com/HBKQlki.jpg

Then I centre punched the holes for drilling, cut and bent a strip of metal for the strength part and assembled it all on the bench with the mount.

https://i.imgur.com/3jumhVm.jpg

Here it is again without the mount. Pretty simple. The strength part would also prevent the mount from rotating, as I needed to hold it at an angle so I could still get the lock on and off the mount, but get it as close to the body work on the bike as possible.

https://i.imgur.com/d8qM7bk.jpg

Final check with the lock, then I drilled the holes.

https://i.imgur.com/PgSTeAK.jpg

I prepped the surface of both parts by brushing the crap out of them with a stainless steel wire brush (not sure if it needs to be stainless, but that's what the instructions said, so I followed them). Then I used a pair of vice grips as weight to hold it all together. I used the blow torch to heat the work and not the rod, brushing the rod along the join to test if it was up to temperature. Once it was it just melted into the join. I then gave it some more heat once finished to help it flow, and carefully turned it round (once it had cooled a bit) to do the other side.

https://i.imgur.com/vk2erd6.jpg

I got the blow torch from Wickes.

https://i.imgur.com/UyWO11w.jpg

Once it had cooled, I painted it black.

https://i.imgur.com/QjaElxt.jpg

Next day, I fitted it to the bike.

https://i.imgur.com/gRuJ3qV.jpg

Then fitted the lock mount. The eagle eye'd will notice that it's got a different finish to the part now. There was a problem with the paint and when I reapplied with different paint there was a reaction. It's a shame as the finish was nice, but I don't mind as you won't really see the bracket.

https://i.imgur.com/p8eIYxY.jpg

Location on the bike.

https://i.imgur.com/WSGAFoM.jpg

Final close up. I'm pretty pleased with it. It clears the tyre by a country mile and I didn't need to drill holes in the bike.

https://i.imgur.com/UICoVuD.jpg

[chris-red]

Tidy, good job
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