welding a luggage rack

[blade023]

Does anyone nearby have a welder? I'm thinking of making a luggage rack to hold my top box as the only ones I've found online are very expensive. Also any advice on doing this such as what materials to use would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in the South West; TQ12
____________________
Current: VFR800 2008 13.7k and rising rapidly!
Sorn: 2003 FZS1000 30k(ish) looking to sell.

[Walloper]

12mm mild steel square tubing.
You may need to include some bushes for bolting.
Drill out the tubing and weld in the bushes.
I think most use M6 or M8 bolts two each side.

The trick is to keep the weight down so it won't affect handling too much and not look like YOU MADE IT YERSEL..

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=top+box+rack&hl=en&nord=1&site=webhp&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=YC_iTsr1HpLb8QOcmYiUBA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CFcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=666

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/__top+box+rack_W0QQ_dmdZ2?clk_rvr_id=294006560319&crlp=3112745282_284591_284611&UA=WVS%3F&GUID=2389280b1340a0aa11d752e7f8a26fd0&agid=566800622&tm_kw=top+box+rack&siteid=3&MT_ID=11&tt_encode=raw&keyword=top+box+rack&geo_id=21&ff4=284591_284611


Less hassle to buy one I think.
____________________
W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[blade023]

Yeah it would be less hassle to buy one, if I could find one that would fit a '96 model CB500. Or a more universal type one that would fit. That's the problem though, I've only seen about 3-4 that look like they would fit and they're very expensive. I'm a bit reluctant to spend 70-100 squid on what is essentially a metal frame.

Thanks for the tips though, I've seen some square tubing in B&Q that looks suitable. I could easily mock up a simple design for a rack, but I don't have a welder so I couldn't fix it together very neatly. I don't think bolting the whole frame together would look too good.

The other thing that would be useful for fitting it on, would be some sort of small metal clamps that can be fixed to the rack, then used to clamp it onto the bike. Sort of like this:
https://images.tradekool.com/83827800/Metal-Clamp.jpg
____________________
Current: VFR800 2008 13.7k and rising rapidly!
Sorn: 2003 FZS1000 30k(ish) looking to sell.

[Walloper]

Get a Buy it now off e-gay for 30 notes and adapt to fit.
It will look prettier.

If the machine has sissy bars fitted they come off in place of the rack.
The rack would use the same holes in the frame.

Clamping on elsewhere may make the frame susceptible to corrosion and incorrect loading.
____________________
W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Teflon-Mike]

Universal racks can be bought for £30-£50.
If you have to buy the tube, and can find a stockist that sells to the public, in small quantities; its probably no great saving before you even start trying to bend tube or make joints, let alone adding £5 for powder coating or £20 to chrome plate.
If you want a rack for a three box panier system, even more futile by the time you have bought the 'system' bits to attach the boxes, unless you are doing some kind of survival special, and using ammo tins or something.

I'd check e-bay, and hunt out either a second hand rack for your bike, or a second hand universal, or a second hand rack from something 'similar' that looks like it could be adapted fairly easily.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[blade023]

Thing is the only universal racks I've found are £50+ (mostly in the region of about £70.) I've seen a few racks on ebay for a reasonable price, but figuring out if they'd fit is another matter. I've contacted a few sellers asking for measurements, but short of buying and trying each one there's no way to know for sure if any would fit. As for adapting one to fit, that's going to be as hard if not harder than making something that would fit.

B&Q sell various lengths of nice looking square section steel pipes, starting at about £3 for half a metre length (iirc) and the total cost would be about £15 for enough tubing to make a frame. Like I said, if I can find some decent metal clamps I could fix the frame to the rails that are already there, the only thing I can't do is weld as I don't have a welder.
____________________
Current: VFR800 2008 13.7k and rising rapidly!
Sorn: 2003 FZS1000 30k(ish) looking to sell.

[fatpies]

[Walloper]