[Constant]

First off I practiced on a few junky bike parts and random things before hacking into a perfectly good part.

This isn't how the pros do it but how I along with many others do it to get the best results with a rotary tool.

Different substrates will react differently so to speak. For example you'll need to give it more gusto for steel than aluminum.

I use a little rotary tool similar to a Dremel with a variety of engraving bits for different line thicknesses.

The main thing I do that makes all the world of difference is make a template in photoshop or a drawing.

I tape it on or use spray adhesive and if it's a small part I put it in a vice.

for nice straight lines I use a cylindrical bit at a 90 degree angle to the line and gently work it up and down. I rotate the part as the lines dictate and take it slow and easy.

See how the bit is sitting on the caliper? Imagine it well in my rotary tool and going up and down.

Also I use two hands with the tool and one is resting on the part or table. This substantially increase stability and decreases fuck ups.

I just make shallow cuts either on a freshly painted part for contrast or fill in the engraving with paint and a brush or rag wiping the entire area which leaves paint in the crevices and wipes it off the top.

For shading I just do a cross hatch pattern but there are a variety of methods. (Google it)

Also god forbid you fuck up these are pretty shallow cuts so file or grind the area down and take another crack at it or leave well enough alone.

 

[Poopie]

I was just reading this last night... It's amazing how many of us are thinking along the same wavelength.... Just fucking uncanny...

http://www.chopperweb.info/forum/showthread.php?threadid=22216

 

[Constant]

It's easy to add some details here and there that are subtle. When I put the caliper on the bike to check it out I'm really happy how it turned out.

Or you could go full blown:

I can't find the site but the engraver put a full step by step tutorial on how he sculpted/engraved that tank. Truly a work of art.

 

[Poopie]

I've also looked into etching. Seems like a pretty cool alternative when it comes to non structural parts....

I see a meshing of fighter and chopper culture coming... It's been here, you can see it sporadically pop up in peoples builds, but I think it's going to become a lot more prevalent...

 

[Constant]

I've also looked into etching. Seems like a pretty cool alternative when it comes to non structural parts....

I see a meshing of fighter and chopper culture coming... It's been here, you can see it sporadically pop up in peoples builds, but I think it's going to become a lot more prevalent...

Absolutely. On the other side of the coin Chopper builders are adding sport bike parts/influence to their choppers/bobbers, well more and more these days. Church of Choppers particularly comes to mind.

I've also noticed guys are jumping ship from building cafe racers to 80s sport bikes since they're the cheap speed now. Some interesting blends of styles out there.

 

[Poopie]

That tank is fucking beautiful. Shit like this plays into the smoker approach... If you half ass a single part, your bike looks half assed...

If you're not motivated by that kind of quality standard (engraving aside)... Check yourself before you wreck yourself...

 

[Constant]

Here's the front:

 

[DrAwKwArD]

That tank is retarded. How cold you be that good at something like engraving? Totally jealous!

 

[Poopie]

I wouldn't be able to touch that kind of skill, ever... Only time I've ever seen that kind of engraving work done, was when I picked up a pheasant shotgun that had a hefty price tag... The tattoo like designs from lillian rose choppers, would be more my speed, and completely doable with a dremmel...

 

[Constant]

Do it!

Lilian Rose has some cool work for sure. I like the little blurb on the bottom of the "Metal Tattoos" page.

I did this snake up for my Ninja and have been messing about on other parts.

 

[livewire]

Here's the front:

jaw dropping, just great!

 

[sebwiers]

That tank is retarded. How cold you be that good at something like engraving? Totally jealous!

Looks to me like it was modeled (in clay) on top of a normal tank, then a mold was pulled, cast in wax, and the wax cast (lost wax) in aluminum or pewter. There's no possible way to produce that much relief with engraving, and using repuse (basically miniature body working tools) would be enormously challenging and risky (the metal could "tear" before you got the desired relief).

If I'm right, it's basically a gigantic cowboy belt buckle - exact same crafting techniques. It also means the guy has - or had - a mold and could make duplicates (as with almost any cast metal sculpture).
(When they say "they broke the mold", that's exactly what they mean; the mold pulled from the original sculpt and used to cast wax blanks was destroyed. The original sculpt is usually damaged in making the molds, so once that mold is gone, you can never make an exact duplicate again.)

Still some damn fine artistry (I plain suck at figurative work) but it is a MUCH less difficult working method. In theory I could make something like that (have used the techniques for other projects) but I doubt the results would be as pretty, so knowing how it was done doesn't decrease my admiration any.

 

[sebwiers]

Here's some more work that looks similar, but I'd bet this actually IS repuse. Note that the relief is much lower, and there are no hard edges (as seen on the edges of the scrolls in the first case; you can do valleys and creases just fine in repuse).

 

[Poopie]

^^^
That is all hand engraved chase and chisel/pneumatic chase and not Repoussé....



One of my favorites bikes though...