CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Plasma Cutters can be used to make some amazing products & projects. Upload some pictures of projects you've completed using your plasma cutter.
adbuch
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Wow!! You've been busy. Some more nice work - these look great! I just bought a Triumph off a guy who has 4 Vincents - one Black Shadow and 3 Rapides.
Here is one of them.
David
Vincent Rapide.jpg
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

PS - This is the Triumph I bought from him - 1970 Bonneville original paint unrestored.
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1970_triumph_bonneville_t120.jpg
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Tmate »

In case there is any interest, here is the same motorcycle shape cut out with plasma and with laser for comparison purposes. The laser cut shape is 6" x 12" and the plasma version is 9 1/2" x 19". In the laser-cut piece, the lines were cut as narrow slots.

The narrower kerf of the laser is apparent in the little star shape in the front forks. The plasma-cut piece, having lines rather than narrow slots, has visible pierce points. The material thickness is the same for both.

Just an interesting comparison of both processes on a moderately complex shape.

Brough Superior plasma vs laser.jpg
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Tmate wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:19 pm In case there is any interest, here is the same motorcycle shape cut out with plasma and with laser for comparison purposes. The laser cut shape is 6" x 12" and the plasma version is 9 1/2" x 19". In the laser-cut piece, the lines were cut as narrow slots.

The narrower kerf of the laser is apparent in the little star shape in the front forks. The plasma-cut piece, having lines rather than narrow slots, has visible pierce points. The material thickness is the same for both.

Just an interesting comparison of both processes on a moderately complex shape.


Brough Superior plasma vs laser.jpg
Nice! Is the laser cut part cut from steel? I remember you said you had a small laser that would cut paper and cardboard, but not steel. Or did you farm this out to a commercial shop? Thanks,
David
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Tmate »

Farmed it out. The laser went with my business when I sold it. They are both cut from 11 gauge mild steel.
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Tmate wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:42 pm Farmed it out. The laser went with my business when I sold it. They are both cut from 11 gauge mild steel.
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Joe Jones »

Tmate wrote: Wed Feb 16, 2022 10:28 am Group Picture:

Large images of these bikes can be found here: https://fortuneafterfifty.godaddysites. ... ut-bikes-1


All bikes big.jpg
Now THIS is a motorcycle DXF collection worth buying! What a great collection! How does it feel, to have the patience of JOB?

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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Joe Jones »

I can't help but think that a set of these, all black powder coated, and cut out of a 4x8 (or 4x10) sheet of 12 gauge steel, with lawn mount pegs or whatever, would sell like hotcakes! The biker crowd would LINE UP to buy these to put on their lawns, and in front of (or on top of) their shops, etc.

That would also sell as mailbox toppers!

I have been working on a file like this for my 2018 Goldwing.

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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Tmate wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:19 pm In case there is any interest, here is the same motorcycle shape cut out with plasma and with laser for comparison purposes. The laser cut shape is 6" x 12" and the plasma version is 9 1/2" x 19". In the laser-cut piece, the lines were cut as narrow slots.

The narrower kerf of the laser is apparent in the little star shape in the front forks. The plasma-cut piece, having lines rather than narrow slots, has visible pierce points. The material thickness is the same for both.

Just an interesting comparison of both processes on a moderately complex shape.


Brough Superior plasma vs laser.jpg
They both look great! At first glance, I really can't tell the difference between the two.
David
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Upon closer examination, I can see the difference between the stars. The one has rounded corners on the points. There may be settings to help this. And perhaps using FineCuts might help if you are using a Hypertherm with Duramax torch.
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Tmate »

Due to its smaller kerf width, a laser can fit the same amount of detail into a much smaller space than plasma. Here is a laser-cut 6" version of the Vincent Black Shadow as compared with the 19" plasma-cut piece.
Size Comparison3.jpg
Backlit 3 mb.jpg
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Joe Jones »

That's it! I'm going to buy a laser.

Joe


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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

That small one looks great! Lots of detail for such a small version of your larger plasma cut example. I wonder how small you could actually cut it and still maintain some good details.
David
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by acourtjester »

If your controller has a PWM output pin you could mount a Blue Diode laser to your table and cut thin plywood motorcycle shapes. Lightburn will generate a g-code or LaserGRBL (free) or other software to run the laser. You can etch many different materials with great detail. Here is an Octopus (DXF file from here) on glass it is about 6" long. A focus test on white tile (4.125" X 4.125") numbers are .480" tall.
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Tom - that is some great detail. I'm very impressed with those small numbers. It actually looks like you could go even smaller.
David
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by acourtjester »

Another test pattern on tile
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

acourtjester wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 9:59 pm Another test pattern on tile
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Tmate »

adbuch wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 4:36 pm That small one looks great! Lots of detail for such a small version of your larger plasma cut example. I wonder how small you could actually cut it and still maintain some good details.
David
Your could probably put it on a postage stamp, but no one would be able to see it. The problem is that the thickness of the material is the limiting factor for internal shapes. Holes and interior geometry size should be at least 50% the thickness of the material for laser. Interior shapes and holes shouldn't be less than .015" no matter how thin the material.
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Bill - thanks for that explanation. So I guess if you deleted some of the detail, these could be cut small enough to use as key chain fobs. That might be fun to do for gifts or something.
David
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by Tmate »

One of the benefits of CNC plasma cutting is that we can let our imaginations run wild. Here are a couple of engine swaps:

Vincent engine in a rigid frame Triumph Thunderbird
Hayabusa engine with twin S&S carbs in a Norton Commando
Triumph-Vincent.JPG
Norton Hayabusa.JPG
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Very nice work Bill! Here's my latest full size engine swap. 1964 Norton Atlas with 1975 Norton Commando MK3 850 engine/trans. This swap is known as a "Featherlastic" - It uses custom isolastic mounts combined with the infamous Norton Featherbed frame. Back in the day the Atlas was referred to as "the gentleman's Norton".
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1964 Norton Atlas Featherlastic.jpg
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by weldguy »

adbuch wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:56 am Very nice work Bill! Here's my latest full size engine swap. 1964 Norton Atlas with 1975 Norton Commando MK3 850 engine/trans. This swap is known as a "Featherlastic" - It uses custom isolastic mounts combined with the infamous Norton Featherbed frame. Back in the day the Atlas was referred to as "the gentleman's Norton".
David

1964 Norton Atlas Featherlastic.jpg
That is a beautiful bike David :Love Very nicely done, would love to ride it!
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

weldguy wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:21 pm
adbuch wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:56 am Very nice work Bill! Here's my latest full size engine swap. 1964 Norton Atlas with 1975 Norton Commando MK3 850 engine/trans. This swap is known as a "Featherlastic" - It uses custom isolastic mounts combined with the infamous Norton Featherbed frame. Back in the day the Atlas was referred to as "the gentleman's Norton".
David

1964 Norton Atlas Featherlastic.jpg
That is a beautiful bike David :Love Very nicely done, would love to ride it!
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by arnegrant »

Very cool!
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Re: CNC Plasma Cut Vintage Motorcycles

Post by adbuch »

Here is a nice article documenting the build of another Norton Featherlastic from several years ago. This has more details about the conversion.
David

https://www.ntnoa.org/bobcox2.pdf
building a featherlastic.jpg
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