Another skid plate post
#1
04-11-2018, 10:20 PM
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: So Cal
Posts: 1,352
Another skid plate post
I googled home made skid plates and found this one. Dan888 did a great job designing, mocking up a pattern, cutting/bending/welding up a very protective skidplate for the klx.
The girl gave me some 3/16” aluminum plate and I had some extra pieces, so I thought I’d try to come up with something similar. Since I can't produce any radius bends this design is ideal. I’ve made skid plates before, the two shown are for a desert racing quad, 5/8” thick on the bottom unlike the 1/4” ones that were being produced.
Here are some pictures of my home made skidplate project from last summer. I wanted a skidplate but thought I could make something up myself and save $100. I started by mocking one up made out of foam board. Lots of cutting and adjusting, and then some duct tape to fix mistakes.
Attachment 21675
Once I had the mock up the way I wanted it, I took it off the bike, then cut, and unfolded it flat. Here is where I hit a roadblock. Calling around to the metal suppliers around me, I was quoted prices of $70+ for the aluminum stock I needed. That's quite a chunk of money to put into a project where one wrong cut or bend can ruin it. I lucked out and ended up getting the piece I needed, for free, from a family friend. He had told me if he couldn't get me a scrap piece big enough I could buy a piece at his shops cost, probably about $20. OK back in business. Next step is transferring the outline from the "unfolded" mock up, to the new aluminum plate.
Attachment 21676
Once shape is transferred, take a deep breath and start cutting.
Attachment 21677
Attachment 21678
Cuts all done. Rigged up some soft jaws for the vise, and started bending.
Attachment 21679
Attachment 21680
The best method I found for bending was to pull on the plate while tapping at the bend with a rubber mallet.
Some of the bends took some round about set-ups, to keep the bends straight.
Attachment 21681
Attachment 21682
Getting close.
Attachment 21683
Done except for welding. It is one solid piece of plate, but because of the way it is cut and bent, it had to be welded in four spots, to make it solid.
Attachment 21684
Attachment 21685
Here it is after the weld job, another favor from the same guy that got me the plate.
Attachment 21686
I couldn't decide if I wanted holes in it, but finally pulled the trigger and used a hole saw to ventilate that sucker.
Attachment 21687
Clean green on green.
Attachment 21688
Attachment 21675
Once I had the mock up the way I wanted it, I took it off the bike, then cut, and unfolded it flat. Here is where I hit a roadblock. Calling around to the metal suppliers around me, I was quoted prices of $70+ for the aluminum stock I needed. That's quite a chunk of money to put into a project where one wrong cut or bend can ruin it. I lucked out and ended up getting the piece I needed, for free, from a family friend. He had told me if he couldn't get me a scrap piece big enough I could buy a piece at his shops cost, probably about $20. OK back in business. Next step is transferring the outline from the "unfolded" mock up, to the new aluminum plate.
Attachment 21676
Once shape is transferred, take a deep breath and start cutting.
Attachment 21677
Attachment 21678
Cuts all done. Rigged up some soft jaws for the vise, and started bending.
Attachment 21679
Attachment 21680
The best method I found for bending was to pull on the plate while tapping at the bend with a rubber mallet.
Some of the bends took some round about set-ups, to keep the bends straight.
Attachment 21681
Attachment 21682
Getting close.
Attachment 21683
Done except for welding. It is one solid piece of plate, but because of the way it is cut and bent, it had to be welded in four spots, to make it solid.
Attachment 21684
Attachment 21685
Here it is after the weld job, another favor from the same guy that got me the plate.
Attachment 21686
I couldn't decide if I wanted holes in it, but finally pulled the trigger and used a hole saw to ventilate that sucker.
Attachment 21687
Clean green on green.
Attachment 21688
Last edited by RaceGass; 04-11-2018 at 10:44 PM.
#3
04-12-2018, 03:53 PM
Big tip on getting materials for metal fabrication on motorcycles
Key point, most of the time the metal supplier is quoting from stock, go to a metal fabricator and ask if they have some scrap cuttings of aluminum. I have been able to go to a metal fabricator and pick up more than enough scrap to make something like a skid plate or seat base, usually a couple bucks - it is scrap to them - or even free a few times. They point me to the scrap barrel and I pick up whatever I need.
By the way, 5/16 is kind of overkill, isn't it?
Key point, most of the time the metal supplier is quoting from stock, go to a metal fabricator and ask if they have some scrap cuttings of aluminum. I have been able to go to a metal fabricator and pick up more than enough scrap to make something like a skid plate or seat base, usually a couple bucks - it is scrap to them - or even free a few times. They point me to the scrap barrel and I pick up whatever I need.
By the way, 5/16 is kind of overkill, isn't it?
#4
04-12-2018, 05:29 PM
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: So Cal
Posts: 1,352
Big tip on getting materials for metal fabrication on motorcycles
Key point, most of the time the metal supplier is quoting from stock, go to a metal fabricator and ask if they have some scrap cuttings of aluminum. I have been able to go to a metal fabricator and pick up more than enough scrap to make something like a skid plate or seat base, usually a couple bucks - it is scrap to them - or even free a few times. They point me to the scrap barrel and I pick up whatever I need.
By the way, 5/16 is kind of overkill, isn't it?
Key point, most of the time the metal supplier is quoting from stock, go to a metal fabricator and ask if they have some scrap cuttings of aluminum. I have been able to go to a metal fabricator and pick up more than enough scrap to make something like a skid plate or seat base, usually a couple bucks - it is scrap to them - or even free a few times. They point me to the scrap barrel and I pick up whatever I need.
By the way, 5/16 is kind of overkill, isn't it?
The skid plates offered for quads at that time were limited. Without going to expensive heat treating the metal to raise abrasion resistance, going thicker on the material helped durability and the useful lifespan of the part.
#6
04-12-2018, 07:15 PM
The gal was able to source the two main pieces of plate for this to happen. Gratis, freebie! Just like the aluminum used for the rear fender eliminator I put together. So your right it pays to ask for scraps!
The skid plates offered for quads at that time were limited. Without going to expensive heat treating the metal to raise abrasion resistance, going thicker on the material helped durability and the useful lifespan of the part.
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