Girder Forks.

[Olds]

Thanks.
Unable to get on with other jobs, so I decided to get the headlamp stirrup started.
Just need to shorten the stem to length, fit a stepped base flange to match the handlebar risers and finish smoothing the welds.

[Manky Monkey]

That's nice Dave. How did you form the mounts that the light bolts to? I like the cast look of these girder fittings.

[Olds]

The top bolt holes are 8mm round bar bent around a 10 mm mandrel while red hot. Just wrap it around like making a closed up spring, 2 1/2" turns then cut through, reheat and flatten into rings.
The stem is 16mm OD 3mm wall tube and will be tapped M12 to take the mounting bolt. The half hoop is 12mm OD 2mm wall tube.
This weighs a fraction of the existing stirrup which I made of solid bar.

[trikerpete]

If you don't have heat try welding a suitable size nut in place then drill it out 

[Olds]

Headlamp stirrup finished. Pic shows forks at approximately the correct angle.

[Manky Monkey]

Coo, you've managed to smuggle them into the house?

[Olds]

Yep  Missus was out and it was warmer inside.
Fitted them to the trike this afternoon and managed to do so without disconnecting the electrics (apart from the battery of course) etc. just in case it was a total disaster and I had to revert back to the teles.
Not totally convinced about the look, but this is difficult to judge without mudguard, lights, horn and paint. Plus I have got used to the look of the teles.
Ride height is fine but ended up with slightly more trail than calculated. 46mm where I was aiming for 41mm, close enough not to need to alter anything. Not sure where the extra 5mm came from 

[steven brock]

That's some achievement .. Well done

[Manky Monkey]

Well in my very humble opinion Dave, they look fabulous.

[morrag]

Nicely done Dave, I hate girders but as an engineering exercise,I really applaud the workmanship and style of those, so a big "attaboy!"   Morrag

[stumpy]

sound job i think when they are fully dressed they will grow on you and at the end of the day its the road test that will be the true decision maker
and that extra 5 mm i sent it to you just cover the postage .... looks good from where im sitting only thing i would change is handle bar height or tilt towards tank a little 

[scannerzer]

those look the job ON...get em painted

[Olds]

Thanks guys.
Must admit Morrag, I'm no fan of girders either, but they should fit in with the overall look of the trike plus they were fun to make. As Stumpy says the real decider as to whether to keep them or not will be the road test.
Still a few things to do before they are finished, calliper and mudguard mounts, brake splitter bracket plus I still need to modify the handlebars to take the new internal throttle I made and the 7/8" switch gear. These are all thing that really needed the forks on the trike to finalise.
Decided to mount the callipers behind/below the forks as they are much less obtrusive there.

[Manky Monkey]

Makes the front end look lower & longer I think -which is good.
Personally, I agree with Stump that maybe the bars need to tip down a little to follow the line of the tank, but otherwise perfect.

[Olds]

You mean like this?
Not got around to finalising the angle of the bars yet. I will sit on the trike for quite some time before deciding the best angle to suit my knackered wrist, but so far this is quite comfy.