Manky's new Reliant trike.

[Manky Monkey]

Woo hoo!
Woo, hoo, hoo, hooooooooooo!! 
FINALLY delivered the frame to the coaters this afternoon. We just about managed to stuff it in the back of my old Fiesta van & trundled off to Newbury with it -it's been a gorgeous day here so Tazet & Ska Man followed on the blue trike.
I'm using a different coaters to our usual guys. Pro Coat coated my last trike in my trademark minty green & were happy to coat the new frame without shotblasting it first, so I've given it to them.
It'll be ready tomorrow!!
OOOH, I can't wait! 
I've promised Aston Martin the owner of Pro Coat, (yes, that is his real name), that I'll put together a piece on the intricacies of coating for the website, so will use my frame for before & after photos. Watch this space.

[Manky Monkey]

It'll take about 5 kilos of powder to coat my stuff -imagine a couple of bags of sugar. About that much. This is a 20 KG bag.
Fortunately they had the shade of green they'd used last time in stock.
Thanks to the vagaries of digital photography, this looks absolutely nothing like the colour it'll be by the way! It's actually a deep mint green.

[Manky Monkey]

This still doesn't properly show the colour -looks more turquoise than green here, but trust me, it's jolly green -like the giant.
Frame, axle clamps, tank & Bates headlight 180 quid. More than I'd pay at our normal coaters, but I guess you get what you pay for. Paint is usually about 25 microns thick. Powdercoat's between 70 & 100. This has been etch powder-primed then gloss primed. Aston put his digital paint thickness tester gizmo on it, (about the size of a tape measure but cost 700 quid!). My stuff's 195 microns thick.
I've asked him to jot down some notes on the whole coating process & we'll do a little write up for it on the site.
Now the frame's safely home, the next job is to fit the headstock bearings. I've ordered them from bikebearings.co.uk, (see the links for commercial purposes bit here). Janie_Postie lives nearby so is collecting them this afternoon so I can pick them up from her at the local bike meet this evening. Once they're in, Saddlebags will measure up for a new steering stem & wizz one up on his magic trike parts making machine, (I hope). Then the yokes & handlebars can be coated in the same green.
Meanwhile I need to get the engine mounting plates & sump & all the other parts that have been scavenged for other peeople's projects coated in gloss black. I also need to pull out the clutch arm from the gearbox, get it coated, then refit it to the opposite side of the box.
Lots & lots & lots to do.   

[Manky Monkey]

Mr Manky & Mr Aston Martin.

[pie]

Looks very good! nice and smooth, obviously well worth all that prep time.
Hopefully mine will look half as good as i'm going smooth as well, although, unfortunately, it's at a bit of a standstill at the moment.
Looking forward to all the build up pics, good luck!

[ByzMax]

Looking good Manky. hope you get it put together for the southwest show.


More pics as you get it done please!

[deegee]

Looking very very good. Have you got your scraper ready to take the earthing points back to bare metal?.

[saddlebags]

Popped round skamans the other night whilst i was there caught a peek at the new manky frame very impressive,very smooth aswell and the colour is nothing like the photos show.

[ByzMax]

I'm gonna have to pay you visit Mr saddlebags and then go and have alook at this frame. ( if thats ok with manky and skaman!

[saddlebags]

Look forward to it byz ill show you my freshly machined yokes.

[Manky Monkey]

Has everyone been peeking at my tricycle?!
There better not be any grubby fingerprints all over it.
Mr Saddlebags, I need you to call in at Nige's again & measure up for the steering stem please. Are you available tomorrow afternoon, (I'm at a concert with Tazet in the evening). Failing that, Friday?
Today Tazzie & I unbolted the gearbox from the dummy engine we use to build frames with. The box is the one I'm using in my trike. Taz scrubbed it clean then removed the clutch arm, while I stripped the engine mounting plates from my motor & dug out a spare sump, (I've lost track of who's purloined the old one). Then we nipped over to Newbury & dropped the parts off at the powder coaters to be coated gloss black. This evening I picked up the headstock & wheel bearings from Janie & Dave, who'd collected them from a local bearing suppliers for me. Still with me?
My rear wheels will be ready tomorrow in high gloss silver powdercoat so I'll collect them & get the tyres re-fitted. Got a couple of tabs to weld on the axle then I can paint it in thick gloss black chassis paint, fit new oil seals, then the drive shafts & wheels. Flap's nicked one of my rear caliper hanging brackets so now I've got to find another one. Also waiting for some fork seals to arrive.
With luck, if Saddlebags can sort out the steering stem, I can get the yokes, handlebars & foot pedals in for coating early next week & get the thing up on 3 wheels in time for the Shepton show.

[saddlebags]

Hi Manky the saddlebag clan are going on a weekend jaunt to sunny newquay for a long weekend starting friday lunch time and returning sometime monday so thursday afternoon or evening may be possible,does nige know what you want should you be absent with your busy social calender?

[spanners]

mankys beating my build by miles

must admit its looking good

mines been on hold again just got to get my head straight then get on with it

[tazet]

Note everyone the job that I got and I'm sure as you all know the gearbox is not the cleanest of places. By the time I had done I was ear to ear in black oil and whan Manky had done his bit only his finger tips were mildly mucky  great fun though  strangely enough I had to wash my hands at Asda as was not allowed near the flat 

[ByzMax]

Are you gonna repay the favour by getting manky to clean out the horses without a shovel!