try..[/img] at the end<br><br>Post edited by: Pop Rivet, at: 2006/12/14 00:09

Yes I think the welds look good. However since so many break I would say that don't mean much. It is just 1 short bead on each side. They coulda shoulda ran a bead on the inside of the brackett too.

Yup, mine broke off too. Not to mention one of the stancions for the lower wind deflectors. Ain't it funny how the &quot;Made in USA&quot; accessories are the only parts breaking off of my &quot;Jap Bike&quot;? Both broke at the edge of welds, indicating dirty or oxidized surfaces were joined, as there is a definitive orange flash going nearly half-way through both parts, then the remaining portion of the metal is &quot;white&quot;. I will build my next light bar myself, from 6061 T6 aluminum. If I polish and clear-coat it, it will look as good as the chrome to me, and will tolerate the vibration better.

jd750ace wrote:
I will build my next light bar myself, from 6061 T6 aluminum. If I polish and clear-coat it, it will look as good as the chrome to me, and will tolerate the vibration better.

You could use stainless.

You only need to polish it once and it doesn't need a clear coat.

Doc

My avialable equipment works better with aluminum. I have some 300-series stainless avialable, but just the pain of working it to an acceptable finish quality is more than I have time for. I can finish an aluminum assembly in about 1/3 the time with a mounted wheel and dremel tool. Plus, this damn thing is already heavy enough, without me adding steel. I have an oven with ramp control available, so I can work with annealed metal for ease, then temper and age harden as required. I don't exactly know when I can put the time on it anyway, but I'll post up when I do something. BTW, no offense intended on the previous post about bike origins. I have never owned anything but Japanese brands, as the balance of quality, price, and performance is un-equaled.<br><br>Post edited by: jd750ace, at: 2006/12/16 14:15

jd750ace wrote:
My avialable equipment works better with aluminum. I have some 300-series stainless avialable, but just the pain of working it to an acceptable finish quality is more than I have time for. I can finish an aluminum assembly in about 1/3 the time with a mounted wheel and dremel tool. Plus, this damn thing is already heavy enough, without me adding steel. I have an oven with ramp control available, so I can work with annealed metal for ease, then temper and age harden as required. I don't exactly know when I can put the time on it anyway, but I'll post up when I do something.

I agree ... stainless is much harder to work with and the tools (like drill bits) cost more.

The things I don't like about aluminum is that you need to keep polishing it (I don't like to clear coat it) and when highly polished it still is not close to the look of chrome.

I don't have a lath so I made a a jig to polish round stock. The piece turns and I hold the sandpaper. I have found that I can polish much faster this way.

Doc