Drag bike builder

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Hi, not really a model engineer but but i like the website and have been checking the classified ads for ages!

Been building up my workshop slowly over a number of years, with Tube bender, valve refacer, gas flux brazing kit, tig welding paraphernalia. Taiwanese11x28 lathe and a dovetail column chinees mill Same as sieg SX4, recently fell out with my chineese mill when i discovered how far out of alignment it was and splendidly pinned into that position at the factory! just complete junk. Wouldn't mind some advice on obtaining a Deckel or one of it's clones and how suitable people think they would be for my purposes – cylinder head modifications, chassis parts, engine plates and bearing holders etc etc

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Welcome, Phil

That's a beauty

Please tell us more !!

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

P.S. … I haven't been to SantPod for decades

**LINK**

http://www.eurodragster.com/news/2015sprcawards/picture.asp?picture=phil_crossley.jpg

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I do lots of motorcycle related parts (no models) If you have the space/money a Bridgeport turret mill should do all you need. Not the best machine in the world but probably the most versatile for our type of work. Oh and welcome along.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Hello Phil,

​With a bike like that you may already know Graham Sykes or seen him perform. Nice machine.

Regards Brian

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

#2 for a Bridgeport as suggested by Chris. Probably the best starter machine for 12 inch to the foot scale work. Pretty fair to say that if you can lift it on to the table you can machine it. Anything smaller and you start running into space / access problems. Which can frequently be got round but it just makes life harder. Main comment against a Bridgeport is that its rather floppy as industrial machines go. Still very stiff by hobby standards. Just means using appropriate cutters and feeds. Concerning engine work I know of Hilman Imp engines being worked on for racing using an older round ram machine, smaller and flopppire than the modern variety, with every success. Cylinder head refurbishment, blocks bored out for oversize liners and so on.

Being relatively common there are plenty of Bridgeports out there to choose from so its not that hard to find a decent one and parts are readily available. Just don't try to do things on the cheap. Say £2,000 to £2,500 for a decent one with DRO you can just drop in the shop and use. I've got about that much into mine which started out at £500. Lots of work too. If it the price is really right one needing basic heavy servicing level repairs may be worth a look but costs do add up and if anything other than basic consumables like belts and similar needs attention other stuff probably ough to be done too.

Deckel / Thiel / Clone is more versatile but exploiting that versatility means a lot of setting up. You need the measurement gear for that too which is less than cheap. A good Deckel will be more expensive than a Bridgeport and you really should get the accessories you need at the same time as they are hard to find and can be very, very costly. A Deckel is not a fixer up machine. Complex innards, parts expensive and often unobtanium. OK if you want a project but not if you just want to use it. Of course if you have £5,000 to £10,000 to spend….. But then you are getting into CNC territory.

If I were starting over I'd be taking a very close look at CNC.

Clive

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome aboard Phil.

Neil

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Thanks for the warm welcome I will get around to replying to everyone later, i realized i missed some important information out when i said i was looking for a Deckel type machine, and thats height! My workshop is in my sisters cellar, and the ceiling is just under 2.1m and too short for conventional turret mills. Plus whatever i get has to go down a flight of steps and through a doorway…….same as my dragbike!

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 21/08/2016 08:24:49:

P.S. … I haven't been to SantPod for decades

**LINK**

http://www.eurodragster.com/news/2015sprcawards/picture.asp?picture=phil_crossley.jpg

It's my other home! Oh and that link … i didn't win the best appearing bike award

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by Brian Wood on 21/08/2016 10:07:26:

Hello Phil,

​With a bike like that you may already know Graham Sykes or seen him perform. Nice machine.

Regards Brian

I know of Graham but never actually met him. I've seen pictures of his v8 dragbike on the net. Drag racing is a small world, it's hard to build something and not be known!

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 21/08/2016 07:52:02:

Welcome, Phil

That's a beauty

Please tell us more !!

MichaelG.

Whattya want to know? The whole build of my bike and previous bikes, has been well documented on my blog and facebook, my blog can be found here: **LINK**

If you wanna know how quick it is – well it does 0-60 in less than one second, 150mph in 4 seconds and the quarter mile in 7.2 seconds at 181mph. The bikes based on a 1981 Suzuki GSX1100 but is now 1500cc, and i put a fair bit of nitrous oxide through it to make it faster. The frame and pretty much everything is home made. I best shut up cos i could go on ….

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

The old type round ram Bridgeport is 1.9 m high with the M head, a couple of inches more if converted to take the J head so one of those might go in. Finding a decent one is another matter tho'. I do know of one thats been refurbed and has a J head. Even with the pancake motor a modern one si 2.2 m high so definitely too high.

Horizontal mills like the Adcock Shipley 2 series or Harrison with a Bridgeport head on the overarm work pretty well and are somewhat lower. Occasionally pop up on E-Bay et al but conversion is not silly work to do. Conventional vertical head on a horizontal is much lower but I'd hate to be without a quill feed.

Clive.

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by Clive Foster on 21/08/2016 16:54:16:

The old type round ram Bridgeport is 1.9 m high with the M head, a couple of inches more if converted to take the J head so one of those might go in. Finding a decent one is another matter tho'. I do know of one thats been refurbed and has a J head. Even with the pancake motor a modern one si 2.2 m high so definitely too high.

Horizontal mills like the Adcock Shipley 2 series or Harrison with a Bridgeport head on the overarm work pretty well and are somewhat lower. Occasionally pop up on E-Bay et al but conversion is not silly work to do. Conventional vertical head on a horizontal is much lower but I'd hate to be without a quill feed.

Clive.

I did think about converting the head so the motor is slung from the underside of the head rather than the top, but i'm not sure it could be done and it's still a mission in itself. I could drill a hole up through the ceiling for the motor to pop up into my sisters living room, it would come up just behind the TV lol

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Phil Crossley 1 on 21/08/2016 16:42:35:

Whattya want to know? The whole build of my bike and previous bikes, has been well documented on my blog and facebook, my blog can be found here: **LINK**

If you wanna know how quick it is – well it does 0-60 in less than one second, 150mph in 4 seconds and the quarter mile in 7.2 seconds at 181mph. The bikes based on a 1981 Suzuki GSX1100 but is now 1500cc, and i put a fair bit of nitrous oxide through it to make it faster. The frame and pretty much everything is home made. I best shut up cos i could go on ….

.

That'll do for now, Phil

Impressive … Very.

MichaelG.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Phil, take a look at the Warco Bridgeport clone. I have not seen one in the flesh but someone on an old bike forum I use bought one due to it being lower than a Bridgeport. He was restricted in garage height to accommodate machinery for his model traction engine. He bought a little used second hand machine.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by Phil Crossley 1 on 21/08/2016 16:32:08:

Thanks for the warm welcome I will get around to replying to everyone later, i realized i missed some important information out when i said i was looking for a Deckel type machine, and thats height! My workshop is in my sisters cellar, and the ceiling is just under 2.1m and too short for conventional turret mills. Plus whatever i get has to go down a flight of steps and through a doorway…….same as my dragbike!

Bet your sister loves it when you test run the engine etc! Welcome to the forum.

Love the dragbike, inspite of not being into bikes.

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by Chris Evans 6 on 21/08/2016 20:59:51:

Phil, take a look at the Warco Bridgeport clone. I have not seen one in the flesh but someone on an old bike forum I use bought one due to it being lower than a Bridgeport. He was restricted in garage height to accommodate machinery for his model traction engine. He bought a little used second hand machine.

I've just been on their site and had a look, the height will be very close but is a possibility. The price is twice what i could afford new…. but i'll keep looking. I have overcome the particular problem with the column being out on my mill, so it's at least one step closer to being acceptable!

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

Posted by V8Eng on 21/08/2016 21:11:52:

Posted by Phil Crossley 1 on 21/08/2016 16:32:08:

Thanks for the warm welcome I will get around to replying to everyone later, i realized i missed some important information out when i said i was looking for a Deckel type machine, and thats height! My workshop is in my sisters cellar, and the ceiling is just under 2.1m and too short for conventional turret mills. Plus whatever i get has to go down a flight of steps and through a doorway…….same as my dragbike!

Bet your sister loves it when you test run the engine etc! Welcome to the forum.

Love the dragbike, inspite of not being into bikes.

My sister is my biggest fan lol. She has sponsored me with some engine parts and of course rent free workshop space. I no longer fire the bike anywhere other than at the track cos yeah it is very loud, and her neighbour has racing pigeons …. i thing pigeon heart attack would be highly likely!

[Phil Crossley 1Participant @philcrossley1]

I just finished this today, it's a fixture/table for doing jobs like boring crankcase mouths, and cylinder head stuff … no idea what just yet. If i do get a deckel type mill this would be a waste of time! hey ho.

[BikepeteParticipant @bikepete]

Hi Phil, sent you a message – see the 'inbox' link towards the top of your screen Cheers Pete

[Author]

Posts