Make You Own Headbadge!

[Booger1]

My tour bike needed a paint job after 30 years,so I figured I'd make it a new headbadge will I was at it.

Went to the scrap pile and got a piece of 3/16" 6061 T-6 aluminum.Put some layout die on it and scribed the design.While I was at it,I included a loom for my headlight wires.

When the layout was done,I put a socket it the vise that was 1/8" smaller than the headtube.After about 10 minutes of forming it over the socket to fit the headtube,I started cutting it out.

Drilled some holes in it so I could get a coping saw blade in there,then started cutting.After cutting the basic shape,I broke out the files and finished up.

After a couple hours of fooling around,here's what you get:

IT"S A HOG!........ Sorry the bikes dirty.

[reddog3]

Very COOL! Nice work, great idea. I just love individual, distinctive headbadges. I hope others post pics of their as well. I have a couple frame tht just rolled out of the paint booth. As soon as the head badges are installed I'll post some pics.

[I_like_cereal]

Would JB Weld be an alternative to drilling holes in the headtube?

I was considering this with copper.

[HillRider]

Would JB Weld be an alternative to drilling holes in the headtube?

I was considering this with copper.

The headbadge on my '96 Litespeed was just fastened with doublesided tape and fell off after about 8 years. I cleaned both surfaces and reattached it with superglue and it's still firm 4 years later. Superglue isn't extremely water resistant so a bike that gets rained on routinely probably isn't a candidate for its use.

My '06 Litespeed has the badge factory attached with two tiny bolts so maybe the manufacturer had a lot of complaints about the older ones.

[Booger1]

The original was riveted,so I filled the holes and tapped new ones.I wanted to make it so it could be removed,and leave the paint behind.

I don't see why you couldn't epoxy it on if you want.It will only be as strong as the paint.

[fietsbob]

A Jewelers saw lets you make even more detailed , intricate designs.

Because the saw blades are thin.. get them by the dozen , because their hardened steel
breaks occasionally.

a V shaped piece cut out of a piece of wood, attached to table extending over the edge
is typically the work place, as you saw,
downward, a little at a time.. seated at comfy kitchen chair.

[duckracer]

Cool, I like custom work!

[Dan Burkhart]

Would JB Weld be an alternative to drilling holes in the headtube?

I was considering this with copper.

JB Weld will stick just about anything to anything, and stick it forever,but I've never used it on a painted surface.
Nice work there on the OP.

[pitbull007]

booger1 you must be a jeweller , I remember doing that in college.
It looks very well cut out and filed/polished.
An other idea might be to get a brass piece , draw your design with an acid etching marker
and let it sit in a warm acid bath.

[cranky old road]

That's really nice. I like the intrinsic cable routing. I'm much lazier. I just keep an eye on my cigar bands and hold on to the ones I like. I'll spray one with clear enamel and then use a Pritt Glue-it roller to put adhesive on the back. They hold up until I'm tired of them and I find a different cigar band I'd like to use, around a year.