Sticking Matchless forks and DB reamers

[@Beardmondy67]

.. Genius set-up, Sir A G,.. I spotted a few of those reamers up for sale recently and scratched my head,..Now I know what they're all about !...

[@AGEngineering]

They can certainly be useful in some circumstances, thanks for watching

[@rc166honda]

Hi Ade, that was a fantastically ingenious set up thoroughly enjoyed watching that. Its given me food for thought! Great work Plumstead lives on! Cheers Jim

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks Jim, good to see you catching up on past episodes, Ade

[@glaicogobbo4046]

Very specific and probably very high cost tools. Only there in the country of origin of the motorcycles as they are currently resembling are there such specialized tools. Not counting all the adventures to center and prepare the machine for the execution of the beautiful service. Here, if the telescopic fork has a defect of this type, sometimes due to the mechanic holding the fork without an internal bush turned from wood, with semi-concave jaws of copper or aluminum in the vise jaws or bench vise, they replace the fork or perform a service that leaves much to content even less experienced motorcyclists. It is not easy to leave all the components of a motorcycle gold and wire. So it has a high cost.

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks again

[@pearcemachineshop5200]

Very interesting Ade and nicely done. Alan.

[@AGEngineering]

Thank Alan, I must catch up on your projects.

[@retromechanicalengineer]

Great job Ade. I've never seen DB reamers before, amazing bits of kit. I hope you are well, you are very much missed on KZbin. Do get in touch for a chat if you see this comment. Kindest regards, Dean in Oxfordshire.

[@AGEngineering]

Hi Dean, good to hear from you. I'm still here, unfortunately not getting much time in the workshop still, the BSA crank project is still sat by the mill waiting forlornly ☹️. I did do some swinging arm bushes recently for a Norton rotary alloy arm.

[@retromechanicalengineer]

@@AGEngineering it's great to hear from you Ade, It's genuinely made my day. Sounds like you have been busy. Norton Rotaries are few and far between. I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. I've been working on my channel, I'd like to send you some stickers if you'd like some. I can't post my email (comment will get deleted) but it's in my videos, if you have the time it would be great to hear from you. I'm very glad you are doing well. Kindest regards, Dean.

[@AGEngineering]

I'll certainly email you, I need to catch up with other channels! The guy with the rotary had 5 or six of them at the last count ☹️

[@retromechanicalengineer]

@@AGEngineering thank you Ade. That bloke must have them all!

[@Robonthemoor]

Hope they work ok" dangerous things to get wrong, nice set up well thought out. As usual well thought through, & educational film. Hope your health is coming on nicely too.

[@AGEngineering]

Cheers Rob, yes you are right, by all accounts them Matchless forks were a bit dodgy from new, stories of brake torque arms ripping out, so all these years later they need care in assembly and regular checking. Feeling much improved thanks.

[@Robonthemoor]

A G Engineering my dad told me the forks after a long hard ride on hard braking they"or one would not return😮

[@EVguru]

This video popped up when I was searching for replacement blades for my DB floating reamer. I wasn't then surprised to see my friend Chris comment below. I'm looking to do something similar to the Marzocchi forks as fitted to Morini motorcycles. They're unbushed and eventually the wear means they eventually need converting to a bushed setup. Lansdown engineering used to offer a service to rebore Norton forks. They used a faceplate mounted fixture with a large bore pipe to hold the slider. It had a centre for the lower end and four screws to clamp and centre the upper end. I did wonder if you would have been able to dismount the reaper and check progress without having to remove the slider.

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Being able to check without disturbing the slider would be easy in a longer bed lathe, removing the reamer depends on space available

[@bhartwigutube]

Creative problem solving! BTW - would a fixed steady on the extension nearest the spindle help with the runout?

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks for watching! A steady is a thought yes, but it's surprising how much these reamers will self centre and float on the cutters. Would have been better done on a horizontal boring machine, but that's a ' maybe oneday' ...

[@PurityVendetta]

I don't use my DB reamers very much but I thought your spindle speed was pretty good for the size and the stick out of the sleeves. I was wondering if one of these floating reamers might be the answer to a problem I have. Very occasionally I'd like to bore Norton barrels on a Bridgeport. It wouldn't be worth me buying a cylinder boring bar but the Bridgeport isn't really rigid enough. Perhaps an S12 would be the ticket? If anyone has done this I'd like to know.

[@AGEngineering]

That's an interesting thought, not sure on room as you would need MT4 to R8 and the barrel height plus clearance? Could work in theory.

[@robinstone9933]

Hi Ade, I have a similar problem with the fork tubes on my BSA Bantam. Would you be able to help me out? Thanks, Robin.

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks for watching. Possibly, but it would be in the new year, let me know some details, [e-mail]

[@chrisstephens6673]

Can't help with the S&F, I have one new in its box but no instructions. I only bought it a SM&EE rummage sale because it looked interesting and one I'll have a job that needs it, maybe.:>) To save all those repeated set ups, would it have been worth making a bush to fit between one of your Morse extenders and the bore and then hand hold the slider? Perhaps using the tail stock as end support? Just a thought but if you wanted to ease that little end stick, you could put a slight chamfer or radius on the bottom bush, not that it is really necessary but there you go.

[@AGEngineering]

It wasn't that bad to be honest, with the height set I ended up checking the horizontal alignment using the reamer itself . I had thought about making a sort of guided boring bar using a couple of bushes to support the back end as the bar enters, but in theory each time you make a cut, the bush needs to be made bigger. Hand holding the with a 2 flute reamer is a bit dodgy, I have had a few with tang damage and talking to a guy that used them in the past they can "grab" suddenly in use apparently, he did say only take very very light cuts. Talked with the bloke building the forks about a larger chamfer on the bottom bush, but he's happy with the results. There is a Midlands model engineering show this month at Fosse Way exhibition centre, might go to that, not been for a few years. I'm at the classic motorcycle mechanics show, Stafford the week before to have a look round also. Thanks for the support Chris.

[@chrisstephens6673]

You got the job done, so any alternative way is irrelevant, as they say "ask a half dozen engineers......" I think you are right, when I looked at my reamer I thought it seemed as though it was meant for use in a rigid set up, more like a two flute boring head than a reamer. A small party of my local SMEEians have plans to go to the Midlands, not sure which day yet, Never been to Stafford but the shop used to have a stand, must be twenty years ago now, how time flies when you are having fun.?????? c

[@AGEngineering]

A mate and I have just booked for the Midland MEX , we are going on the last day, Sunday.I have thought for a while now the model engineering clubs and folk need to appeal to a broader audience as most people I know into home engineering don't build models, they do bikes, cars, compressors, welding and fab, and all sorts of general engineering, most have a lathe and mill, but have never built a steam engine or the like. Maybe home engineering club/society would be more appropriate?

[@chrisstephens6673]

I think we might be going on the Friday, but when you get to a certain age one day is very much like another. Indeed model engineering is only one branch of "light" engineering. Personally I am more into the experimental engineering part of SMEE, I did make a little wobbler and bought a Super 7 just so I could say I was a model engineer, but with no great conviction. I only really joined the society to learn but right from the word go people were asking me how I did something or how they should do something, must have the right face to inspire confidence, perhaps I should have been a "trickster":>)

[@caahacky]

Great video. Did you check the collar on the end of the fork tube to see if it was distorted or out of round?

[@AGEngineering]

Thanks for watching. The fork tube fitted the other sliders OK, problem was definitely with the slider. Good observation though. Ade

[@caahacky]

Of course. I should have realised.

[@127069]

nice work, Ive a little kearns s type hori bore I use for this, you should get one, fit in your workshop nicely!

[@AGEngineering]

I'd love a Kearns , like Bruce Witham uses, but they seem quite rare and fetch good money. Thanks for commenting, best wishes, Ade

[@repairrestoreresell2026]

Just found and subscribed to your Channel. Nice series of machining to facilitate repairs video's!! Just curious why you didn't try a less intrusive 3-stone cylinder hone? Best of luck............. From Across the Pond

[@AGEngineering]

Hi, thanks for subscribing and comments, welcome to the channel ! I had previously tried a hone, but it was not doing the business unfortunately, so tried this method afterwards. As you note, it is a delicate task because it is so easy to take too much out.

[@TheFuneralDirector]

Cheers Ade, its nice too see the unusual stuff you take on , ps I never miss the Warwick M.E I'll be there on the Saturday so I'll appreciate if Chris leaves me a few bargains if he's goo'in on Friday

[@AGEngineering]

We've changed plans, so I'll be going on the Saturday also, I'll do a short update video soon.

[@TheFuneralDirector]

I’ll look out for ya

[@AGEngineering]

Be good to meet up, I'll have my green AG Engineering shirt on! (and a pink carnation in the lapel....)

[@nortontriumph1960]

good job

[@AGEngineering]

Ta very much