EZ-RIDER **RAD** REFURB!!

Why NOT Refurbish?

Having pulled EZ-RIDER's radiator off to get at the front spark plug, I decided to take some time to refurbish it instead of just slapping it back in place.  Everything on EZ-RIDER is in need of attention, and I figured that I would eventually get called to look at that part of the motorcycle again anyways.

Here's what it looked like just before I took it off:

Here's the video of me taking the radiator off:

Post Removal

Once I got the radiator off:

- I flushed it out.  

- I washed it.  

- I power-washed it.

- I sanded it

- I inspected it

- Where it looked like it was black before, I re-painted it flat black

- Where it looked like it was silver before, I cleaned off the grime and polished it.

- Wherever I could, I replaced the mounting hardware.

Concerns

Electrical:

With respect to electrical, wherever I could, I made sure the electrical connections were working, but I have the following concern:

- The fan does not spin as freely as I would like it to.  Its bearings are dirty.

The fan is definitely going to need some attention with some kind of lubricating oil and an external 12v power supply.  That's probably enough content to shoot a short video about...so stay tuned!

Circulatory, Hoses & Clamps:

With respect to circulatory, hoses & clamps, things do not look OK.

- When I emptied the radiator, the coolant looked dirty

- When I flushed out the radiator, the coolant looked dirty

- The return hose leading from the bottom of the radiator appears to have a split.

- All of the cooling system hoses look suspicious and unreliable-looking.

- All of the cooling system hose clamps look suspicious and unreliable-looking.

The entire cooling system should probably have all of its hoses and clamps replaced, and at least a clean water flush applied.  That's probably enough content to shoot a short video about...so stay tuned!

Where Things Now Stand

Mechanically and cosmetically, the radiator is now looks and works as good as I can make it.

Of course, as noted above, this refurbished unit now needs to be tied into the overall cooling system, which involves hoses, at least one pump, a bunch of hose clamps, a few hose clips and a coolant overflow tank - all of which needs to be checked and verified working.

Looks like there's going to be at least three more coolant-system related videos coming, so stay tuned!

Here's the video that goes over how I refurbished the radiator:

Help a Maker Out?

Did you see anything in this video you want for yourself?  If the answer is yes, consider using one of the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you do, I get a small commission that keeps me going!

Bill of Materials

Rust-Oleum 248903 Automotive 12-Ounce High Heat 2000 Degree Spray Paint, Flat Black
https://amzn.to/3996MfO


WORX WG625 20V Hydroshot Cordless Portable Power Cleaner, Black and Orange
https://amzn.to/30jMEU5

Klean-Strip Green QKGT75004 Turpentine, 1-Quart

https://amzn.to/2ERhQ3e

15 pieces Scratch Brush (Stainless Steel + Brass+Nylon), AFUNTA Curved Handle Masonry Wire brush Set Bristle for Cleaning Welding Slag and Rust,5 pcs Per Type

https://amzn.to/2rvQFYK

Trident Silicone Grease Jar
https://amzn.to/2R2japl

WD-40 Multi-Use Product Non-Aerosol Trigger Pro Spray. 20 oz. [1-Pack]

https://amzn.to/30h2nmN

**WOW** I Used Simple Household Products to Refurbish Some Speakers!

JBL Control-1 Speakers

**WOW** I Used Simple Household Products to Refurbish Some Speakers!

A neighbor was kind enough to loan me a pair of JBL Control-1 speakers a little while ago, to help me troubleshoot a little audio quality problem I was having.  The speakers worked just fine, but they were a little dusty when I got them:

So when I was finished with them, and didn't need them any more, and I thought it would be a nice gesture if I gave them back to him in better condition than I received them in!

So, I pulled out my trusty cleaning trinity:

1) Rubbing Alcohol

2) Classic Armor All

3) Castor Oil

And got to work!  

I am very happy to say the results I got were fantastic, and I couldn't be happier:

To see how I got these results...

Watch the video to see how I did it!

Video Bill Of Materials

Armor All 10160 Protectant, Original 1 pt (16 fl oz) 473 ml
https://amzn.to/2RGtHsx

Heritage Products Castor Oil
https://amzn.to/2rEhgmj

MG Chemicals 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol Electronics Cleaner, 475 mL Trigger Spray Bottle
https://amzn.to/2SEnQ7C

Before and After

Video Coming soon

Motorcycle Chain Guard 100% REFURBISHED in Flat Black!

EZ-RIDER, a 1997 Honda Magna VT250CR (Japanese Edition)

EZ-RIDER Chain Guard 100% Refurbished in Flat Black!

The 1st *COMPLETED* EZ-RIDER Mini-Project!  At long last, I have finally completed *SOMETHING* on EZ-RIDER!  Wow! 

Yes, I know that re-painting a formerly black plastic chain guard in flat black is a trivial thing.  Especially in the final analysis, when it comes to the Art of Motorcycle Repair, which will incorporate thousands and thousands of little fixes - But as they say here in China:  "千里之行，始於足下" ("A journey of a thousand miles begins with but one step" -- Laozi), and this one was mine! 

What a totally grotty chain guard.  When I took it off, I immediately noticed that it was in horrible, terrible shape.  Not only was it damaged, it was also caked with years of old, hard grease, road grit, little stones and all manner of other assorted nasties.  It was faded and chalky looking.  All of the fittings were (of course) rusty.  

So I figured that this was as good a place as any to get STARTED with something I could FINISH.  No waiting for parts or tools - just get it done!  And, after this simple and easy beginnning...I could start to work my way out!  

First, I power washed the chain guard as best I could.

Next, I went after what even the power washer couldn't dislodge, with a combination of elbow grease, turpentine, and disposable chopsticks!  I ended up using two disposable chopsticks to scrape the inside of the chain guard and loosen the toughest, most anchored grit.  

All the while, I used PLENTY of rags to soak up the resulting mess, because the resulting concoction was 100% BLACK, disgusting and and obscuring everything.

After I had cleared away the mess and completely wiped the chain guard down, I let the turpentine evaporate

After that, I sanded the chain guard with 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper.  I did this so the flat black spray paint could have something to anchor onto, because plastic has no pores.  Unlike wood, smooth surfaces like metal and plastic need to be roughened, or paint won't stick to them.

Once I had finished sanding the chain guard, I wiped it down with acetone.

(the next time I do something like this I will use alcohol instead, because I think the acetone was likely too harsh, and alcohol would have done an equally good job for cleaning away any remaining residue from the sanding)

Next, I put down an initial coat of flat black paint on the side of the chain guard that faces the public.  After a 15 minute wait, I put down a second coat on the entire outside surface of the chain guard, front and back, and then left it to dry overnight. 

Here's the result of my labor:

Hey, even though it was a very small job in the grand scheme of things, I felt super good about getting something on this motorcycle FINISHED. No waiting for tools, no waiting for parts, no waiting on consumables, no need to do further research. It just got DONE. 

So, 1/1000 of the bike is now FINISHED...and that feels GREAT!

BILL OF MATERIALS:

GLOVEWORKS HD Industrial Black Nitrile Gloves - 6 mil, Latex Free, Powder Free, Diamond Texture, Disposable, Large, Box of 100
https://amzn.to/35fifrv

Klean-Strip Green QKGT75004 Turpentine, 1-Quart
https://amzn.to/2ERhQ3e

Rust-Oleum 248903 Automotive 12-Ounce High Heat 2000 Degree Spray Paint, Flat Black
https://amzn.to/3996MfO

Disposable Chopsticks, pack of 40 pair
https://amzn.to/3979cLK

Scott Shop Towels Original Blue, 55 Sheets/Standard Roll, Pack of 2
https://amzn.to/2PSs89l

3M 220 Grit Imperial Wet/Dry Sandpaper Sheet, 9in x 11 in, Pack of 5
https://amzn.to/34OnuNT

How To Troubleshoot & Refurbish a DEAD $10 Cordless Drill Back to Working Condition!

I bought a tool on the street for ten bucks. It was completely untested and the vendor initially refused to sell it to me because it "didn't work!".
After some convincing (I really should video the convincing some day, there are bunches of people who refuse to sell me broken things because they don't want to RIP ME OFF...) she sold it to me, somewhat ashamedly.
Here's how I brought a drill back to life, by cleaning it, troubleshooting it and buying another tool with a compatible battery.

In a future video I will show how to repair the problem (faulty power pack) by testing and changing out its defective 18650 Lithium Ion batteries.

Cutting Board Refurb & Upgrade (part 2)

Mrs. Maker pointed out to me that she HATES mold, and that the cutting board that I had DE-MOLDED for her still bore the scars of having once had mold, which disgusted her. Obviously, the mottled appearance of the cutting board was really bothering her, so I took it upon myself to make the "mold scars" go away - and also take the opportunity to upgrade the cutting board a little bit while I was at it! First, I identified where the cutting board needed to be refurbished, which was mostly on the sides, where the open grain of the bamboo was being exposed. This is (understandably) where water can most easily penetrate into the bamboo - after all, it's where the plant moves water around within itself when it is alive! It's basically a bunch of straws! But now that the bamboo is no longer a plant and now a cutting board in Mrs. Maker's kitchen, water entering the bamboo open grain ends is NO GOOD. So, I whipped out some 100 GRIT and 220 GRIT sandpaper and sanded away any and all signs of mold. Mold, mold go away! Don't come back another day! Bamboo is a very soft material, so the sanding didn't take very long at all. Once the sanded surfaces were nice and clean by wiping them with a slightly damp rag, I took out some 3M sticky feet that I had purchased and stuck one to each of the corners of the bottom of the cutting board, about 1/4 inch from the corner edges. My theory here is that the air gap produced by the feet will help to dry the cutting board much faster, therefore reducing the conditions in which mold might be able to grow. Time will tell on that one. I'll keep you posted. Finally, I sealed the cutting board surface with CASTOR OIL, which I am using more and more these days when I want to use a non-petroleum based oil, like with a cutting board where food will definitely come into contact with it. All in all, this was a fun little project. It wasn't that complicated or challenging, but it did come with a unique reward - Mrs. Maker is right pleased with the result, which is all Mr. Maker could ever hope for!

#MMTM #HouseholdChanel

Yuk! How To Eliminate Cutting Board MOLD! (Part 1)

We are heading into the mold season here in Hong Kong, the winter months when it's always damp and a bit cold. Because everyone turns off their air conditioners, the relative humidity in homes drifts up from 50% to levels well past 80%...and the mold starts to proliferate like crazy! Even with sophisticated air quality management in place (like ours) some spots just stay damp no matter how hard you try. Like the kitchen sink. The other day, Mrs. Maker noted to me that one of her favorite cutting boards was now moldy because I have the habit of leaving it in the sink to drip dry after washing it. Well, we have some things to fix now: (1) Eliminate the mold on the cutting board; (2) Refurbish the cutting board so it bears no signs whatsoever that the mold was ever there; and (3) Put a cutting board drying solution in place so it doesn't get moldy again! This video covers point #1, how to Eliminate the mold on the cutting board. HELP A MAKER OUT: If you want to try out this solution, or buy any of the products mentioned in the video, consider doing so by clicking on one or more of the links listed below. If you buy, I get a small commission, which helps me to continue making these videos! Products Used in this video: ======================= Bamboo Cutting Board - https://amzn.to/38EdSbH Bleach - https://amzn.to/38JRdeg Dish Towels - https://amzn.to/2YRkbEf GLAD Cling Wrap - https://amzn.to/2Ei5ReL Sriracha - https://amzn.to/2M0lYlc

#MMTM #HouseholdChannel