How to scratchbuild cycle fenders

The wheels are XS tuning. Those wheels seem pretty popular lately.

So, here is how I am making my cycle fenders.

The materials I am using are some rather hard wire, and some plastic sheet. I am using thin plastic to make it easier to bend. I am also using V-groove siding, to also facilitate bending.

1. Cut a strip of plastic just wider than the wheels. I made it about 1-2mm too wide, I can sand the excess off later. The strip I cut goes perpendicular to the grooves in the siding. That is important if you want it to bend easily later.

2. I maked off a length of the strip to use, rather larger than I want in the end, but not long enough to go around the entire wheel.

3. I wrap the strip around a rod of smaller diameter than the wheel. Not too small, though, or the plastic tends to kink. I used a Sharpie marker, since I had it out for marking already.

4. Test fit around the wheel. This one needs to go back to the marker.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/Cyclefender01.jpg

5. I used the same plastic to help support the bent plastic, as it won't like to hold the shape on its own. I used the same plastic as I did for the fender itself. Trace the tire on the plastic.

5. Then I cut it out, and cut out the center. I didn't cut it fully a circle as the fender doesn't wrap a full circle around the wheel. This will make it easier to hold later.

8. (The pictures are out of order.) I taped the fender to the tire to hold it round while I....

7. ....placed the support section on top of the wheel, with a strip of plastic as a spacer. The support is then glued in place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/Cyclefender02.jpg

9. Cut the fender to size, shape it with sandpaper, and trim any excess. I drilled holes in the fender, and in the brake rotor to place wire in for the supports. After paint, I will epoxy it together.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/Cyclefender03.jpg

Next up: put some shape to the top of the fenders to add a little visual interest, and putty and gaps and flaws. Almost done.

That's really cool!

Are those the XS brakes?
:p

Nice How to, what are you putting them on?

thanks for the superb how-to willimo; you're a real asset to this forum !

Olivier

Nice, Ilove to see this stuff. Great idea

Those are Tamiya S2000 brakes. This how-to somehow got out of my in-progress of a Lotus 7 (link is in my sig). Thanks for the kind words! Makes me feel like I'm doin' something right.

Now Mr Will, can we be guarenteed that you are teaching us right?

(inside joke)

Anyway, looks good. Now to try it out with metal.