How to scratchbuild cycle fenders

[willimo]

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.



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.



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.



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.

[Ferrari TR]

That's really cool!

Are those the XS brakes?

[Hiroboy]

Nice How to, what are you putting them on?

[bigfrit]

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

Olivier

[dag65]

Nice, Ilove to see this stuff. Great idea

[willimo]

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.

[mike@af]

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.