Welding small crafts is an exercise in patience.
Producing a decorative metal motorcycle that you can proudly display may not earn you a spot at your local art museum, but it's a fun project that can be accomplished using little more than the junk you may have scattered around your garage. When working with small and thin-gauge metal, it's best to turn your welder down as far as it will go to help prevent burning through the project.
Instructions
Engine
1. Construct the engine for your decorative motorcycle using washers of two diamaters in size and two machine screws. Washers will replicate the cooling fins and the screws will hold them in place. Begin by sliding a large washer over the screw, followed by a small washer. Follow this with a large washer, and continue until you have built two sides to the V-twin engine.
2. Secure the washers onto the screws by running a bolt over the screw and tightening it down. Weld the two pieces together in a V-shape.
3. Cut away any excess screw below the bottom of the V-shape with the rotary metal cutter to complete the construction of the engine.
Frame
4. Reference a photograph of a real motorcycle to see the shape of the frame. Use at least six nails to complete this part of the project, as well as two large nuts to serve as tires.
5. Weld two nails onto the nut so that when the nut is on its side sitting flat, the nails are positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle similar to the forks of a real motorcycle. Next bend a nail to the approximate shape of a motorcycle handlebar and weld it to the top of the two nails.
6. Bend two nails into curves similar to the bottom of a motorcycle frame, and then weld their heads together. Weld the second nut, which will serve as a wheel, to these nails.
7. In the same way that you constructed the engine, build a fuel tank but use smaller washers first, progressing to larger washers, then tapering down to small washers again. Secure them with a nut. Weld the fuel tank washers in place just behind the handlebars.
8. Weld the engine between the lower frame nails and the fuel tank, and then cut two nails that will represent shock absorbers to the same length as the distance between the lower frame nails and the approximate position of the motorcycle seat.
9. Weld a washer onto the screw just behind the fuel tank to represent the motorcycle seat.
