Driving Lights on an F650GS, Page 8

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Now it was back to the garage and the motorcycle, so that I could get the proper mounting angles. I guess I could have measured or something, but mounting the bar into place and then simply levelling the mounting pads worked great, too. Once again, I'm just not interested in measuring when I can work directly. I used a small C-clamp to hold the pad in place on the bar.

I tack-welded the pads into position, and was pretty happy with the results.

So I unmounted the assembly and finished the welds. My welds are getting a little better, I think, although some of that I should probably attribute to my (finally) switching from flux-core to MIG (Metal/Inert Gas) welding. Using the gas for shielding means a lot less 'spitting' from the weld as I make the bead. It's also a little less bright, and I find I can stare better at the spot through my welding helmet, gaining me better control.

Once everything had cooled, I cleaned it up really well using Kerosene and a scotch-brite pad. My goal was not simply to have clean metal, but also to scuff up the smooth areas (the tool steel drill rod comes polished) for painting. What I DIDN'T do is clean up all the welds to perfection, grinding down extra bead and cleaning up all the splatter. To heck with it, I'm going to show the world a few rough edges.

So there I had it: One fully fabbed up raw chunk of steel. It's not beautiful, but it should be functional.

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