Muffler Shield -DNA- A salute to Abby..

Randy V

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While being laid up most of the winter on medication that would leave me only 20-30 minutes of clear vision and relatively steady hands - I set out to design and fabricate my own muffler Mounting bracket (covered on another thread) and a shield..
I'll post more thorough information on my website soon (I hope) but here's the culmination of roughly 4 months worth of effort in my shop and wife's kitchen table..

I knew I wanted a shield - and while I liked a number of them that I have seen on this forum - none of them really fit the bill for me. I set out to design something special. Yet I was having a heck of a time figuring out what sort of venting holes I wanted..

Salute to Abby - the DNA Muffler shield

When not clear enough to focus on work in my shop or much of anything else. My wife and I sat side by side catching up on 6 seasons worth of NCIS Television episodes.. We have both become enamored with the Character Abby Sciuto (played by the very talented actress Pauley Perrette).
On one episode - I marveled at the screens where Abby was working up a match between DNA samples. Then it hit me.. The round-cornered rectangular (don't know the geometrical name if there is one) "slots" that represented the DNA code were it! How they worked in patterns.
Short of watching races or other educational programming or films I don't watch much TV but this is one case when it paid off (in my mind anyway).

I designed these patterns in my mind and laid them out on a piece of paper.
There was to be symmetry between the two sides.

I intentionally made it with the spacings the way you see..

Enough yack... On with it already....

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Nope - Not 2024-T3 (I learned my lesson)
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What to use for a pattern... Hmmm....

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Now to lay out the DNA Pattern...

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132 Center punches

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132 holes - 1mm

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132 holes - ~3/16"

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132 Holes - 3/8"

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Connect the dots?

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Oh boy this is gonna be fun...

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I ended up hand filing and de-burring all 66 slots... No pictures but it took me a couple of weeks.. My wife is a saint for allowing me to do a lot of this on a newspaper covered kitchen table..

Now we need to figure out how to mount this thing...


Need rear supports (2)

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Front mounts (2)

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Once I had the mounts done, I did a quick polish job on the shield and bolted it up for some quick pics for you guys...


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There it is... It's got some flaws but I'm fine with them and how it turned out. I'll give it a good polishing before I mount it for good.. The brackets will be ceramic coated.
 
Fantastic Randy. Looking great! Perserverence is always the key element in even what seems to be a tedious project. WELL DONE! Thanks for the pic's.
 

Randy V

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Thanks fellas.... Patience is something I have run rather short on lately.. I've grown tired of being tired and "hazy" from the meds.. Thank God they are being reduced and I will be off of them within a couple of weeks..

Since this RCR has gotten some cross-pollenating within my shop - the DNA is rather unique...

Thanks for putting up with my corny reference to the television show...

In the end I just wanted something that would compliment the fine work that RCR has done with the pipes while still providing the function I was after..

Jac-Mac :: You were there in the shop with me as I was trying to figure out how to clamp the short side of the material in my sheet-metal brake to put the second bend in it.. Thank you! :)
 

flatchat(Chris)

Supporter
Top job Randy! I reckon-- for the ultimate finishing touch, you need a laser etching of the spyder web over it ( like whats on Abbys neck):drunk:
 
I like that a lot. Finishing touch for me would be some black or silver anodized countersunk alumininim washers and suitable bolts for the attachment points.

Lots of suppliers online, or local motorcycle shops might have something.

Cheers

Fred W B

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An old friend of mine (from "Gore" actualy) had a saying that went " With perserverance you can get the Bum of an ant over the lid of a coffee jar" and I think Randy just prooved it, Great job and I do Addmire your patience. Leonmac
 

Randy V

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Guys - thank you again...

Ant - the polishing job was done on a ragged old buffing wheel after I had done as much cleanup as I could of the scarred up metal with a 3M disc..

Fred - That looks like the perfect touch! I believe I have some in my shop. The bolts I grabbed were just handy..
 
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