Have been looking for inspiration and ideas for my build for awhile. Have figured out exactly how I want my build to look. However, I have one issue I need help with. A member on here, jakazz, had a night train build where he welded the back of a street glide fender to the front of a night train fender as shown in the pictures. The welding part I understand and can do, however I am uncertain of how he merged the corners of the fender where the street glide has the “dent” to the smooth corner of the night train fender so smoothly. If anyone has any ideas, tips or tricks I would be very grateful. I am in NC if anyone locally knows and would be willing to help. Thank you!

side note, I will not be stretching the fender the same way he did as I am not using stretched bags.

 

Don't mean to be a smartass(well, maybe a little bit), but if you have to ask how it was done, you probably are not the person for the job. Sheet metal work is an artform as much as it is a skill.

For specifics tho, While I didn't witness the work, the results would indicate to me that what was involved was a vision of the final product, a welder, a hammer, a dolly, possibly a little bit of heat to anneal the working zone, and a metric buttload of skill mixed with an inordinate amount of patience.

For the record, I think I have the vision and most of the tools to pull it off, but I still wouldn't even attempt that. The skill and patience required, are well beyond what I can manage on a good day, and on a bad day I would mangle it beyond recognition. There is a reason I like machining and fabrication, as opposed to sculpting sheet metal. It is very predictable.

 

Firstly, I was asking a very technical question about a specific part of the project I wasn’t 100% on. I had ideas but have never done something quite like this specific part. If I wasn’t comfortable doing it, then I wouldn’t.

Second, you listed some generic metal working tools. I didn’t ask “what basic tools do I need for this project?” Which seems to be the question you answered.

Third, the fact you aren’t willing to attempt this gives absolutely nothing to the topic.

Everyday I learn new tips and tricks for doing things an easier or smarter way at work from the old timers that have been here a while. I ask questions before diving in, in case someone who knows more than I do has a better way to do things. Next time someone asks a question, maybe you should consider giving an actual answer instead of telling them they aren’t the person to do the job.

 

Seriously, what part of your question did I fail to answer. He welded the parts together, and then using basic sheet metal tools, he hammered/formed them into the shape he wanted. I seriously doubt that you are going to get a more detailed answer from anyone. I don't remember who it was, but I read a quote from a fabricator/customizer, probably close to 45 years ago. Someone asked him how he fabricated something, I believe it was a mirror body. He said he started with a big chunk of aluminum, and machined away everything that didn't look like a mirror. Same theory applies here. There are probably a couple of ways to accomplish what you are asking, but they all involve hammering the part till it looks like you want it to. There is no secret method or magic.

 

If hammering the part until it looks like that is the answer, then that’s fine. I can work with that, that was how I originally thought it was done. I was asking if anyone had any tips or tricks other than “hit it with a hammer”

 

To me it looks like he just literally hammered it down to the indent of the underlying fender with both bolted straight to the bike. Then welded them down. painters putty to smooth everything out.