Please recommend a decent welding person

[butcher bergs]

Just took on a project that some shop completely hacked up and I need a little help with finding a quality-oriented welding person to hopefully correct/ repair the issues.

The bike is a 1981 XS650. The issue is everything to do with the installation of the custom subframe, the manner in which it attaches to the OEM frame, the shock mounts, etc....all of it is hacked together by hundreds of spot welds. I'm not a welder and I am not sure if this entire frame is junk now or if it can be corrected. That said, I need to locate someone who knows what they are doing and get their opinion on how they will correct the mistakes.

I ask that your suggestions are being made because you have had direct dealings with the welder you are referencing. I don't care about who you heard great things about from whom. I care about your opinion of someone's work with whom you have dealt with directly or have direct knowledge of.

I will try to get some pics as well as the shop name. The work is simply atrocious and I haven't even talked about the wiring job yet.



Any help with finding someone is greatly appreciated.


EDIT: The business name is Columbia Customs/ Columbia Screw located in Hampton, NH

You have been warned.

[stoinkythepig]

Tricky Mike has done some nice welding for me.

[G21forme]

Anger welding in hudson has done some really good work on Our work vehicles.

[NPDCPA]

Don't laugh, but Low Cost Exhaust on 114 in Lawrence is top notch. The owner Henry isn't pretty to look at, but his welds are. He's a bike nut too with a Ducati as well as a couple of V-Rods. Tell him Nick D. Sent ya.

[peterz85]

Post up or pm me some pics of the butchery, I can probably help.

Pete

[butcher bergs]

Post up or pm me some pics of the butchery, I can probably help.

Pete

Thank you. I will have pics up this evening.

In the mean time, does anyone have a complete main wire harness for a 1981 Yamaha XS650? Spent 4hrs on Sunday trying to figure out how they got the head light to work which brought me to the realization that they just tapped into wires until they found power. The speedo illumination was tapped into the headlight circuit. An item called the "reserve lighting unit" was eliminated from the harness along with two of the wires chopped at the connector. This is a problem in that only half of the switch is doing its job and high beam kicks in both filaments rather than switching from low to high. A complete hack job from front to back and by far the worst work I have ever encountered. Pics will tell the rest of the story.

[butcher bergs]

Not sure of the name of the shop yet but here are some fine examples of their wonderful work:

EDIT: I am serious about the wire harness. If anyone has one or knows someone, please contact me.

[obsolete]

Wow, I weld better than that. And I don't weld. That suuuuucks man.

If you want you can borrow my welder after you cut that shit off so you can tack it back together to take it to a pro.

[JohnnyV]

Not sure of the name of the shop yet but here are some fine examples of their wonderful work:

Lawrence High Auto Shop?

What a fucking mess. Good luck dude

[butcher bergs]

Wow, I weld better than that. And I don't weld. That suuuuucks man.

If you want you can borrow my welder after you cut that shit off so you can tack it back together to take it to a pro.

Thanks but I'm thinking a molotov cocktail is about the only solution for this mess.

What blows my mind is that the owner insists on riding this thing even after hearing the numerous safety concerns with.....well, with everything.

[butcher bergs]

Lawrence High Auto Shop?

What a fucking mess. Good luck dude

No. Some place in Hampton, NH I believe. A father and son hack shop.

It's one of those businesses that's shady to the point of needing 3 different names.

[peterz85]

I can help, no worries.... Give me a shout if you need me.

Heres a frame I'm doing for another guy: reinforced rz frame with r1 front end and tz250 rear end:

Started stiffening up the frame:



Just about done with it, finalizing the rear swingarm linkage geometry, powdercoat linkage, then done




Pete

[CBR929RE]

Thanks but I'm thinking a molotov cocktail is about the only solution for this mess.

What blows my mind is that the owner insists on riding this thing even after hearing the numerous safety concerns with.....well, with everything.

doesn't Greg have some explosives? The owner could sit on it while you blow it up. might just be safer than riding it.

This thing takes the cake for worst job on anything I have ever seen.

[jasnmar]

I'm not a welder, but I completely agree with obsolete. I can make shit "stick together" and stuff i do still looks better than those welds. Those look like they were done by mud dobbers.

At first when I saw those I just thought they didn't knock off the slag... I was wrong. I don't even know how to describe that. It's like they just thought that the goal was adding metal, regardless of where it was.

The wiring was equally bad, however might survive as long as it doesn't rain (unlike the welds).

I'm of no help, but share your concerns for the long term survival of thus bike.

[Larry]

B.C. Welding in Hollis, Maine. Bart is a past LRRS expert champion on an EX500 he custom built the frame for. He is well known for building 2 stroke expansion chambers from scratch as well as complete exhausts. HE also rebuild the tail section of a Cessna for an FAA inspector! He does beautiful work and is passionate about bikes. The bad news is his 3 story workshop caught fire some months ago and he is just now getting insurance straightened out enough to start on the foundation. He has fabricated material chutes for me for automated equipment and fabbed up some hay feeders for my wife. I am at most LRRS events and pass by his shop every day. I am willing to drop the frame off to him after any race weekend if you bring it to NHMS.
Bart Chamberlain
bcw@sacoriver.net
1-207-929-3030

[B440]

Save yourself the headache; scrap that frame and the wiring.

[obsolete]

No chance I'd ride that thing for fear of: A. it falling apart underneath me or B. it spontaneously combusting.

[Evadd]

Holy hell. It looks worse than the tree fort I built when I was 12.

[Half Squid]

I know an excellent welder that will take on bike projects. He loves working on cars and bikes. He's looking for side work. Many years experience in Steel & Aluminum.
HE used to have a custom side business manufacturing boat and RV awnings.

He is close to the RI border just south of Worcester. Not sure if this works for you location wise. I know he could use the side work. & know he is available right away to take on work.

[butcher bergs]

Updated first post with company name.

Columbia Customs/ Columbia Screw
Hampton, NH