Mermite Cans Project Log

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:24 AM

I have this project tacked onto my KLR Makeover thread but thought I would post a seperate thread here as these cans can be mounted on many other bikes.

That thread is HERE

An ispirational Mermite thread by pilot HERE

I bought 2 US military surplus Mermite Food Transportation Cases for $20 each.

My plan is to mount them to the Happy Trails Northwest Rack that came installed on my KLR when I bought it. The cases will be gutted, mounted, then stripped, painted and customized.

Each can will have a small brake light installed to augment the standard brake light.

So here are the cans as I recieved them- you can see the seperate containers for chow hall food within the aluminum liner.

I have seen some mermites gutted and the top seal used by leaving 1-2 inches of the foam underneath- I don't want to do this. I want the can fully open- leaving the stock seal and some foam for support uses around 3 inches of space, side to side.

So the cans will be completely gutted and a new edge to edge rubber seal used to seal the lid to the case. The lids will also have their foam removed as I want to mount cleats on the top of the lid for bungee tie downs.

More on that later. First I have to gut them.

First remove the top seal and set it aside, next to some good implements of destruction-

Then you have to cut the seal between the inner aluminum liner and the base that the rubber seal sits in. The seat material is very tough, and I found that the easiest way to cut the seal is to use a sharp scraper knife and a hammer-

I found a relatively easy way to get the liner out. First I drilled a 1/2" hole near the bottom of the liner-

Then, using a sawzall, I made a cut through the aluminum from the hole to the top edge. This cut will allow you to fold over the corners and help break the seal between the foam and the liner-

Then using your implements of destruction, break the seal between the foam and the liner. Near the cuts, fold the corners in. I found that 2 Jiffy pry bars worked best, as they are flat and apply more even leverage. I never used the big pry bars.

With lots of leverage and fanagaling, the liner will break free. Then you just slowly leverage the liner out a little at a time, taking are not to damage the top edge of the can itself. Then it's out- took about 15 min each.

Then you get to do the fun part- removing the foam. I say fun because it it absolutely no fun at all. I used the sharp scraper and a jiffy bar. If you can, get the jiffy bar between the foam and the case and break off large chunks. And wear gloves, otherwise you'll have a hole in the palm of your hand like me.

The foam in the first can was much easier to get out than the second can- it was much more brittle and broke free easier. I removed as much as I could with the scraper and the remaining will be removed using a wire brush wheel on a hand grinder, though a drill could work as well.

One down, one to go-

Then you have to remove 2 aluminum strips that are along the long side of the inner can edge. These strips were spot welded to the inside of the case and are easily removed with a pair of vice grips. The remaning welds have sharp spots and I ground them smooth with my dremel. A small file or sandpaper could also be used-

Tommorow I will work on gutting the lids and the mounting system,* and get them mounted. After that is done, they are off to be media blasted using walnut shells. Sandblasting would work, but will remove some aluminum.

The first thing I need to do before going any further was to make sure that the seal I bought was going to work the way I imagined it would.

I went out before starting work and bought hose/tubing cutters from Harbor Freight for $4.99. I needed this tool to make a clean cut through the seal, as it is thick rubber and a knife just won't do it. The cutters have a replaceable razor blade that cut through the seal with ease.

Here are the cutters-

I used them to cut a few cross sections out so you could see the seal. The seal has a tab that when inserted, closes up the top gap, thus sealing in the "window. I don't want that, because the top gap is where the Mermite lid is going to rest.

The 1st section is with the tab open.

The 2nd section has the tab closed.

And the third section I have removed the tab. It restricts the seal's ability to bend, so I cut it off with a utility knife.

Here I'm cutting the tab off-

The top edge of the can has a rolled edge, and as you can see from the bottom portion of the seal that it will work better with a flatter edge.

So I flattened the edge with a pair of vise grips-

Here's a shot from above showing the edge & the difference after flattening it-

I had a couple of vice grips to choose from, and I used the one on the left, as it had a larger flat area at it's tip. A side benefit of using the vice grips is that small serations are left in the aluminum, providing a good rough edge for the seal and adhesive to grip.-

When I got to the area right above the handle (on each end), I found that I couldn't crush the edge as there was some remaining gasket material left under the rolled edge. I peeled the rolled edge back enough to get it out-

Once I got the edge completed (this takes a while!) I trimmed & fitted the seal temporarily. I will be using Shoe Goo to glue the seal to the can and also filling in the gap in the seal. But that will be after all of the other work is done.

So with the seal on, I put on the lid to see how it fit. When I tried to clamp it down, the clamp hinges were hitting the seal-

So I had to mod the hinge arms with 2 vicegrips, bending them so they would go around the seal-

This worked fine on one side of the box, but not the other. The mermites are hinged on one side. and the other side's hinge arms swing freely. The free side's hinges are easy to manipulate/bend but I struggled with the hinged side for over an hour before I gave up for the day. I may have to remove those hinges in order to get the bends done correctly.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:25 AM

I need to get the fixed hinges bent, and need to get to the rivets holding the top of the hinge to the can.

So I need to gut the lids to get to the hinges.

I drilled a 1/2 hole in each corner of stainless steel lid liner.

Then I connected the holes with my jigsaw-

The saw cut deep enough that I could pry out most of the lid's foam in one piece with a scraper/putty knife-

Then I went around the edges and removed what was left-

I pushed down the remaining liner enough to get it free of the crimp that holds it in place. I did this on each long side of the lid & cut them with aviation snips-

Then I hammered the liner edge with the knife to break it free-

Then I scraped them out pretty well-

Now I can get to the hinges. First I drilled out the heads inside the lid-

Popped off the steel backing plate-

And removed the rivets from the hinge. I'm saving these to help choose the correct size screws.

Now the lids are free from the base.

While I was at it, I got out the old bodywork tools and removed some dents from the lids. I'' be keeping them seperated until assembly-

Here's the hinge free of the lid- now I can bend the hinge arms to go around the seal.

I also removed the handles today. They were all bent so I removed them using the vice grips. I attached one vice grip to the verticle, and the other to the horizontal-

Then I leveraged one against the other until it popped out-

My hammer did a nice job of straitening them out-

Before being installed, they will be painted and a rubber hose slipped over the handle. Still gotta figure out how I'll do that.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:26 AM

I worked on the mounts a bit today.

Drove to a local metal supplier and started looking through their* aluminum stock scrap/cutoffs for what I needed.

My rack is a Happy Trails Northwest Rack which is constructed of 5/8 tubing, so I first picked out some 5/8 square stock.

Then I found a peice of 1/2 X 1 3/8 stock.

They had a $20.00 minimum, so I grabbed some other stock that I thought I might use in the future-

Then I measured the places where the 3 mounts (per case) will go-

Bottom -* * * 7 1/2 inches long
Upper rear -* 3 inches long
Upper FWD -* 2 1/2 inches long.

Then I cut the stock to length-

Here's a side view of the 2 pieces of the mount-

And here's a cross section of the mounts, frame and Mermite case-

I'll be drilling and tapping the 2 pieces of the mount stock and then bolting them together. Ideally a one piece mount milled out of aluminum (like the ones Happy Trails sells) would be best, but I'm sure that these will be plenty strong enough.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:27 AM

Here's a layout I drew up-

Both the inside of the cans will have a sheetmetal reinforcement- the cans are stamped & uneven and this will strengthen cases and make a nice place to mount to.

The mounts are setup like a Touratec system I saw. The lower mount will be permanently attached to the case using 2 bolts. The case will be lowered onto the frame, and then the top mounts installed using one bolt or a thumbwheel (I may make my own thumbwheels).

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:27 AM

Worked on the mounts a bit today, prepping the 2 pieces mating surfaces so that they are are flat.

Since I don't have access to a mill, I fell back on the old computer overclocker's trick of lapping. Overclockers have been lapping their cpus and heatsinks for years, in order to get the mating surfaces of the cpu & heatsink as flat as possible for better heat transfer.

I stopped into Ace and bought 3 sheets of 180 grit emery paper and a $3.00 sheet of glass. I taped one end of the paper to the glass & to my desk. You lap the item on with the paper on the glass because glass is so flat.

Here's the setup-

Here's a small pice getting it's mating surface lapped-

And before and after shots-

Then I used a King Size Sharpie to apply the "blueing"-

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:28 AM

Did some paint stripping the last few days.

I checked around for a place that did plastic media blasting but couldn't find one. I did find a company that would chemical dip then bead blast them, but the total cost was $130.00.

So I decided to do it the hard way, the cheaper way, and when finished, have tools left over.

First thing I did was remove all of the hinges by drilling out the rivets. I had to do this because the seal is getting in the way of the hinges and bending them wasn't working. I also remoived the brackets that the handles go into, as I plan on using different end handles. More on that later.

So I first tried some of the orange citrus stripper. Worked pretty good, but looked like it was going to take a few applications. Then I tried some traditional stripper, and that didn't work well at all. So I blasted them off at a car wash and moved onto the next stage.

Dropping into Harbor Freight Tools today, I picked up a mini 90 deg air ginder ($25) and some prep wheels ($14)-

Then I dropped a sheet of plastic in the garage and got busy stripping the paint. I used water with the grinder to prevent any dust, as these cans are marked 1974 and the paint might have lead in it. This process works well as it strips the paint and preps the metal for primer.

Here's one with before and after sections-

I got both lids done and one can. Tomorrow I'll finsh off the exterior prep of the other can and then work on the interiors, removing the foam residue with an abrasive wheel in my die grinder.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 06:28 AM

I finished the exterior & interior stripping / paint prep-

Exterior-

Interior- (not completely bare, as it will be painted & unexposed)

Then I needed to fab some sheetmetal for the interior mount facing. What can I use? How about an old PC case (I have a bunch of them)-

The steel on these old PC cases is very strong so it will make good bracing for the cans/mounts. here it is laying in the can-

I also patched a few small holes in the base of the cans with some JB Weld-

Tommorow I will be cutting up another case for the steel plates for the exterior of the cans and working on the mounts.

matey peeps · 03-06-2007, 08:47 AM

Bout time somebody did this. Lovely.

squeakysquirrel · 03-06-2007, 09:40 AM

EXCELLENT WORK!

Of course I'll have to steal some of your ideas/tips/tricks when it comes time to do mine...

BigJohnD · 03-06-2007, 01:29 PM

what would you charge for a set of cans? Preped but not painted or drilled for mounts...would get my own mounts.

I am lazy, but have cash...

jsantos58 · 03-06-2007, 01:46 PM

It would of been easier just to buy a luggage system. Sorry!!

kobudo28 · 03-06-2007, 01:56 PM

Cool pic's and nice work on the cans. The places that I have found them for sale list them at 20 pounds each, the same as a 20mm ammo can made from steel. How much do the cans weigh without all of the inner liner and foam? Have you weighed them to see how much you have removed?

I am thinking about the 20mm cans or the 40mm cans which will require less work to prepare.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

It would of been easier just to buy a luggage system. Sorry!!

What kind of project would that be?

For me, it's as much doing the project and working through the problems as the end result.

It's therapy-

hondo · 03-06-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

How much do the cans weigh without all of the inner liner and foam? Have you weighed them to see how much you have removed?

I'll get that to you soon-

Karl in NY · 03-06-2007, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsantos58

It would of been easier just to buy a luggage system. Sorry!!

+1

Unless you just got out of prison, have absolutely no hope of finding employment, and are really enamored with the military "look", I don't think this labor-intensive project was even cost-effective, compared to a set of Givis, for example, or even aluminum panniers...

That said, though, you showed great resourcefulness, and did a superb job of photo-documenting your efforts.

Definitely anal, and possibly an inspiration to others, just not to me right now. But, keep up the good work.

FN in MT · 03-06-2007, 03:07 PM

Very interesting thread. I've taken on time intensive projects like this occasionally as it's just fun to work with your hands, overcome engineering problems and build/adapt something DIFFERENT.

Thanks for taking the time to post the digitals and the How-to- do it as well.

FN in MT

squeakysquirrel · 03-06-2007, 03:48 PM

+1 on the weight info for the can with vs. without the lining and then stripped vs. with the mounting system.

+1,000,000,000,000 on the creative/resourceful/original comment. What's the fun in doing what everyone else does? (And I have time but not the $$$ for a system anyway)

I fabbed up ammo cans and love them, but they are HEAVY! Too heavy for me to even carry one in each hand. That means two trips to the bike and then back to the tent/hotel room.

I've picked up these and haven't started ripping them apart yet, so I'm REALLY excited to see you document this so well.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 04:34 PM

Well for those that think I should "just buy some", check up on the prices of 2 aluminum panniers- quite a bit more that the projected $130 this will cost in materials.

My time doesn't count as it's hobby time.

Call it anal if you wish, but I see no reason to do this in a half-assed way.

And thanks for the props guys-

hondo · 03-06-2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

I've picked up these and haven't started ripping them apart yet, so I'm REALLY excited to see you document this so well.

Stay tuned-

hondo · 03-06-2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

what would you charge for a set of cans? Preped but not painted or drilled for mounts...would get my own mounts.

To put it politely, no friggin' way!

These involve way too much "therapy labor" which I would only go through again if I wiped one out.

bitterjoe · 03-06-2007, 05:07 PM

Heck, these look good without painting. You could polish them.

I love penny-tech stuff. So what is the capacity of one of these once it is gutted? Great job documenting the project.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Heck, these look good without painting. You could polish them.

I thought about that- polished up with a clear topcoat.

No need for reflective tape!

Quote:

So what is the capacity of one of these once it is gutted?

20 in long X 9.5 in wide X 13 in deep= 2470 cubic inches each, without lids.

That's 1.43 cubic feet or 10.692 gallons wet (lotsa ice for refreshments)

pilot · 03-06-2007, 05:19 PM

That's pretty cool! Where ever did you get the idea to do that?

Surely not here.

hondo · 03-06-2007, 05:27 PM

Hey pilot- yeah, you were one of my inspirations-

I've added that to the 1st post-

NX650Rider · 03-07-2007, 11:03 AM

I read on some other mermite can install that if you pour gas inside of them the foam just turns into a goopy sludge and you can pour it right out. Not sure what you would do with the sludge, but a burn barrel comes to mind.

Nice work though.

grebenshikov · 03-07-2007, 11:19 AM

Those things bring back memories... nothin' like eating runny green eggs and cold half-cooked sausage patties from a mermite delivered to your field site by your jackhole Section Sergeant.

I could never do this mod; the mere smell of a mermite and I get all teary-eyed. And nauseous.

elkhunter · 03-07-2007, 12:26 PM

Yeah... but that mermite coffee-cake was excellent; likely shaved 10 years off of my life-span, but who's countin'?

I wonder how sturdy these are once you've removed all of the inards? Do they distort any when you squeeze them? They'll look great when you're done. I would definitely consider keeping them bright aluminum.

Good Luck!

hondo · 03-07-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

I wonder how sturdy these are once you've removed all of the inards? Do they distort any when you squeeze them?

The cans lose alot of strength with the foam removed. I'm adding sheetmetal plate on the inside and outside of the cans (on the mount side only) so that there is a a stable monting area(the cans are stamped with ridges, not too good for mounting).

They are much stronger with the lids on and compressed. I plan on lining the lids with a sandwich of aerosol foam under 1/4 inch plywood for rigidity and attachment points.

squeakysquirrel · 03-07-2007, 01:48 PM

...so without the foam are they still sturdy enough to sit/stand on?
That's one of the things I love about my ammo cans - they double as a chair and table when I camp.

rokklym · 03-07-2007, 07:04 PM

Fantastic thread!! I can't wait to see the finished product. I bought a set last fall but I think they arent going to get done anytime soon!

hondo · 03-08-2007, 12:25 AM

Quote:

...so without the foam are they still sturdy enough to sit/stand on?

I wouldn't sit on them without reinforcing the gutted lids, at I thinkk they would bend easily.

So I'll be making 1/4" wood inserts for the lids and injecting foam between the wood & the aluminum. This out to beef it up enough to sit on.

Poolside · 03-08-2007, 02:24 AM

I just clicked on this thread today so this is too late for you Hondo. But do you think that MEK or acetone will dissolve that foam? Or mineral spirits, gasoline?

I don't know, but it might be a time saver, or a hella mess.

GREAT project my man!

- Jim

hondo · 03-08-2007, 09:00 AM

Quote:

I just clicked on this thread today so this is too late for you Hondo. But do you think that MEK or acetone will dissolve that foam? Or mineral spirits, gasoline?

I removed most of the foam that wasn't scraped off using a wire wheel on a drill.

I also tried to remove the foam residue using laquer thinner and acetone. No go. I have read that gasoline works but was trying to avoid using chemicals.

I may try a little gas on a rag on what is left over & see what happens.

Komet · 03-08-2007, 07:14 PM

Nice project, hondo.

kerhonky · 03-08-2007, 08:39 PM

Great job documenting your therapy sessions. Cheaper than a shrink, that's for sure.

I'm curious as to what you're going to paint them with. I went with Dupli-color spray-on (rattle can) bed liner when I did my ammo cans. The label said no primer necessary, so I stripped the cans down to bare metal, wiped them down with a tack cloth and put on three coats. They've chipped quite a bit more than I expected (it's truck bed liner, for Pete's sake).

Komet · 03-09-2007, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hondo

I wouldn't sit on them without reinforcing the gutted lids, at I thinkk they would bend easily.

So I'll be making 1/4" wood inserts for the lids and injecting foam between the wood & the aluminum. This out to beef it up enough to sit on.

Just curious...other than loss of room...what would be wrong with leaving the cans as is (inner lining, insulation etc.)?

RJP · 03-09-2007, 04:18 AM

I chose to keep the origional seal as well as the top 1.5" of inner liner can. I beveled the foam removal to soften the transition as you go down. About a 1:1 bevel. All other foam removed, but left the lid as-is for diapgragm action (strength).

I feel the strength is nearly as good as the original (without the weight) since the gasket area and top are still intact. The only negative (weight retained is justified) is the reduced opening size compared to removing the gasket -but my stuff is in individual drybags anyway, so no problems.

Bedliner coating on the inside and hammer tone paint and this is what you get:

hondo · 03-09-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

I'm curious as to what you're going to paint them with.

Either Rustoleum Hammered Finish Silver or a silver epoxy based paint, over zinc chromate etching primer.

Quote:

Just curious...other than loss of room...what would be wrong with leaving the cans as is (inner lining, insulation etc.)?

Nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to try something different in order to maximize the use of the cans.

hondo · 03-09-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Bedliner coating on the inside and hammer tone paint and this is what you get:

Those look great. I noticed the hasps that you have installed to lock them- have any other pics of those? I'm working on a solution to lock them down, either an external or internal lock.

JaySoy · 03-09-2007, 10:58 AM

Mine are bed-linered. Here's a look at what can be done with the lid if you leave the original seal. I keep a rain pancho stuffed up there.

I too am interested in locking ideas. I was going to work some kind of cable lock up or a hasp.

hondo · 03-09-2007, 11:03 AM

Hey JoySoy, glad tosee you jumped into this thread!

We'll come up with a locking solution for sure. I have been looking into a rotating lock like those used in a drawer of a desk. I used them in a cabinet that I once built and think that I will be able to make them work.

pilot · 03-09-2007, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poolside

I just clicked on this thread today so this is too late for you Hondo. But do you think that MEK or acetone will dissolve that foam? Or mineral spirits, gasoline?

I don't know, but it might be a time saver, or a hella mess.

GREAT project my man!

- Jim

No, nothing cuts that stuff. At least that's what the guy I copied them off said. He tried them all.

So, Hondo, it wasn't my original idea either.

hondo · 03-09-2007, 11:15 AM

Quote:

So, Hondo, it wasn't my original idea either.

That doesn't really matter- your thread was one of my inspirations anyway-

RJP · 03-09-2007, 12:16 PM

I pop-riveted hasps on both sides and have 4 padlocks keyed alike. Works good for me.

I have since added a strip of foam to pad the bouncing locks when riding bumps. On the street it was fine as-is.

30Bones · 04-02-2007, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilot

No, nothing cuts that stuff. At least that's what the guy I copied them off said. He tried them all.

So, Hondo, it wasn't my original idea either.

Power washer takes care of the foam. I have about 1.5 hours into mine and they are gutted and clean. Just need paint and figure out a seal. So with the Happy Trails SU rack and knobs ($215 shipped used) and these were free as well as my time. Sure is a lot cheaper than $700 plus shipping.

hondo · 05-23-2007, 08:50 PM

Did a bit of work getting the mermites & the KLR ready for Moab.

I needed to make a rear turn signal relocation bracket because the cans would hit the lights in the stock location.

Looked around and made a bracket out of 1 inch 90 deg angle iron I had from a previous project. I folded over the ends in a vise and drilled mounting holes in the end-

Here is the bracket with the lights mounted. One side is off as it got "tweaked a while back. Overall lenght is 7 inches.

Then I painted it with the same paint the mermites will be, Rustoleum Hammered finish silver and mounted the lights. They are inside of the rack so if I drop the KLR without the cans installed they should still be ok. I mounted the bracket to the rear of the luggage rack using standard hardware and 2 large bilts as spacers.

The rack tself had 2 mounting tabs welded the bottom (each side) and I'm not going to be using them, so off they came with my cutoff tool & grinder. Touched up the bare metal with the silver.

I also got the hinge & other hardware ready.

The hinges were hitting the rubber gasket, so I made aluminum spacers that will go underneath each half of the hinge. The carrige strap hardware (4 each, top rt) I will be bolting to the tops of the lids. They will make for strong tiedowns.

After cleaning all of the hardware up, all the parts got a few coats of silver paint-

Here is a pic of the stainless steel handles that I bought at Home Depot. There will one on each end of the cases-

I also started making the thumbwheels. Using some 1 1/2" X 3/4" stock I had, I cut out some 1 1/2 inch square pieces. All of the edges were filed smooth and the corners were filed at 45 degree angles & smoothed as well. I then drilled and tapped the centers for the attachment bolt. I haven't decided yet, but I may buy a mill (bit) and create a small recess in the tops of each wheel so that I can use carrige bolts (round topped & smooth).

Later this week I will be finishing up the cans. I have to do the mounts, install the hardware, install the reinforcing plates, paint & install the seals.

hondo · 05-28-2007, 11:14 PM

With my trip to Moab quickly approaching, I woke early & headed out to the garage.

!st order of the day- wash the mermites & the reinforcing plates. I scrubbed them down in the bathtub using a scotchbrite sponge & good dishwashing soap.

Then I set them out to dry-

While I was waiting for them to dry, I moved on to the lids. After I gutted them, I found that they were pretty flimsy. So I decided to use some 1/4 inch birch plywood to reinforce them. It will also allow me to attatch items to the lids. Here the wood is just laying in the lids-

I then drilled a few holes in the lid and filled the space between the wood & the lid with expanding foam. The wood is sitting on the screws that are holding the carridge straps to the top of the lid- this created a 1 inch gap that the foam filled. I set a couple of old computers on top of the lids to keep that 1 inch gap-

After it dried I pulled the old computers off- here's what was left over-

I scraped off the excess and then cut rectangular access holes where the srews/nuts that attach the hinges are located. In hindsight, I should have done this first. Doh!

Now the paint for the cans. I first primered the bare aluminum with a zinc chromate primer-

After letting that dry, I painted the exterior of the cans with 2 coats of Rustoleum Hammered Finish silver paint.

I also painted the mounts and assembled the thumbweels. I used 7/16 rod, JB welded the threaded rod into the thumbwheels threads-

After the paint dried on the outside of the cans, I needed to install the reinforcing plates. I used a waterproof construction adhesive at all of the points that the plates met the can-

Then I installed the inner & outer plates using red loctite on all of the fastners. When that was done, I painted the interior of the cans and the exterior plates.

While that was drying, I washed & primed the lids-

Then I painted 2 coats of the silver to the lids.

The paint on the cans dried and I finally got to mount the cans on the Happy Trails rack.

A rear shot-

The interior-

Here is a view of the mounts-

Then I moved on to installing the hinges. This took a while considering the way the hinges work. Here's a side view of the hinges (closed). You can see how the aluminum blocks that made help the hinges clear the seal-

On the left hand side of the bike I ran into a small problem. As the rack is closer to the side panels on the left than the right (due to the muffler), I found that the forward hinge handle (of the left can) was going to hit the side panel. Nothing that the cutoff tool can't handle. So I shortened it by half. The shorter hinge is on the right-

And here is the right can complete-

I used Shoe Goo to glue the seals in place. This stuff might not work, but considering how will it sticks, I thought I'd give it a try.

Tommorow I will post some pics of the cans installed from a few different angles.

NX650Rider · 05-29-2007, 07:30 AM

Best Mermite can pannier install I have seen. Very nice work

hondo · 05-29-2007, 09:13 AM

Here are some installed pics-

Because the bike is leaning, it looks like the boxes are uneven, but they aren't.

JaySoy · 05-29-2007, 09:26 AM

Did you weigh the final version? You really gutted them so I am wondering if you got yours a lot lighter than mine.

Very nice work!

hondo · 05-29-2007, 09:30 AM

Thanks- haven't weighed them yet.

I'll do that when I get back from Moab (next week).

scarysharkface · 05-29-2007, 10:41 AM

Very elegant!

Poolside · 05-29-2007, 02:17 PM

You're really out there Hondo. A man on a mission if there ever was. Great job.

hondo · 05-29-2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

You're really out there Hondo.

I'll take that as a compliment- thanks.

Poolside · 05-29-2007, 03:24 PM

Exactly

hondo · 05-29-2007, 04:47 PM

Today I worked on the seals and also relocated the helmet lock to the turn signal mount. It is flush with the top of the rear rack. It was buried under the rack so this seemed like a good place-

I also cut some small strips of reflective tape and applied them to the cans-

Ready for the road!

azabeemerboy · 05-29-2007, 07:18 PM

Fantastic!! Nice job and super write up

hondo · 05-30-2007, 12:41 PM

One last item I added- bungees in the lids for my rain gear.

I got this idea from JaySoy- thanks!

runningdog · 05-31-2007, 09:11 PM

Wow, I admire your resourcefulness. Looks really good and, yeah, great therapy!

Hairy Chimp · 06-02-2007, 09:22 PM

I am working on my cans right now... do you think it's necessary to remove the original paint before applying primer/rustoleum or could I just give it a good sanding before putting on the primer?

Also if you're looking for a locking mechanism the 4 1/2 hasps work well which klrcarl clued me into. If you look at the "My Mermite Panniers" thread you can see a pic of mine. I haven't finished installing them yet though.

Zen Slug · 06-02-2007, 09:46 PM

That was a great investment... considering you didn't have to pay $100 an hour for all the therapy!

I'm curious to hear how well they hold up to the first couple spills... you described the lids as "flimsy" but aren't they made of the same material as the boxes themselves? If so, it seems to me like they could crumple pretty easily

03-06-2007, 06:24 AM	#1
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Mermite Cans Project Log I have this project tacked onto my KLR Makeover thread but thought I would post a seperate thread here as these cans can be mounted on many other bikes. That thread is HERE An ispirational Mermite thread by pilot HERE I bought 2 US military surplus Mermite Food Transportation Cases for $20 each. My plan is to mount them to the Happy Trails Northwest Rack that came installed on my KLR when I bought it. The cases will be gutted, mounted, then stripped, painted and customized. Each can will have a small brake light installed to augment the standard brake light. So here are the cans as I recieved them- you can see the seperate containers for chow hall food within the aluminum liner. I have seen some mermites gutted and the top seal used by leaving 1-2 inches of the foam underneath- I don't want to do this. I want the can fully open- leaving the stock seal and some foam for support uses around 3 inches of space, side to side. So the cans will be completely gutted and a new edge to edge rubber seal used to seal the lid to the case. The lids will also have their foam removed as I want to mount cleats on the top of the lid for bungee tie downs. More on that later. First I have to gut them. First remove the top seal and set it aside, next to some good implements of destruction- Then you have to cut the seal between the inner aluminum liner and the base that the rubber seal sits in. The seat material is very tough, and I found that the easiest way to cut the seal is to use a sharp scraper knife and a hammer- I found a relatively easy way to get the liner out. First I drilled a 1/2" hole near the bottom of the liner- Then, using a sawzall, I made a cut through the aluminum from the hole to the top edge. This cut will allow you to fold over the corners and help break the seal between the foam and the liner- Then using your implements of destruction, break the seal between the foam and the liner. Near the cuts, fold the corners in. I found that 2 Jiffy pry bars worked best, as they are flat and apply more even leverage. I never used the big pry bars. With lots of leverage and fanagaling, the liner will break free. Then you just slowly leverage the liner out a little at a time, taking are not to damage the top edge of the can itself. Then it's out- took about 15 min each. Then you get to do the fun part- removing the foam. I say fun because it it absolutely no fun at all. I used the sharp scraper and a jiffy bar. If you can, get the jiffy bar between the foam and the case and break off large chunks. And wear gloves, otherwise you'll have a hole in the palm of your hand like me. The foam in the first can was much easier to get out than the second can- it was much more brittle and broke free easier. I removed as much as I could with the scraper and the remaining will be removed using a wire brush wheel on a hand grinder, though a drill could work as well. One down, one to go- Then you have to remove 2 aluminum strips that are along the long side of the inner can edge. These strips were spot welded to the inside of the case and are easily removed with a pair of vice grips. The remaning welds have sharp spots and I ground them smooth with my dremel. A small file or sandpaper could also be used- Tommorow I will work on gutting the lids and the mounting system,* and get them mounted. After that is done, they are off to be media blasted using walnut shells. Sandblasting would work, but will remove some aluminum. The first thing I need to do before going any further was to make sure that the seal I bought was going to work the way I imagined it would. I went out before starting work and bought hose/tubing cutters from Harbor Freight for $4.99. I needed this tool to make a clean cut through the seal, as it is thick rubber and a knife just won't do it. The cutters have a replaceable razor blade that cut through the seal with ease. Here are the cutters- I used them to cut a few cross sections out so you could see the seal. The seal has a tab that when inserted, closes up the top gap, thus sealing in the "window. I don't want that, because the top gap is where the Mermite lid is going to rest. The 1st section is with the tab open. The 2nd section has the tab closed. And the third section I have removed the tab. It restricts the seal's ability to bend, so I cut it off with a utility knife. Here I'm cutting the tab off- The top edge of the can has a rolled edge, and as you can see from the bottom portion of the seal that it will work better with a flatter edge. So I flattened the edge with a pair of vise grips- Here's a shot from above showing the edge & the difference after flattening it- I had a couple of vice grips to choose from, and I used the one on the left, as it had a larger flat area at it's tip. A side benefit of using the vice grips is that small serations are left in the aluminum, providing a good rough edge for the seal and adhesive to grip.- When I got to the area right above the handle (on each end), I found that I couldn't crush the edge as there was some remaining gasket material left under the rolled edge. I peeled the rolled edge back enough to get it out- Once I got the edge completed (this takes a while!) I trimmed & fitted the seal temporarily. I will be using Shoe Goo to glue the seal to the can and also filling in the gap in the seal. But that will be after all of the other work is done. So with the seal on, I put on the lid to see how it fit. When I tried to clamp it down, the clamp hinges were hitting the seal- So I had to mod the hinge arms with 2 vicegrips, bending them so they would go around the seal- This worked fine on one side of the box, but not the other. The mermites are hinged on one side. and the other side's hinge arms swing freely. The free side's hinges are easy to manipulate/bend but I struggled with the hinged side for over an hour before I gave up for the day. I may have to remove those hinges in order to get the bends done correctly. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums Last edited by hondo : 05-29-2007 at 10:00 PM.
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03-06-2007, 06:25 AM	#2
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	I need to get the fixed hinges bent, and need to get to the rivets holding the top of the hinge to the can. So I need to gut the lids to get to the hinges. I drilled a 1/2 hole in each corner of stainless steel lid liner. Then I connected the holes with my jigsaw- The saw cut deep enough that I could pry out most of the lid's foam in one piece with a scraper/putty knife- Then I went around the edges and removed what was left- I pushed down the remaining liner enough to get it free of the crimp that holds it in place. I did this on each long side of the lid & cut them with aviation snips- Then I hammered the liner edge with the knife to break it free- Then I scraped them out pretty well- Now I can get to the hinges. First I drilled out the heads inside the lid- Popped off the steel backing plate- And removed the rivets from the hinge. I'm saving these to help choose the correct size screws. Now the lids are free from the base. While I was at it, I got out the old bodywork tools and removed some dents from the lids. I'' be keeping them seperated until assembly- Here's the hinge free of the lid- now I can bend the hinge arms to go around the seal. I also removed the handles today. They were all bent so I removed them using the vice grips. I attached one vice grip to the verticle, and the other to the horizontal- Then I leveraged one against the other until it popped out- My hammer did a nice job of straitening them out- Before being installed, they will be painted and a rubber hose slipped over the handle. Still gotta figure out how I'll do that. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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03-06-2007, 06:26 AM	#3
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	I worked on the mounts a bit today. Drove to a local metal supplier and started looking through their* aluminum stock scrap/cutoffs for what I needed. My rack is a Happy Trails Northwest Rack which is constructed of 5/8 tubing, so I first picked out some 5/8 square stock. Then I found a peice of 1/2 X 1 3/8 stock. They had a $20.00 minimum, so I grabbed some other stock that I thought I might use in the future- Then I measured the places where the 3 mounts (per case) will go- Bottom -* * * 7 1/2 inches long Upper rear -* 3 inches long Upper FWD -* 2 1/2 inches long. Then I cut the stock to length- Here's a side view of the 2 pieces of the mount- And here's a cross section of the mounts, frame and Mermite case- I'll be drilling and tapping the 2 pieces of the mount stock and then bolting them together. Ideally a one piece mount milled out of aluminum (like the ones Happy Trails sells) would be best, but I'm sure that these will be plenty strong enough. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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03-06-2007, 06:27 AM	#4
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Here's a layout I drew up- Both the inside of the cans will have a sheetmetal reinforcement- the cans are stamped & uneven and this will strengthen cases and make a nice place to mount to. The mounts are setup like a Touratec system I saw. The lower mount will be permanently attached to the case using 2 bolts. The case will be lowered onto the frame, and then the top mounts installed using one bolt or a thumbwheel (I may make my own thumbwheels). __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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03-06-2007, 06:27 AM	#5
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Worked on the mounts a bit today, prepping the 2 pieces mating surfaces so that they are are flat. Since I don't have access to a mill, I fell back on the old computer overclocker's trick of lapping. Overclockers have been lapping their cpus and heatsinks for years, in order to get the mating surfaces of the cpu & heatsink as flat as possible for better heat transfer. I stopped into Ace and bought 3 sheets of 180 grit emery paper and a $3.00 sheet of glass. I taped one end of the paper to the glass & to my desk. You lap the item on with the paper on the glass because glass is so flat. Here's the setup- Here's a small pice getting it's mating surface lapped- And before and after shots- Then I used a King Size Sharpie to apply the "blueing"- __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums Last edited by hondo : 03-06-2007 at 06:49 AM.
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03-06-2007, 06:28 AM	#6
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Did some paint stripping the last few days. I checked around for a place that did plastic media blasting but couldn't find one. I did find a company that would chemical dip then bead blast them, but the total cost was $130.00. So I decided to do it the hard way, the cheaper way, and when finished, have tools left over. First thing I did was remove all of the hinges by drilling out the rivets. I had to do this because the seal is getting in the way of the hinges and bending them wasn't working. I also remoived the brackets that the handles go into, as I plan on using different end handles. More on that later. So I first tried some of the orange citrus stripper. Worked pretty good, but looked like it was going to take a few applications. Then I tried some traditional stripper, and that didn't work well at all. So I blasted them off at a car wash and moved onto the next stage. Dropping into Harbor Freight Tools today, I picked up a mini 90 deg air ginder ($25) and some prep wheels ($14)- Then I dropped a sheet of plastic in the garage and got busy stripping the paint. I used water with the grinder to prevent any dust, as these cans are marked 1974 and the paint might have lead in it. This process works well as it strips the paint and preps the metal for primer. Here's one with before and after sections- I got both lids done and one can. Tomorrow I'll finsh off the exterior prep of the other can and then work on the interiors, removing the foam residue with an abrasive wheel in my die grinder. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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03-06-2007, 09:40 AM	#9
squeakysquirrel Absent Minded Professor Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 185	EXCELLENT WORK! Of course I'll have to steal some of your ideas/tips/tricks when it comes time to do mine... __________________ Rebecca DL1000K3 "wilbur" My Own Ramblings
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03-06-2007, 01:29 PM	#10
BigJohnD Stuck in this reality.. Joined: Feb 2007 Location: Communist City, easy to figure out... Posts: 463	Have you thought about.... what would you charge for a set of cans? Preped but not painted or drilled for mounts...would get my own mounts. I am lazy, but have cash... __________________ Ken...stop stalking me. It is unseemly and is causing people to talk.
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03-06-2007, 01:46 PM	#11
jsantos58 Adventurer Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 14	Too much work It would of been easier just to buy a luggage system. Sorry!!
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03-06-2007, 01:56 PM	#12
kobudo28 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2005 Location: The hills and twisties in NH Posts: 2,074	Cool pic's and nice work on the cans. The places that I have found them for sale list them at 20 pounds each, the same as a 20mm ammo can made from steel. How much do the cans weigh without all of the inner liner and foam? Have you weighed them to see how much you have removed? I am thinking about the 20mm cans or the 40mm cans which will require less work to prepare. __________________ Meetings: None of us is as dumb as all of us. "I'm never wrong, I just lie. -"Fess" Moore
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03-06-2007, 03:07 PM	#16
FN in MT Studly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 601	It's therapy....... Very interesting thread. I've taken on time intensive projects like this occasionally as it's just fun to work with your hands, overcome engineering problems and build/adapt something DIFFERENT. Thanks for taking the time to post the digitals and the How-to- do it as well. FN in MT __________________ "I'm tryin' to think....... but nothin' happens" Curly Howard Definitive Stooge
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03-06-2007, 03:48 PM	#17
squeakysquirrel Absent Minded Professor Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 185	+1 on the weight info for the can with vs. without the lining and then stripped vs. with the mounting system. +1,000,000,000,000 on the creative/resourceful/original comment. What's the fun in doing what everyone else does? (And I have time but not the $$$ for a system anyway) I fabbed up ammo cans and love them, but they are HEAVY! Too heavy for me to even carry one in each hand. That means two trips to the bike and then back to the tent/hotel room. I've picked up these and haven't started ripping them apart yet, so I'm REALLY excited to see you document this so well. __________________ Rebecca DL1000K3 "wilbur" My Own Ramblings
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03-06-2007, 04:34 PM	#18
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Well for those that think I should "just buy some", check up on the prices of 2 aluminum panniers- quite a bit more that the projected $130 this will cost in materials. My time doesn't count as it's hobby time. Call it anal if you wish, but I see no reason to do this in a half-assed way. And thanks for the props guys- __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums Last edited by hondo : 03-06-2007 at 04:54 PM.
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03-06-2007, 05:07 PM	#21
bitterjoe killing the fatted calf Joined: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,440	Heck, these look good without painting. You could polish them. I love penny-tech stuff. So what is the capacity of one of these once it is gutted? Great job documenting the project. __________________ 2005 DR 650
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03-06-2007, 05:19 PM	#23
pilot Slacker-American Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 6,000	That's pretty cool! Where ever did you get the idea to do that? Surely not here. __________________ CCKLROG #1 Yeah, but you might was well quit reading after the first few pages. After that, it's the same responses reworded with some BS mixed in. -Waco Kid If you got the plane, I got the landing strip for ya. -Drif10
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03-06-2007, 05:27 PM	#24
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Hey pilot- yeah, you were one of my inspirations- I've added that to the 1st post- __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums Last edited by hondo : 03-06-2007 at 05:52 PM.
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03-07-2007, 11:03 AM	#25
NX650Rider Tree Farmer Adventurer Joined: May 2006 Location: Oregon Christmas Tree Farm Posts: 74	Removing Inner Foam I read on some other mermite can install that if you pour gas inside of them the foam just turns into a goopy sludge and you can pour it right out. Not sure what you would do with the sludge, but a burn barrel comes to mind. Nice work though.
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03-07-2007, 11:19 AM	#26
grebenshikov Adventurer Joined: Aug 2005 Location: 42d23'40"N 71d34'09"W el 232' Posts: 60	Those things bring back memories... nothin' like eating runny green eggs and cold half-cooked sausage patties from a mermite delivered to your field site by your jackhole Section Sergeant. I could never do this mod; the mere smell of a mermite and I get all teary-eyed. And nauseous. __________________ '06 Uly Riders under 6' need not apply. Naive, candy-assed hippies. I'll bet the DOD sincerely regrets the whole "Internet" thing sometimes.
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03-07-2007, 12:26 PM	#27
elkhunter Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 97	Yeah... but that mermite coffee-cake was excellent; likely shaved 10 years off of my life-span, but who's countin'? I wonder how sturdy these are once you've removed all of the inards? Do they distort any when you squeeze them? They'll look great when you're done. I would definitely consider keeping them bright aluminum. Good Luck!
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03-07-2007, 01:48 PM	#29
squeakysquirrel Absent Minded Professor Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 185	...so without the foam are they still sturdy enough to sit/stand on? That's one of the things I love about my ammo cans - they double as a chair and table when I camp. __________________ Rebecca DL1000K3 "wilbur" My Own Ramblings
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03-07-2007, 07:04 PM	#30
rokklym lonewolfexpeditions.com Joined: Nov 2004 Location: Westby Wisconsin, Posts: 2,394	Fantastic thread!! I can't wait to see the finished product. I bought a set last fall but I think they arent going to get done anytime soon! __________________ Save $5 when you join smugmug! use code JMc4DshIbcV5c 2006 DR650, 94 VFR750, 2005 Gary Fisher Tassajara disc, 2004 Giant AC2 www.lonewolfexpeditions.com We need sometimes to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life,to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment no matter what. - George Santayana, "The philosophy of travel"
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03-08-2007, 02:24 AM	#32
Poolside 85° and sunny Joined: Apr 2003 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 2,913	I just clicked on this thread today so this is too late for you Hondo. But do you think that MEK or acetone will dissolve that foam? Or mineral spirits, gasoline? I don't know, but it might be a time saver, or a hella mess. GREAT project my man! - Jim __________________ "The "revolutionary" is in the minds of the marketers......... " -- Mully
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03-08-2007, 07:14 PM	#34
Komet The Voice of Reason Joined: Feb 2002 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 34,821	Nice project, hondo. __________________ Always mindful of obstruction, do your duty, never fail; Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.
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03-08-2007, 08:39 PM	#35
kerhonky Adventure Poser Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Kerhonkson, NY Posts: 531	Great job documenting your therapy sessions. Cheaper than a shrink, that's for sure. I'm curious as to what you're going to paint them with. I went with Dupli-color spray-on (rattle can) bed liner when I did my ammo cans. The label said no primer necessary, so I stripped the cans down to bare metal, wiped them down with a tack cloth and put on three coats. They've chipped quite a bit more than I expected (it's truck bed liner, for Pete's sake). __________________ The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. - Jack London If you don't go when you want to go, when you do go you'll find you've gone. - Burt Munro
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03-09-2007, 04:18 AM	#37
RJP Time-Deficient Adventurer Joined: Feb 2006 Location: NY Posts: 140	Or, keep the original seal I chose to keep the origional seal as well as the top 1.5" of inner liner can. I beveled the foam removal to soften the transition as you go down. About a 1:1 bevel. All other foam removed, but left the lid as-is for diapgragm action (strength). I feel the strength is nearly as good as the original (without the weight) since the gasket area and top are still intact. The only negative (weight retained is justified) is the reduced opening size compared to removing the gasket -but my stuff is in individual drybags anyway, so no problems. Bedliner coating on the inside and hammer tone paint and this is what you get: Attached Images __________________ 02 R1150GS ADV 99 KLR 650 03 KLX 400R (plated) 85 XR200R (loaner for my friends) 73 G5B 100 (2-smoker) Last edited by RJP : 03-10-2007 at 05:49 AM.
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03-09-2007, 10:58 AM	#40
JaySoy Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Kansas City, Mo Posts: 132	Mine are bed-linered. Here's a look at what can be done with the lid if you leave the original seal. I keep a rain pancho stuffed up there. I too am interested in locking ideas. I was going to work some kind of cable lock up or a hasp.
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03-09-2007, 11:03 AM	#41
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Hey JoySoy, glad tosee you jumped into this thread! We'll come up with a locking solution for sure. I have been looking into a rotating lock like those used in a drawer of a desk. I used them in a cabinet that I once built and think that I will be able to make them work. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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03-09-2007, 12:16 PM	#44
RJP Time-Deficient Adventurer Joined: Feb 2006 Location: NY Posts: 140	Hasps... I pop-riveted hasps on both sides and have 4 padlocks keyed alike. Works good for me. I have since added a strip of foam to pad the bouncing locks when riding bumps. On the street it was fine as-is. Attached Images __________________ 02 R1150GS ADV 99 KLR 650 03 KLX 400R (plated) 85 XR200R (loaner for my friends) 73 G5B 100 (2-smoker)
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05-23-2007, 08:50 PM	#46
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Did a bit of work getting the mermites & the KLR ready for Moab. I needed to make a rear turn signal relocation bracket because the cans would hit the lights in the stock location. Looked around and made a bracket out of 1 inch 90 deg angle iron I had from a previous project. I folded over the ends in a vise and drilled mounting holes in the end- Here is the bracket with the lights mounted. One side is off as it got "tweaked a while back. Overall lenght is 7 inches. Then I painted it with the same paint the mermites will be, Rustoleum Hammered finish silver and mounted the lights. They are inside of the rack so if I drop the KLR without the cans installed they should still be ok. I mounted the bracket to the rear of the luggage rack using standard hardware and 2 large bilts as spacers. The rack tself had 2 mounting tabs welded the bottom (each side) and I'm not going to be using them, so off they came with my cutoff tool & grinder. Touched up the bare metal with the silver. I also got the hinge & other hardware ready. The hinges were hitting the rubber gasket, so I made aluminum spacers that will go underneath each half of the hinge. The carrige strap hardware (4 each, top rt) I will be bolting to the tops of the lids. They will make for strong tiedowns. After cleaning all of the hardware up, all the parts got a few coats of silver paint- Here is a pic of the stainless steel handles that I bought at Home Depot. There will one on each end of the cases- I also started making the thumbwheels. Using some 1 1/2" X 3/4" stock I had, I cut out some 1 1/2 inch square pieces. All of the edges were filed smooth and the corners were filed at 45 degree angles & smoothed as well. I then drilled and tapped the centers for the attachment bolt. I haven't decided yet, but I may buy a mill (bit) and create a small recess in the tops of each wheel so that I can use carrige bolts (round topped & smooth). Later this week I will be finishing up the cans. I have to do the mounts, install the hardware, install the reinforcing plates, paint & install the seals. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums Last edited by hondo : 05-23-2007 at 10:59 PM.
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05-28-2007, 11:14 PM	#47
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	With my trip to Moab quickly approaching, I woke early & headed out to the garage. !st order of the day- wash the mermites & the reinforcing plates. I scrubbed them down in the bathtub using a scotchbrite sponge & good dishwashing soap. Then I set them out to dry- While I was waiting for them to dry, I moved on to the lids. After I gutted them, I found that they were pretty flimsy. So I decided to use some 1/4 inch birch plywood to reinforce them. It will also allow me to attatch items to the lids. Here the wood is just laying in the lids- I then drilled a few holes in the lid and filled the space between the wood & the lid with expanding foam. The wood is sitting on the screws that are holding the carridge straps to the top of the lid- this created a 1 inch gap that the foam filled. I set a couple of old computers on top of the lids to keep that 1 inch gap- After it dried I pulled the old computers off- here's what was left over- I scraped off the excess and then cut rectangular access holes where the srews/nuts that attach the hinges are located. In hindsight, I should have done this first. Doh! Now the paint for the cans. I first primered the bare aluminum with a zinc chromate primer- After letting that dry, I painted the exterior of the cans with 2 coats of Rustoleum Hammered Finish silver paint. I also painted the mounts and assembled the thumbweels. I used 7/16 rod, JB welded the threaded rod into the thumbwheels threads- After the paint dried on the outside of the cans, I needed to install the reinforcing plates. I used a waterproof construction adhesive at all of the points that the plates met the can- Then I installed the inner & outer plates using red loctite on all of the fastners. When that was done, I painted the interior of the cans and the exterior plates. While that was drying, I washed & primed the lids- Then I painted 2 coats of the silver to the lids. The paint on the cans dried and I finally got to mount the cans on the Happy Trails rack. A rear shot- The interior- Here is a view of the mounts- Then I moved on to installing the hinges. This took a while considering the way the hinges work. Here's a side view of the hinges (closed). You can see how the aluminum blocks that made help the hinges clear the seal- On the left hand side of the bike I ran into a small problem. As the rack is closer to the side panels on the left than the right (due to the muffler), I found that the forward hinge handle (of the left can) was going to hit the side panel. Nothing that the cutoff tool can't handle. So I shortened it by half. The shorter hinge is on the right- And here is the right can complete- I used Shoe Goo to glue the seals in place. This stuff might not work, but considering how will it sticks, I thought I'd give it a try. Tommorow I will post some pics of the cans installed from a few different angles. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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05-29-2007, 07:30 AM	#48
NX650Rider Tree Farmer Adventurer Joined: May 2006 Location: Oregon Christmas Tree Farm Posts: 74	Best Mermite can pannier install I have seen. Very nice work
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05-29-2007, 09:13 AM	#49
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Here are some installed pics- Because the bike is leaning, it looks like the boxes are uneven, but they aren't. __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
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05-29-2007, 09:26 AM	#50
JaySoy Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Kansas City, Mo Posts: 132	Did you weigh the final version? You really gutted them so I am wondering if you got yours a lot lighter than mine. Very nice work!
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05-29-2007, 09:30 AM	#51
hondo Enthusiast Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 968	Thanks- haven't weighed them yet. I'll do that when I get back from Moab (next week). __________________ KLRWorld.com & The KLRWorld.com Forums CBRider.com Forums
Blame John™

05-29-2007, 10:41 AM	#52
scarysharkface Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: West-Central Indiana Posts: 3,211	Very elegant! __________________ there's a new sheriff in failureville. - Misery Goat If you marry for money you will earn every cent... - Ken Now I just need a globe of the United States... - Dr. Timur Mirzoev
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