OK...so I ended up taking it off tonight (the heat shield, not my clothes) and here are a few pics of the brackets:

Here are the brackets.  The little 'tit' on the top is what sits in the little hole on the inside bracket of the heat shield. Painted them black with the high-temp black spray paint just to try and avoid rust on the raw steel.
On the left is the taller bracket that goes on the front end where there is more space to fill (as mentioned in a previous post).


Side view. Here you can see the radius a little better.


View of the brackets resting in place. I'll tie them on with a little piece of tie wire before installing permanently on the bike just to make sure if the strap breaks loose the bracket won't be lost.





Enjoy!

Thanks. It's all about the challenge. I was one of those kids that you didn't want to tell "don't do that" or "you can't do that".   Prove `em wrong every time  

The mental image...sorta came to me when I was discussing it with my brother. All told I probably thought about it here and there throughout the week when I was bored. I am OCD and won't really stop until I get to it.

Materials I had...just a small piece of steel strapping.

Fabrication took about two hours to cut, bend, weld, grind, fit, refit, and finally I made myself call it good enough and stopped.

Yeah, I guess admitting we have a problem is the first step to recovery  

I'm right there with you.  Some things I can let go but some I just have to stick with for better or for worse just to know I tried.

Recent example: The teeney tiny bulb behind the "D" on my tundra's gear indicator went out. Pulled the speedo compartment completely out and found a blown bulb so I swapped it with the good bulb in the "L" that I rarely ever use (since I use "D" daily) and I still ordered new LED bulbs for the now defunct "L" and all of the other gear indicators. I'm sure the average person would have left well enough alone, but I can't not do something I know I am capable of doing.

On a brighter note, I rode to work today and the previously acclaimed non-heat shield (via Dave I think) is now in fact an official heat shield given the additional air flow. When i pulled up at work I got off the bike and literally (but cautiously) put my hand on the heat shield and it was of course quite warm but I could keep my hand resting on it as long as I wanted and it kinda felt good considering I rode this morning in ~65 degrees with no gloves.

So...for anyone wondering if the changes helped/worked, the answer is absolutely positively uhh-huh!

Woo HOO I FOUND 'em!

http://s860.photobucket.com/?postlogin=true

See if that gets ya there..

That drill press passed on,, A friend Gave me a like new, 69 or 70 model Craftsman with 2 work tables and 2 vises. One rotates and travels on the X Y axes.. All Sears, All Made in USA/.. The pamphlet
100 ways to get more outta your drill press
has a copyright of 69.

Went lookin for the pamphlet & LO and BE Hold,, Found an owners manual for one that Juuust like it, except for the number of work surfaces..

So, heres pics, of a sort, of my drill press..

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/4890.pdf