"kindalikeawhizzer"

I appreciate all the support you guys. Most of what I need is of the moral kind.

Was just looking at BarelyAWakes thread with pictures and video of the Maine rally. Boy, that looks like fun and makes me envious, wanting to meet up with other bike guys and maybe go for a ride with others. I hope it can work out when Steve (Fasteddy) comes down from B.C. to summer bike camp here in the border lake country and then I hitch a ride with him out to the east coast. Along the way we would try to meet up with Jim & the Prussian Shop Dogs if it works out for them and then have an opportunity for Tinsmith and Fasteddy to meet when I get dropped off in Maryland. Hoping the three of us can work in a nice ride through Maryland farm country, Steve on his just finished Indian tri-car, Dan on his stretch Worksman and me & Moosh on the American Flyer with sidecar. Then Steve goes on up to New Hampshire to visit his son while I arrange for turning over ownership of my 51 Spartan Aircraft trailer and visit with my daughter and grand kids in Baltimore. Then Steve picks me up on the return trip to here again. Whew. Lotta driving. The only sketchy part is that Steve's mom has been in and out of the hospital lately and at a hundred years old that's a worrisome thing. I wish her well and Steve, too.

Ray, I envy you guys in California with your endless riding season and opportunities to get together with others to meet over common interests, share stories and bike lore, & go for group rides. Boy that sounds like fun. I think Dale goes for group rides with Whizzermen and other Briggs Boys out your way. I don't foresee ever getting to the west coast unless I rode me motorbike all the way there from Minnesota. I'd need a butt transplant if I tried that. I can ride with you guys in spirit anyway. Woohoo!
SB

A couple of updates...
Sorry to say there will be no trip east this fall. Steve's mom has been in and out of the hospital and at 102 that is telling on her family. At last report she is doing better and coming home again, so that's good, but it is no time for Steve to be taking off on a long road trip... which is a great disappointment. We had more bike building projects lined up than we could have finished, a great fishing trip into the Boundary Waters (Basswood Lake) and a road trip which would have met up with The Prussian Shop Dogs on the way out, some time spent with Tinsmith in Maryland and meeting up with Mr B. on the return leg. It wasn't to be, I guess. Next year we'll budget more time for traveling and less for building over a longer period of time.

Once I realized that I would not be in Maryland to pick up the 51 Schwinn frame from Tinsmith I thought I'd take a look on ebay to avoid asking Dan to send the frame... (hassle). And I found one, also a 51 which had some welding repair work done at the bottom bracket where the front tube connects. That would cancel interest from collectors and I figured it could be re-welded if need be or even a couple of gussets welded in to beef up the union. The frame will be getting engine mount welds anyway. The opening bid of $10.00 sat there without a bid so I left a sniping bid of $40.00 ($35.00 shipping). The bidding ended while I was fishing on Basswood and when I got home a few days ago I discovered that I had lost by another $15.00. Who knows what the winning bidder would have gone to. I've looked for another frame which my copper tank will fit and there's nothing at this time...so I have asked Dan (Tinsmith) to send his off when he can. He will do so and when it comes I'll assemble wheels, fork and tank for an initial mock-up to start figuring out how the engine will go. Steve is going to send the engine mounts when the dust settles up his way and Chain is sending out the sheave and some belts. When I have something to take a picture of I'll post it here.
SB

msrfan,
Thank you for the detailed explanation and photos. Excellent! Once I get the bike frame and engine mounts I can start mocking things up and will see then which would be best, the slipper clutch (I had never heard of such a thing before) or going with an automatic clutch and jack shaft. With the automatic are you able to start out from a dead stop (assuming the engine is already started) or do you need to pedal assist?
SB

Dale thanks for the explanation and the link to Goldy's clutch modification. You guys are so knowledgeable. Clever,innovative minds. I can't get over it sometimes...
SB

My friend Tinsmith (Dan) sent the 51 Schwinn frame which arrived a couple of days ago. Yesterday I worked at stripping down the old paint job I had given it several years ago. Minnesota road salt sure does a number on a rattle can paint job. I really should forget about that last sloppy ride of the season which is always so tempting.

In pretty short order (maybe an hour) the side grinder with wire wheel attached had most of the paint gone. I'll do the last bit with fine sandpaper where there are hard to get to spots. Then it will get some primer to protect it while the build is under way.

I intend to use a center stand, so I removed the stock kickstand by cutting off the hardware with the side grinder with cutoff wheel, then used the grinding wheel to get the old welds down close to not being there at all and finally cleaned it up with a flap disc wheel to smooth it down. Can't say enough for how handy a few tools are in particular. One is the little rotary tool (Dremel), another is a side grinder and the third is a mig welder. You can do a lot of fabrication with just these three tools. Most expensive is the welder. Rotary tool and side grinder are about the same at Harbor Freight... twenty to thirty bucks.

I clamped the seat post in a vice to give me good hands free access and went at it. I cut the stand hardware off a chunk at a time rather than going after the welds. Don't want to damage the bike frame.
(cont.)
SB

I've shown photos of the different discs mentioned for those new to this stuff. Also the wire wheel used to remove paint & surface rust. I much prefer it to chemicals.

Now the frame is cleaned up enough to proceed. I found a 1960's three speed girls Schwinn at the dump recently which has already donated the seat and seat post clamp to the build. Removed a head tube bearing cup to replace a rusty one on the 51 and will remove the pedal crank, cups and bearings. The frame looks good with the copper gas tank in place... I like it!

Next up is to spread the frame at the dropouts to widen it a bit for the wider Atom drum brake hub. Hope to do that today. Then I'll decide which center stand to rob from a donor. Have one on a light Harley Davidson 2 stroke motorcycle frame, another on what's left of a Honda 55 trail bike and one on a Schwinn Stingray I found at the dump a couple of weeks ago. The Schwinn stand would be the easiest to remove and install on the 51, but I hesitate as that means goodbye to the Stingray frame. Whichever stand I use I will probably need to extend the legs, by how much to be determined by how it sits with the wheels mounted. Having a stand helps during the rest of the build. I'd do a rear drop stand, but they no longer used them in the 1950's which is the look I want. More later when I've done more.
SB

I've shown three possible donors for the center stand. First is a Schwinn Stingray frame I found at the dump a couple of weeks ago. This would be the easiest to remove and affix to my 51. Second is from a light motorcycle and third is from a Honda 55 trail bike.

In order to make the dropouts wide enough apart for the Atom drum brake hub they need to be spread. I used a section of all thread with nuts and washers to accomplish this. Simple procedure. Now they are just right, but need to have the slots opened up just a hair more for the axle to slide in easily. A file will do it or the dremel or the side grinder with a light touch.

(cont.)
SB

Photos show the frame with wheels in place. Slots for the rear axle still need to be opened up a bit. Front fork has no bearings or spacers yet. Tomorrow I'll look though my stuff and find spacers, etc.

With the wheels in place I measured the distance from the ground to the spot where the center stand will go and the stand from the Stingray is just right. Another project for tomorrow.
SB

Measure,
The link doesn't work.
The Schwinn cantilever frame is fairly roomy and the 5 hsp Briggs can be squeezed in there. MSRfan's builds use this frame. I wanted to use a smaller looking engine to draw less attention to myself from the powers that be, so I'm using a 147cc Jacobsen 2 stroke which should produce power in the range of the Whizzer engine while looking like it could conceivably be 50cc providing you have no idea what you're looking at. Ha!

Tinsmith made the copper gas tank with a little help from me. Glad you like it.
SB

msrfan said:

Nice work SB. Has a great look. I had one of those little Hondas a few years back and parted it out on ebay. Every little piece was a different auction. I made several hundred bucks form a carcass. They're very collectable.

Click to expand...

I like the look, too. The in frame tank helps to keep the lines flowing, I think.

I may go ahead and dismantle the Honda 55 to see what I can sell. The engine is frozen up, but all there. I already robbed the front hub for my bike with the canoe sidecar. Did you just use ebay or is there a site for Honda stuff? I paid $15.00 for it.
SB

One step forward, then one back and a second step forward on the other foot.

I cut out the center stand from the donor Schwinn Stingray , ground the metal to size and fit it under the bike frame in the extended position and it was perfect. Just need to make a top piece for above the frame, drill a hole and bolt it in place. It left the tire an inch off the ground. Woo hoo!

Then I checked it in the folded position and it is too narrow for the fatty tire (2.4" Cyclops). Back to the drawing board. I looked over the other two possible donors and they are just all wrong. It would take a lot of fabrication including welding in order to make one of them work. Not worth it.

I resigned myself to spending money by ordering one when I remembered that I had an experimental rear drop stand I made out of copper pipe for a 1934 Elgin some years ago... did some looking and found it. Bolted it on and it works OK, certainly well enough during the build process. If I like it well enough later I'll keep it and if not will come up with something else.

The Stingray center stand will find a home on another bike.with normal tires.
SB

It is at this stage of a build that the lawn chair becomes an important "tool". That is for the essential "creative staring" with a cup of coffee... just looking at the bike once it has wheels on the frame and is upright. Looking at the lines, deciding things like handlebars, whether or not to give it fenders, rear rack, seat position and that sort of thing. I like a rear rack and have modified these old Wald over the front wheel racks before, using them behind the seat. They are sturdy and on the small side. They looked good with a cylindrical gas tank or tool box tucked in behind the seat. If this bike gets a sidecar I won't need a rack, but if it doesn't a small tool bag or box or cylinder is nice to have to tuck away a few tools and a large roll of hundred dollar bills.

The hole in the mounting hardware which fit under the front fork head works originally also slides nicely over the seat post and will stay in place with the seat post clamp directly above it. Two legs extend down to fender mounting holes near the dropouts to make it secure. I needed to take out the major curve in the rack so placed it in a vice and cranked it down, one side at a time. Now I set it on the bike to see how it looks and whether or not it needs more bending. The legs are sitting on top of the axle bolts so the back of the rack will actually sit a little lower. Should be level then and if not a bit of bending will fix that.

I also have the seat sitting more or less where I want it. Maybe not quite so far back. I have yet to make up the seat post. I have an idea, but don't know how well it will work. Whenever I can avoid it I'd rather not spend money since there isn't much to work with. One of the original goals with this build was to end up with good quality, but on a pretty tight budget. We're still at $250.00 at this point.

Next up is to fit a crank set & pedals before sitting the engine in the frame... try to get an idea early on for clearance issues. I'm looking forward to seeing the engine zip tied into position. Then I can give Fasteddy some measurements and he can cut off the engine mount he has made up and is sending me. I'll do the final cutting, but he wants to be sure it is long enough. Since it will be welded to the frame it needs to be right the first time.
SB