The Rustoration Build Off

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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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BarelyAWake, having inspected your Rollfast carefully and in minute detail I have found one glaring flaw. It is indeed, not mine.

A superb job Sir. Now the #$@%*&^ bar is that much higher for those of us who must come from behind in the pack.

Steve.
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
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northeastern Minnesota
BarelyAWake said:
V.V

I should be ashamed... but I'm not lol - I just hadta take the Rollfast out for a pedal under the pretext of findin' some "solutions" to a coupla lil problems by bringin' it to work (that and it was a really nice day heh). It's FAR from finished, there's 'bout a million things I still need do - not least of which the tank... but as a bicycle it's back to operable again, 'cept rear brakes which I still need to make a bracket for.

Even without a seat cover (or any padding on the steel for that matter) it's the epitome of comfort, the Sturmey Archer 3 speed shifts beautifully, the brakes work great (at least the front one does lol), the springer is everything I'd hoped, and the bike just glides along forever.

Takin' it out for a pedal turned out to be a far wiser thing than I'd thought, my determination renewed - I was reminded why I like this bike ;)



...but as you can see - there are more than a few problems still :p
Click to expand...
Ah man... that looks soooo good!
SB
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Venice M B, it should be "How Much". Not that bad. About $300 by the time it's hooked up to the bike.

Lord, I love being retired!

The next one will be really funky. One for every day of the week is the plan.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Steve.
 
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bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
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living the dream in southern california
weekend fun, don't buy an already ripped seat, or you'll be sitting on cold hard metal pretty soon.

a good seat can make or break your bike. if it's uncomfortable to ride, you won't wanna ride it.

it's like bad shoes. if your feet are uncomfortable, your whole body's uncomfortable. same goes for your a$$.
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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Thanks for the complements guys :D

There's plenty of flaws ya prolly can't see... but I sure can heh, I got a couple sorted out - like a custom bracket for the rear brake arm and a spacer for the springer (essentially just a big washer) fabbed outa stainless plate... remind me to NOT try to tool stainless at home anymore BTW, the cost in Dremel & drill bits is just too high lol.

*deep breath* BUT - that's the wrong exhaust system, the carb is at a hellish angle and it's my old broken one anyway, I can't figure out where to put the CDI, there's no wiring done at all, the headlight mount is proving a challenge, I don't have a throttle or grips, I can't seem to find any leather to cover the seat, the fenders & rack aren't even touched yet, I gotta find a chain guard to hide the chrome 44t, gotta find a taillight, gotta find some pedals... heck, there isn't even a base gasket in the engine lol - the list goes on and on.

Let's not forget what good ol' Venice Motor Bikes pointed out - the blasted in-frame tank and alla the assorted hardware & strangeness associated with it. Business is finally starting to slow down at work however, so I traced out some templates for it and I'll begin to chop up some steel... prolly today after work ifn I'm lucky.

Fortunately the winter has really only just begun so I'll have plenty of time to attend to all the lil details... like detailing lol, I will be puttin' the original paint scheme back on it, just in semi-gloss black. I'm adding a bit more to it as well, like the drop outs and lower seatpost and down tube - It's much easier to touch up the inevitable scrapes & scratches if they're black and not a high-gloss gray ;)



It's a dang good thing that I like this part of motorized bicycle riding lol and it's prolly best if I don't finish it too soon anyway as I'd just hafta ride it! The snow, salt and crap on the roads just isn't something I should subject the Rollfast to, it's doin' a number on my poor neglected Schwinn actually, which is gettin' all the ridin' but none of the love :(


Speakin' of "love" - I LOVE that sidecar of yers fasteddy! You're a baaaaad influence man, I just can't stop thinkin' how cool it would be to have one myself. I'm gonna jus' keep lurkin' your build and takin' notes, mebbe I've got a project for next winter because of you lol, I can't wait to see what ya do with the interior - you've just gotta put a car stereo system in there FTW :p
 
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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
BarelyAWake said:
Thanks for the complements guys :D

There's plenty of flaws ya prolly can't see... but I sure can heh, I got a couple sorted out - like a custom bracket for the rear brake arm and a spacer for the springer (essentially just a big washer) fabbed outa stainless plate... remind me to NOT try to tool stainless at home anymore BTW, the cost in Dremel & drill bits is just too high lol.

*deep breath* BUT - that's the wrong exhaust system, the carb is at a hellish angle and it's my old broken one anyway, I can't figure out where to put the CDI, there's no wiring done at all, the headlight mount is proving a challenge, I don't have a throttle or grips, I can't seem to find any leather to cover the seat, the fenders & rack aren't even touched yet, I gotta find a chain guard to hide the chrome 44t, gotta find a taillight, gotta find some pedals... heck, there isn't even a base gasket in the engine lol - the list goes on and on.

Let's not forget what good ol' Venice Motor Bikes pointed out - the blasted in-frame tank and alla the assorted hardware & strangeness associated with it. Business is finally starting to slow down at work however, so I traced out some templates for it and I'll begin to chop up some steel... prolly today after work ifn I'm lucky.

Fortunately the winter has really only just begun so I'll have plenty of time to attend to all the lil details... like detailing lol, I will be puttin' the original paint scheme back on it, just in semi-gloss black. I'm adding a bit more to it as well, like the drop outs and lower seatpost and down tube - It's much easier to touch up the inevitable scrapes & scratches if they're black and not a high-gloss gray ;)



It's a dang good thing that I like this part of motorized bicycle riding lol and it's prolly best if I don't finish it too soon anyway as I'd just hafta ride it! The snow, salt and crap on the roads just isn't something I should subject the Rollfast to, it's doin' a number on my poor neglected Schwinn actually, which is gettin' all the ridin' but none of the love :(


Speakin' of "love" - I LOVE that sidecar of yers fasteddy! You're a baaaaad influence man, I just can't stop thinkin' how cool it would be to have one myself. I'm gonna jus' keep lurkin' your build and takin' notes, mebbe I've got a project for next winter because of you lol, I can't wait to see what ya do with the interior - you've just gotta put a car stereo system in there FTW :p
Click to expand...
Barely,
That's going to make a beautiful paint job, Bud. It's amazing how many little things need attention, I know. I'm fussing in my head over the tail light right now, remaking a sixties turn signal optional accessory into a combination tail brake light... how to mount it and make it look like maybe it was something original back in 1939. I pretend to stew over it, but really its a lot of fun. Got a couple stainless straps for the gas tank and like the look. Still fussing with fenders and now staring at the bent up fender stay. Mostly doing work for my employer and dealing with cold weather.
A leather source might be from someone in your area who makes moccasins or mukluks. We have a shoe repair guy in our small town who makes things for the biker guys out of moose hide which is really durable and nice, but which I choose not to deal with since I don't like the whole moose hunting deal since their populations have never been great and they are in serious decline in my part of the world. Anyone who makes leather items is a possible source and there must be somebody around where you are. A cheapie source can be a used shop like goodwill where if you find a leather jacket you like the color of... if its suede the inside of the leather will be the same color and smooth, suitable for covering a seat I would think. Even a big purse would yeild enough for a seat. Also you can get partial hides on ebay. I like elk hide because it is supple, but much more durable than deer hide. Both are in pretty ample supply from anual hunting and are not threatened as a species. Cow hide is pretty thick unless it is split cow hide and generally not as supple so harder to work with. A small drill bit in your dremel works fine as a hole punch. Anyway, you'll come up with something interesting I'm sure. Surprise us with kiwi or kangaroo...
SB
 
weekend-fun

weekend-fun

New Member
Jun 21, 2009
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San Carlos CA
bairdco said:
weekend fun, don't buy an already ripped seat, or you'll be sitting on cold hard metal pretty soon.

a good seat can make or break your bike. if it's uncomfortable to ride, you won't wanna ride it.

it's like bad shoes. if your feet are uncomfortable, your whole body's uncomfortable. same goes for your a$$.
Click to expand...
was one of thoose links of a ripped seat?? oh i thought i killed that one :oops:

yep your are right :)
 
F

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,454
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British Columbia Canada
Barely AWake,there are a few blems on the side car that I have to make go away also but what has to be done on your bike does not take away from the beautiful job you have done already.

I can only hope the Monark is anywhere close to being as good as everyone elses bike.

Venice is right. The bike does call out for an in frame gas tank. My opinion is these bikes look naked without one. Even if your not putting a motor on it.

Glad you like the side car. It was on it's way to being just a side car until you sent the photo of the guide boat and my brother saw it and then he and I brain stormed the Chris Craft look.
I really hope it inspires other side car builders to find thier hidden talents and jump in.

I have one in mind that is a 180 degree turn around from this one. If I can pull it off I'll be very happy.

Silver Bear is thinking mini bar and silver drinking horns and your in for a stereo. I'll make the next one big enough for two passengers and we can rip the town up where ever we go. LOL

Steve.
 
weekend-fun

weekend-fun

New Member
Jun 21, 2009
999
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0
San Carlos CA
fasteddy said:
Barely AWake,there are a few blems on the side car that I have to make go away also but what has to be done on your bike does not take away from the beautiful job you have done already.

I can only hope the Monark is anywhere close to being as good as everyone elses bike.

Venice is right. The bike does call out for an in frame gas tank. My opinion is these bikes look naked without one. Even if your not putting a motor on it.

Glad you like the side car. It was on it's way to being just a side car until you sent the photo of the guide boat and my brother saw it and then he and I brain stormed the Chris Craft look.
I really hope it inspires other side car builders to find thier hidden talents and jump in.

I have one in mind that is a 180 degree turn around from this one. If I can pull it off I'll be very happy.

Silver Bear is thinking mini bar and silver drinking horns and your in for a stereo. I'll make the next one big enough for two passengers and we can rip the town up where ever we go. LOL

Steve.
Click to expand...
Stereo...me likey!.shft.brnot
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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Well I've started on the fenders and they're proving to be just as much a challenge as I thought - which in a way is good 'cause it's prompted me to start the tank as well as a diversion and something to do while the fill sets lol I'll post some pics as soon as I've made 'nuff progress so they look like somethin' ;)

I decided to do as much of the tank as possible at home, bringing it in only to be welded to speed up the process a bit and while there's far better tools for it at work, I've simply more time at home to make sure the various panels fit as well as I can manage.

I must say though - getting a 2' x 2' sheet of 20 gauge steel home on a MB is... interesting lol and I did actually "crash" - it had nothing to do with the hunk of sheet steel though and I wasn't even going any faster than a slow walking speed. I was just trying to round a corner when the Schwinn suddenly flew out from under me, leaving me standing there with a dumbfounded look. Glare ice/black ice - whatever you wanna call it, it sucks. The bike wasn't damaged and I didn't think I was either... till a lil later. Now as I type this about 12 hours after the fact, I can't even stand up without pushing off something, my lower back is defo not happy about alla this.

Bah, enough whining and onto teh pics heh - the tank will be about 24"L x 5"W x 3"T with the only real challenge being finding some vented fill cap and base that's about 1 3/4" wide... I'd really like a brass cap but we'll see what I can find. There will be an internal baffle/splash guard to reduce the amount of fuel slap against the fuel fill (number one cause of cap seepage), a "fuel sight gauge" made from brass elbows and a hunk of clear fuel line, and ofc copper fuel lines... tho that's not really part of the tank lol

The poor, filthy Schwinn bein' a workhorse;


and the initial measurements bein' figured out fer the tank; (click to view larger)


In the pic it looks as if the tracing is off, it isn't - it's just the angle of the pic. There's a 1/4" gap all around the tank to allow for the fasteners BTW
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
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northeastern Minnesota
Happy New year, Bud. Glad your wipeout didn't go worse than it did. It occurred to me as I read your post that what you're doing is really good for those of us who don't weld. We, too, can gather materials if we know what they need to be, can take measurements and make templates, maybe cut and drill as necessary (we'll watch what you do and how you go about it) so that all is ready for the actual welding. Then we could also take everything to a welder to put together. I imagine we could also do the grinding and finishing up, painting and all. That's an encouraging thought as it would minimize the time and expense of the welding help and make an in frame tank possible for the rest of us who don't weld. Please take photos as if this is a how to make a tank minus the actual welding part. Someone will benefit from your example and your thoughtfulness.
Also, I wanted to thank you for your off hand comment on the gas sight gauge as I immediately pictured doing that on a juice tank with just a couple little bent pieces of copper tubing with clear line between. Excellent! Wishing you a speedy recovery and a happy new year,
SB
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
A few photo updates... below are pictures of the rear fender front mount repair. Donor section is from a 50 Schwinn fender (beyond repair) cut off and then shaped with a dremel reinforced cutoff wheel. Then the section was drilled in a number of spots, held in place with vice grips and soldered with silver solder. Not all drilled spots received solder, as it tacked up nicely along the perimeter and is solid. The side which shows later got some JB weld to fill in a bit (after this photo was taken). No doubt there are other ways to do this, but it is done and is stronger than when it was new over seventy years ago.
SB
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Last photo of topside of repair didn't come through in the last post, so it is pictured below. Also pictured are the fender stays. One is badly bent up and between the two Elgin stays is the stay from the 50 Schwinn, too short and much lighter weight. I've been putting off dealing with the bent one, but need to go ahead and see what can be done so that it is usable. Oh boy.
SB
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I went to Lowe's yesterday to pick up stainless steel clamps for the juice gas tank and looked at pipe insulation I had been thinking about for making my own hand grips. I bought a six foot section and cut off two grip sized lengths. As you can see the foam is split and has two glued edges with celephane (sp?) covering them so that the foam can be closed around the pipe to seal things up. I tried it and discovered that the glue is really strong. I think the inside diameter of what I bought is a half inch. It is snug, but with effort fits over the handlebar and the glued edges don't come apart. Then I got out some elk hide scraps and cut a piece for the left grip, stitched it up with sinew and two needles. With a twisting motion I got the grip on and it feels really nice. You wouldn't have to cover it in leather if you wanted just a kind of rat rod, functional look. I paid $1.64 for the six foot section and figure it is enough for seven and a half pairs of grips, which comes to less than a quarter for a pair of grips. Not bad. The foam is a better quality than what I've seen on bikes with foam grips. Recently I bought a set of gel grips on ebay which were a waste of money, somewhere around ten bucks with shipping. I'm not using them for anything. Live and learn. The schwinn grips I adapted and covered in leather which are shown earlier in this thread are better than the gel ones, but these foam grips are better yet and I think I've found what I wanted. These are not going to transfer vibration, a big concern for me since I have trouble with the nerves in my hands and feet (Guillane Barre Syndrome) and a long ride leaves my hands tingling badly. So now I have a super comfy seat and great grips (once I do the throttle side). Can't wait for warmer weather so I can ride... More diversionary tactics to keep myself from fender work. Ah well, back to the danged fenders.
SB
 

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