Firebird, Silverbear's Worksman Cruiser

[silverbear]

“Firebird”, Silverbear’s Worksman Cruiser

This build is not about a tribute board tracker. No attempt is being made to look like anything that was ever made in 1910 or anything Indian ever manufactured. And yet it is a tribute build, but of another kind. As many of you know, back in May I experienced a terrible fire. I was about to make my return home to Minnesota after a winter caretaking in Maryland in the mountains near Camp David. My truck was fully loaded with tools and personal possessions, and with great care I had also loaded four old bicycles I’d worked on through the winter. One of them was a participant in the Rustoration build off thread, a 1939 Elgin. It wasn’t totally done (are they ever) but was still something I was proud of and looked forward to riding this summer. The short of it is that the truck apparently had an electrical problem and shortly after I had filled up the tank and parked it for the night it caught on fire. Everything was a loss and a great blank spot appeared in my life. I no longer had a way to get home and must admit that things looked pretty bleak. The same night of the fire I shared photos of the firemen putting out the blaze with you folks as I knew you would understand something of what I had lost.
Much has happened in the time since, some of it chronicled in the Fire thread for anyone interested. The short of it is that some very good friends here helped me find and pay for a truck which did indeed get me home. These friends paid for the fuel to get me here and some of you have sent me parts to help me get going again. I admit that for awhile there I though I might need to just give up any aspirations to start a little motorbicycle business, but the encouragement you good people have given me has lit another kind of fire; the fire of ambition and resolution which has led to this new build. So, it is not a board tracker, but it is a tribute to all of you who have helped me and is my own way of acknowledging and giving thanks.
I did have a few bikes left behind in Minnesota which I could come home to. One is a 1934 Elgin step through much like the one lost in the fire. It will be worked on as next winter’s build, better and more beautiful than the last one. Another is a 1950 Schwinn Panther which incredibly, I found at the dump. It will get a four stroke engine hopefully this fall and will have sportscarpat’s first stainless steel tank which is one of the few things I had which survived the truck fire. I’m looking forward to that one. And finally I have a Worksman Newsboy frame I found on ebay last summer for $108.00 including shipping. This is the
tribute build.
(cont.)

 

[silverbear]

It looked pretty sad and neglected when I unpacked it from the shipping box. Basically it was a frame and front fork as the wheels were not Worksman and were badly rusted. Handlebar chrome was also shot and there was no seat. The frame and fork were good though, so I had the foundation for a good bike. With little money to work with I looked around at my stuff to see if there was anything I could use. I had an old Elgin seat and some fenders and skirt guards from a 41 step through. I put them in place and toyed with the idea of somehow using them with the Worksman. I also wanted some kind of gas tank to go between the upper cross bars. At the time I knew nothing of the juice can behind the seat tank and was thinking of using some kind of tube… maybe a fire extinguisher… something.

(cont.)

 

[silverbear]

As it turned out I did not like the combination as it just didn’t work, found a 1939 Elgin frame and front fork and used those Elgin parts to complete the 39, which I did in the Rustoration thread. The Worksman got stripped down to bare metal and painted a Dupli color engine color close to Worksman blue. I gave it a handlebar and headlight from a 60’s Schwinn, a worksman seat and stored it away to work on this summer.

(cont.)

 

[2dawgs]

Silver Bear,

This build is off to a great design build. Definitely use the fire extinguisher. Can't wait to see the finished masterpeice.

 

[silverbear]

I did not like that handlebar and robbed one from a newish, cheap made in China Huffy and like much better how it looks, sweeping back as it does. I made the mistake of mounting the goose neck backwards and then corrected it, later realizing I liked how it looked the wrong way. I think I’ll leave it like that. The seat sits further back and is one from a 1941 Elgin which was in very sad shape when I got it some years ago. I repaired it, removed the rust with a wire wheel, painted it black and gave it some padding and a cover in good old harness leather. It has the 7 shaped seat stem, of a smaller diameter, so while it sits back further and makes the bike more comfortable I still have to secure it adequately. I’m thinking copper shims made from slitting copper water pipe lengthwise with the Dremel cut off wheel which I have not done yet. The engine is a PK-80 kindly sent to me by Justin of Pirate Cycle. It is black and will get a custom air cleaner and chromed expansion tank from Paul and Jim at Sick Bike Parts. I’m a little bit worried over fitting the pipe under the pedal crank, but will figure that out when the time comes. I may be asking BarelyAWake for advise on how he did his for his Rollfast. Other changes are a different paint scheme. I have new black Wald fenders for it and cream colored Electra tires are coming. These are being paid for by the proceeds from gas tanks you guys have bought. Many thanks for that. As suggested to me by Fasteddy, the bike frame and fork are going to be a Ford Windsor cream color. If it cleans up well enough from the fire I’ll use the 60’s Schwinn rear rack and have made for it a very cool little brake light to fit under the rear of the rack which I’ll share with you in due time. I’m quite pleased with it and hope you’ll like it, too. I just finished it up yesterday. It is basically a copper tube with a ruby stained glass beveled 1 1/8 inch diameter jewel for the lens with nine LED lights in it to run off the magneto. Bicycle jewelry is what it is and suggests to me a whole new line of thinking in high end lights for future builds. Some of you guys are great with motors and mechanics, others are great with paint and design. I’m not any of those things, but we each bring something to the table. For me it is leather work and fabricating doo dahs of one kind or another. I used to have a glass business making stained glass windows, so had to find a way to work my love of colored glass in.
At the moment I’m waiting for Jim’s rear sprocket adapter and a pull start kit to be in stock at Pirate Cycle. A heavy duty rear wheel is coming from Chris Davis, a dealer at EZMotors and my internet friend of many years. Fasteddy is stopping by for a visit sometime pretty soon on his long trip to Prince Edward Island and is bringing along a used Worksman front wheel with a drum brake and a sidecar mount he made up like his on the sidecar thread. Next week I’m picking up a $20.00 damaged aluminum canoe in hopes of cutting it down to size for a sidecar body for the Worksman, so will be looking for advice from Fasteddy on the sidecar setup and painting tips for the Worksman. I may do nice leather work but I’m a lousy painter. Finally I have a lovely little head badge from Jezuzjonz which is a silver colored Indian replica, so that will replace the Worksman badge and be the one little tribute to the heritage of Indian Motorcycles and to my own ancestry. I did make fringed handlebar grips out of dense foam and elk hide which are the most comfortable buttery soft grips I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to use them and am contemplating a bit of bead work on them… nothing much but a little touch to compliment the Indian head badge. So that’s it with where I am and a forecast of what’s coming. First I’ll put the bike together as it is in blue and when everything fits will repaint it in the final color fixing the inevitable scratches and rubs of fabrication. It won’t be anything spectacular, super fast or terribly high dollar, but I intend for it to be the best bike I know how to build at this time… with a little help from my friends. Updates will follow as they happen.
Silverbear

 

[silverbear]

NEW GRIPS
I have mixed feelings about the stock throttle and grips which come with the kits. The throttles I've had work well enough, but I find the grips to be nasty. The problem is they stink. Someone told me that in China there is something unfinished about the rubber used which would normally keep that offensive order down. I also have some nerve damage in my hands from being hit by lighting fifteen years ago and then developing a partial paralysis with a condition called Guillane Barre Syndrome which is much like polio. Anyway, comfortable grips are a priority for me so I have been on a quest to find or make them for several years. I think I have the answer, at least for me. For anyone else with hand pain you might consider doing what I have done.
First you need to remove the hard plastic grip from the throttle. The end cap will need to be pried off. I used a screwdriver. Then make a slit down the grip as shown in the picture. Don't go too deep since the throttle itself is also plastic. Pry back the grip and remove it.
putting the new grip on can be a little troublesome. I like using firm foam grips which I buy on ebay. I use a little dish soap on the throttle itself and slide the foam grip into place. Mine are a little harder to do since I cover mine in elk hide which is then stitched in sinew. Since I tuck the end inside the grip to be pushed on to the throttle tube, it is a tight fit and requires some serious pushing to get it on. Without leather it is much simpler, but doesn't look as good. Still if you interest is purely comfort and no odor, the foam grip is the answer.
(cont.)

 

[silverbear]

Once you have the grip on if it is plain foam then you're good to go. If it has a leather covering you will want to twist the leather to where the stitching is low on the hand grip at idle. A pair of channel locks or just pliers can twist the throttle into the alignment you want. My grips are for the Worksman in this thread so I want them to look really good. I also like the buttery soft feel of elk hide in my hand. Comfortable grips are a joy to use, especially on long rides, and so for me are worth a good deal of effort. No more tingly hands at the end of a ride. I had a pair on the Elgin which burned, so I didn't get to use them much. In the background is the little jewel brake light in the process of being made and which I believe is something new. At least it is new to me. Certainly old bikes had bicycle jewels and I understand that some had a bulb, but the copper housing and LED lights with the jewel wrapped in copper foil and silver soldered to the copper is something new. If anyone wants custom grips send a PM and we can talk about it. The jewel light will be available later. I need to make another now that I know how to go about it and see what it comes to in hours of labor. More than you might imagine, but the next one will take less time than the first one did.
SB

 

[silverbear]

Silver Bear,

This build is off to a great design build. Definitely use the fire extinguisher. Can't wait to see the finished masterpeice.

2dawgs,
Thanks for your interest in the build. I don't know that it is going to be a masterpiece, as there are some pretty awesome Worksman builds here on the forum, but this one is a little lower tech and maybe more in reach of builders with more modest tools, budgets and capabilities... people like me. I can't wait to see it done to see if I like it as much as I think I will. That's part of the fun in a build to see how it matches up with what you envisioned. In the end we have to please ourselves and if it is also pleasing to others, then that's great.
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

Another silverbear build!

Nice man, good to hear you've got a canoe coming too - I've been wantin' to see the sidecar you'll make and that's a fact

I'm so glad you've recovered and back to buildin' - can't wait till yer vroomin' around again

 

[silverbear]

While waiting for a couple out of stock parts from Pirate I'm making some progress on the Worksman project which will get going in earnest in another week or two. I finished up the brake light and am very happy with it. The nine LED lights inside are very bright and will run off the magneto. This light will fit on or under the end of the rear rack. The lens is made from a ruby beveled stained glass jewel and the body of the light is copper. I love this little light and more will follow.
I bought a damaged donor canoe for the sidecar. It is a seventeen foot aluminum Grumman and is damaged at each side midway, so both ends are good and potentially the canoe will yield two sidecars. I'm just at the staring at stage. Stand there with a cup of coffee and look and look and look. Measure and think about it. When Fasteddy stops for a visit on his way to Prince Edward Island I hope to get some ideas from him on modifying the canoe sections and setting up the mounts. Should be a fun kind of side project to go with the Firebird.
And I have been spending a lot of time and energy turning an old travel trailer my brother and I used as a kind of catch all for boat stuff, car stuff, building stuff and miscellaneous stuff, much of which I stuffed into big trash bags for the dump, gave some things away and the rest am sorting through and organizing. In the back will go a wood stove for heat in the colder months I'm still here and at the other end, the front, is my bike shop. Or I should say it will be my bike shop. Lots of windows give great light and I'm setting up rough cut shelves to hold boxes of parts, tools and what not. In front of where there used to be a couch there was a little table which folded up into the wall. It has extension leaves and fully extended works great as a bike stand. I use tie offs going to wall and ceiling hooks to support the bike and can walk around it and work on either side without moving the bike. It feels like such luxury to stand up and work on a bike. And to have my tools right there where I know a wrench is or a screwdriver... I can hardly wait to get going on this Worksman. Another week or so of shop preparation work (running power for one thing) and cutting some trees out front and then erecting an old octagonal screen house my brother gave me which is going to become a bike garage where I can wheel a bike inside out of the weather. The screen will get replaced with billboard vinyl later this summer and then no more tarps covering bikes. So all of this is kind of related to the Firebird build itself and of the more general commitment to having a little business. As soon as things are in better order I'll grind off the chain guard mounts on the Worksman and then strip it down to repaint as I wait for the final parts to come. The cream colored Electra tires came and look great. New black Wald Fenders are also ready. Front headlight is made. I picked up the Dupli color cream paint and primer for the frame repaint. Getting closer...
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

That lil light did end up lookin' sweet as all get-out! I'm so fond of red glass lol add some copper and/or brass and it's just classy

That ol' travel trailer is shaping up into a fine bike shop too, there's nothing better than a dedicated work space - a decadent luxury indeed! I'm a touch envious as my work area is under constant threat of encroachment as my housemates get more and more useless junk to abandon - I've finally cordoned off about 1/4 of the basement with the threat that anything found within that's not mine or bike related will be hucked into the ocean Muhahaha!

That canoe is also in far better shape than I thought it'd be - what small irregularities there may be in the bow/stern so slight that if anything it'd just look appropriate, "aged" a bit ifn ya know what I mean, it really is a great idea to use something like that as a donor for a sidecar

 

[sportscarpat]

Oh no! Don't scrap the canoe! I almost bought one of those aluminum canoes when I was 18 years old for $100. The lady that owned it changed her mind at the last minute. I have been looking for one at that price ever sense. Finally found a Coleman one last year. Canoe paddling is an art, just check you tube.

 

[silverbear]

Hey Pat,
Where I live is canoe country. The nearby town of Ely is a launching point for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a million acres of interconnected lakes, mirrored by Quetico Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border. Drive through Ely in the summer time and every third or fourth vehicle has a canoe on top. I used to live about seventeen miles from Canada in what is now the BWCA as a child and before I was allowed to use a boat on my own I had use of the family Grumman, seventeen feet of aircraft aluminum made right after WWII. One heavy bugger that was. I was six and had to paddle from the wrong end with a pile of rocks at the other end to weigh it down so the wind wouldn't blow me to the other end of Ojibwa Lake, which it sometimes did anyway. I remember how proud I was when I could roll it up onto my shoulders at twelve... mostly technique because I certainly didn't have a lot of muscle. Every year outfitters sell off some of the worst banged up ones. Some of them are now made of Kevlar, but most are still aluminum, so finding a used canoe is pretty easy around here. This one has two gashes in the sides, midway, and while I think I could patch them and make it lake worthy, ten dollars per sidecar body is a pretty good deal, too. I have the Worksman and other projects first and my freebie ad in the local paper may generate another donor in worse shape. In that case I'll cut up the worst one. I agree that canoeing is an art you have to develop a feeling for and a kind of sixth sense. One reason I want a canoe sidecar is my history with and love of canoes. Also it can't hurt in drawing attention to a motorbike in my part of the world if the sidecar should have a paddle.
SB

 

[Blackhog01]

dear silverbear im new to these forums well at least new to posting on these forums as i have read a lot about the builds you guys have done. I was sorry to hear about your bad luck but am glad to see you didnt let it stop your passion for building. Ive really enjoyed reading about you an bairdco,an barelyawakes buildoffs you guys hav helped me with my build just by watching yours anyway cant wait to see how this one turns out

 

[silverbear]

dear silverbear im new to these forums well at least new to posting on these forums as i have read a lot about the builds you guys have done. I was sorry to hear about your bad luck but am glad to see you didnt let it stop your passion for building. Ive really enjoyed reading about you an bairdco,an barelyawakes buildoffs you guys hav helped me with my build just by watching yours anyway cant wait to see how this one turns out

Blackhog01,
Welcome to posting on the forum. I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed slogging through the epic length Rustoration thread. I keep thinking someday I'll re read it from beginning to end and then put it off until there's a blizzard or I have a broken leg or something with some down time. Yes, it was great making friends with Bairdco and Barely. They were both an inspiration to me and very helpful. I was the old guy learning from the young ones. Still am. Yeah, I can't wait to see how this build turns out either. I wanna ride it.
SB

 

[Blackhog01]

had a couple questions about pictures. Do i hav to make a certian amount of posts before i can put up some pics? Has any of you heard of shaw motor company? Funny story i had sent my exhaust with my bro to take to his work an do some fabricating one of the old guys asked him what it was for the guy said the building they work in was Shaw motor co. an they used to build motorized bicycles! They had theyre Galesburg days celebration yesterday got to see some of the bikes they had in the museum got some pics an wanted to share. I dont kno its probably old news to you guys but i thought it was pretty neat. Those bikes were awesome.

 

[silverbear]

Blackhog,
I think 3 is the magic number of posts before you can upload photos, so if I remember right, now you can. I'd like to see them and yes, I remember seeing stuff about Shaw motorbicycles sometime or other. I feel like I have more in common with those long ago workers and designers and riders than the motorcycle manufacturers alive today. Maybe some of them are kind of in the shadows of this forum, looking over our shoulders as we read and write to each other and in our dreams at night try to give us advice. Messages from Spirit. Ya never know. "Listen, you numb-skull! We had that figured out a hundred years ago! Do it this way or you'll blow up that piece of junk you call a motor!" I could use some good advice, awake or asleep.
SB

 

[curtisfox]

Blackhog,
I think 3 is the magic number of posts before you can upload photos, so if I remember right, now you can. I'd like to see them and yes, I remember seeing stuff about Shaw motorbicycles sometime or other. I feel like I have more in common with those long ago workers and designers and riders than the motorcycle manufacturers alive today. Maybe some of them are kind of in the shadows of this forum, looking over our shoulders as we read and write to each other and in our dreams at night try to give us advice. Messages from Spirit. Ya never know. "Listen, you numb-skull! We had that figured out a hundred years ago! Do it this way or you'll blow up that piece of junk you call a motor!" I could use some good advice, awake or asleep.
SB

I say that now when some of the younger guy's are building some bikes. But then again I didn't know everything when I first started.

SBThat is one awesome build going for you,like it all so far

Blackhog I am working on a Shaw clone. Not much this summer but will get going on it this winter. Got frame and wheels. Sure would like to find a engine that looked like the old ones. I will probably end up using a Honda with a gear box to get reduction

 

[Blackhog01]

yeah thats the only thing holding back these builds if someone could clone the old engines they would be rich. Im sure someone could do it and make them cheap and reliable, but i guess that would take away from the originals worth i dont kno im gunna try and put up some pics of them and maybe one of my train wreck lol

 

[silverbear]

A bit of update...
THE SEAT...
As mentioned earlier I had a Worksman seat for this bike, but it just did not look vintage. I also had an original springer seat from a 1941 Elgin step through which was in very poor condition until I took it apart and rebuilt it a couple of years ago, upholstered it in black harness leather and then didn't use it. It has the old 7 shaped seat post which in the reversed position makes for a kind of lay back post putting the seat closer to the rear wheel. I set it in place and liked it. The problem is that the post tube on the bike is a much larger diameter than the post on the seat. The seat post is solid steel and not a hollow tube. I figured I could shim it somehow and that's what I did. I cut off a section of 7/8" handlebar from a donor and using the cutoff wheel on the dremel mototool cut a slot on one side so that when the seat post bolt is tightened the tube can compress. It still was not enough to make up the difference so I cut a section of 1/2" copper pipe and slit it lengthwise to make into two pieces. This I think will do it, but won't know absolutely until the bike is done and I'm riding it... but this will work I am now sure even if another small shim is needed. An advantage in going this route if you are going for a vintage look is first cost... if you're willing to take it apart, fix what needs fixing, clean everything up of rust with a wire wheel, paint it and give it new padding and upholstery you're not looking at a lot of money. But you get a lot of seat. It is comfortable and I think looks really good. I know it's the real deal... an antique seat which already has a built in layback. I am leaving a small bit of the handlebar shim exposed so that if I ever want to remove it I can. The copper shims are flared at the top end to keep them from falling down inside the seat post.
Aside from the cost of the original bike the seat came from I have little money invested and not too awfully much time. Once you do one seat the next one is easier. Also pictured are the wings for the front copper jewel fender light I'm making. They are brass filigree dragonfly wings used in the stained glass lamp making trade and will get stained glass under them fixed to the brass. This will give the wings 'body' and if a similar color to the frame paint will look pretty cool I think. I'll use just one set, even though dragonflies have four. I'm not trying to make a dragonfly, just a cool torpedo light fender ornament with nine LED's inside... what I call "bicycle jewelry". If I end up not liking it then it will get one without wings. But I think I'm gonna like it a lot.
SB